Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-05-31
NAMES OF NEGROES.
The Curious Nomenclature That Orig5-
mated in the Old Plantation Life.


mated in the Old Plantation Life.
OF course, on every plantation there
were Sc veral negroes of the same name,
and the negroes, who are apt at such
things, used various and peculiar sobri-
Duets to distinguish them. On my faith
er's place there was an Taller Liza, an
Black Liza and an Pop Eyed Liza, an
Tinker Biz Jake. Tinker Little Jake and
Tinker Knock KuCcd Jake There were
in one family three generations of Bcns,
all possessed of a mental or physical in
trinity. The old man, who had been
kicked in the head by a mule, was crazy.
He spent his days and pretty nearly all
his nights standing under broad China
tree preaching of the Judgment day. lie
was Tinker Fool Ben. His son. middle
aged man, afflicted with an ulcer that
made him lame, was Tinker Hoppin'
Ben. The grandson, who trembled with
the palsy and besides was supplemented,
was Tinker Chilly Ben. Though able
bodied, he was never required to do any
work and wandered about the place
without lie or hiudrance.
AT the close of the war a large ma
jority of the Southern negroes assumed
the name of the family to which they
belonged, getting it fearfully twisted,
sometimes, as, for instance, Grim for
Graham, Buskey for Arowbuski etc.
Some went back in search of ma mes to
their former owners in Virginia or Caro-
lima, who lad either lost them through
debt or raised them to be sold to the
negro SPECTATOR. who brought them
further South to be sold again to work
the cotton and rice plantations. In this
way you will now find the grandfather
of family bearing the name of his old
master in Virginia, the son that of his
owner at the close of the war, while the
grandson assumes some fanciful name
| suggested 10y circumstances SO | know
an old man calling himself Jim Sanders.
His son is Jim James, jr. There is not
nor ever has been Il Jim James, ST. His
son, again, is Jim Grandson. Upon the
plantations you still occasionally come
across the once familiar names of Sambo,
Cuffee, Dnah, Sukey, etc, but very
rarely even there. Grandisons, Morti-
mers Leilas, Nathalies, etc, have taken
their places. Bible names, with explain
atory prefxes and sut1ixes, are great
favorites among the deyout portion Of
the negro community. The man who
W orks my garden is King David jon
! sing. My woodcutter is Rev. Solermon
Wiseman, who, like ST. Paul, does not
disdain with his own hands to minister
to his necessities Besides these | num-
Der among my acquaintance Rev. Simon
Surrender and Holy Tabernacle. Brother
John the Baptist Tubbs and Elder Will
liam Wineglass, a somewhat intemper-
ate name for the calling. Among the
more secular are Mr. Jack Hyena and
Prince Albert Hardtimes, a happy equal
ity between the aristocrat and the pie
/ beian. The lusty young negro man who
with We bster's spelling book and hick-
DRY, teaches the colored idea how to
| shoot, has chosen the name of Professor
Sam Cape of Good Hope. A black Nul-
| can, hammering sparks from his anvil,
| dubs himself Sampson Tightening. The
butchers boy, who comes whistIinS in
to the yard with his basket upon his arm
and has face as black as ebony, ans
wers to the name of Ivory Temple. A
! little coored female tramp from the
! country, who comes to me once a week,
totin' bundle of lghter'd on her head,
which she offers to exchange for "a nick
or two ENTITY fassea" Ghasks), announce
ing herself as Miss Annerlizer Purse. An
empty purse, evidently, for she never
fails TO wind up the trade by asking :
"Ain't yer got nuthin' teat yer kin give
me?"-[ Philadelphia Times.