The first man offered on the block was an old gray-headed slave by the name of Richard.

His wife followed him up to the block, and when they had bid him up to seventy or eighty dollars one of the bidders asked Mr.Young what he could do, as he looked very old and infirm?
Mr.
Young replied by saying, "he is not able to accomplish much manual labor, from his extreme age and hard labor in early life.

Yet I would rather have him than many of those who are young and vigorous; who are able to perform twice as much labor--because I know him to be faithful and trustworthy, a Christian in good standing in my church.

I can trust him anywhere with confidence.

He has toiled many long years on my plantation and I have always found him faithful." This giving him a good Christian character caused them to run him up to near two hundred dollars.