This
half-breed "American
citizen of African
descent," come to this
place at an early day,
about the year 1824. He
was from that part of
the "settlement" known
as Brookville, Franklin
County, which furnished
this place with more
great men than any other
locality at that day.
Mr. Mallory was a
broad-shouldered,
square-built, muscular man,
about five feet ten inches
in height; his complexion
was copper or saddle-color;
with a large, bushy head,
the compound of hair and
wool standing on end; a very
large mouth--when open might
be taken for a Pennsylvania
hillside barn door; to see
nothing but his head you
would be reminded of Dan
Rice's grizzly or Rocky
Mountain bear.
He was a very good-natured man,
except when irritated. It was
asserted by Tom Johnson that he
heard him laugh at the distance
of one mile. He was possessed
of a large fund of anecdotes,
which he related with great
gusto and self-satisfaction, and
was never at a loss for
listeners. He enjoyed to a high
degree the confidence and
respect of his colored fellow
citizens, and was often referred
to by them to settle points of
honor, or other disputes that
might arise in their intercourse
with each other. He was always
ready to give his friends good
advice; they were generally more
disposed to follow his practice
and example than his precepts.
He
kept a shop in Judge Stevens' row on
the south side of Washington, about
midway between Pennsylvania and
Delaware streets, where he shaved
his customers with very dull razors
in day time, and low white men with
very keen cards at night; and often
the passer by late at night would
hear his sonorous voice demanding
"Tom" to ante, as he had put up
last, or that it was his deal, or
that he was entitled to the last
shuffle, or, in any one should refer
to Hoyle, offer to bet a V that
Hoyle said nothing about poker in
his work on games; or if a dispute
should arise as to where and when
draw poker originated, he was
willing to bet that it was at the
mouth of White River, Arkansas, it
originated, and that Bowie first
introduced it as well as the Bowie
Knife hand. This was a new hand to
the worthy barber, and he said he
did not care about learning it.
While playing he kept his money in
his mouth, it held just twenty
dollars in silver; his usual "bluff"
was a mouthful, which he emptied
from his mouth on to the table.
A
citizen returning home late one night
heard loud and boisterous talking in the
shop of Mr. Mallory; supposing the usual
gam of poker or seven up was going on,
stopped to see if he could recognize any
of the voices.
It turned
out to be a one-armed Italian organ-grinder
and the proprietor disputing about the
nativity of Christopher Columbus. The organ
grinder asserted that Columbus was a native
of Virginny, born and raised in the
old Richmond, for he knew him well.
The shave was
astonished at the Italian's ignorance; for
although he was not personally acquainted with
Columbus, he had read and "herne" a great deal
about him; he was certainly born and raised in
Liverpool. How the dispute was settled we have
no means of knowing, but are inclined to the
opinion that Mr. Mallory would have backed his
judgment to any amount at his command.
In justice to this
tonsorial artist, I must add that he was not the
only citizen of Indianapolis that cut deep and
shaved clean at that day Some used financial razors
that cut both ways, and after one or two operations
were performed upon the same person, they would
hardly be worth shaving afterwards.
Mr. Mallory claimed that
his wife had descended from the true native American
(Indian) race, and did not like the attention of the
"niggers," and said his daughters should not associate
with them, but were for the society of T. J. and other
white gentlemen of his acquaintance.
He has closed his game and
handed in his checks several years since, but he is well
represented, both in appearance and practice, by his only
son, who rejoices in the name of David Mallory, Jun.
"For wheresoever
the carcass is
there will the
Eagles
(buzzards) be
gathered
together."
Nowland,
John H. B.,
"Early
Reminiscences of
Indianapolis,
with Short
Biographical
Sketches of Its
Early Citizens,
and of a Few of
the Prominent
Business Men of
the Present
Day," 1870, pp.
158-159.
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