The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-10-14
THE ROUSTABOUT.
Quaint Snatches of Song from New Orlean
Cotton-Boats and Levee,

iHE HOOS A6OOIs
Quaint snatches of Song from New orlean,
.Cotton-Boats and Levee.
The last bale of cotton having been
rolled on board with many "Heave
ho!" from the darkey crew, the happiest
hour in the improvident, ''devil-may.
care" existence Of the Mississippi river
roustabout is at hand. Roasting on
railing, rope coils and cotton bales on
the rear deck like convention OF
dilapidated scarecrows, they are wait
ing to respond to the farewell songs Of
friends and sweethearts congregated
ON the levee. : sa
Farewell, broders if yo's gwine fo' to CO.
Wen weep fo' to see yo' face once mo-
walls out a dusky maiden on the shore
and
On de lebee by de riber sids,
toll the united voices.
I've lef' my gall in New Orleans,
Fo' she is young, jes' in hah teens
trills a thin tenor from the deck and
again
On de lebee by de riber side.
swells the refrain,
Ducks plays cyards an chickens drinks wine
An de monkey grow on de grape vine,
Con sta ch pudding and tapioca pie,
Oh! de gray cat pick out de brack cats eye!
thrillingly announces the heavy bass,
while the dual crowd breaks into united
rhythmical sway at the rousing refrain.
Walk that, Loo. OH Miss Loo!
Ah. ah! ah! heah we go!
Fo' weah gwine TO to leabe you, goodbye,
good -byei
Fo' weah gwine fo' to leabe yo. goodbye,
Liza Jane. E-ttt 'f.
The echo scarcely dies away when q
rival songster on the shore begins:
Monkey dress in soldier close;
ALI cross ober to Jordan!
Went out in de woods fo' to drill de crows;
., Ja-ru-sa lem!
Jay: bird sat on ole hickory limb;
All cross ober to Jordan!
up wild a rock an hit him on de chint
o, Ja-ru- lem!
And then the excited crowd sweeps
with wild enthusiasm into:
Shine on Shine on! All cross ober to Jor
dan,
Then shine on! Shine on! o, Ja-ru- salem!
Next woman's figure breaks out
from the levee crowd with waving arms
and swaying body and proclaims in a
ringing treble:
TO meet oil Peter stan'in at de do =.
He say to me, 90, how you do?
Come sit right yonder in de golen pew" .
Fo' de good colo'd people da go clah froo.
To dip in de GoPen Sea. @'s
And the sympathetic brethren swell
the melodious nsass.s .ts
Den dip me! bave mel
Sisters. you and me!
Come get in de boat, TO- we all gwine to float
Fo' to dip in de Gol'en Sea!
This is evidently favorite air, and
the throng becomes frantic with en-
thusiasm as it repeats it with many a
quaint stanza. An ecstatic sister takes
up the burden again with
/. Good Mr.. Jesus sittin' in de PROV,
Come all yo' nggahs make yo bow;
Oh! look down on de void below
An watch dem white trash shublin' snow,
While angel fishes da nip my toe,
While! dip in de Golen Sea 3t
Then the responsive chorus swells
out, and again the basso profundo of
the crew determines that the sisters
shall not have a monopoly of the solo
parts, so he breaks in and crushingly
refers to the erratic mother of them all:
or Adam he wah de fus' built man.
OATS lis what de Good Book say;
An Ebe come mex, den sin began;
OATS jis what de Good Book say. j. z e
Ebe bit de apple right in two,
wicked fing for Ebe to do;
Yes, dat's what de Good Book say!
But his effort to silence them is futile,
for they join him with unabated gusto
in
OATS jes' what de Good Book say, it am;
Yes. dat's what de Good Book say!
Jes' read 1t froo; you II fin it true,
Fo' dat's what de Good Book say.
Another Biblical expounder is quick
at hand to continue the song: sya IS
Dab wah a man, he name wah Lot;
OATS lis what de Good Book say.
An he hab a wife and daughter got,
OATS lis what de Good Book say.
He wife she balk an make a halt,
An de Lord he turn hah into salt:
Oh! dat's what de Good Book say!
But the swaying, Intoxicating crowd
on shore is now fast receding from
view, and the boats many voiced crew
unites with heart-stirring earnestness
in g@
Use gwine fom de cotton-helds. Use gwine
fom de cane,
Use gwiue fom de oil log hut dat stan's down
in de lane;
De boat am in de riber, dat am come to take
me of,
An Use gwine to join de exodus and strike
out fo' de No'f
And afar over the moonlit waters
faint notes of weird melodies came
floating like distant echo of this
pathetic strain.-N- O. Cor. N. Y.
T31bu,ap