New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-24
NEGROES NOT TO BE COUNTED OUT.
TALK wIrHA ST. JOHNS RIVER BoATMAN.
HOW SOUTHERN PEOPLE TALK WHEN THEY THINK
NO NoRTHERNERs ARE ABour


politicians putlicis scientists others through that
peculiar process known Journalism Interviewing
Now at length have given the black man chance
lie may not thank ms 70. Il. The world may think IL
rough him But the decd is done. / presume that
numbers OF Of the black have been interviewed
before but It because they public or lead
ing cergyinen. or because Of their cotn not because
they were black. took q notion, as was calling
lazily up the St. Johns River a rowboat, propelled
by the vigorous. snewy Of darksinned boatran,
to interview him just because he was black Twenty
minutes before 1 had strclied into the boathouse at
jacksonville accompanied by that member Of the fair sex
who proud call rer better hail. intent ON
taking row. Almost before our feet were set on tho
plank vigorous, hearty, robust negro voice had &C
costed us about ss follows.
" Heah yo ali. sab. Want q boat sab Heah yo' an,
sab. Champagne Charley, sab, at 10 service, sab.
This the John Sylvester sab Make no mistake ssh
DE John sylvester not putty, but abe am safe. snd
Champagne Charley pits hisself agin dc world"
We engaged tho John Sylvester. There was no re.
sisng heartiness OF that appeal There ring
in IL as II the work for his bread and butter
possibly for the bread ana butter OF numerous min
mature Champagne Charleys" that was Irresistible
found afterward that he hao wife ana seven children,
did having selected his storm boat
In preference to some the freshly paiaed ones
that Lay at the same wharf We had rowed silently out
the broad river past the black hulls and trim rig
gng three four beautiful pleasure yachts that were
anchored city, having steamed down from North
ern waters one Of them belonged to Pierre Lorillsra
A big white yacht the Magnolia. lay also near the
shore, the property of Fsirman Rogers.
1t was mid afternoon and the Southern was CON-
ing down with a that made sun umbrella
comfortable hidngplace, and brought the beads of
sweat Champagne Chareys forehead ss his oars
swept waters with sturdy stroke at regular appar
entity easy intervals He was pieture-this boatman
As studied him over imagined that he had In his day
the subject Of all tho demon passions Yet there
something him indicate TINT whatever fcry
furnaces he had passed into he had out again
snged maybe baked and hardened but changed by the
could Judge. You never come within ten years Of
a black mans age. As specimen Of physical manhood
he might have posed as model There was no dispung
perfect proportions of his chest body limbs and tho
barred that displayed by the turn Of his coarse
flannel shirt
"were you born hereaboutss CharieyY. asked by
way Of opening conversation.
Yasssh yassah. 1 was slave born. 1 was mighty
young mighty young, sab, when de wah freed we DEM
Goshamty, dem queer days Law how dey did
sheer 1 little pickanin hangin onto my ole
mothers skirts den. / didn't know nunln bout do
Yanks 'cep wat ole Mars tole We thought dey had
hoofs an horns like de debb My ole he had bout
five six hundred slaves. When de Yanks was q comm
he dove all OF into de swamps and we dem hided
dar shibberin' In de rain. Den we hear de Yanks
somewheres else and out for a while, but we
wuz run back agin. L hung to my mammys tkirts
and cried cause 1 fraid de Yanks would cook and
eat me. Yah, yah, yah. Wat stuff ole did tell
Den one night hear dat dc Yonks twenty miles
away, and beoh mawnin' cherry Oh de black fellows
wuz cleared out Oar wuz ony dc women and de pick
anns left Some OBJ de women prayin fob JOY,
and OBJ dem wat beliebed ole msrs's stories
cryin' fob feah dat de men would DO killed. Dat
de last OBJ slavery Why, law, when de Yanks began 20
along dey like de June bugs De fust
dc fence got to be thousand while yoh q
lookin ct him. Talk bout de grasshopper de
taty vine, why, do Ysnk mob numerous hunderd
times ober"
Have you ever lived anywhere else but in Florida.
