Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1838-05-02

| Having become tired of this out of
door conversation, we concluded to
view the group in the house. Here the
banjor-man was seated on the beer bar
rel, in an old chair. A long white COW
tail, queued with red ribbon, ornament
ed his head, and hung gracefully down
his back over this he wore three
cooked hat, decorated with peacock
feathers, a rose cockade, a bunch of
ripe persimmons, and to cap the climax
three pods Of red pepper as top-kno,.
Thinning his banjor, grinnIng with lu-
dlcrous gesticulations and playing off
his wild notes to the company. Before
him stood two athletic blacks, with open
mouth and pearl white teeth, clapping
Jaber to the notes of the banjor; the
fourth black man held in his right hand
jug gourd of persimmon beer, and in
his left, dipper or water-gourd, to
serve tho company while two black
women were employed in filling the
fireplace, six feet square, with larded
persimnlon dough. The rest of the
company, male and female, were dan.
GERS, except little squat wench, who
held the torch light. had never seen
Juber clapped to the banjor before, and
you may suppose looked upon such a
novel scene, with some degree of sur.
prise. Indeed contemplated the dan.
cling group with sensations Of wonder
and astonishment The clappers rest.
ed the right foot on the heel, and It's
clap on the floor was in perfect unison
with the notes Of the banjor, and palms
of the hands on the corresponding ex-
tremities while the dancers were all
jigging it away in the merriest possible
gaity of heart, having the most ludi-
crous twists, wry jerks, flexile contor-
tions of the body and limbs, that human
Imagination can divine.
"The whole world is ball we find,
The water dances TO the wind
The itself, at night and noon,
Rises and dances to the moon.
The earth and planets round the sun,
Still dance nor will their dance be done,
Till nature in one blast is blended;
Then may we say the ball is ended"
The rude ballad set to Juber, CORES.
ponds admirably with the music and
actors in this wild fantastic Dance
While the clappers were laboring in the
performance Of their office, they re-
sponded at the same time to the notes
of the banjor.
&c Juber up and Juber down,
Juber all around de town,
Jnber dis. and Juber dat
And Jubcr roun' dc 'simmon vat.
Hoe corn, bill tobacco.
Get over double trouble, Juber boys, Juber.
Uncle Phil, he went 10 mill,
He suck de sow, he starve de pig,
Eat de sinlmon, gi' me de seed,
told him. was not IN need.
Hoe corn hill tobacco
Get over double trouble, Juber boys, Juber.
Aunt Kate look on the high shelf.
Take down the husky dumplin,
I'll eat it wi my sin,mon cake,
To cure the rotten belly ach.
Hoe corn hill tobacco
Get over double trouble, Juber boys, Juber.
Raccoon went TO simn,on town,
To choose the rotten from de SCUM,
Dare he sot upon sill,
Eating of whip poor will.
Hoe corn hill tobacco
Get over double trouble, Juber boy s, Juber
When supper was announced, the
banlor man was first served; then the
clappers and beer bearer, and lastly,
the beaux anG their partners. Each |
had huge loaf of larded perslmmon
bread with a gourd of beer.
Thus ended the beer dance, and as
left the house, thought to myself, that
Virginia slaves were the happiest ofthe |
human race-and | still think so.
"The learn'd is happy. nature TO explore,
The fool is happy that he knows no more" |
Solomon, the wisest man, says" IN |
much wisdom, there is much grief: and
he that increaseth knowledge, increas-
eth SORROW"
The beer dance, have attempted to
describe, Is a faint representation OF
what actually occurred. 1t requires an
ADLER pen to do il justice; | feel morti-
fed that cannot give more vivid and
glowing description of these black
beaux, who acted so conspicuous part
with their partners in the perslmmon
iunket. The broad grin, the smile OF
the little squat wench, seen through her
torch light, the humid lip, the twist of
the tongue, the white teeth, the oblque
look, the glance Of the eye, the toss OF
the head, the quaint bow, the curved
shin, the handy leg, the nimble jig, the
affected air of the wenches. the proiuse
perspration, the cloud of dust, the lu-
rid room, the phiz of the banjor man,
the banior's tun, tuna, tttns, and Juber's
song and clap, would call forth the COM
bined talents and lively imagination OF
Writ, an Irving, Burns, an ADDISON
and Dryden. And if northern AGO.
lltionist, with his pocket filled with IN
hamatory documents and resolutions
could have witnessed such scene IN
Virginia, he would, in my opinion, have