The Washington critic., 1890-05-21
NAMES OF NEGROES.
the Curious Nomenclature That Origi-
mated in Plantation Life.
From the PhIddelphid TYmes.


From the PhWddelphla Times.
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 so
briquets to distinguish them. On my
fathers place there was An Taller Liza,
An Black Liza, and An Pop-eyed
Liza, An Tinker Big Jake, Tinker Lit
tic Jake, and Tinker Knock. kneed
Jake. There were in one family three
generations Of Bens, all possessed Of
mental OF 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. mid
die aged man, afflicted with an ulcer
that made him lame, was Unker Hop.
pin Ben. The grandson, who trem.
bled with the palsy and, besides, was
simple minded, was Tinker Chilly Ben.
Though able. bodied, he was never re-
quived TO do any work, and wandered
about the place without let or him
drance.
AT the close Of the war large ma.
iority 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 names TO
their former owners in Virginia or
Carolina, 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 circum-
stances. SO / know an old man calling
himself Jim Sanders. His son is Jim
james, jr There is not nor ever has
been Jim James, ST. His son. again,
Is Jim Grandson. Upon the plantations
you still occasionally come across the
once familiar names of Sambo, Cuffee,
Dinah, Sukey, etc, but very rarely
even there; Grandisons, Mortimers,
Leilas, Natalies, etc, have taken their
places.
Bible names, with explanatory pre-.
fixes and suffixes, are great favorites
among the devout portion of the negro
community. The man who works my
garden is King David Jonsing. My
wood cutter is the Rev. Solermon Wise.
man, who, like ST. Paul, does not dis
dain with his own hands to minister to
his necessities. Besides these, ] num-
Der among my acquaintances the Rev.
Simon Surrender and Holy Tabernacle,
Brother John the Baptist Tubbs, and
Elder William Wineglass, a somewhat
intemperate name for the calling.
Among the more secular are lck
Hyena and Prince Albert Hardtime, a
happy equality between the aristocrat
and the plebian. The lusty young
negro who, with Webster's spelling
book and hickory, teaches the colored
| idea how to shoot has chosen the name
of Prof. Sam Cape of Good Hope. A
black Vulcan, hammering sparks from
his anvil, dubs himself Samson Light
ming. The butchers by, who comes
| whistling into the yard with his basket
| upon his arm and has face as black
| as ebony, answers to the name of Ivory
Temple. A little colored female tramp
| from the country, who comes to me
| once a week, totin' a bundle of
| lighter'd on her head, which she offers
| to exchange for nick or two ENTITY
tlasses" (fiasks), announces herself as
Miss Annerlizer Purse. An empty
| purse, evidently, for she never fails to
wind up the trade by asking: "An't yer
got nuthin' Z eat yer kin give me?'