The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-11-03
MhistlIng as a Fine Art.

WhNACestn6 10 4 Inc AEts
A colored gentleman, in tall white
hat, red, white and blue standing collar
and pink shirt bosom, stood on the
Morton House pavement YESTERDAY
afternoon putting fragrant fiye-cent
cigar. The bottom of his Jack panta-
looms were strapped under his shoes,
and an enmorous watch-ehain dangled
from his waistcoat. Several persons,
Bupposing him to be a cigar-sign for
sale, examined him critically. Between
purple puffs of smoke he whistled.
is this Mister"
''Ya-as, sab, Mr.. Johnsing. OATS
my name, suah
And are you the famous whistlerpn
lie de pusson.'
Mr.. johnson curled his expansive I'M
der lip until it resembled the big end of
a Broadway gas main, and struck
note that brought out the goose pimple
on the reporters spinal column. Mr..
johnson has been traveller in his time,
and is known from Maine to Georgia as
the champion ''one-lung whistler of
the United States. He was a soldier in
the war of the rebellion, and carries a
bullet in his left lung. It is upon his
right lung, therefore, that he depends
entirely for his bellows power He has
a blowing-machine record of three
hundred pounds, and there is no telling
what he might be able to do if his other
lung was in working order
did y'ever hear me whistle de Star
Spangled BanNer?' -
Cant say"
den you nebber hear me or YOU
nebber would 'spress dat doubt bout
you 'nembrance. Jest you kotch hold
OBJ dat orning post TO- couple OBJ
minutes and I'll glib you a couple OBJ
inches of dat tune.n
Mr. johnson drew his under lip to-
gether in great folds and began to
whistle. When he reached that part of
the tune'which describes the waving of
the banner DER the land of the free,
there was nothing to be seen but the
whites of his eyes. In his enthusiasm
he had elevated himself on his toes.
and the music shot out of the aperture
in his under lip with the richness and
volume of church organ. A crowd
soon collected, but speedily dispersed
when Mr. johnson indicated his inten-
ton to pass around the hat
'Dat's allus de way said he, as he
gazed after his auditors with an express
sion of ineffable disgust; ''dere is no
show TO fust-class artist in dis kentry.
Tell yo' what it is, boss, de man what has
wool on de top OBJ his head hab got a
hard row to hoe, and don't you forget
it. Where | was bawn, way down in
Gawjah, dey used to say: Dat boy am
a Jnnyus, an will make his mark,
suah;' but times has changed since den.
Ize only a free niggah now, and has to
walk round de streets wild pair of rat
eatin' Chinese doods, maxim fool OBJ
myself for seven dollars a week.
''Were you always a good whistler"
BOSS, l can't member de 'casion
when Iwan't able to whistle de har right
off yo' head. | was bawn dat way.
Wunst de parson kicked me out OBJ
church cause jined in wild de kewire,
but when some bugglers got in de
church an stole de organ, dey was glad
huff to come round to de house and
say; 'Mistah Johnsing, would you 'blige
by comm round and whistlin' de sar-
Weep / say 'Ob course, and goes
round. When de preacher he glib me de
wink fo' to strike up ole Hunder,' l
Jest say to myself, Now de time TO me
to git chen fo' dat 'sault and bat'ry
what you purpetratedwunst, and gins
to whistle Marchin' Froo Gawjah' fo'
all l was wuth. De kongegashin look
sort OBJ solemncully TO- a. minute or two,
but 'twan't no use. No niggah can set
still an listen to dat dar time without
he's perrylized in his legs. Poorly soon
dey gins to dance round, and de
preacher he got SO mad he mos white
in de face. But bimeby his ole numbah
fo'teens got to wobblin' bout, and befo'
| was mOre'n half way troo dat tune de
ole man he frowed his sarmint on de
pulpit, kicks ober a char and lays him
self out fo' reg lar breakdown. Jest
when l got dem all goin' shuts off de
steam and skips out de doah. l under
stan dat dar was wijjilance committee
of seventeen niggah deaeons 'pinted TO-
de purpose OBJ breakin' my head, whar-
upon adjourned myself to de Northern
States, an has been trabblin' on my I'M
der lip ebber since. TIE bin in circus
bizness, and has whistled fo' ten hours
straight ahead in front of Bowery me-
nagerie; but dis was de softest job hah
struck, since the Emancipation procler-
nation"
''What is YOUR favorite tuneeo
"De sMawkiR' Bird Dat was de
sweetest music in de world. Oar amt
no tune what eber heard wunst dat
can't whistle straight ober again. -
| '.Mr. Johnsing,' as he styles himself,
is a composer of no mean merit, and
can whistle off original melody by the
yard He is strictly temperate in his
habits, and, it is said, has amassed
considerable money in Wall street spec.
ulations. He is favorite with the
brokers, is looked upon as Mascot by
theatrical people, and would whistle, il
is thought, if his leg was undergoing
smputation. There is only enc person
for whom he entertains an antipathy
This is 'Whistling Nose, the Quaker
City wonder" The latter is said tC
possess even a greater expanse of under
| lip than Mr. Johnson, and having botf
lungs in proper working order, is re
garded as dangerous rival.
IF ebber l Koch sight of dat mig
| gah,n said Mr.. johnson, ''T1l break BIZ
heart suah. IN Y Morning Journal
| -4
| apurOz mn nEoTuEua