The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-02-11
SLAVES ARE
FAST DYING OFF
Kentucky Has Few Left Of
Those Once Distinguished
by Their PoIiteness.

44AS&A a OAA&GAGGS9s
Lexington, Ky.-Kentucky, having
lost at least of the attributes upon
which part Of its charm formerly was J,
based-goOd, old MISUNDERSTANDING,
however, its fast horses and beauti-
full women, is witnessing the passing
of just about its last link to the old
SOuth-the negroes who were born in
slavery.
The "Old marster' has long since
passed IN the broad-brimmed hat and
the gray goatee are more plentiful
among the professional southerners"
In various big cities than they are In
the land Of the tunnels: the soft
drawl is becoming a more snappy af-
fair, and even the great colonial
homesteads with far-flung porches and
spacious grounds are giving way to
the smart smaller home, and the wear
and tear of the family automobile is
destroying the need fon a stately ave-
III Of trees leading up to the old
time mansion.
There are very few-probably not
w half a dozen-left In this city,
and it is believed there are not over
a hundred in the state. Those still
here can easily be distinguished from
those negroes almost as venerable, but
who were born free.
Former Slaves Polite.
The former slave, IL q man, Rp-
preaching a white man, viii have his
hat In his hand and greet the white
man as IL the latter were Of the elect
of all those who roam the world. The
old negro remembers, probably, when
he stood at the door, or waited at
table, for his "marster," whoever he
may have been, and greeted the great
n Of the universe as he rode horse
back, OF perchance came in carriage,
to the big house.
If a woman, the ancient crone who
once was a slave is just as respectful,
as ell were taught to be by their own
ers, but she has more intimate remi-
n~iscences Of "old MISS or ''yOung
mistis." And nothing gives these ven-
cradle danes nor pleasure than to
recall times Of the "befO' de wah"
days, when their" young women were
the pick Of the world and the ''belle
Of the ball." when there were such
things.
The "last surviving servant Of Henry
Clay" has died for about the ninetieth
time in Lexington-this was some time
ago-the claim was becoming rather
~threadbare, anyway, but there are
those who remember Abraham Lin
coin" The real Old-time negro is
scarcely seen; he or she is too feeble
to get about much, but when one is
encountered there is no tale of woe
this old retainer Of an era that is gone
is a thoroughbred, trained by the old
time southern families to accept what
comes for better or worse and make
no complaint audible to the populace
Loved Their Owners.
The slave owner is gone, and only
legend tells of him. But his sons and
their sons will recount stories Of how
the slaves Of ~ante-bellum days loved
their owners and their families, anC
the offspring Of these former arbiterl
Of the very lives of their human chat
tells have a deep affection for the old
time negro Of either sex who lived ant
worked and sorrOwed, sometimes, IL
the days of which Stephen Collins
Foster wrote. The cabins are gone
too, so it is no longer that the
young folks roll on the little cabil
floor,
All merry, and happy and bright"
The One-time slave quarters hav
disappeared. Only here and there Il
the cellar OF a great house will b
found huge ireplaces and small room
which one is told is where the slave
once gathered and rested and KEEP
; warm and played when their day
work was over.
The affection that existed betweei
owner and slave or the formers fam
: lily is shown by the fact that within
comparatively recent years, two Ker
tuckians, noted far and wide at thei
deaths, left negresses, former slaves
fortunes OF ambitious proportions eve
in a wealthy community, because thes
z negresses and their families ha
watched over and cared for the whit
men and looked after their comfort
when gray shadows Of years crep
: down about them.