The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-28
wen, 20 Lord has called us, and He will
pervide,' she replies.
DAVIS TAKES MEMPHIS.

DAVIS TAKES MEMPHIS.
One day the camp 10 greatly excited A
nbRIO with news has arrived. JEFF Davis
hf4s taken Memphis with 10000 troops and
1oIr gunhoats, and Il agon' to send back to
slavery cherry dafkey who tries to 90 up dc
riber."
There is CONSERVATION until equally trust
worthy news Ia brought In by special and
selfc0mrnissiOned courier Of sable hue.
Deere is good news he SAYS, Gen. Grant
has got ter Vicksburg with 500 troops and o
heap Of gunUoats, and - a-gotn' to take us
all up de riber"
Many Of these waiting negroes daily expect
that mythical government steamer Is going
to take them free ~ expense to their 1870 acres
and mule In Kansas.
sEpTNDREI,s FIEEGING THE NEGROES.
Recently some white scoundrfls have gone
through the Northern Louisiana parishes
selling tho credulous and easily dnped dafkies
tickets to Kansas price, 50 each The ne
board the boats showing their tickets. And
then did they learn that they had been sold !,
BY this time the white rascals had lit out OF
the country" 81 the phrase IT,
One of the meanest games played upon the
negroes was On the part Of some white men
from the North, who travelled through these
parishes carrying trunks filled with tiny
American flags. such as sell IN Boston toy
stores for q penny apiece. Inc negroes were
told that II they bought, these flags and
would ii the fall give them the land. The
negroes bought the flags at prices ranging
from ~ TO So apecsl When the planters heard
Of this scoundrelly transaction they endeay-
ored tn secure the persons Of these rascals,
but they had skipped
POPULAR TALKS.
You will often hear a Kansas-bound darkey
say Gen. Grant has ordered lis to go to
Kansas, and he will take care OF u.s."
| listened to the conversation Of the stokers
on The steamer Natchez for q half hour. Kan
sas" was the topic. A big negro, buslly load
was the cold water thrower, and not at all
popular with his companions. go to Kan
sas.' said this chap; "go there and starve.
It's fearful cold there; heaps Of snow
young negro answered: i knows better.
Can't we stand dc cold2 Golly, It was cold
sas, reckon"
And here added another; well, we might
as well starve In Kansas as starve here. We
amt any OF lis getting rich. Yah yah yah r.
Said an old darkey; 1--WE can git living In
Kansas just rs well as git it heah A man y
got to work anywhere
PICTURESQUE MISERY.
The deck Of q Mississippi steamer with O
party Of Kansas emigrants on board Is the
scene Of picturesque misery. The illustrated
papers, particularly Hdrper's WeehiH, by the
pencil Of Mr.. Moser, Of Vieksburg, have done
what the pen cannot Geographically picture
the tout ensemble.
younger wife and three pickaninnies
wretched children, all sleepy with the drowsi-
ness Of childhood. Here they sit or lie on the
hard deck, pllowiDg their little woolly heads
on their pudgy arms. They wake mp stiff
and sore and cry for mummy" A young
negro man takes off bis caat, goes up to q
fodder of four summers, lifts him all asleep
from the deck and spreads under him the
cont. The little chap sinks into the torn and
dirty garment with the same delicious sensa-
child, after days play, nestles In his clean
bed. Poor pariah children Of poverty; going,
they neither know nor heed whittier, looking
to these dusky and simple parents Ia the I'M
questioning trustfulness OF childhood. The
blind leading the blind, and shall they not
both fall into the ditch?
Look around ct the baggage Of these peo-
pie. A basket OF tins and crOckery, q bale or
two OF bedding, often bedstead with the stats
tied up. with q rope, perhaps o chest. For
pail OF river water The old man falls asleep,
sitting on his box, bits gray head and wrinkled
face buried In his hard hands. The children
cry and he aTakes from bis nap.
The white men who come and tell them
that Kansas means want and misery to them
are not believed. They reason that the
whites do not want them to go away, and,
therefore, must be lying about the earthly
paradise Of their daily hope and nightly
vision.
The boat makes landing. An athletic
young black man runs down the gangplank.
The negroes on the evee cry out, "HoOd-by.
Sam; hope you'll have luck In Kansas" A
sweetheart on the levee looks sadly at Sam
as the boat swiftly backs out into the stream.
Such scenes might be pictured I'D nyfnitum.
THE "ROosTERs.'
For study Of one phase Of negro character
hnr afpI It0 dhnff lrI
Of Mississippi river steamer illserve. The
rooster" is character. His recklessness.
general cussedness and curious ways merit q
volume You couldn't exhaust rooster life
In less bulk Of paper. The rooster" ships for
the round trip at New Orleans. The contract
obligates him TO be On board at the day Of de-
parture, and to make the round trip, week
Ii it Ia a Vicksburg steamer. The boat owners
agree to pay the rooster wages at the rate
Of $40 per month and rations. He cannot
contract book. Tie has his meals served On
the lower deck, and eats out Of tin dishes and
drinks from q tin dipper. Often he wears q
knife In his belt. His costume is much worn
felt hat, a loose WOODEN shirt open at the
breast, a pair OF coarse trousers and "nigger
shoes But add to this costume, to make it
true to life, the ROSTERS gaudy bandanna,
worn around the neck He runs up the gang
plank with q peculiar motion Of his body, the
shoulders swaying from side to SIDE and the
arms upTAlSpH anu swinging. me mAtb OF
ders the ROSTERS about in q terrible voice. and
backs up his voice with stout cane.
MAN or THE WORLD.
Fresh from New Orleans the rooster plumeB
himself with knowing the world, and fiirts
with the sable wenches on the levees by
means OF signals. He has game Of props
or dice which few old boatmen pretend to
Often negro gamblers ship at
New Orleans, and work "Iike Turks" In order
to win the ROSTERS money at the game Of