The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1894-08-08
THE HOLY DANCE.
xcExg ON a BAKER COUNTY FARM.
Prohibited by the Farmers in That Section
EE's Strange Effect Upon the "or-
shippers--Renders Them
sciOus


sidered one of the most ariStocrauc sec
tons OF the state.
twas cut up into plantations OF many
Fertile acres, cultivated by hordes OF
slaves. aud annually yielding limitless
Supply OF cotton. Nine or ten oPuient
pIaaters owned the whole county and be-
tween their houses it was almost hall
davis Journey over roads heavy with con-
Sinuous sandbeds. But wasn't consid-
ered in those days and every night the
forests Of cypress and live oaks echoed
with tue shouts and laughter of merry
parties making their mirthful way to
some lordIy old mansion.
These old homes are there still, but
.There's dust on the doorway there's
H,old on the wall;
There's d chill at the hearthStone, d huSh
through the hall;
And the stately old mansion stands dark
ened and cold
BY the real loving hearts that sheltered
Of old.
No Hght at the lattice, no CLEAN from
Tie GOOrS ,
No feast on its table, no mirth on its
floor;
Bat glory departed and silenco alone.
SDust unto dust upon pillar and stone.
The fact is that under the new condi-
tioa of things this county, except for the
thriviug little town of Newton, was de-
serted by the white people. But the ne
groes remained, and many are there still,
some Of them living in the same houses
they occupied during slavery time.
Freedom was only a name to them
whica meant an abridgement of pleasure
and change from n life of comparative
ease and enjoyment to an existence of
sierra reality, in which the absence Of
meat and bread played a conspicuous
part
There is the old coachman, gray and
Sa&tersd; instead of that ponderous
vehicle, with it's ladder-like steps and ell
gvated seats, above which be would POM
poasiy perch and jerk the rens of dash
ing pair OF "bloods," his attentions are
nov cent ned to a raw boned mule and
small agbtood cart.
Then the old cook, whose portlY pres
aace used to hold sway over inexhausti-
BILE 2arsiers; she considers herself fortu-
nate ii few ash cakes fall her way these
days.
Tsown there in Southwest Georgia the
darkjes preserve all of that respectful
courtesy which characized the servants
OF tde old days. At the merest approach
OF @ superior off go their hats, followed
By such q bobbing of the heads and
sorapjag Of feet as you never saw.
Thea, too, they retain all the ignorance
and superstition of their forefathers.
The ho9doo aud the voodoO make up
their stock in trade. Their religious
enthusiasm upon certain occasions knows
no bounds and breaks. Outin the widest
freaks Of the emotional nature. The
gross distortions of their highly imagi
native nainds causes the most unnatural
beliefs aad barbaric forms of worship.
was in Baker county recently and put
un for g few days at one of these old
plantation houses Just after supper the
first night of my arrival, seated before
Gre blazing with dry pine, was talking
with the overseer about the history of
tho place and its former owners, when
the door behind was pulled suddenly
open and the ebony -hued visage of Uncle
Godfrey passed itself in.
''Come on, young marster," he said,
tsdey's gwine to dance de holy dance, en-
you better come on eff you wanter see it. "
Before that morning had never heard
az the tsoly dance.
esIrs kinder like shouting" the over
seer explained, except they come mighty
near killing themselves at il. 1t always
does 'eup up so they can't hardly work
next day, and we've just had to make
them stop it,
That utght, however, they were dane
iug dy special permission and we hurried
to tue scene. The injecting house was
situated at the end of the quarters .
about 400 yards away in spacious grove
of 6vs oaks,
= BsG0re crossing the style which sepa-
rated the quarters from the ''big
house, Wild strains of music could be
distinctly heard.
"Bey's a holdin' de pray'r meetin
now" Uncle Godfrey said. The meeting
house was built of huge logs, between