Charleyp
"NOsah, nosah. Florida good enough fob
Dere's lots OBJ nigs want to go Mort, but dis will do
fob dis lfe Its too cole up dar fob to suit Why,
when gets de cole days hesh it makes shbber till
my boans ache. doan no wat would do up dsr whsr
dar cole weather fob long" t,
You wouldn't Ike q seigh-ride thenr
"Nosah, nosah. Boat ride good enough foh me-
Here my better half with possibly vivid recoections
of sleghrdes through Central Park tried enlighten
Charley" as to the comforts OF sleigh well piled with
robes and the bottom supplied with footwarmers She
suggested that at the most only ones and
fingers got cold
IL guess doan want to resx my an yeshs,
man," was the boatman's only response
Have you ever seen snow Charleyi Do you know
what 1t is ukeY
"Nossh. hab o noshun dat 1t en- like de Ice But
lots OBJ people tell it Like de cotton ball doan'
how dat kin be, because de cotton ball am warm
There ducks sporting and feeding in the water as
sped under the muscular plying the oar that
Charley had kept up all this time, and presently head
thrust of the which thought was that OF
a waer-snake. 1t led me 10 ask II there many
snakes about The day before, aera visit the orange
grove OF brother Of Congressman Amos J. Cummings
which is bluff facing the river opposite and about
miles below Jacksonville 1 had encountered four
snakes Walking along the blum toward General Devens's
grove had stepped down feet pick some yellow
jasmine which grew there in luxuiiaht plenty rustic
I'm the leaves OF my feet caused to look my
hair stood on end sevcn-foot OF the
most venom0us type slowly glide away the water
from spot which could have reached with my cane.
Than fhupa
smaller size followed the FIRST and thon another and still
another did not pick any yellow jasmine. When
Charley" had told me that moccasn and rattlesnskes
were almost as numerous any product OF the State
told him about encounter and added significantly:
81 Didn't follow them"
For about minute he looked at me with ouizzicsl
eye Meanwhile there was spreading his face the
ripping motion that precedes smile. 1t broadened and
deepened just as the of the ocean do until his
mouth began to Open The cavity he displayed was I'M
mense, surrounded by great OF perfect yoy. Not
until its full width had been attained did any sound
escape him. Then youminous, seul-strring, side.
splitting button bursting Yah, yahyah" pealIng
forth IL was followed at short intervals by fcpettons
varying in force volume but never lacking In the
essential element of heartness by which the first sound
had been characterized He laughed for fifteen minutes
lie finally scbercd down. and I asked: Arc you a
Republican, CharleyT
Ills reply evidently dictated by prudence 1t
was given somewhat suenly II politics was an un.
pleasant theme. doan' like to mix up politics wild
p'fWess' Hh siu nc. bub yoh ask me squdf and L
answer yoh sQuaf / a Republican sab, sn' STAN
by dat principle. But nebbah talk politics sept when
de Election am ON
I" 1 am Republican myself, Charley and have been
wondering II you are allowed TO vote down here"
" Dab amt much trubble bout de votih.' We dem
kin vote. We kin vote ell day an den dcy kin count.
Ncbbah yo' min. we will get dab day. Deb can't
always do dat We dem will carry jacksonville dis
spring. Oar wuz some shorp work bout snnexn'
parts TO dc city. Dey special chaftor TO bring in
lot white folks, an den used de charter TO bring
in lot OBJ black folks. We dem hap de majority
fob suah Dey can't get away from It, We hab de City
Council too. whah de trubble il In de count, but
We got Ten, dab Dcy dahsent play no noah tricks
wild de polls Dey try ebery way fob to get ballots In
wat doant belong but dem too much fob dat now
Dey call me dat loud-mouf niggah because 1 STAN up
fob rights but reckon dty can't cheat US no NOAH