Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-04-07

Well send tho fOiJOw1nR meoaze'
"One dollar and seventy 1--WE"
SsGse Rirss.
oorraapondsut of the New York Post.
writing from Lakeport. Cnieos county;
Ark, thus describes the funefai ano
marriage ceremonies Ia Vegas aaonS
the negroes Of the Mississippi Bends;
A funeral among the Bend negroes mas
BY no means the solemn signi1cance OF
mortuary observance among sas whites
No donbt some genuine Rriei goes WIZ
Il. Bot the prevailing feeling OK sne
adult membora Of q bereascd negro
Family here 10 a kind OF nlournfal exni-
tation, a sort OF ''Iuxnry Of grief, which
Gomez from bsinQ for few hours the
central actors at ceremony In which
whole community takes part. That
community In turn attend funerai
lea apparently from any profound sor-
row for the dead than 20 minister to Its
morbid passion for display and TO IN
Aulas the emotions which song, preach
inc and shoats always arouse IN tho
ooIored race. Tue corpse, - decently
laid out a. the narrow means OF bis
family will permit, IL placed IN its
rough coffin. Ths coffin Is lifted into a
wagon drawn by mules. Il 10 the tradi-
ti9sl end always enacted privilege OF
the nnasost Of kin 10 sit on the coffin ~
jt eooo % the grave. Over tbs wagon,
and ofton in the procession. are borne
emalt 1sos Of divers colors, each with
~ (einQ. Tho black dag, - bear,
indIcatee the character Of tho dead, or
nj least . rational doubt ~ 10 his moral
traits and prospects a. to his posthu-
mous happiness; white flag symbol
ICES his good qualities. while . black
banner oeoaped with white marks Is the
church emblem to typify his Christian
fellowship. Then the long Procession,
made up Of dnsky families in Wagons
and on foot, wends ~ way TO tho grave.
singing, shouting and waiiing. At the
grave the service IL short, while the
chief mourners, providing around the
AhAll0w hole, throw their hands wildly
In tho air, shout and finally fall down,
tearing tbs Garth In their seeming
paroxysms of woe. The whites Of this
region, owing ~ the frequent overflow
of tho Miasissip !. keep their dead abovs
ground In small vaults Of brickwork,
usually stuccocd, and erected some
whore near the planters homo. But II
In significant OF the ephemeral affection
of the negroes for their lSat that they
usuaIly bury them In low bottoms, whore
each spring cd washes away all traces
u tts grave. During two vista to this
region, enc Of than somewhat prolong
ID, ] have never yet aeen = negro grave.
The Immediate rites following death
count, however. a. nothing ~ the necru
., ucsptt0n Of m0rtusry consequence.
The grand thing Is the funeral sermon,
oornina e0metimos years after the bur.
isl. This funeral sermon has n special
dignity NJ we'll ~ COST, which NJ negro
family can Afford to treat lightly. For,
70 be oarried out in fitting style. several
preachers are expected - ofiiciatc. WHO
arc to be entertained at good dinner
with tho rare luxury OF bottle OF wine,
and finally arc to DO paid for their tri-
buteu TO the deAd. The sermon il post.
ponsd until tbs money can be saved
mp, aud usually Ii delivered In August,
the intesmedAte mouth bctwecn tho
close Of cotton cultivation and tho be-
ginning OF cotton picking, = period to
which the negro looks forward a. a
schooiboy does 10 vacation. This is
also, in negro parlance. the season OF
"distracted (protfacted) meetings.
when nOt only arc The all night dis
courses preached, bat other services vf
q revival nature held, lasting often until
sunrise. When the improvidens habits
OF tho negro arc considered, 10 Coca
without saying that the funeral sermon
j. often never delivered at NIL. More
commonly. however, IL IL delayed from
six months to two years. and have
heard Ut one cAys where ten YEARS
elapsed botwsAn th0 burial and this
final grotssqne tribate. Nevertheless,
tho berasvad family always longs for
tae OCCASION waioh will onoe again make
them conspicuous; and this vanity,
coupled with the long delay. sonstimes
leads to CurtUna seslncls. Ihave hea ed
Of an instances Ia which the stricken bus.
band had tho funeral sermon Of his
hrst vile preached one week before no
welded hio second. Mors lutllcrous still
wNs the recent casc OF a negro husband
Who insisted On the funeral SERMON OF
his nrut wife eotnn weeks after taking
Anothos partner. AZ 6rst this sermoI,
did nos mot come Cd at the appointed
ema and hi employer. Meeting tho
nnso.oa. asked ehe reason Of tho delay.
~ TAO -; ssiu the late widover. my
eeoond WE ~ oisoo jsoted 70 dat
IouetnI sstmon; bus mex Sunday She's
Rw'ne ou 80 visis aoma 'iations, aud dat
sermone g9ane q sseAs Oh shuAh, and
come on . did.
= weddinx among the Bend negroes
nas nos oIten oecn seen BY whites, and
0esasis @ We ne Afo meager. Up TO
soue YEAR, afics 80 var both tLa cefc-
Mony eno ocFaaeAtcs were dispensed
Win aitogetner. but u late yenEs both
Sre usually insisfcd IN. Each pastor
mas now = form and ceremonial Of his
0wn. eomo OF which arc . most extraor-
oinafy naxsgy q !eliQtcus and secular
nonsense = @@y bore Who recently a.
scnueu Suo WcuoinR OF y former nurse
% nsr family gtves = iadieroos descrip.
won OF zoe nte. Iha bride wAs ~ yoAro
Old o.. ana the grc0m 81 year1 her junior.
Inc 0u1es.slm9 napttst elder, SUncls
ulce. old, blind and nov on The r.
slred ilss, pesaa himeslf" - she ut.
snoss ON suts exceptional aud for him
1sussSs ut1Ns VOc0nloos no 00Q2Q with
sne EpsscnpA service, gracefully drift
snk sns0 iMps,as ea9 McseodtGe feems.
!ppIs%a ~ wisn oees9sdiy Ortginal ~
sesrs@ ~ 0As~4 StA4eA1X WIN ~ 0Of0IHY In Tho