Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-12-22
"What is that ?" I asked eagerly.
"Why, that is Phil" answered nj,

"What is that ?" asked eagerly.
"Why, that is Phil" answered MY
uncle
"And who is Phil ? and what on earth
is he doing? and especially, how does
he do it?''
"Hes calling hogs" replied my
guardian. eff you'll wclk up to that
skirt of woods you can put your other
questions to BIN in person. He is not
shy or difficult of approach. Introduce
yourself aud be sure and tell him whose
son you are.
Ny uncle's face wore an amused ex-
preston as I walked away. He could
imagine the sequel.
In the edge of the timber stood a tall,
broad shouldered, brawny negro man,
singular ugly, but with countenance
so full of good humor that was ire
sistably attracted by it from the first.
At his feet stood great baskets of corn,
and around him were gathered hun
ared or more Of swine, busily eating
the breakfast he was dispensing. AS I
approached, his hat-what there was of
twas dotted, and was greeted with a
fabulous bow, apparently meant to be
half tribute Of respect, and half a bit
of buffoonery, INDUCED in for my
amusement or his own.
''Good mawn:n', young mosta; hope
see you we'll dis mawnin'."
''Thank you, I'm very WE'LL" re-
piled. "You're Phil, suppose ?"
you're right for dis oncet, mosta.
Use Phil, for be sho'; as de dogs-dey
done know me"
"Well, Phil, I'm glad to make your
acquaintance. I'm your mas JOS son. .
"What dat? Mas JOS son Mas
JOS son!! My Mas JOS son Ill
Lem me shake hams wild you. mosta.
Jes' to thinkl Mas JOS son and
Phil done live to shake hams wild mas
JOS son! Why, my young mosta, l
raise your father! Him an me done
play marbles togeder many an many a
time. We was boys togedder right
here on this very identumcal planta
ton. Used to go in swimming toged'
der, an go fshin', an steal de mules
out'n de stables Sundays, an ride races
wild EN- an get cotched too, sometimes,
when ole mosta get home from chu' Oh.
My, mosta, but L glad to see you |"
ALI this while the great giant was
wreching my hand we'll nigh off, laugh
ing and weeping alternately, and stamp
ing with delight, which could find no
other vent than In physical exertion. I
was naturally anxious to divert the con-
versation into some other and less per-
sonal channel, and managed to do SO
presently by asking Phil to give me a
specimen of his hog-calling cry, which
1 wished to hear near at hand. That
performance over, we talked again. I
began by saying I had never heard any
one call hogs in that way before.
''Dat's jes' it, mosta," he replied.
Folks don't undustan' de science O. hog
You mus jes' let 'em know dat when you
wants 'em to come you's gwine to make
a noise, de like of which amt in heaven
or yuth. Den dey 9th knowing what
dat means. OATS my way. Ween T
setch a yell at 'em the ies' raise der
years, an say to de- SET, Dat dah's
Phil, for sho', and Pills de big, ugly,
black nigga, wild de baskets O. GAVIN"
When you say Phil, you mean mosta's
big nigga what wuks in de fell, an
plays de banjo. an goes fshin'; but
when de hogs says Phil dey mean a
big black fella, wild big yell into him,
an de baskets o Gavin. An you better
b'Eeve dat makes EN- Jump up an clap
dab hams for Joy, jes' like nigga does
when he gifts religion huff to make him
shout, an not huff to keep him offer
de hen roosts. IF nigga gifts religion
huff to keep him from steaiin' it's a
mistake. DEFY don't never mean to do
it, an when dey does dey amt glad
bit"
Phii's respect for what he called the
''niggas" was exceedingly small, as the
reader will have discovered ere this, and
it was his greatest pleasure in life to
demonstrate their inferiority and en-
phasike their shortcomings in hun
dred ways. He was head man of the
hoe hands, which is to say he hced the
leading row of tobacco hills, and was
charged with the duty of superintend-
ing the work of the others. It was his
delight to keep his own work so far in
advance that he must now and then set
his hoe In the ground and walk back to
inspect the progress and criticise the
performance Of slower workers than he.
In all this there was no spice or malice
VI OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, AOW0VtcIs no
wished his fellows we'll, and had had no
desire to hurt their feelings; but he
keenly enjoyed the fun of outdoing
them, and laughing at their inability
to cope with him.
It was during wheat harvest, how
ever, that Phil was in his glory. The
rapidity with which he could sscradle''
wheat was matter of astonishment to
everybody who knew him, land what was
more wonderful still, he was able to
maintain strictly squirting" speed all
day and every day.
"'Phil," his master would say, as the
men entered the field on the first day,
ST want no racing now, it's too hot"
"Now, you heah dat, you slow
niggas Mosta says Phil mustn't kill
his niggas AN de on'y way to save yo'
lives is TO- you not to try to follow me.
Race little among yo'selves if you
want to, but dom you try to git look
at the heels O. my boots, if you dom
want to go to de bushes"
A negro e1hausting himself in a
race lies down in the shade to cool off