*Interview with Richard Mack, 104 years old*
*Rosemont School, Charleston, S.C.*
--_Martha S. Pinckney, Charleston, S.C._
Richard Mack, a happy philosopher, 104 years old, in perfect mental and
physical condition, is still working as janitor of the Rosemont school.
He is of the aquiline type, with eyes bright and deep set, and a black
skin with a red light shining through, showing Indian relationship.
"I was born in Limestone, Va. My first master was Green Bobo. I was sold
when I was ten years old; not really sold, but sold on a paper that said
if he didn't take care of me, I would come back--a paper on me--a kind
of mortgage--speculators bought negroes and sell um. Missis, I never had
a stripe put on me. I had a privilege of being among all people."
(Richard Mack enjoyed every experience of his life and has no root of
bitterness in his nature). "Then I come to South Carolina. My mother,
Jane, she live to be 108; she come to South Carolina too. We got back
together again," (he paused with a bright smile) "Orangeburg, at Captain
Cherry's--Captain Cherry here in Charleston is related to him--Cherry
Plantation is there now; Captain Cherry had plenty of money.
"Tony was my father, a carriage driver; he wore his tall hat and fine
clothes (livery) and he was a musician--played the violin at the Academy
on the 'old Ninety-Six Road'. All the white people educated their
children there, and they had parties. Oh, the beautifulest ladies--they
wore long dresses then and had long hair--the beautifulest! My
father--Daddy Tony, they call him--he was a musician--always played the
violin." Here he mentioned the names of songs of that day, before the
War of 1861, and repeated these words with much merriment:
Would have been married forty year ago,
If it hadn't been for Cotton Eye Joe
"Songs--lots of um--