The Placer herald., 1855-11-10
A Butting Darkev.

Some years since was employed as ware
house clerk in a large shipping house in New
Orleans, and while in that capacity the fol-
lowing scene occurred
One day vessel came in consigned to the
house, having on board large lot of cheese
from New York; during the voyage some of
them had become damaged by bilge water,
(the ship having proved leaky,) consequently
the owners refused to receive them they were
therefore sent to the consignees of the ship,
to be slowed until the case could be adjust
ed. discovered few days afterward that,
as to perfume, they were decidedly too fra
grant to remain in the warehouse in the mid
die Of June, and reported the same to my
employers, from whom | received orders to
have them overhauled and send all that were
passable to Beard e. Calhoun's auction mart.
(then in the old Camp street Theater,) to be
disposed of for the benefit of the underwri-
ters, and the rest to the swamp. got
gang of black boys to work on them and
when they stirred 'em up, 'be the bones Of
Moll Kelleys quart pot but the smell was
Elegant intirely.' kept a respectable dis
tance, believe me, for strong niggers and
strong cheese, on hot June day, just bangs
all common essences, including certain
'varmint' we read about
Presently the boys turned out an immense
fellow about three feet six inches across the
stump from which the box had rotted off;
in the center a space about ten inches was
very much decayed, and appeared to be
about the consistency of mush, Of blueish
tint, which was caused by the bilge water
The boys had just set it upon its edge on
bale of gunny-bags, when | noticed over the
way BIG darkey (then on sale) from Char
lesion, S. c., who was notorious for bis but
ting propensities, having given most of the
niggers in that vicinity taste of his quality
in that line. | had seen him and another
fellow the night previous, practicng; they
would stand, one on each side of a hvdrant
some ten yards distant, and run at each other
with their heads lowered, and clappng their
hands on the hydrant, they would butt like
veteran rams. A thought struck me that |
might cure him of his Dragging and butting,
to keep dark, and | called old Jake over
'They tell me you are Il great fellow for
butting, Jake
4 Is some Massa, das n fac-l done butt
de wool 'tirely OFF of old Pete's head las
night, and Massa Nichols was gwne to Glib
me goss! | can jiss bang de head orf any
nigger in desc parts, myself kim
We'll, Jake, I've got little job in that
line for you when you haven't anything else
to do
Use on han for all dem kin OBJ jobs, my
sef-I is
We'll, you see that large cheese back
there
4 does dat does, myset'
Now il. you can butt dent in it, YOU shall
have it,
'Golly, Massa! you foolin dis nigger''
No, I'm not, Jake-just try me-
'Wot! you glib me de hull Of dat cheese
ef | butt dent in um?'
Yes
de Lor. III bust 'em wide open will
myself jess STAN back dar YOU Orleans
niggers and clear de track for Ole Soulf Car
olina, case Pse coming myself is
And old Jake started back some fifty feet
and went at it on good quick run, and the
next instant heard dull, heavy sound,
kind of sqalsh, and old Jakc's head disap-
peared from sight, with the top just visible
on the other side, as he rose from his new
fashioned necklace, the soft rotten cheese
oozing down all around him as it settled
down, so that just his eyes were visible.
From the center of it Jake's voice was
scarcely audible and half smothered, as he
vainly tried to remove the immense cheese
10000! cr de Lor, Mass-took um orf
O-o-o-o! brcss de Lor! Lif um up! Cora
mighty. l.
Meanwhile | was nearly dead myself, hav-
ing laid back on a cotton bale holding my
self together to keep from bursting, while
the boys stood round old Jake, paying him
off,
DE Lor! how de nggcr's bref SMELL You
don't clean your teeth Old Jaken
i say, you didn't make more dan four
times dat han, did you old hoss!'
well, you is nasty nigger das fac.
well, you is de bggest kline Of Welsh
Rabbit-you s'
'Whar you git your har grease:' And
thus the boys ran Old Jake-now half smo-
thered-until took compassion on him, and
told them to take it off. Jake didn't stay to
claim his prize but put out growing
'Gor-a-mighty. done got sole dat time.
Use a case Of yellow fever-I is, myself
Old Jake was never known to do any more
butting in that vicinity after that.
Cor. Spirit of the Times.
The Richmond Dispatch speaks of a pam
phlet just published in that vicinity, which
estimates that within the last forty years
l,642 slaves have escaped from the South,
or $500 annually, and the total loss is ST.
649,800.