Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-06-24
TIE HUmoR OF THE NEGRO.
m. Practical Jokes and their Results
How. when, Whore and Why ne
Laughs

s.. p.acfiaal Jokes and their Results
How when, where and Why he
Laughs.
Eustis (Fla.l Corr. New York Sun.
The genuine southern negro Is defi-
Gent in wit, but opulent in humor.
His thick skull will turn the edge OF a
rapier, but is susceptible to the crush
of the bludgeon. The humor must DO
Of the broadcast kind for him to thor
ouphIy enjoy it. Practical jokes arc
his profound delight. They are not
elusive. and are easily understood
Sanlbo not only laughs himself, put Is
a source OF laughter IN others. Ih
this SO is public benefactor' ne
gilds many an hour that otherwise
would be very gloomy. Hisgrotesque
looks when under excitement, MS pro
found interest in abstruse questions
and the curious fatality with which ne
mixes information obtained from high.
err walks of life make him a bas-reiief
ON the walls of time. Surely we are
blessed beyond our deserts. lnreturn
for his freedom and the inestimabie
privilege of selling his vote he makes
us laugh. He laughs, too, and laughs
best. There may be an element OF
lanpuor in our laughter, but his IS
hearty, rollicking and uncontrolled.
AS the originator OF q sense OF hu-
NOR in Others, the negro is a success.
One OF them gravely regarding the Ell
forts of his employer to open Dur
plar-proof safe, broke the silence with
EBoss, you done los de composition,
haint your"
The same negro was the butt OF the
little town he honored with his socie-
ty. Very fond of cred eye. he was
continually in trouble with the law.
n was his boast that he had built all
The sidewalk from the hotel to GER
tain cross street two blocks away
The fines collected from him had been
applied to that purpose. Arrestedsor
being drunk and disorderly, he was
bailed, the trial being put on until the
next morning. Some OF the young
white men OF the place told him that
if he would plead iustifiabls homicide
the mayor would let him OF without
fine or imprisonment. On the morn
inc of the trial the courtroom was
crowded. The mayor, a venerable
old gentleman of somewhat lnfiam-
matory temperament, sat enthroned
in awful dignity. The prisoner at the
har looked a little bit shaky at first,
but seeing so many of his white friends
present he regained his confidence and
assumed the attitude of one who
knows his rights, and knowing dares
maintain them. Said the mayor:
''Henry, you are charged with being
drunk and disorderly. What have
you got to say?"
Boss" was the reply, ~ PLEADS
Suitable homeyside," and he beamed
benignantly on his honor.
There was an uproarous shout OF
laughter, in which the mayor was
forced to Join. Henry escaped that
time. Sent TO the drug store after
some tincture ofcantharides, the near
est he could come to it was, "distlnk-
shun peradies." A day or two after
ward he was after some lob dis we're
peculiar intment." Mercurial was the
word that had thrown him.
As practical Joker the negro has
no superior, and if the joke is one that
will cause distress he is so much the
more satisfied. At Lake City, some
wears ago, some of them caught
hawk and dipped it in kerosene oil.
Then touching lighted match to the
neck feathers, they tossed the bird IN
to the air. 1t made brilliant specta-
Gle for moment, and then, with an
agonizing squawk, came to theground.
The negroes were delighted beyond
measure, and rolled over each other
in naroxvsms of laughter.
Sitting or standing around @ camp
fire along the track of one OF our rail-
roads were several section hands,
talking over different good meals they
had enjoyed Sitting cross.legged on a
horse was young negro listening
eagerly to the description OF savory
viands. At last one touched upon
the coon, and the Others, recognizing
superior soul, became silent.
"Take er nice fat coon,' said the
sable orator, "pa' bile i'm, roas' i'm,
sarb 'imup wild plenty grady an sweet
taters."
Here the negro on the horse could
stand it no longer. He had followed
every movement of the speaker, his
nostrils Tapping widely as if he would
catch the scent of the coon, his lips
working convulsiyely. Now he broke
in with "Hush you mouf, you fool
niggah, err I'll fall right often dis boss. ;"
The nearest approach to wit on the
part of the negro was that of the old
preacher at a revival Hearing some
incoherent noise in the rear of the
room that disturbed the pious pro-
ceedings, he exclaimed angrily: what
fool niggah is dat prayin' down by de
do?"
Came the reply; "It's brudder John
son."
"Well, let some niggah pray what's
better 'quainted wild de Lord"
Johnson being notorious chicken
thief, the parson didn't have faith in
his prayers.
Preachers figure largely in the humor
of therace. Probably this is owing to
their prominence as leaders of their
people. One of them, at that time
conductinga revival in Suwanee coun-
ty, was making most uproarious
prayer. He was shouting like the
roaring bull of Bashan, and was as in
coherent as the boss lunatic at Bloom
ingdale. He attempted to wind up his
prayer by invoking a blessing on those
present. He did it in this manner and
destroyed the equanimity of the white
lockers on: "God Almighty bless all
desc yere niggahs here tonight"
To see a white man left by the train
is source of unfailing delight to the
negroes who hang around the depots.
At Live Oak one day q well.dressed
stranger jumped from the train and
ran over to the bar-rocm to take n
nibble at the worm that never dieth.
The train pulled out just as he was
coming from the saloon. He made a
dash for the rear platform of the last
coach missed it, and went down on
his knees on the ties. His flask was
broken and his clothes torn. The
train stopped for him a few yards
away and he limped on board, fol-
lowed by the derisive yells and laugh
ten OF the colored men 1t is a stand
ing joke among them yet how "dat
white man got hurt tryin' fer ter Jump
on de kyahs." The joke they thorough
ly enjoy must be seasoned with distress
and modification to Others.
In the shifting panorama of the
same town another scene comes to
view. A little Irish school teacher is
vaguely trying to find his way some
where. He has an undue quantity of
this worlds goods aboard and has
some trouble III navigating He is con-
tmually meeting head winds and is
I