Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-09-04
BIG QUARTERLY MEETING
THOUSANDS OF FESTIVE NEGROES
IN HOLIDAY ATTIRE.

IN HOLIDAY ATTIRE.
Scenes Presented ,2ISSa Freueh
strcet-Ineidents OF the Day-En-
thusIasftcaIIy shouting HOsannah
An Orderly Multitude.
As early as Saturday morning oolored
people from the surrounding districts
swarmed into town to participate in the
yearly celebration known as the Big
Quarterly. In the evening the regular
train mp the Delaware road running in
two sections swelled the colored popula-
tion considerably. Strangers sought the
best accommodation they could for the
night, many houses of the oolored resi-
dents o. the city being Hospitality thrown
open to them.
Sunday the day opened auspioiously
being cool and breezy. By $50 or 8
O'Clock the p, W. & B. station and sur
rounding corners presented an animated
aoene, large numbers of colored people hav-
| ing gathered 10 welcome the strangers to
town. The Wilmington & Northern train
came in shortly before o'clock bringing
perhaps l50 oolored people from along its
| line. This was followed by the. train
Il
stations due here at 9. 55 running In two
sections OF six cars each liteially packed
with those intending 10 participate in the
annual gathering. The steamer Will
mington landed $50 passengers, the
| Forrest 500 and tha Norwood 400, all
| from Philadelphia and Chester, and the
steamer Delaware brought smother con-
| tingent Of several hundred from Leipsio
4 ~. tha Mafa
Rsybold landed the colored people OF
Salem, N. j., ATS strong.
At IL O'Clock the shedding of the Nv.
& B. station covered one mass Of dusky
visitors. The linen duster and light hat
prevailed among the males, while the
fair sex figured in va,i.oolored costumes,
from the saudiest flash OF red, purpie
and blue 10 immaculate white. Every
phase aud type Of negro phyaicgnomy
was represented from the almost white
quadroon or mulatto to that Of the dusK
lest son of Africa. The women's emile
from under lace bonnets evoked the usual
demonssrative gsllantry from th, ir atten.
tive swsins and mirth and laughter re.
sounded from all sides. The usual quote
OF babes accompanied their parents, and
mingled their youthful voices with the
murmuring babel of sounds.
II was very amusing to note the de.
probation a. which the country de-
scendants Of Ham were held by their
Philadelphia brethren. One of the former
evoked many smiles Of soorn aud contempt
as he appeared upon the eeene clad in a
wide-brim straw hat, "a wornout dress coat,
overoheokered pants, and carrying by a
strap large wooden soap box from which
he ever and anon braced the timer man
with sandwiches, corn bread and cucum.
ber pickels. All along French street
from the station to the church
was lined with eating tables, hastily
constructed booths, one blacksmith shop
being converted into an impromptu res.
taursnt, slleyways and stables were used
as temporary resting places, where num-
bsrs who could fad no other aocommoda
tion, pleasantly eat down and reealed
themselves with water melons, lemonade
and other easily obtained refreshments.
Many of the younger oolored people got
no further than the station and as an old
pious darkey described 1t ''dey jes' cum
heah ter muuky wild what should be 81
solem 'kayshun."
; Some two or three hundred trips were
made by the various buses to the
church, bringing crowds Of gorgeously
sttired women, who disdained trusting
, their expensive silks and laoes to the
! marring effect Of French street dust
, The extreme quiet and almost entire
absence of people along King street and
the avenues contiguous TO French street
and the unusual oopcourse and bubbut
. on the latter was one OF the most marked
! features OF the day. the residents alonC
I, its oourze crowding in chairs and upoI
: the door steps, giving that usually quie
4 neighborhood more the appearance o
3 some New York avenue during Fourtt
Of July parade.
i The services In the A. U, N. P. Churct
Q and the tent in its rear commenced q
= 1920 O'Clock. In the church the Rev
q DR.. Russell and the Rev. John "
d Clemment, the latter of West Chester
preached, while in the tent the Rsvs
8 Spencer Williams, Jacob Webb ant
i Edward Chippey held an informR
d revival service. The latter speaker
9 aroused much enthusiast. There wa
q q cool breeze blowing during the earl.
U morning service and the large audienc
y gathered under the pleasant shade of tn
d tent listened quietly and attentively witt
1t little demonstration 10 the speakers
n utterancss. Aged people in reveren
t. bent posture occupied the front seats ap
a occasionally intsrjected responsive eZ
u osmations ss the speakers iervid orator
Y rose and fell or affected their religion
g feelings.
ID Rsturping towards the tent in th
ia afternoon, a deep gutteral base filled tn
ID air, its monotonus muTmnF only broke
y BIZ an occasional alto or treble accordip
as the pent feeling of the actors broke i
eccentric or hardly oonatraiue6 shrieks
i. The oolorsd people had gathered /
"a closely compact rings of perspirin
10 worshipeTs who yelled ard roaTed in Ii
"a tsTIhittent shrieks, or, ss their ebullier
a feeling ebbsd Joined iu monctnnou
1s basso in which there was occasionally d.
~ tected some msssure OF rhy thmic oadenc
The leaders in the centre SCENE
- possessed with frantic nervousness al
~ ia one moment with arms suddenl
n. thrown ont and fingers stretched in ii
tensest nervous th-slldom, In the mel
an moment they would drop limp and nerv
nj less with head bsnt aud shoulders bow,
Is the veriest picture Of utter physic
=, prostration. Meanwhile as the centr
In actors were exhibiting these oontortioi
ms the ring Of see'hing and swea
"a Ing humanity surrounding Inc
% na sWsyed in cadence to Il
ba rude dogserel refrain, heads 81
an arms oscillating, white eye balls aI
an cleaning white teeth Rlimmering in the
~. dusky surroundings. The expressit
10 upon their faces seemed rather that
'sn alarmed expectation than Of indioatil
ho the reception of any mental or religio,
,at impression. Arms and shoulders pump
70, up and down in drill.iike regularity
"a with an all pervsding lateral mott
N. swRyed to and fro with the exsotness o.
~ pendulum. Whatever Of a philosophy
not reason that could be gathered from t
: ! soene seemed to be that the worshipt
in first went into the tent where the preaC
md ing or teaching was undoubtedly Of
is more extrsvAgant nature than Is 90
1,at monty seen st any Methodist revival, a
"a having imbibed the quantity to whi
ans their nervous temperamenis were oapa'
on. Of sustaining, they adjourned to
nj. rings outside the tent and there reliev
ans their surcharged nerves by physi
inc exercise.
att. II.