The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-07-28

anemaly). 'you'se maxim dem berries
ny INTO Gle basket. Keep dat up and
you II hab to hire a kyart to haul yo'
tickets home.''
Mary Jane or Eliza Jane or Belinda
Jane shows all her teeth at this, and,
with co9uettish toss of her head, creek
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 dozen ber-
RES at time. The overseer bawls out:
"Git up dar, you lazy black niger. 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 tiddlers scrapin'.
Dat foot kin dance quicker'n dat han
kin pick"
The owner of the foot bestirs himself,
it he has not been affronted by being
called a nigger-a term of reproach
common among the negroes, but strict
ly interdicted among 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
eye.
"What you doin' on dis heah field.
boy? You ought to have a broadcloth
coat on yo' back and a beaver hat on
you hade, an set in de shade in arm
cheer. You doan know how to pick
Strawberries. You is centrum, you is.
lay your nanny will have ole wuks
wild you ter make you mind yo' bust
ness!"
Thus adjured, the youngster slyly
opens ragged pocket and shows a
bundle of strawberry tickets, and, stick
ing his tongue out saucily, returns leis-
urely to his work. Presently, in the
midst of his exhortation. he comes upon
a row half picked. Then he launches
out and a 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 80,
an you a professinn Chrischun?'
isis 'Lisbeth, amt professin' moth
in in strawberry time. Use back
slider from de day I see de fust
strawberry crate. Now, step long
lively an femme 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
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
to the paying booth, where the busy
tally-keeper checks them off. If not,
volley ensues from Sampson, in
terspersed with numerous charges of
being a ''black Niger which is al
ways sullenly resented. If the berries
are not up to the standard they are
ruthlessly poured out on the ground,
and if one or two of these corrections
are not enough the worthless picker is
driven out of the field. Meanwhile
those that have gone off to the paying
booth are making various dispositions
of their tickets. Some go for pies, for
beer-although the negro is not
much of beer drinker-and, if the
picker is young and light of heel, with
no fear of the "church," to the dancing
pavilion. Old time jigs and backdowns
prevail, the negro musicians playing
with wild abandon which generates a
catching enthusiasm. Many of the
couples are strangers to each other, as
strawberry time brings a great influx OF
negroes from as far as North Carolina,
but the steps of acquaintanceship are
easy and progressive. A couple paired
in the dance are sometimes paired for
life. When the engagement is an
nounced they may be seen picking in
company and putting all their tickets
into q common fund.
AS fast as the baskets come in they
are put in crates ready to be moved on
the big lighters or tlat-bottomed boats
that lie in the river. All day long the
scene is busy, but when the last half
hour comes every thing is accelerated.
At given signal every picker is to
stop, as not moment is to be lost II
the lighters are to reach the steamers on
time. Already the roar and rumble of
the trucks on the wharves can be heard
like distant thunder. Probably several
loads have already been lightered down,
but every load is valuable, and it is
highly important not to miss a single
one. The capacity of the immense
steamers seems limitless, as, although
the bulk of the strawberry crates is con.
siderable, their weight is tritiing, and
they are slowed all over the ship, wher'
ever they can find lodging-place.
Samson is fairly boiling over by five
o'clock. He rushes to the dancing pa.
vilion and by dint of coaxing, stormine
and imploring, breaks up the festivities
and gets the dancers down on their knees
picking for dear life. Even the must
clans are induced at this stage of the
proceedings to help. The pie man j!
!. warned off the field until the last loae
| is being headed for town. The owner, or
horseback or in light buggy, is givins
orders and hurrying things up
, The overseers are flying hithel
and thither, and no longer make
Jokes or handy witticisms will
. the pickers. At last q long bias
, from the steamers whistle is heard
, that means perhaps that they have
. half hour only to get the crates OF
board. Then every thing is trundlet
down to the shore, in five minutes tn
flat-bottomed boats are out in mid
! stream meeting other tlat-botto met
t boats, and taking their place in lin
, 1vhen thov reach the rier prea