WPA in Ohio
Federal Writers' Project
Bishop & Isleman
Reporter: Bishop
(Revision)
July 8, 1937
Topic: Ex-Slaves
Jefferson County, District #5
JOHN WILLIAMS MATHEUS
Ex-Slave, 77 years
"My mothers name was Martha. She died when I was eleven
months old. My mother was owned by Racer Blue and his wife
Scotty. When I was bout eleven or twelve they put me out with
Michael Blue and his wife Mary. Michael Blue was a brother to
Racer Blue. Racer Blue died when I was three or four. I have a
faint rememberance of him dying suddenly one night and see him
laying out. He was the first dead person I saw and it seemed
funny to me to see him laying there so stiff and still."
"I remember the Yankee Soldier, a string of them on
horses, coming through Springfield, W. Va. It was like a circus
parade. What made me remember that, was a colored man standing
near me who had a new hat on his head. A soldier came by and saw
the hat and he took it off the colored man's head, and put his
old dirty one on the colored man's head and put the nice new one
on his own head."
"I think Abraham Lincoln the greatest man that ever
lived. He belonged to no church; but he sure was Christian. I
think he was born for the time and if he lived longer he would
have done lots of good for the colored people."
"I wore jeans and they got so stiff when they were wet
that they would stand up. I wore boots in the winter, but none
in the summer."
"When slavery was going on there was the 'underground
railway' in Ohio. But after the surrender some of the people in
Ohio were not so good to the colored people. The old folks told
me they were stoned when they came across the river to Ohio
after the surrender and that the colored people were treated
like cats and dogs."
"Mary Blue had two daughters, both a little older than
me and I played with them. One day they went to pick berries.
When they came back they left the berries on the table in the
kitchen and went to the front room to talk to their mother. I
remember the two steps down to the room and I came to listen to
them tell about berry pickin'. Then their mother told me to go
sweep the kitchen. I went and took the broom and saw the
berries. I helped myself to the berries. Mary wore soft shoes,
so I did not hear her coming until she was nearly in the room. I
had berries in my hand and I closed my hand around the handle of
the broom with the berries in my hand. She says, 'John, what are
you doin'? I say, 'nothin'. Den she say, 'Let me see your hand!
I showed her my hand with nothin' in it. She say, 'let me see
the other hand! I had to show her my hand with the berries all
crushed an the juice on my hand and on the handle of the
broom."
"Den she say; 'You done two sins'. 'You stole the
berries!, I don't mind you having the berries, but you should
have asked for them. 'You stole them and you have sinned. 'Den
you told a lie! She says, 'John I must punish you, I want you to
be a good man; don't try to be a great man, be a good man then
you will be a great man! She got a switch off a peach tree and
she gave me a good switching. I never forgot being caught with
the berries and the way she talked bout my two sins. That hurt
me worse than the switching. I never stole after that."
"I stayed with Michael and Mary Blue till I was
nineteen. They were supposed to give me a saddle and bridle,
clothes and a hundred dollars. The massa made me mad one day. I
was rendering hog fat. When the crackling would fizzle, he hollo
and say 'don't put so much fire.' He came out again and said, 'I
told you not to put too much fire,' and he threatened to give me
a thrashing. I said, 'If you do I will throw rocks at
you.'"
"After that I decided to leave and I told Anna Blue I
was going. She say, 'Don't do it, you are too young to go out
into the world.' I say, I don't care, and I took a couple of
sacks and put in a few things and walked to my uncle. He was a
farmer at New Creek. He told me he would get me a job at his
brothers farm until they were ready to use me in the tannary. He
gave me eight dollars a month until the tanner got ready to use
me. I went to the tanner and worked for eight dollars a week.
Then I came to Steubenville. I got work and stayed in
Steubenville 18 months. Then I went back and returned to
Steubenville in 1884."
Word Picture of JOHN
WILLIAM MATHEUS
Mr. John William Matheus is about 5'4" and weighs about
130 pounds. He looks smart in his bank messenger uniform. On his
sleeve he wears nine stripes. Each stripe means five years
service. Two years were served before he earned his first strip,
so that gives him a total of 47 years service for the Union
Savings Bank and Trust Company, Steubenville, Ohio. He also
wears a badge which designates him as a deputy sheriff of
Jefferson County.
Mr. Matheus lives with his wife at 203 Dock Street. This
moderate sized and comfortable home he has owned for over 40
years. His first wife died several years ago. During his first
marriage nine children came to them. In his second marriage one
child was born.
