Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-10-31
ECHOES OF HAMPTON.
Amusing Bits OF Natural HumOr Found In
lEExAMlinatlonp Papers. -

Ono OF the most frequent subjects OF
discussion among ethnologists is tho
question: Have we in this world race
OF natural humoristsp Modern humor
affords abundant argument for those
who take the negative in this discus
sion, but the Drawer believes that those
in search of affirmative arguments can
not do better than visit the Hampton
Normal School, where the dusky chill
dren of North America and Ethiopian
alike have their young-and often
aged-ideas taught to shoot. How
good marksmen they become varies in
individual cases with the savage and
tho negro just as it does with the chill
dren of fairer complexion, but that
their shots are frequently what we
might term Clancy" ones is fully
shown by q perusal of some of the ex-
animation papers handed in, and
oftener still by the answers given in
oral examinations.
The Drawer thinks that the follow
ing answers, culled from the papers of
the various classes in Biblical, geo.
graphic and domestic bran ches, can
not fail to convince those who say that
we have no natural race of hllmorists
that they have erred.
Z In the course of their Biblical in
struction class, distinguished rather
for its opacity than for its capacity,
was asked: 'What did Jehu do when
he came to Jezreel?" to which tho
prompt answer was given: He threw
the Jersey Belle (JezebeD tout of tho
window And in response to the
query: GLOW long did Solomon reign?"
a rising young humorist whose COM
plexion rivals that of the moon in
eclipse, replied: "Fohty days and fohty
nights" We doubt if even Solomon
in all his glorious wisdom could have
drawn q parallel between his own reign
and that of Noah's time.
The instructor of this same class in
Biblical lore was informed most grave
ly that St. Matthew was one of the
"'twelve opossums' "a most gratifying
answer to her question, since it showed
how high in the estimation of her
scholar the apostle must have stood.
The little girls are frequently found
among the humorists of Hampton, and
their litterances are often character
lied ty wisdom beyond their years,
as is shown in the case of the young
miss of ten who, when asked to give
the daily text, proudly announced that
"A good man is more to be desired
than great riches.''
That the boys apply their knowledge,
such as it is, to their own experience,
and frequently modify their learning
by their personal observation, is seen
in the statement that the terrible dis
ease sent by the Lord upon Pharaoh
and the Egyptians because they would
not let Moses go was the mumps-a
most grievous affection to the little
black-faced, white-toothed boys, whose
CHEZ accomplishment consists in grin
ming from ear to ear as if they appre-
ciated how funny they arc.
Two questions in the geography class
will suffice for our purpose to show
that it is the darby who is the natural
born humorist. Having been informed
that the New Englanders were noted
for the produce of their valleys and
the grazing of their hills, one of the
boys wrote that the New England peo-
pie were chiefly occupied in 'sraising
the deuce'''-a statement which
will be accepted as true by those
who have visited New England only in
the heat of a political campaign. The
chief occupation of the African was set
down as ''catching Australians and
pulling out their feathers
In the kitchen-garden class, which is
to the eye of the outsider one of the
most interesting branches of instruc-
ton at Hampton, a small boy who
hopes to become an expert butler as
well as a member of Congress, after
telling how coffee was served at break
fast, was asked in what other way it
was served, the answer being: lin
small cups, after dinner" Unfortu-
nately for the youth, whose fascinating
way had almost led to his being en-
gagged then and there by one of tho
ladies in the audience, he was so over
come by nervousness that he forgot his
instruction, fell back upon his personal
experience, and firmly replied: ''Cold.
ma'am." It was the unanimous belief
of all present that, although guilty of
a technical error, the boy had given
voice to great truth.
Another instance, in conclusion.
shows, we think, that the colored child
is not only a humorist by nature, but is
constantly endeavoring to become
polished, to elevate the tone of his con-
versation, and to be nice in the selec-
ton of his words.
.'Can you tell me-" said the teacher
to thirteen-year-old damsel who had
made up a bed to perfection, had set
the table without an error, and had
reached the soup course of the ''make-
believe dinner without a tremor-
lean you tell me why you invert the