Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-02-28
ode OLE TIMES AND DE NEW"
Some Remarks About the Negro Dialect
and a Story by "a Good story-Teller.
THE American Field.l
Richmond. VA.

Editor American Field:
notice that many OF your correspond
ents, in trying TO initiate the negro dialect,
fall into errors in using the expression
" dis am. or this am " IN quoting HIM. No
race of people possess the natural ear for
music TO greater extent than rhe genuine
southern negro. aud "discCrdant notes.
are moro readily detected by him thad by
white people. The expression " dis am "
does not "hsrmOnize with him; in tact
IL would "buss de drum o his ear"-bis
musical ear-if he used it or heard
IL used by another. | stand ready
to set 'em up for the man who Will
show me genuine southern darkey
who. in his hearing. ever SAID dis ann
and those who misquote HIM are either
onacquainted" with him or through IN
ability to catch on" msrepresent him.
That they use a great many quaint ex-
pressions, and furnish fun for the mil
hons by their failure 10 use simple words
TO express themselves, and generally
bust" on the big ones tnat they try TO
use. Is n well known fact; but Il Il also a
tact that although they bust on 'em " SO
far as their meaning or good grammar are
concerned, they rhyme well. ! once met
an old darkey in the road and asked HIM
the following question;
"Old man, upon what hypothesis do
YOU preulchlt thc aSsuulptiOu VA Nout
magnanlmlty
Without stopping for moment to think.
and not knowing the meaning Of single
word IN the question propounded. he an
swered:
Boss. you talk so komeroshiga,e /
can't consequent YOU.
In negro minstrelsy, and TO make the
wo-ds fit in. we am, dis am. and she an,
are frequently used. and they DO not seem
to be so much out OF place. The " Line
Kin Club" articles on the negro are
among the best ever produced. and are
true to nature III many respects, but SUI
fer IRON these errors.
Well, II was not my intention when |
started out TO write this letter 10 criticIse
those gentlemen who. barring these ex-
cusable errors, have been entertaining me
for years with Their readable articles In
your paper, but 70 tell little story OF an
old negro III this State WHO belongs TO that
class OF Old Virginia colored aristocracv
which is tast dying out and the like OF
which will never be seen IN this world
again.
During the war General Benjamin +.
Butler landed at Dutch Gap. about ten
miles below this city, ana his reputation
as fighter OF defenceless women and chill
dren had become so widespread through
the James-river lowlahds that the people
fed IN every direction before him. Among
those who refugced was the family of Mr..
Ball, 20 Richmond. leaving a faithful old
colored man in charge OF the (spoons)
property on the place. When the
war closed hfr. Il. returned and found
the old man holding the fort, and every
thing in as good shape as could have
been expected under the circumstances.
He rewarded him for his fidelity by
giving him that for which every negro so
much longed-forty acres and mule-so
tIat he could go of and farm it to his
self" In few years the old folks moved
up to this city, having sold out their pos
sessions to Pennsylvanian. Old Uncle