Evening star., 1928-11-04

4
|" saw him knew 1 had found
the man I was seeking. AS
drove up to the house, he was
sitting in a Tickety old chair under
a gnarled apple tree beside the chicken
yard, with several andchildren-as I
uppoSed-playing about, as he dozsd
with nodding head in the heat OF mid
afternoon. That he was old there was
no doubt; his woolly head was white
and his eyes, as he observed my ap-
proach, were no longer clear, but looked
dim and tired, like the eyes of an old.
old man I contemplated him in silence
q moment, while he looked mildly up at
me, Here was the old fellow my friend
Col. S. had told me about and suggested
that I hunt him up had been told
that he was born a slave on Arlington
House plantation nearly 100 years ago,
and had worked and lived there all his
life; that he rendered George Washing
ton Parke Gusts and had many rem
iniscences he might disclose to the right
person II he chose to talk. l was skep-
ttcal at first; I was inclined to DOUBT
that he had ever seen Mr.. CusttS, so /
asked MIR. Robert Dye. superintendent
at Arlington Cemetery, if he knew
James Parks, and what about him. Mr..
Dye did know him and great deal
about him, and particularly where q
could find him. why, that old fellow
can tell you more about this place than
any one living" WAS he really slave
of George Washington Parke Gusts, do
you thipH?" I asked. Surely, he was;
/ don't know just how old he is, but he
must be close to a hundred. When ]
came to Arlington IN 1888. he looked
Just as old as he does today So that
Is whyNI hunted up James Parks.
uO1i TarNoS PaFkE9D Il asked.
eyes, sub, dat,s my name" His voice
was low but clear. and sensing he had
O visitor, he made some effort of get
ting up and looking about for some
sort of seat for me. urged him to
be seated again, and to show him
had come to stay for a time, l sat
down beside him on a chair almost as
dilapidated as his own. He looked at
me with rheumy but respectful eyes,
and waited. "I understand you were
born slave at Arlington many years
ago" began. "Yes, sub. dat is cors
rect" I waited; I wanted to see If he
would begin a long ramble of remi-
riscences, full of historical errors-1
was still skeptical. He did nothing of
the sort; he merely waited for my next
question, looking at me steadily. Did
you ever see George Washington Parke
Custis?" was my next question. He
gave a quick chuckie and his old face
lighted up. I've handed Maj. Gusts
many gourd of water from de spring
down dere by de river where DE Gov
eminent farm now is" And so, /
began a very interesting acquaintance
with very interesting old man:
page from the book of the past, who
has lived to witness many things the
present generation calls history, and
who, with the intervening span Of one
lfe-not as long In years as his own
me-directly links today with Mount
Vernon and George Washington.
r 4 ~
JAMES PARKS was one of George
Washington Parke Gusts slaves and
knew him as his master on Arlington
plantation from the time he first knew
anything, and George Washington
Parke Gusts was not only the grand
son of Martha Washington, but the
only adopted son of George Washing-
ton, and who grew 70 manhood from a
baby In arms under the tender care
of the Father of His Country and his
gentle wife; George Washington Parke
Gusts and his sister. Nellie Custis,
were known as "the children Of Mount
Vernon" and although Mr. Gusts was
only 1s years of age when George
Washington died in December, 1899,
nevertheless, he was named as one of
the executors of the generals last
will and testament, and when he died
et Arlington House. October 10. 1857,
he was the last link of household
intimacy that bound his day and gen.
Grafton with cur illuStrious first Presi-
dent.
AS my talk with the old Gusts slave
1An0fhAnAd faA
finally vanished entirely realized that
the old fellow wasn't a faker. I had
half expected he would spoil himself
for my purpose in less than 10 minutes.
Instead, as he talked on in answer to
my occasional questions, my wonder
grew, and realized he was pure gold
Not only had he lived long years upon
the very scenes in which was particu-
larly interested, but he had a keen
mind and memory and could talk we'll.
He was perfect subject to be inter-
viewed, too, because he would talk for
a while and then wait for another queS-
ton. Always courteous and respectful
referring to himself and others of his
day and generation as "Custis niggers,"
as these old-tirne slaves will, he remind
ed me Of nothing so much as Thomas
Nelson Pages old fellow in "Marse
Chan" and "Meh Lady"
James Parks was born on Arlington
plantation about "a or IS years ago.
His father and mother and brothers
and sisters were all slaves Of the Gus
tbs family and his grandfather, who was
for many years head cook at the man.
sion house. lived to be more than a
hundred years old. All his folks are
buried in the slave burial grounds, down
in the grove Of trees near the river
shore, on that part of the Arlington
reservation now under the jurisdiction
Of tts DEPARTMENT ~ Agriculture A. sH