Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1883-03-24
THE ROUSTABOUT.
His Life on the Lower Mississippi.

His Life on the Lower Mississippi.
Letter to N. Y Eve Post.
Even the roustabouts or deck hands,
on the Mississippi boats, who handle the
freight at the landing and are the most
degraded types of the negro race on our
continent, are also fond of religious mel
ody. 1t is one of the queerest anoma-
lies of the negro life in the Bends to see
on river boat during Il cold night q
group of these reprobates gathered
around the red hot stove singing relig-
ious songs with apparently real fervor
and sincerity Outside of his singing,
not spark of religion or moral illumin'
ates the roustabout's dark life. He car
ries habitually revolver, razor and keer
knife, the latter of which he uses skill
fully to cut the pockets OF sleeping deck
passengers. In a "raZor fight" the rous
tabopt-and. believe, most of his race
use the weapon in original fashion.
They double back the handle on the
thick part of the blade, then grasping
the whole tightly close the fingers and
ball of sthe hand half way down the
blade, SO as to leave its whole length
exposed to a depth of, say, half an inch.
With the wea pom thus disposed they do
not slash, but chop, INJECTING dozens OF
very CHASTITY but superficial wounds. A
combatant after razor fight looks,
clothes and all as if he had been through
cutting machine. But in week his
wounds are healed and he is ready for
another fray. During the usy season
the roustabOut on the river steamers &c Is
from $50 to $l00 a month, and four meals
a day; but his work in handling the
heavy freight and carrying it up the 81 p
perry river banks is terrible strain,
made doubly severe by the fact that his
only rest night or day comes in maps be
tween the landings. The roustabout
wears his clothes from the day they are
bought until they drop off in rags, with
out removing them once. He is an in
veterate gambler, with two dice playing
an original game called ~4eFaps," the
main feature of which is throwing the
number seven, or as near as possible to
it, though the game has other refine
ments. The spectacle of group If
roustabouts around the 'crap" board,
betting large sums, yelling, gesticulating,
and invoking aid of all the supernal and
internal powers, as they whirl the dice
UOA IISu iii dlI Is utSCTlUSu 10 lie dS
one of the most amazing Of human sights
Often one or two skillfu
gamblers will win three
quarters of the wages of a newly paid.
hand before the final trip ends, and what
little remains, as well as the winnings,
are finally spent amid the vilest orgies
in the purlieus of Vicksburg or New Or
leans. But physically the roustabout is
a wonder. His life OF heavy lifting de-
velops his upper body until his form
seems acutely riangular-pointed at the
feet. Back of his shoulders rise two vast
muscles, which give him the semblance
of a hunchback, and his knotted arm
muscles, thick neck, and protruding
chest complete matchless physique.
The brutal ma es of the river coats
armed with club canes, pound these fel.
lows mercilessly without the slightest eff
feet, and they are quite as stolidly indif-
ferent to the rain of oaths which the
mate pours forth with the fluency and
vigor bred by lifelong familiarity with
the profane tongue. In justice 10 the
plantation negro along the Mississippi,
it must be said that many of his failings
are to be charged to the reflected vices
OF these roustabouts, with whom his
hard lines of life are necessarily cast.