The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-21
THE NEGRO FISHERMAN.
An Object of Interest to Tourists from
the North.


julian Ralph in Hdrper's Weekly.
To me the colcred folks form the most inter
esting spectacle in the south. They are SO
abundant everywhere you travel; they are so
sternally happy, even against fate: they are SO
picturesque and funny in dress and looks and
speech; their faults are so open and so very
human, and their virtues are so human and ad-
mirable As think of them dozen familiar
scenes arise that are commonplace there, yet
TO northeTner are most interesting. think
OF their fondness for fishing. Somebody has
called fishing idle time not idly spent" and
that must be how the southern colored people
regard 1t. for they seem to be eterDally at it
wherever they and any piece of water, no mat
ter how small. are thrown together. One would
scarcely expect to find the New Orleans darkies
given to fishing, yet 1t is a constant delight to
them. They do not merely dangle their legs
over the sides Of the luggers and steamers %
sit In meditetive repoSe above a line thrown
into the yellow Mississippi but they fish ia the
canals and the open sewers in the streets that
lie aust behind the heart of the city. 10 10 de-
agntful to see them. Those open waterways
moving between grassy banks out toward the
west end might seem offensive otherwise, but
when at every few hundred feet a calm and
piacid negro man, or NANNY with brood
Oh moonfaced pickaninnies sprawlinR beside
heT, 10 seen bent over the edges, pole in hand,
the scenery becomes picturesque, and the sew
ers turn Doedcal. After one has seen a few
darkles putting their whole soul into fishing it
Il painful to see a white man with rod and
me. The white man always LOOKS like an ini-
taton and a fraud,
From St. Louis TO New Orleans and all the
way through the gulf states negroes and fish
poles we're forever together, like the happieSt
subjects OF Tedlock. At least one darky fishing
uoVeo the water view. Along the lower uissis-
sippl many colored men now ownlttle farms of
10" acres with log cabin, rifle. mule, a
p'en, some chickens and children, wife and
,nshlng rod. When passed by the corn was
Piantou' me spring time sun was pleasantly
.HaIui; and these ebon monarchs were seated in
S SleH duRouts and skiffs watching their lines.
soule nypercritical white men were apt to call
steuuou TO gaping rent in the cabin roof, or
70 tne tact ttat days toll at remunerative
laoor would bring the means 10 put in panes OF
siass where the window holes we're stuffed with
vIu trousers and hats. But this is according
t no" one looks at life. If happiness
and MS main aim, and the old hats
enu trousers keep the weather out, the
ISI It H4eh nave TIE best of the Argument The
-uuIans on the plains believe that The more
Lii na Is CIVILIZED, the more care and RESPONSE
na! ivy ne mas, and the darby planters who taxa
L tuIe INTO partnership on a three acre claim
TI IOH Ihat the Indians are right. Down In
noaIIaa, where the St. Johns river is narrow
iar LEU very tortuous. the passengers OF the r9gu-
s, a. opaS one day last spring were occasionally
s S1' k ~ stentorian yeils. NH, dar. what
~ uolnF Can't yer see what yer about? Don't
you some anigh me-" The reason was evident.
a coIoTed man here and there had fallen asleep
vSer ms fishing rod, and the great muddy wave
"nIcn the steamer sucked along behind her had
Aullsu MS little boat, aud startled the fisher
70. -Ian out OF half bis senses