Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-09-23
RURAL SOUTHERN SCENES.
MRS. A. GIDDMGs PARK.

A few months since while in Southern
Georgia, we rode out into the sparsely
settled country district several miles
one day, in company with small party
of friends, to enjoy the novelty of the
scenes. In some instances we Jour
neved five or six miles without passing
in sight OF a single house, or log cabin.
Our way lay through stretches of coun-
try interspersed with forests of tall
pines and live oaks fringed with long
gray Spanish moss, which gave them a
weird, venerable look, as If they were
the gray bearded sentinels of the land;
the dwarf palmettoes everywhere
fringlDg their base, as the wild ferns
do at the North. their ghstening
green leaves rejecting the sun like
vanished surface.
In one instance we suddenly came
upon little dilspidated building with
mud chimney attached outside to the
rear end, Ghke all of the old-time
Southern housesl rs if il had been an
l. the top of which had been blown off
even with the ridge, and the main por-
ton propped up with rails in a still
leaning condition.
Inside of this building were seats of
rough, unhewn slabs, worn smooth by
use, into each end of which had been
bored holes, and legs inserted, standing
out for safety from easily being upset,
like an inverted letter Y.
The building was neither lathed nor
plastered inside, being simply boarded
up on the outside, while the shingles
were off the roof IN patches. enabling
one to see the blue sky above in several
places.
On the benches were seated twenty
or more colored children of all ages
and shades of color, jet black, blue
black, yellow black, yellow, brown and
cream tint; one little girl with blue
eyes, brown kinky hair, cream com
plexion, and prominent Jewish fea
lures
Another freak of nature was dis
played in a boy with a skin ike black
satin, and red wolIy hsirl There were
no desks, except a rude apology for
one at which the teacher sat, and which
was located on a rude raised, platform.
The teacher was a well-appearing
colored man of about twenty-five years
of age, who received us politely, as our
party drove up to the door, and invited
us to enter.
The pupils used no copy books, since
there we're no desks or other facilities
for writing but wrote on their states,
the copy being written by the teacher
on a movable blackboard, and located
in the rear of the room.
In answer to our question, he stated
that he had been educated at the At
lanta University, and had been teach
ing in that school for year. The pu-
pills were we'll behaved, and at ended
20 hn
idle curiosity of staring at strangers,
except now and then sly peep OF the
white of an eye visible over the top or
the side of book cover lifted to the
face, which glance was furtively given,
and quickly directed to the printed
page, If detected il the act.
"What do you do when it rains?" we
inquired, noticing the leaky condition
of the roof Move around to places
where the roof does not leak" he re-
piled. "Can your pupils sing?" Yes,
would you like to hear them?" We
answered in the affirmative; the pupils
laid aside books, and sang with that
peculiar melody and pathos of tone
characteristic of the negro voice:
There is sweet rest in Heaven,
Hail Oolumbia happy land,
''There's work for all to do"
and other songs, the quaint melody,
bringing tears to some OF the listeners
eyes. We then departed. On our re
turn on our way home, We noticed
several pupils with books and torn
leaves studying outside the building
to get the sunlight, while they were
making up DEFICIENCIES in lessons OF the
day in after school work.
la many sections o the South there
are modem school buildings, but in
the poorer districts, thinly settled, the
log house and dilapidated shanty is
used for this purpose. 1t was these,
ito our party novelties) that we most
desired to see.
In many instances We passed log
cabins OF poor whites and regroes that
were without single window, and
when the one door was shut, were like
box, with no means of ventilation ex-
cept through the cracks. and by the
chimney.
In field with a worn out, sandy
soil, poor white Was plowing with
COW harnessed with mulel 1t is no
uncommon sight to see a steer of
stun'ed growth harnessed to rude
cart, the harness and cart both of home
manufacture, the former with rude
bit and relns, usually a clotheslILe: the
latter containing a few vegetables,
eggs, live chickens etc, for sale at the
nearest store, or market
On meeting a colored man with !
something carefully wrapped in a piece !
ot old carpeting, bundle he was eau
uously carrying, one of the gentlemen !
Of oar party inquired what 1t was that |
he was guarding so carefully? 'Would |
ye ike ter see, Boss?" was the response |
with g,eam of ivories, and the white !
ot the eyes showing full circle. |!
Yes "Wa1l, dis chere am de prize; |
p.raps ye'll want ter buy en- and M
wrapping the piece OF carpet carefully, !
he exhibited to the terrified gaze of |
our party,-especlally the feminine |
portlOn,-an enormous rattle snake, !
which on being uncovered opened its |
lldeOus jaws, and filledthe air with the |
''whir-r-r-r" of its tiles: it sounding |
Ike full chorus of locusts working on |
wager
short, stout string was tied around !
the reptiles neck, and attached to the |
9nd of a stick, which his captor held |
IN his hand. The snake was fully six !
teet in length, and had eleven full |
'attles, and two others partially formed. |
The creature displayed all of the an
mostly to humanity characteristic of
f bis name sake,-"the old serpent"
-eOiling and sprlngipg as the short |