Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1893-05-18
ALL ABOARD THAT'S GOING.
ARRANGING A STRAW RIDE TO A
DARKY BALL IN RED BANK.
Sid Cornelius Proves a Grasping
Monopolist-His Load of Merry
Colored Folks Leaves Him
They Return at Reduced
Rate.

New York Sun.
There vas going to be q great
darky ball, or adance," as the col
ored folks called it, at "Texas," I"
which is a part of Red Bank, and
the colored folk of the whole
country side from Oceanic to Long
Branch we're stirred up by the fact.
A great many of the Long Branch
darkies were wondering how to get
TO "Texas." Some decided that
they could afford to take the cars;
some. women aswell as men, de-
te,mined that they must walk, and
others g!oomily concluded that
they must stay at home. When
the eventful night came the news
ran among all the negro quarters
that Sid Cornelius had borrowed a
hay wagon and a load of straw,
and had hired two horses and was
going to get upa straw ride to the
ball. This news proving true, and
II ha;ng understood that "Brother"
Cornelius would wait at the upper
pole" of the village for his load,
there was quick alteration of
everybody's plans. Those who
were meaning to take the cars,
those who had no better hope than
of being obliged to walk eight
miles, and those who had con-
cluded not to go at all, united in
declaring that they would take
part in Cornelus's straw ride.
There was no further disappoint-
ment, and no change of plans.
The hay wagon loaded with straw
and the bony lethargic team were
at the Upper Pole. Furthermore,
Sid Cornelius had constructed a
slender and uncertain ladder and
had leaned it against the hind end
of the frame of the wagon as
help to the colored ladies to mount
to the soft, elastic straw on which
all we're to sit. ByS o'clock in the
evening there must have been at
least forty darkies around the
wagon. This was twice as many
as could find places in it, but half
of these were old "mammies" and
still older "uncles" and little folks
in their early childhood. The
bloods and the bellies who were
really intending to go to the ball
were easily distinguished from the
others. The men were smoking
cigars in holiday spirit, which
they would have characterized as
'puffeckly reckless" and were clad
in their best clothes. These best
clothes did not at all appear
worthy of that classification, for
some of the trouser. were frayed
at the bottoms, some of the coats
were patched with cloth unlike the
garments. and some of the waist
coats had lost their buttons. The
elles were far more presentable.
. few of them had on gowns
were only of calico, they,
'Leless, were whole and neat
look. But others were extrava-
gantly dressed, with all the bright
colors of the rainbow in their gar
ments.
"Come, get a move on-those
that's going," shouted Cornelius.
"Ef we gwine to get to the bank
'stime we sasshayed."
"The bank" is what all the Mon
mouth county people call Red
Bank.
cam de bullgine gwine fer to
start2" was asked by one of the
friskiest of the party, a lantern
jawed, long-limbed young man
with necktie as red as CRATE
fire.
eyes," said Cornelius, "an' any
coon what dom want to get lef' had
better boost his lady up de ladder,
fer I'm a-blowih' de whistle, I am,
and dis yer train of one Pullman
am a gwine to hustle.'
Then there was a boisterous time
around the tail end of the wagon.
One or two selfish men without
sweethearts clambered up by
means of the wheels and secured
the first choice of seats, but the
majority gathered in bunch by
the ladder and saw the women
safely up in the straw. Such a
giggling, such coquettish timidity
as to the safety of the ladder, such
hallooing and loud laughing as the
men indulged in, would all be very