Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-05-02
NEGROES, NAMES In TENNESSEE,
Some Strange Family Combinations.

From the Detroit FREQ Press.
Before the war the negroes uniformly went by
the names Of their masters-as Mr.. Jones Bill,
Mr. Smiths Jupiter. After emancipation each
one was left to his own choice OF names, as the
roll of honor Of Paradise Hall" will fully ex-
emplify. In q majority Of Instances they
adopted the names of their masters, and as they
more frequently than otherwise named their
children male and female, for their young mas
tiers and mistreSses, the strange anomaly is often
presented by our police reports Of some Of the
owners of the most hOnOred names In the coun-
try being before the recorder as drunk and dis
orderly, and were it not that the cabalstic word
"cOlOred" is generally affixed, the confusion
natural in such instances might lead to grave
errors. But the custom of taking the masters
name is not always adopted by them, as the fol-
lowing incident. which occurred to the writer,
win abundantly illustrate:
We were passing along the street the other
day when we encountered Daddy Moses" the
husband of our "black mamme'' Cor foster
mOther) We knew it would tickle him, 80 with
q profound bow we Saluted him with:
"GOOd morning. Mr.. Nichols; i hope find
you well this morning?"
"Sarvent, Marse Eddard; I'm poly, tina TX the
Lord bin and TUX q bad COLE and TIE had
such misery in my back for de las week and
been 80 pow'ful weak dat / could skasely cut
stick O. wood. but rse better to- day. thank de
Lord. How is ole Miss-yor mar-and de chill
LEM"
'They are all in usual health, thank you,
MIR. Nichols, And how Is manmie and all with
your"
''1o mammle il up and about, Marse Ed
dard, but Marse Eddard yOuse mistOok nv
name, you is. My name is not Nichols for dis
present.
"Why. how is that, Daddie Nose? Have you
applied to the legislature and had your name
changedi"
81 dunno muffin bout no legislator. Yo'
mammie she Is de cause of de change"
why, how is that?"
"Why, Marse Eddard, you know when was
pccaniny / lived in Ole Virginny, and first
belonged to Marse Randolph; not to ole Marse
Jack, what lived In ROnOke, but to Marse Pey-
ton Randolph, when dey lived in Bottelot
Wen, when l was young / was mOns'Ous
good rider and so Marse John Nichols he hired
me to rub and ride his racehosses. When
been wild him for bout two years he axed me
ef was willin' for him to buy me- and ] tOle
him yes. So he bought me from Marse Peyton
and come wild Mr.. Nichols to Tennessee. When
lowed he was willing eff she was So he called
her In and axed her eff she had any lection to
marryin' me. Well, your mainmie she up and
tole ole marse she did dat. She didn't have no
p'inted lection to me myself, but she did ject
to me on count Of my wlfftefdTks She lowed
dat dey was pore white trash, and she didn't
want to marry into no SIGH family. Well, old
marse (y0ur gran'sir), he laughed, he did, and
he told your mammie dat ii dat was all she had
agn me he thought he could fix Hat bybuyin' me
hissef. And shore huff he did buy me, and
thought de matter was settled den for cher. But
Dress your soul, Marse Eddard hit wasn't set
tied; for dat CONAN (yore mammie) has been
fngin' my white folks in my face eDer sence
and cherry time say anything she don't like abe
ups and says, She couldn't 'spect muffin better
from de way was raised Well, to stop that
tongue er hern, l jest cluded to change my
name to Randolph, and Use now Mr.. Moses Ran
doph."
"Well, how does mammie like her new name
Of Randolph p l asked.
why, Dress yore soul. Marse Eddard, she
amt got no new name: she sticks to the same
ole Mss Martha Grundy."
We'll, how about your children, Bob and
Arthur"
''Well, de last time hearn from Bob he was
In Arkansaw. He writ letter to his mammie
and telled her to rect her answer to Mr.. Robert
Rector, and he lowed dat dere was an old Cub
beRor Rector dat lived in dem parts what was
mons'ous 'ristocrat. So he tuck de name OF
Rector. We amt hearn from Artur In a long
time. De last we hear from him he was running
de rihber on a boat as cook, and he called hiss
self den Artur White, after de captains name"
$50 you, your wife and your boys 60 by diff
ferent names do your"
"Dat's SO, Marse Eddard." - ....-.5...
The above is by no means an isolated case. :