The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-12-27
PLANTATION SKETCHES. q
How the Oolored People Enjoyed Their
First Taste of Freedom.

when / nrSt hOnOreu the Stale OF
Florida with my presence some twelve
years ago, the negro was a constant
source of amusement to me, says q
writer in The Detroit Free Press. His
ways were so different, his actions so
childlike and bland, his idea Of freedom
so extraordinary, his ignorance so
grotesque and appalling, that it was
better than circus to watch him in
his goings to and fro. Freedom made
a striking revolution in the colored
race socially; they tried at once to drop
all their former catch-words OF famill-
arity, and adopted the most extravagant
and elaborate forms of courtesy. .
Among themselves it was ''lady'
and gentlemen, "Mr.' and MRS"
and all the ceremonies and genufexions
in use among the former slaveholding
aristocracy were at once adopted as
their own, without any regard to the
eternal fitness of things
Iwas riding through the streets of
Tallahassee one beautiful morning
with ex-United States Senator ConOver,
who was then state treasurer and
owner Of a fine plantation few miles
from town, when a scene occurred that
has never faded from my memory.
1t had somehow became town talk
that DR.. Conover was looking out for
hands to assist him in wasting seed on
his plantation, and when we got oppo-
site the postoHice we were halted by an
old colored auntie with: "Oh, DR..
Conover! Oh, DR.. Conover! stop a
minute, please, sah!'
By her side was most dilapidated
specimen of colored humanity in astate
OF looped and Widowed raggedness.
In fact, any respectable western corn
field scarecrow would have Indignantly
refused to exchange garments with him
without heavy boot. The old auntie
had him by the hand, and as we drew
up to the sidewalk she said: 'Dr.
Conover, | done heerd We wanted to
get some gentlemen to wuk on yer
place, and | done sent for dish yer
gentleman to come to town SOS ye
could get him." After little con-
versatiOn the contract was made and
| the gentleman went out to the planta-
ton to pick cotton and steal corn with
the rest of the gentlemen.
The negroes, male and female, were
passionately fond of fine clothing
and tinery of every description, and
would invest all the money they could
earn in articles of personal adornment.
was told by one of the city milliners
that the finest and most expensive bon
nets she brought TO the city were pur-
chased by the negro women. The
white ladies were satisfied to dress
more in consonance with the reduced
state of their finances, but her
colored sister was content, if she had
a gorgeous head-gear, to let the rest of
her graceful person 90 arrayed in pie
beian calico. A lot of colored ladies
congregated at some street corner
would exhibit dazzling assortment of
ribbons, laces, feathers, and bright
colors. With them freedom meant to
step at once from the mOnotony of the
cottonfield to the dressing-room of the
petted darlings of society and fashion,
and foot apparently eighteen inches
in length would often coyly peep out
from beneath brilliant blue silk
dress.
One Sunday morning l was riding
out on the road toward Bellair, when
met gentleman of the colored persua-
sion on his way to church.
He was clothed in glossy dress suit
of black such as the Hebrew children
love to pass off on the unsophisticated
African as genuine broadcloth, and
fitting like the paper on the wall. y
His neck was encircled by Cal
Wagner collar and flaming crimson
scarf. high silk hat crowned his noble
brow, and to cap the climax, he wa.
barefooted.
His money had evidently given out
before he got to his feet but this occa
: stoned him not the slightest embar.
rassment, and he strobe along the roac
in dignitied composure, true child o
freedom.
The strong point of the negro ha'
been his religion, and one of their old
fashioned REVEALS is calculated to fully
discourage the devil and all his imps
After usual evening service the pasto
leaves his pulpit, and, surrounded b,
n his staff, prepares to battle with tn,
%, Par lone. The mourners crowd aroun'
~, praying. grooming, ant
Thor aud h;uhor ri 40 th,