The morning call., 1894-12-31
BLACK MANS COLOR.
The Tradition Told by Mississippi
Steamboat Man.

A. w. Dingwai manager of "In Old Ken
lucky" passed a part of last summer in the
South searching for negro talent and musical
pickaniinies for MIR. Lifts three companies.
He tells story Illustrative of the queer super
stitions and religious beliefs of The black men
or the South. The story relates TO a peculiar
theory eXpounded by deck hand regarding he
question of why the negro is black.
ave were sitting on the lower deck" said
Mr.. Dingwali, watching the crap games OF
the steyedores. An old gray-haired darkey, a
fireman. came forward and stretched out on 4
cotton bale. enjoying his brief respite. His
face black by nature, was even more thor
Oughly blackened by the coaldust. Presently
some one said to him, Dirty work, isn't it?' :"
Yes, yessah. purity dirty work; fo' white
man, jess muchs TO- black man.MYessan. it's
1es' dat wurk which am 'sponslble for de
"In what way? Well, IL am fac' 1t am de
truf. Jess sure's I'm LAYING on dis yeIe cotton,
yessab. il shnly am. You see. sab, it come
'hout in dis way. which 1 will presently 'splaln
to de genDeman.
''Noah sings out all board p rom de pilot
house OBJ de Ark. Dat was de name Of de boat.
bird OBJ de air, an Ham WuZ at de calliope
ready TO play jss' g soOn's We got clear.
''Sheni, he wuz at de engine. Japbet, he WIZ
de MAZE. an he caught his thumb under de
stern line eZ lie cast it off. which natchely
am painful. 1t make JapheG cuss awful. Bus
God consldah de cause an he aim say any
ing, an TO dis day, san. de mate ken Sweah
an cuss IS much IS he has mind 10 am it's
al! N Sga5 puv de sigma, to back De ars o,a0,t
move-ies' poke her nose ZIP agin de bank.
Noah stuck his head oupn de winder an cool
like, 'cuZ he wuZ de cap'n. he asst de mate
WAITS de mattah. An de mate gin TO cuss an
asst de engineer WAITS de mattah. De engineer
yell down TO he stOker WAITS de mattah; but
de stOEer ain guy no answer fo &c reason dat
dere aim no stoker dere. No respectable
pusson am want de job.
$50 Noah come down Pom de pilot-house an
Ham rom de calope am dey flip a penny
'mougst de tree sous 10 see which'lI be stoKer
Tor de MP. Ham. mlf jes' nggah's luck
when de ribbers on de rise, lose fust Ting.
"'Was IL Grams p somebody asked.
Don L tell you dey' Tipped penny. A
white men, eyah. cyan. Well, Ham went down
into de stoke hole an purity soon de smoke
come oul IN de stacks an de ole ark am goiD'
'lOng lively.
"'HOws0mever it hab no calllope but 'at aim
make no difference, cuZ dey dom pass no boats
or make no landings. De rlbber she rise and
rise TIL you kahn see ne lam on any side. My
Wofo, san Tor hundred an nifty days an nights,
san, dey wuZ out gu DAT ribber, am nebber in
dat time dld dey make a landing. Ham he wuz
wuking an sweating in de stoke hole Pom de
/ time be fust went down, an you kin 'maginate,
sab, dat, being eZ how IL wuZ mighty pooh coal
wat de agents furnished be boat Ham wuZ
covered purity nlgn all wit coal dust. EZ you
can see, sab, coal dust aim going color a man
req, so Ham wuZ natchelly black. Eth? Yes,
sab. dat's de gospel truf. sab. SO help me-
All TO onct she went kerfiump 'gnst a sand
| bank, which same wuZ not known 10 Noah 'cuz
! de riDber began 10 fall. ID re she hung milf heI
| nose on the bank and her stern IN de water. In
| de natchel co'se of events dat am going to
! strain any boat, an de steam rushed out I'M @
| de stoke hold. AM dere wuz pooh Ham, when
dey fetched him out an laid him out on de
! levee. he wuZ 1es y black IS dat smok stake
| You see, sab. an it am reasonable, de dust sci.
| tied on his skin, am wuZ steamed III when de
| boilers 'sploded. He jumped in de ribber AM
| rubbed hissef with sand. which only maze him
| sleek an shiny. wifout taking off de blackness
LOB co.'s you gemmen understand',' he said
as he rose 10 go back TO his work de blacknes.
| didn extend below de skin, and his heart was
| lot 'lected.' "-Boston Globe.