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Battling gamely, like an Ethiopian aristocrat against seemingly overwhelming odds, left, through the incursions of paralysis, of the proper functioning powers of his face, Geo. Boulding, for more than 12 years janitor of the Beaver County courthouse, lies at the home of his lifelong friend, Grant Early, 310 Eighth Avenue, Beaver Falls.
Clustered about the life of the sufferer, who, though uncertain as to his right age, yet across whose furrowed brow has crept the wrinkling snows of at least four score years, there clings the golden link of romance welding the ante-bellum days of Virginia, when slavery was an acknowledged institution there, with the freedom of today.
Thrice sold into slavery and three times snatched by his wretched lovetorn mother from the slave block at Petersburg, the aged Black yet lived to see a freedom born from that noble utterance: "Equal right to all, special privileges to none."
Manfully he has battled his way abreast the forward march of progress, striven through the rigors of want and self-denial to rear and educate a family of 15 children, eight boys and two girls of whom survive, all of whom he succeeded in placing in positions of independence, while he, aged and infirm, is thrown upon the kindness and generosity of his good friend and wife, Grant and Mrs. Early.
As a mere child, then the chattel of the McMullen family, in Stannerville, Greene County, Va., he witnessed the triumphant entry of the Union army into that historic old state, fearful, though hopeful, that things must eventually right themselves. He had been bought off the Petersburg slave block by that family for $900. He had spent five years with them. They had been kind to his mother and to him. They had done as much and more for him than custom ordinarily permitted doing for Blacks in those troublesome days. The lessons had sunk deep into his childish consciousness. He was freed shortly after, and went with his mother to Elkton, Va., leaving there to come to Braddook soon thereafter.
He received his appointment as janitor under the county commissionership of Attorney Charles H. Stone, to whom he had been recommended as a man "who ate work." His 13 years of subsequent attention to the arduous duties of his then single handed job have won for him the respect and friendship of every man, woman and child connected with Beaver County's officialdom. He was "always on the job," said one admirer. "it didn't matter what hour, day or night, he was wanted, he always could be found right at the courthouse."
Old age and paralysis have begun to make their insidious inroads on "Dad" Boulding's vitality; he has no streak of the quitter in his make-up; those familiar with his indomitable energy and doggedness of purpose, feel keenly his abject loneliness. His whole life has been a drab, colorless affair, sans most of the pleasures so freely enjoyed by Black folks. His chief aim in life was to supply his wife and children with knowledge, education, the equipment which he so much lacked and which made his lot, even in freedom, that of a slave. Yet, none of his family has given him a kindly thought. Not even in his darkest hours of grief, with the shadow of the Great Reaper hovering over him, they have cast him away.
He has no plaint; he knows he has done his full duty by each and everyone of them..