Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-09-02
BIG QUARTERLY SUNDAY
SIX TH0UsAED YIsFToRs 0OMH
TO WILmEsG fOH-
Fooiing she OoWnsry Nrrrnes with
NIcklcs Nnaled To fhe pMvemcnt--
whero the People Oasae FROM
How lhe Day Passed orr.

Nickhcs Nailed tn the FAvomeDt--
Where the People Oasas FROM
How tho Day PASSED sff.
Tho colored population Sunday cele-
hrated their annual big quarterly, and II
was the occasion Of the assembling of
6,000 sisters, cousins and nunts from the
surrounding neighborhood. EARLY in the
morning Wilmington's colored population
turned out en- masse, and together with
the visiting brethren they formed an end
less throng on French and Fourth streets.
The steamers Wilmington and Brandy
wine each made three srips, bringing at
least 1000 persons the Major Reybold
brought 300 from Salem and the Jersey
Blue 500 from Chester.
The first regular train from Philadel.
phia came in two sections, and about
800 arrived from the Quaker City by
rail the w. Il N. railroad brought 800
from Ooatesville, West Chester, Reading
and intervening stations, while the d. 4
p. railroad added 200 TO the immense
throng. There were hundreds Of teams
from the lower part Of She county and
Maryland.
Notwithstanding the tremendous at,
the mass of colored brethren and sisters
enjoyed themselves TO their hearts CON-
tent. Oh associations were renewed,
friends long parted mot again and good
nature generally prevailed. ',Why, how
do DO" said one maiden to another, "I'm
30 glad TO see you, have good notion
to smack you in the mouth" This exuber-
ant greeting was followed by handshak-
ing and kissing, and the two new-found
friends melted away in the crowd. There
was noticeable lack of the ridiculously
gaudy attire that formerly distinguished
the visitors on this occasion.
"The men as usual are much better
dressed than the women" observed
young lady who had been watching the
procession, ''because the men buy their
clothes in stores where they are made to
conform to certain uniform patterns,
while the women exercise their individual
tastes, hence the conglomeration of
mixtures" The old uncles and aunts
with their green glasses, grizzled locks
and halting gaits were conspicuous by
their absence, while the young swells
bent on Irritation with immaculate shirt
bosoms lined with gold buttons and
clothes cut in the latest styles, monopo-
lized attention. Their pride, however,
suffered occasional falls.
Some wag had soldered big nail to q
five-oent piece and hammered the tempt
ing coin between two bricks at Third and
French streets. One after another the
victims passed, stopped to pick the gilt
teriDg money, which refused to move,
md then shame-faeed hurried off while
the crowd roared with laughter. Some,
however, had their temperaments rufiled.
wen have to stop dat, said one, ''dey
tryin' to make MS believe dat money is so
spry in dis yer town dat you can pick it
up on de streets.n Several officers who
passed shortly afterward put an end to
the fun by removing the coins. They
fonnd three of them during the dhy.
The A. u. M. p. Church and vicinity,
which was the Mecca of this immense
crowd, was one seething mass of humanity
all day. Ezion church at the corner of
Ninth md French streets, closed its por.
tails all day. The church where the ser.
vices were held was packed almost to
snfrocation by IL O'Clock when the first
relis sious exercises began, and from that
time till late at night, exercises of one
kind or another continued until some of
the participants were ealmost ready to drop
from fatigue and exhaustion. The tent
back of the church formed the nucleus
for more demonstrative religion, and the
scenes there enacted were witnessed by
large crowds, q third of whom were
whites.
After tho regular services in the after
noon, two crowds of male negroes, half
| frenzied by religious excitement, formed
| eireios, ~,Es4o Giey began their most in
teresting exercises to spectators One
was selected rs lender and forced into the
circle, where he began some doggerel
rhyme in a low chant. The others joined,
the chorus swelled as they became ex
cited, their hands began beating time, to
which their feet soon followed, and they
| developed into one bowling mass
in which each tried to out-shriek
the other This was continued
for about 10 minutes, when hoarse and
exhausted they would fall on their knees
| and some one of them would pray. After
prayer, and while still kneeling, the low
chant would again start and as the volume
of sound increased the men would rise
again and the same scenes would be re-
| peated. This was continued uninter-
| ruptedly for hours at time. As soon as
one would retire there were three or four
anxiously waiting to take his place. Some
took part merely for effect, AS their ocoa-
sional sly glanoes at the crowd indi-
Gated. The majority of them, however,
worked, themselves into such nervous
state that they were almost frenzied. One
in particular was noticeable. He was a
big heavy-set man, and stood in the
| middle of the circle with his eyes half
closed. As the excitement increased, he
would jump and shout, until the sweat
rolled down his dusky face in one con-
tinual stream. His sweet heart made an
effort to rescue him from the crowd by
pulling him by one arm, but he continued
his frantic leaps and loud shouting, until
from mere desperation the girl released
him.
Their songs were the merest doggerel,
and the music to which they were sung
was of the mont primitive. One of them
was Ms follows:
My poor mother is dead and gone,
There is II land of beauty lying over there
She told me also to come on
There is land of beauty lying over there.
Another was
Oh, Father, see my blazing hands,
Mother, behold your child IN hell,
Against yon now witness stands,
While the year Is rolling on.
During one of the intervals coal-black
negro began to pray in fervent manner,
but he was too selfish for one of his com
panions, for as he prayed, sob, Lord,
want to go TO heaven right quick, voice
to his side Eaid, "And Turner from Mid
'dletown, too
These scenes continued until nightfall
| whom the crowds began to dispense. Most
| of the visitors returned home early in
the evening although many were left and
forced to remain until o.day,
Good order prevailed throughout the
day, and although the police were pre-
pared for any immergency, their services
were seldom required, few small fights
being the only disturbances. Their good
behavior was the subject of general re-
mark. Notwithstanding the orders of the
| mayor few booths were stationed ont
from the building line, although Il Q
| liquid and solid refreshments were most Y
dispensed from out of alleys, cellar doois
and the like.
| One poor woman and her husband, wi o
Ind an eating stand. wore the subjects OF
much sympathy to those who know their
history. lie is one of the morocco
strikers and poverty was forcing him to
use this means of earning an honest
penny. The colored people are well sat-
isfed with the general results of their
seventy fourth Big Quarterly.
| ---%-S-$---S-