The Hickman courier., 1877-06-29
VOL. XIII. NO 81.
THE USTABOUT.
Granhio Pen Picture Of the RoustaJout
6fthe BEtlG city.

- Graphic Pen Piet,areoS the Roustabout
ofhte BLUFF city.
TIE Memphis Avalanche paints this
1Eeil known character in the following
,glowing terms:
+ He IS a character of clear, distinct in
sdividuality-that factor in the making
up of the census of Memphis known a
the roustabout. One glance at his
9ersshnel gives convincing proof of the
eternal fitness of his name and the un-
Iaralleled injustice of history in NOT re-
eording the name of its inventor.
The roustabout" is a gentleman OF
color varying from extreme sable to palli-
dlty in buff; and, to use lbs own proud
prescription, a ba-a-d msn His life
work i in the glare of the sun on the
cobbiestoned levee, or the steamboat
eeeiz; biz hourso Of recreation IN the dingy,
lssssioks basr-roons OF 3. HeIl's HaIfAcre. .
= Z - = ms OWN anu- 1dsni0n Ie-lellUss
-S1sssts7ts against it about a. cGectually as it
does against the drapery OF tombstone.
Hard times in the shape OF disease or
dullness in steamboating my reduce this
dress to a dilapidated state in which its
unique originality is lost, but with the
resurrection of luck the old attire comes
back again. A sombrero of felt covers
the close clipped wool of his head A
shirt of wooden, blue, black or checked,
encases his brawny chest, its collar
thrown open, revealing similar garment
of gaudy hue beneath. This pair of shirts
is thrust into jeans pants, which, fitting
tight at the hips, broaden, and widen,
and stretch out, and bulge in the legs to
an enormous width only TO recede into
a comparative nothingness AT the
ankles. Then the roustabout" al
ways rolls up his pants at the bottom.
Whether this is to show his socks or not
is probably not known to the "rousta-
bout" himself 1t is one of those sacred
customs which the "roustabout" clings
to as the bad grammarian does to
writing poetry. That all roustabouts" !"
must roll up their pants is fact long
settled. As to socks, he sometimes wears
them and sometimes he dosn't His
shoes are the roustabout's" own shoes
with tall, slender heels, and thin soles,
the very shoe in which the "roustabout" ."
can least conveniently follow his vocation
4 towel with blue or red border always
encircles him at the waist. Some of the
profession have been known 20 wear
leather belts, but anything but fringed
towel is deemed heresy TO the established
toilet. In this girdle he carries his cot
ton hook The weapon OF the rousta-
bout" is the white-handled razor. A razor
with a horn handle, or even gold one,
would not do. 1t must be white to be
orthordox You can hear the "rousta-
bout" allude to this steel companion
with n blonde attachment as he " kids
his fellow on the ieyee where hundred
of the clan loll lazily in the sun watching
the curling smoke Of the steamer com
ing from around the bend.
Git off dat foot, niger; ef you don't
Phi be onter yer wild my white handle
razer."
Yer will, Ell Jes' come long. I'm
Phil Allin (his favorite steamer) mig
ger, / am. Pm b-a-a-d man, sho' I'll
cut yer gwine, and I'll cut yer comm,
and I'll cut yer deep, an I'll walk all
'roun' yer an see why yer don't fall
down. Oh. I'm q b-a-a-d man. I am"
Each " roustabout" has his pardner "
for whom he is bound to fight or steal so
long as the partnership exists. These
pardners" load and unload cotton to-
gether, draw their pay together and assist
each other in MASKING up any negro who
may interfere with their concerns.
DeSot9 street is the roustabout's'"
headquarters when not at work. As il
is one of the unwritten laws of the broth
erhood not to marry, their loves are pro
miscuous. and have associated with them
in their individuality a class of lewd,
drinking negro women, who go to meet
them when the steamers arrive, and to
whom the roustabout's" greenbacks go
with lavish hand.
This character, thus briefly sketched,
is familiar to Memphians. When work
ing. he is of great service when idle, OF
great annoyonce-the roustabout."