Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-03-04
Plantation Sketches.

and SO at last ali things are made even.
What2 Copy? Oh! the Devil!-Iecas
SJtings.
Plantation Sketches.
HOW THE COLORED PEOPLE ENJOYED THEIR
FIRST TASTE OF FREEDOM FINE FEATH-
ERs MAKE FINE BIRDs-A DusKY BEAU
BRUMMEL--THE WEEKLY HOLIDAY.
When I first bonored the State Of Florida
with my presence some twelve years ago,
the negro was constant source of amuse-
ment to me, says q writer in the Detroit
Free Press. Ills ways were sodifferent, his
actions SO child-like and bland, his idea Of
freedom so extraordinary, his ignorance SO
grotesque and appalling, that it was better
than a circus to watch him in his goings to
aud fro. Freedom made q striking revolu-
ton in the colored race socially; they tried
at once to drop all their former catch words
of familiarity, and adopted the most ex-
travagant anC elaborate forms of courtesy.
Among themselves it was ''Iady' an,
gentleman, ''Mr." and Mrs" and all
the ceremonies and genufexions in use
among the former slaveholding alistocracy
were at once adopted as their own, without
any regard to the eternal iitress of things.
hassee one fine spring morning with ex-
United States Senator Conover, who was
then State Treasurer and owner of a fiEe
plantation few miles from town, when a
scene occurred that has never faded from
my memory.
1t has somehow become town talk that
DR.. Conover was looking out for hands to
assist him in wasting seed on his plantation,
and when we got opposite the postofice We
were halted by an old colored auntie with:
sob, DR.. Conover! Oh, DR.. Conover !stop il
minute, please, sab y
BY her side was Il most dilapidated speci-
men of coloIed humanity in state of loop
ed and Widowed raggedness. In fact, any
respectable western co1n-field scarcecrow
| would have indignantly refuse to exchange
garments with him Without heavy boot -
The old auntie had him by the hand, and as
We drew up to the Sidewalk she said. CDR
Conover, doned heered ye wanted to get
| some gentlemen to wuk on yerplace, and
done sen. for dish yer gentleman to come to
town SOS We could get hIm.' After a little
! conversation the contract was made and the
gentleman went out 10 the plantation to
pick cotton and steal corn with the rest of
the gentlemen.
The negroes. male and female, were pas
| sionately iobd of fine clothing and finery of
every description, and would invest all the
| money the, could earn i'll articles of per-
sonal adornment. was told by osc nf the
city miliners that the finest and most ex-
peusive bonnets she brought to the city
were purchased 10y the negro women. The
white ladies were satisfied to dress more in
consonance with the IL duced state OF their
finances. but her colored sister was content,
if she had a gorgeous headgear, to let the
| rest of her graceful person go arrayed in
piebeian calico. A lo5o culored ladies con-
gregated at some street corner would ex-
hibis dazzling assortment ofrihbon., lacts,
feathers and bright colors With them
freedom meant to step at once from the
monotony Of the cotton field to the dressing
roam of The petted d,rlings of society and
fashion, and foot apparently eighteen
inches in length would often coyly peep cut
from beneath a brilliant blue silk dless.
One Sunday morning was riding out on
the road toward Bellair, when I met gem
tleman of the colored persuasion on his way
to church
He was clothed in a glossy dress suit of
black, such as the Hebrew children love to
pass off ON the uDsophisticated African a.
genuine broadcloth, and fitting like the
paper on the wall.
His neck was encircled by a Cal Wagner
collar ard a flaming crimson scaif, high
silk hat crowned his noble brow, and, to
cap the climax, he WAS bare-fJo' ed.
His money had evidently given out be-
fore he got to his feet, but this occ lsioned
him not the slightest embarrassment, and
he strobe along The road III dignified COM
posure, true child of freedom.
The strong point of the negro has been
his religion. and one Of their old fashioned
r9yivals is calculated to fullg discourage the
devil and all lis mps. After the usual
evening service the pastor caves llis pulpit
and surrounded by his staff prepares 10
battle with the evil one The m,ur,iers
crowd around the stl'ar, praying, groaning
and slrieking; higher and higher rises tn.
singing aud exh"ting, the .heeies of the
sinners sway in lhyihm with the music hands
are paited and feet stamp the floor. Sud
denly there is 4: wild shr elk, and one of the
female mouners leaps into the circle, all
her sins are washed away, and she is SO
violently happy that she wants to go right
straight up to heaven. Some fall as if in
trance, the voice of the exhorter takes on !.
s.erner tone, and the excitement becomes
Intense. Then succeeds q calm; neatly all
are converted, and all are exhausted As a
finale they strike up something like the fol-
lowing:
Use got on de back OF de Mefodis mule,
Sirner doan' We stan dar lookn' like q fool;
De bride bit AN silbsr. de saddle am gold,
An Use houn' fur To go to Aberhams told.
An I'll ride,
Yes will
An I'll ride right on to glory!
b eli RI I'M
An got on de back OF de Mefodis mule;
An here stick like big blacR leez,
Till de ole mule stomp on de golden streets!
Al IL ride.
YES will
An, I'll ride right on to glory.
Oh come from de church an de Sundy school
AN see me Ildin' on de Medfodis rnu e.
Dem piises amt got no SOFT OBJ show,
An I'll make dem Pi>tohle hosses blow!
An I'll tide.
Yes Hi
An I'll ride right ON to glory!
Saturday was the negro's natural holiday, |
Ind on that day Tallahassee was full of |
hem of all classes, conditions, colors and |
izes. Some crowded the stores, some of |
hem held impromptu business meetings on
he corners. Occasionally III ,re was a ''but-
ing" between two stalwart ''coons" induly
xc,ted by whiskey. Among others the
political situation was di .cussed with all the
and solemnity of the old-time
tai esmen.
The negroes wonld spend their money in
cry funny ways for any articles that took
heir fancy. One of them fell in love with
large bottle of cucumber pickles, price 81.
had some fancy e,nbIems on it which
leased his artistic eye, SO he b il, and
ut of curiosity. followed him to see what