His oldest son is John Frederick Matheus. He is a professor
at [Charleston] [HW: West Virginia] State College Institute. He
was born in Steubenville and graduated from Steubenville High
School. Later he studied in Cleveland and New York. He speaks
six languages fluently and is the author of many published short
stories.
Two other sons are employed in the post office, one is a mail
carrier and the other is a janitor. His only daughter is a
domestic servant.
Mr. Matheus attended school in Springfield, W. Va., for four
years. When he came to Steubenville he attended night school for
two winters. Mr. Dorhman J. Sinclair who founded the Union
Savings Bank and Trust Co., employed Mr. Matheus from the
beginning and in recognition of his loyal service bequeated to
Mr. Matheus a pension of fifty dollars per month.
Mr. Matheus is a member of the office board of the Quinn
Memorial A.M.E. He has been an elder of that church for many
years and also trustee and treasure. He frequently serves on the
jury. He is well known and highly respected in the community.
ALVIN ECKLEY, an honored veteran of the late war, who is
engaged in farming on section 14, Madison Township, (Richland County,
IL) was born in this locality, January 25, 1841, and therefore
has the honor of being a native of Richland County. His
parents were Dr. Daniel and Jerusha (Hayes) Eckley, honored
pioneers of this community. Peter Eckley, the
great-grandfather of our subject, was a Scotch-Irishman. He
came to America with his brother George about 1750. They
settled in Berks County, Pa., and as scouts took part in Gen.
Braddock's expedition against Ft. Du Quesne, in the French and
Indian War. George Eckley was there killed, but Peter survived
and served as a scout during the Revolution. After the
Colonies had achieved their independence, he removed to
Westmoreland County, Pa., where the remainder of his life was
passed. Ephraim Eckley, the grandfather of our subject,
emigrated Westward about 1800, and became one of the pioneer
settlers of Jefferson County, Ohio. Later he went to Ashland
County, Ohio, and in 1848 came to Richland County, Ill., where
his days were ended.
Dr. Eckley was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, and in 1839 he
came with his family to this county. He at once entered upon
the practice of the medical profession, which he followed
continuously until 1873. Since that time he has lived a
retired life, and has now reached the advanced age of
eighty-five years. His wife died in Minerva, Ohio, in 1876.
The Doctor was one of the pioneer settlers of Richland County,
and has been an eye-witness of its entire growth and
upbuilding. He gained quite a reputation during his business
career, and had a large and lucrative practice.
Alvin Eckley, whose name heads this record, spent the days of
his boyhood and youth with his parents, aiding in the
cultivation of the farm, and attending the subscription
schools of the neighborhood. After attaining his majority, he
supplemented his primary education by a course in the
Christian College, of Merom, Ind. When the war broke out,
prompted by patriotic impulses, he responded to the country's
call for troops, and enlisted July 20, 1861. He was assigned
to Company E, Eleventh Missouri Infantry, and took part in the
engagement at New Madrid, the siege of Island No. 10, the
advance on Corinth and the siege of that city, Iuka and the
second battle of Corinth. There, on the 3d of October, 1862,
he was wounded in the right leg, and lay in the hospital until
discharged on the 1st of January, 1863. When he had
sufficiently recovered, Mr. Eckley rejoined his regiment in
December, 1863, and with it remained until the following
spring.
After his return from the war, Mr. Eckley engaged in farming
for about a year, and then secured a position as salesman in a
general mercantile store of Parkersburg, where he was employed
for nine years. On the expiration of that period, he resumed
farming, which he has followed almost continuously since. He
now owns and operates eighty acres of good land on section 14,
Madison Township.
On the 10th of May, 1874, Mr. Eckley was united in marriage
with Mrs. Hannah R. Morrison, daughter of John Heap, one of
the pioneer settler of Richland County (IL). They have but one
living child, Daniel J., having lost two children in infancy.
Our subject and his wife are well known in the community where
they have so long made their home, and in social circles they
hold an enviable position. Mr. Eckley exercises his right of
franchise in support of the Republican party, and by his
fellow-townsmen has been called upon to fill several public
offices, the duties of which he has discharged with promptness
and fidelity. He has filled various local offices. Socially,
he is a member of Ed Kitchell Post No. 662, G. A. R. The
community recognizes in him a public-spirited and valued
citizen.
Portrait and Biographical Record of Effingham, Jasper and
Richland Counties Illinois, Containing Biographical Sketches
of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Governors of the
State, and the Presidents of the United States. (Chicago:
Chapman Brothers, 1887), p.558 -
Submitted by Judy Edwards
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