Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-12-29
INDUSTRIOUS JERRY.
White Lady's Experience with a Col
ored Carpet-Cleaner.

The proverbial Incidence of the col
ored man ia certain parts of the coun-
try may be an unfortunate gift of he
redity. If so, it is gift in which
many negroes find much enjoyment.
A lady gives the following account OF
her experience with Il negro man
whom she had engaged to take up
and clean a carpet, and put 1t down
again.
He had told me that be would be on
hand Upright an airly,' and even
limited ct the possibility of his coming
by daylight
eff you are here by half-past seven,
it will do said.
"Ha'pas seben, lady! Dat am
mons tous late TO man to begin a
days wuk. Use mo- likely to beroun'
by ha-pas' six, lady"
Half-past seven came and went the
next day, and no Jerry Eight O clock,
and no Jerry. At half-past eight he
came leisurely sauntering into the
yard.
Chow is this, Jerry?" I asked. .'You
said you would surely be here by half
past seven"
$50 | did, lady, SO I did; an how
happened to obersleep myself dis
mawnin' is de mos main circum-
stance. Mos gin rally Use up fo' day.
But I'll hab dat kyarpet up an out'n de
back va d less'n no time
Its so late, you'll have to hurry if
you get it all done to-day"
''Sho, lady! Hits jess play TO me
to take up kyarpst like dat, clean hit,
an put hit down in free hours
A little after nine | went into the
room. Jerry had taken the tacks out
on three sides of the carpet, and was
lying fiat on his back staring at the
ceiling.
81 'clar, lady," he said, "dat's de
puttiest wuk on dat ceilin I eber sawi
Use tryin' an tryin' to make out if hit
am RELY painted on dar, or if hit am
only papered on"
You'd better let the ceiling alone,
and get this carpet out on the line right
away, | said. sharply.
''Don' yo' min bout dis kyarpet,
lady. Hill be out O. hyar in free
shakes OBJ dead sleeps TAIL" he said.
AT ten o'clock | again went into the
room. Jerry had folded the carpet up
in the midcle OF the room, and was
sitting on it.
''Takin' up kyarpets is kind O.
waxin wuk, he said. 81 mos allus
has some one to help me-"
''You don't need any help in clean
ing little carpet like this" said.
''La, no, lady! [ could clean dis
kyarpet wild one hand tied behind me- -
oil oil
got the carpet on the line. Ten min
utes later he had disappeared. My
little boy found him two blocks away,
in a perfect ecstasy over hand organ
and monkey.
81 'clar, ma am, dat am de smartest
monkey! Hit do beat all! WINNER if
hit makes mrch money!" he said,
when he came back.
He gave the carpet a few Hs6less
strokes with an old broom-handle, and
then laid himself down on the grass
''clean tired out.
Ten minutes later | found him in
tia ting my little boy into the mysteries
of mum ble-the-peg.
jerry" ! said, pointing majestical-
ly to the carpet.
Eyes, lady, hits all cleaned. I'll
put it down in ten minutes.
cit is not half cleaned" l said.
''You have not beaten one-tenth of the
dust out of it. F"
g II right, lady, all right" he said,
ominously. Hits yo' kyarpet, an I
reckon yo' kin stan de loss if l beats
hit to rags. rs pounded dat kyarpet
all hit'l stan, lady, but it's yo' kyar-
pet"
But why write moreP At five o'clock
that carpet was still on the line, and
Jerry was leaning over the back fence
watching two boys playing at marbles
in the alley. At six o'clock he dragged
the carpet into the house, and wanted
his pay for that day, saying that he
would get a man to help him, and ''git
dat kyarpet down quicker'n wink the
next day."
| paid him for ha.f days work,
babe him goodbye forever, and put
the carpet down myself the next day.
-Youth's Companion.