River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-07-03
NAMES OF NEGROES.
The Curious Nomenclature That Original
ed i'm the Old Plantation Life.


ed i'm the Old Plantation Life.
OF course, on every plantation there
were several negroes of the same name,
and the negroes, who are apt at such
things, used various and peculiar sobri-
quets 10 distinguish them. On my IA
theirs place there was an Taller Liza,
an Black Liza and an Pop-Eyed Liza,
an Tinker Big Jake, Tinker Little Jake
and Tinker Knock Kneed Jake. There
were in one family three generations
of Bens, all possessed of mental or
physical infirmity. The old man, who
had been kicked in the head by mule,
was crazy. He spent his days, and
pretty nearly all his nights, standing
under broad China tree preaching OF
the Judgment day. He was Tinker
Fool Ben. His son, amiddle-aged ma n,
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
let ~ hindrance.
At tie close of the war a large ajori-
ty OF the Southern negroes assumed the
name of tive family to which they be-
longed, getting it fearfully twisted
sometimes, as, for instance, Grim for
iraham, Buskey for Arowbuski, etc.
Some went back in search of names to
their former owners in Virginia or Caro-
lima, who had either lost them through
debt or raised them to be sold to the
negro speculator, 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 by circumstances. SO know
an old man calling himself Jim Sanders.
His son is Jim James, Jr. There is not
nor ever has been Jim James, Sr. His
son, again, is Jim Grandson. Upon the
plantations you still occasionally come
across the once familiar names of Sam
bo Cuffec, Dinah, Sukey, etc, but very
rarely even there. Grandisons, Morti-
mers, Leilas, Nathalies, etc, have
taken their places. Bible names, with
| explanatory prefiXes and suffixes ar
| great favorites among the devout POI
/ ton of the negro community. The MAJ.
who works my garden is King David
/ Iohnsing. My woodcutter is Rev. SoleI-
mon Wiseman, who, like St Paul, does
not disdain with his own lands to min
ister TO his necessities. Besides these,
| number among my acquaintance Rev.
1 Simon Surrender and Holy Taber-
| 1acle, Brother John the Baptist Tubbs
/ and Elder William Wneglass, a
iomewhate Incorporate name for
The calling. Among the more sec
llar are Mr.. Jack Hyena and
| Prince Albert Hardtimes, happy equal
/ ,ty between the aristocrat and the pie
oeian. The lusty young negro man who,
with Webster's spelling-book and a
hickory, teaches the colored idea how TO
shoot, has chosen the name of Prof Sam
/ cape of Good Hope. black Vulcan,
1ammering sparks from his anvil, dubs
aimself Sampson Lightning. The
! butchers boy, who comes whistling into
The yard with his basket upon his arm,
and has a face as black as ebony, an
swers to the name of Ivory Temple. A
little colored female tramp from the
| country, who comes to me once a week,
totin' bundle of iighter'd on her head,
which she offers to exchange for "a nick
Or two ENTITY flasses" (fiasks), announces
herself as Miss Annerlizer Purse. All
empty purse, evidently, for she never
fails to wind up the trade by asking
"Ain't yer got nuthin' feat yer kin gi
ne?'-Philadelphia Times.