The Osceola times., 1873-08-02
[sERiKs. NO. 2. BY RASPBERRY Bush
GLIMPSES OF PRIMITIVE AR
KANSAS
Being Fragments of her History,
Cleaned from the Advertising
Columns of the State Ga
zette of the Year l84l.
Jallor's Notice, Illustrated Sim
pie Bill.

Immediately under the engraving
and record of Black Solomon, is an
other advertisement headed "Jail-
or's notice." illustrated with n cut
if anything more animated and sug-
gestive than that of the honorable
gentleman who hath excited so
much of our attention. 1t is com
posed ofthroc objects: a white man
and a decidedly black man, and a
cane in the right hand Of the white
man, while his left hand is laid af-
fcctionatcly Oh the left shoulder Of
the black man. The name Of the
white man Is Mr.. James Lawson, Jr.,
sheriff Of Pulaski county, and the
name of the black man is simply
Bill, the born thrall Of DR.. Wilson,
Of Boggy Bayou on the Mississippi
river. Mr. Lawson is dressed in q
tall, bell-crowned hat, cut-a-way
coat, tights and fair-top boots, re-
scmbling in his attire an old time
gentleman, much more than an Ar
kansas official Of the year 1871. lie
wears q very stiff black cravat, so
high that it seems to be saving
against his gray side whiskers that
project on either side of his face.
He wears also n double breasted
waistcoat, with two rows of big
black buttons. His companion Bill,
can hardly be said to be dressed at
all. He has something that rescm-
bles an infants petticoat around his
waist, and this completes his attire /;
10 coat, no shirt no pantaloons,
almost as naked as when he was
born. Bill has his double hands
full Of something if | may judge by
the way he is holding them-but
no, on closer examination, | find
that Bill has nothing in his hands,
but that he has pair of handouts
on his wrists. There is evidently
a disposition on the part of Bill to
leave the company Of Mr.. Lawson,
which that gentleman seems to be
earnestly demonstrating
against. In short, the artist has at
length conveyed to my dull mind
the fact that Mr.. Lawson is convey
ing the reluctant Bill to Jail. The
printer in printing the countenance
of Bill has not done justice to the
artists conception Of Bills feelings,
In his anxiety to make him black,
he has almost blotted out his eyes,
nose, mouth and chin, 80 that 1t re-
Guires the closest and most minute
examination to discern them, and
to discover the expression ofintense
disgust at the whole proceeding
which Bill very naturally felt on
this occasion. A casual glance al
Bills head conveys no more TO the
mind than would a large drop OF
ink from an ovcrchargGd pen but
scan it closely, and you will FIND
not only fat nose, an upper lip as
long as his nose, and Il mouth o.
startling width, but an expression
that plainly indicates desire to dc
somebody mischief. AS for Mr.
Lawson, you can see at a glance thai
he knows what he is about. TC
Judge from the expression of hi'
face, he seems to be assuring Bill
that he had better go along quietly
or worse would come of il. BE thi'
as it may, Bill was committed tc
Jail on the 18th day Of November
1871, as y runaway slave. Mr., Law
son in his description says that he
was a boy about 2S years of age
very black, full face, thick lips
about five feet six inches high
dressed in an old cloth coat mucl
worn and an old palr Of jeans pan
falcons,
AS to the coat and panta looms
there must be some mistake, els'
why did the artist represent Bil
| Al Al IL,