Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-02-01
A SOUTHERN SKETCH.

when ! was a boy, my father owned
negro named Granville, so named
from Granville county, n. c.. where
both he and M father were born.
This negro was called Gran" for
short 1--WE had no urnames for negroes
m those days.. l called him Uncle
Gran" and he called me Little Mars
ter"
wish l could describe old Gran to
you as ! knew him then, but | know |
can't do him justice. His frame was
large and ungainly, and he was the
most unwieldly looking mass Of hui
manity lever saw. Butin a puncheon
floor dance, when the patters and
singers started up the old plantation
negro rhymes nc negro could wing
higher from the floor. o last longer
IN the dance than old Gran, and when
he had danced down all his partners,
and the singers changed to Juba, Gran
was always equal to the occasion,
changed his step and branched out as
II he mad just begun.
In addition to all this, as Uncle Re
mus said about "Brer' Rabbit" he
could "blow a lonesome chune on de
quills"-his strength was equal to his
ise, and at log rolling in the new
ground Gran was always at the butt
cut of the log.
Grams foot alone, il properly and
ninutely described, would fill a book.
1 will not attempt to say how large it
Wis, but his track in the mud looked
q much as il a pig had wallowed
Il re as il did like tie print of a hu-
np foot You could not tell by his
t1k which way he was going, for
- was as much OF his foot behind
his ankle as before il, He never had
sn a pair of socks until the day Of his
kurial-seldom ever wore a pair of
hoes, and when he did. he had the
hack OF them mashed in and a couple
q shoe rags stuck in them for socks
recollect on n occasion he had
IN order on a store near by for 81 in
trade, and when Gran, with his black
skin showing through las ragged shirt,
walked into the store and laid his
order on the counter Mr.. Crump said
10 him;
Gran, what do you want for this
orderf'
Bacon, sahi Bacon, sahl Bacon,
Mister Crump, to de very last cent"
From the looks OF hat shirt Of
yours. Gran, you had better take part
shirt and part bacon" said Crump.
Oats all 'zactly so, Mister Crump,"
hid Gran, rubbing his hands over the
holes his shoulders were shining
through. Oats all 'zactly SO, sab;
huf tells yer what's de fact. Mister
CrNmp. when l calls on desc shoul.
deg for credit ! always gifts it, but
whom ] axes desc bowels for credit dey
always calls for de cash. I'll take ali
bacon sah.v
But Grams great forte was 'possum
hunting, and be was a noted hunter.
He had a dog named Ring, that was
never known 10 open on any trail but
that Of a 'possum.f Rabbits, coon, deer
or any other ''varmint" that prowled
the woods could play along in frontof
Ring when he was on a hunt, but he
did not even give them a passing sa-
lutte. Med d himself Gran loved
Ring, and No weld often look fondly
At Ring and say mei
"Littla Ina&tak, yer see dat dog
Ringi fetched dat dog up from q
puppy, and | done trained him so nc
Kind " hyarrnnt'track have any feet
On Ringyeep4 Tts 'possum. Nothin'
nsveebeddsr Ring when he's huntin'
'cepfln It's 'hants,' and when Ring
nu0A&s daua dc swamps a huntin',
md ] gins 10 feel dc hot puffs of ar
kowin' In my face, and Ring he gins
SH63a SaR sS&s R Z ano nTs r Re lsa den
- 'hants' is walking bout. and dere's
- . huntin'. 30 l Jest shoulders
a(Etix And puts. back 70 dc quarters"
~ was al Bibls talk TO me then,
81. believed every word Of Il, and I
1gthlt exsctly gottsn owe IL, even 10
V0dhys. Many o Saturday night,
uEsh the Arst frcsts Of winter had
upsped the, perzhmmon crop and the
vb6kSf ~ee6 fall Or fat 'possums, has
- Gran come up 70 the grit house."
QsktiIHfdikST hbSse," " as the planta-
In negroes called our residence, and
nunsd me OUT. Ia ~
sIitlosnafst5 y he would say, look
~ up atztha cloar, starry heavens,
wind sets jes right tonight and
- do moon amt gwine 20 rise ill
B'Yorr -. Pest night in de world
zpr 'poa<un.A foF deg always prowlsi IN