The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1886-07-30


Jane shows all her teeth at this, aud,
with coauettish toss of her head, ''reck-
ons' she won't be turned out of church
this year for not paying her dues. Next
to the lively Belinda Jane great hulk
ing fellow is sprawled all over the plants,
while he slowly picks half a dozen ber-
ries at time. The overseer bawls out:
sGit up dar, you lazy black nigger. Yo'
legs too long and yo' feet's too broad
fur dis heah strawberry field. You'se
mashin' peck fur every quart you
picks. Yander is de fiddlers scrapin'.
Dat foot kin dance quicker'n dat han
kin pick"
The owner of the foot bestirs himself,
if he has not been affronted by being
called nigger-a term of reproach
common among the negroes, but strict
ly interdicted amSng the best classes
of white people at the South, where the |
word is never heard. A bright-eyed |
youngster, with no clothes on to speak
of, comes next under the overseer's s |
eye.
"What you doin' on dis heah field.
boyP You ought to have a broadcloth
coat on yo' back and beaver hat on
you hade, an set in de shade in a arm
cheer. You doan know how to pick
Strawberries. You is a gentmun, you is.
l lay your nanny will have ole wuks
wild you ter make you mind yo' busi-
ness!"
Thus adiured, the youngster slyly
opens a ragged pocket and shows
bundle of strawberry tickets, and, stick
ing his tongue out saucily, returns les-
urely to his work. Presently, in the
| - L. 10 hn
a row half picked. Then he launches
out and perfect hurricane of .profani-
ty RACES An elderly sister, who is the
president of the Daughters of Rebekah
or the Order OF the Galilean Fisherman,
demonstrates earnestly.
"Bro' Samson, how kin you talk SO,
an you professin' ChrischunP''
"Sis' 'Lisbeth, amt professin' moth
in in strawberry time. Use back
slider from de day see de fust
strawberry crate. Now, step long
lively an lemme see you clean up arter
dem good-for-nothin' black niggers."
just then half dozen pickers come
out into the narrow path, with their
trays balanced on their heads. Bro
: Sampson stops every one, and taking a
basket at random, empties it into an
: other basket. This is to see if any are
: picking green or decayed berries. If
' they are all right the pickers march off
1 to the paying booth, where the busy
tally-keeper checks them off. If not,
. a volley ensues from Sampson, in
terspersed with numerous charges OF
!. being ''black nigger," which is al
ways sullenly resented. If the berries
4 are not up to the standard they are
4 ruthlessly poured out on the ground,
q and if one or two of these corrections
o are not enough the worthless picker il
/ driven out of the field. Meanwhile
/ those that have gone off to the paying
r booth are making various dispositions
: of their tickets. Some go for pies, fol
d although the negro is no
o much of beer drinker-and, if tn,
/ picker is young and light of heel, will
+ no fear of the "church," to the dancing
h pavilion. Old time jigs and backdown
e prevail, the negro musicians playin,
/ with wild abandon which generates
le catching enthusiasm. Many of tn
r couples are strangers to each other, a
ar strawberry time brings a great influx c
ls negroes from as far as North Carolins
+ but the steps of acquaintanceship ar
il easy progressive. A couple paire
,s in the dance are sometimes paired fo
10 life. When the engagement is al
A. nounced they may be seen picking
er company and putting all their ticke
D. into common fund.
ry AS fast as the baskets come in the
s. are put in crates ready to be moved o
a the big lighters or tlat-bottomed boa
in that lie in the river. All day long I'll
as scene is busy, but when the last hal
v, hour comes every thing is accelerate,
it. At given signal every picker. is
he stop, as not moment is to be lost
o. the lighters are to reach the steamers c
or time. Already the roar and rumble {
he the trucks on the wharves can be heal
up like distant thunder. Probably sever
nd loads have already been lightered dow
les but every load is valuable, and it
ky highly important not 10 miss a sing
one. The capacity of the immen
nd steamers seems limitless, as, althou,
or the bulk of the strawberry crates is co
n siderable, their weight is trifling, al
,ut they are slowed all over the ship, whe
is ever they can find a lodging-plao
Irt Samson is fairly boiling over by fl
~, o'clock. He rushes to the dancing r
nd vilion and by dint of coaxing. stormil
led and imploring, breaks up the festivit
W. and gets the dancers down on their kne
,ar picking for dear life. Even the mu
ne. clans are induced at this stage of t
5sy proceedings to help. The pie man
cir warned off the field until the last 10
nd is being headed for town. The owner,
ar horseback or in light buggy, is givi
M orders and hufrying things I
ng The overseers are flying hitl
IN and thither, and no longer ma
for jokes or handy witticisms W
her the pickers. At last long bl
ing from the steamers whistle is heart
is that means perhaps that they have
ing half hour only to get the crates
lrt- board. Then every thing is trund
re- down to the shore, in five minutes
off flat-bottomed boats are out in m
cen stream meeting other aat-botto n
hat boats, and taking their place in |
the when they reach the pier. A gr
the great force of truckmen all black
ntil hurrying the heavily-loaded trucks i
son the steamers open hold. They have
der rush, for sometimes the line of bo
aw- extends half across the Elizabeth riy
and when the bell rings the gang pls
lgs, must be pulled in, although it n
YER break the captains heart to leave
en- much valuable freight behind, but r
and road connections must be made, and