The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-12-27
SAMBO,S IRREGULARITIES.

The love OF the plantation hand for
fried chicken has passed into history.
1t is no longer a dim tradition, but
well-proyen fact
1t seems II little bit singular that any
one race should have an abnormal APP
petite for any one thing, but the Negroes
devotion to chicken proves the sublime
nature of his devotion.
If there are no chickens which he
can take handlly, he will spend his last
cent in the purchase of one, but he will
only do this rs last contingency, and
always under protest.
To raise chickens anywhere near n
colony of negroes is an impossibility;
not even the feathers will remain to
decrease the margin between profit and
loss.
As an old sinner told me: Oars no
use denyin' hit, eff lie goin' home from
de yival an hears chicken Wicker
like an dar's nobody 'roun' lie gwine
climb dat fence suah.
How the negro does love a 'possum .
That sly beast who loves the night
rather than day, because its deeds are
evil, is very dear to the African heart.
An old Co.ored friend Of mine-an cX-
member of the Legislature - says:
Take CT nice fat 'possum, parbi!e him,
roas' him, sarb him up with sweet TIA
ters an grady, and gentlemen, hit am
good :"
All scenes of law have a great fasci-
nation for the negro.
The courtroom even OF n Justice of
the Peace has n sort of sticking plaster
IL, Ell, -iol
cnses find him an eager spectator.
When the United States court is in
session he is in his glory.
He fills the seats with his dirty,
greasy anatomy, listens open mouthed
to the lawyers, takes an occasional nap,
and chews peanuts nearly all the time.
He is the first one in the courtroom
and the last one to leave it, and hc re-
CARDS the prisoner on trial with huge
grin of admiration rs the center-piece of
the legal entertainment.
He constitutes himself part of the
paraphernalia of Justice, and when the
prisoner is sentenced. he follows him
to the door of the jail as a guard of
honor.
The spectacle of law thus indicated
does not deter him in the slightest
from the commission of crime.
He rather has vague longing to see
himself occupying the principal role,
and awaking like interest among his
brethren.
Watermelon season opens up long
vista of delight unto the negro. Give
him fortypound melon and sunny
nook and he will thank God for moth
ing else. He will devour it to the
outer rind, seeds and all, and then lie
! down on the roadside, with n sun of
unlimited power beating full upon him
He will eat melons ripe, half ripe or
| green, and they seem t. have no III
effect upon him. Watermelon grow
ers have TO guard their melons at night
with shot-guns TO keep the exile from
Afric's sunny fountains from eating up
all the profit.
Sugar cane is another fayorite in the
| domestic economy of the negro. When
! he has a nickel he will buy stalk, bat
| if he lives near hourshing patch, he
won't spendhis money foolishly, but he
/ will have the sugar cane all the same.
1t is a funny sight to see huge fell
/ low of 80 years or SO, sitting on the
public corner with eight feet of sugar
cane in one hand and large knife in
another, cutting and chewing rs if his
own salvation and the country de-
pended on it. He is the happiest fell
| low in the world, Il true child of nature,
and nature takes the bes. care of him.
/ When the watermelon season ends,
comes the blackberry, then the sugar
cane and the persimmon and the
"gc ober" is always on hand.
Holidays he will have, and no one
! knows better how to employ them.
Having but little regard for the inter.
ests of his employer, he has not the
slightest care as to whether the holiday
he enjoys affects that person injuriously
or no, and money is no temptation to
/ him to continue at work while the others
are ENJOYING excursions. camp-meeting
or a general loafng. Should circus
come to town. he will at once drop all
work, no matter how pressing it may
be, and walk twenty miles to where the
vast canvas is spread, perfectly happy
| if he gain admittance TO It's awesome
wonders by CARRYING water to the gyas
ticutus.
If he can't do this he will hang around
all day, listening to the music the ora
tary of the side SHOW, the subdued roar
of the wangdoodle, and the braying OF
the educated iackass.
1t is singular, but true, that the negro
always has money for an excursion. Nc
matter how dry and rusty the frying
pan may be, he always has money for
al ride on de keers." With a sublime
faith in Providence, he Will go 100 miles
from home on an excursion, trusting to
some unknown combination of circum-
starces to furnish him with eatables
and drinkables willie he is away.
He Will take no sass" from his en-
plover, nor is he rs a general thing
willing to do anything not mentioned
in the original agreement.
Should you speak sharply to him for
any cause, the chances are that he will
leave you at once, regardless of the fact
that he may not have penny in his
pocket, or meal of victuals in his
house. He must be treated as if he
were a spoiled child, coddled and flat
tered course which is mighty un.
pleasant to contemplate, but with
/ A. I