Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1894-04-12
DAT FooT-RAcE."
from Romance.]

H The speakers kinky hair was al.
most snow-whitp, and he was
nearer to 20 than to 60; but his
body was straight, welt knit and
well.proportioned, and his wits were too
keen to belong to man who felt his age.
Having myself many personal reco'lec-
tions Of "slsvery times" j like to hear
old negroes talk on the subject, and it
was in response to questions that the
above remark was made. / continued :
"Uncle Jake, were you ever run by
the dogs?"
snow, Boss" answered the old man,
with pretence Of walking away, "whuf
fur you gwine back to dem ole times
Dom yuh know dis is Sunday? De bad
man git me eff / 90 tellin' tales on uh
Sunday. Sides, da gwine hab 'lidgus
services It my house might en- want uh
pose my min fuh it. Dom lax talk much
bout dem slave times no how. Wat put
yo' min runnin' bout de digger-dogs en-
paterrollers, anyhow
A more garrulous old rascal doesn't
live than old Jake. Fill his pipe with
good plug clippings, and he'll lie on the
green grass with haIf-shut eyes and spin
yarns for hours. He only wanted to be
coaxed.
"Well, den, eff l mus, re ckin mus, "
he said at length, when ] firmly refused
postponement. II did hab uh race wild
de dogs wunst. En- aim gwine fergit
it needer. No, sab don't you bleebe l
gwine fergit dat foot-race longs my
names Jake Cobu'n.
"Y'u see, Boss" he went on, throw
ing himself on the sward and propping
his head with hand and elbow, lit wus
IN
wHz flynn roun' dem days, en- gwine
tell you how it ali come uhbout.
my moster, Tom Cobu'n, wuzez good
uh man eZ de Lawd uver made. Me en-
him wuZ raised up boys t'gedder, en- we's
oldes', en- wait on i'm en- tex all de hard
jobs off'n i'm. Eff e want is pony, /
saddle i'm. Eff we go hunt'n, turns de
squirt en- totes de game. Eft we 60 fish
N, digs de bait. En- we dom had no
trouble. Mos Tom nuver strook me uh
lick in lis life. Mos Tom 'ud fight fun
me any time, en- I'D des die fuh Mos
Tom.
"Well, bime5y, Mos TIM he crowd up
T. uh man, en- got maid e did, en- went
long T. lib wild i'm fuh is body-suvunt.
En- SEEM ct Mos Tom be SO happy long
wild is putty young wife, hit put me to
'fectin heap bout j'inin' long with Su-
san. She b'long'd T. Mos Toms wife, en-
wur uh mighty snipshus gal, no mustake
bout dat. But Mis- Sarah (dat Mos
TOMS wife) she posed de match, ease
she say Susan to young. En- t. be sho',
she " ur young, bout l6,-but che pow
full williD, zen u know, Boss, dat mex
uh man mighty ankshus bout dem things.
But cain hep my self, en- me en- Susan
hab tub wait. En- so 1T wus dat bout
two year goes by, en- den Mos Tom he
TUX t. drinkin', en- he vase is prop'ty,
en- ruin ITSELF in debt scand'lus. En- den
/ DIES knowd sump'n gwine ter drap.
Money got t. be raised, tn niggers gwine
t. be sole. Mos Tom look 'shameu wen
he Tess e done put me III uh mawgige.
/ beg hard fun i'm t. sabe me, en- y try
mighty hard, en- e look mighty mis'ub-
BILE. But it ain no use. He done went
too fur wild is stravagunce, en- wen de
sale-day come e got on uh turribul
spree.
II tell yu', Boss, my heart sink down
in my ole brogans wen l seen ole Bill
Norton at dat sale. He wur de mos ter
ribles man in all dem parts. He had DIT m
sharp black eyes, en- cos whisku's dat
mine VI h ub uh robber. En- wen e gin
t. bid fun me des gin up 10 despair.
FUN | know'd fun is looks e gwiue t.
git me, en- e did git me. He seen " us
aisp'inted, en- e say 'D-y'u, III
put y'u in uh good 'umor. You one dt m
split nggers dat needs straighL'nen out.
ToIn Couu'n no cont T. mango niggers.
"But don'Usa nuth'n back t. i'm, l
des hilt my tongue, fun know'd it nuver
do t. cross dat man.
''Susan, she wus on de block dare, too,
en- beg ole Col. Barnes on de sly t. buv
'er. l tell i'm hear 'um say e want uh
lakly waitin-gal tub is wife, en- dat Su-
san she des fill de bill. H. done 80 en- l
thaLk 'im wild my eyes. l dluther Ito
sep'rt FUN de gal den lib wild 'er in Bill
NUrt'n's hans. Eo'ry body praise ole
man b .rnes en- is wife fuh da goodness
to da black people.
$50 my new mOster e TUX me 'Ome
wild 'im, en- done de bes' l c,uld t. git
long without trouble. My back never
amt had no whuppiu' TO dat time, en-
solve u keep Bill Norton in uh good u
NOR, fuh heard huff bout i'm T. know
he's one dem men wot Tub G. hear uh mig.
ger baig, en- knows he's des uh waiten
fuh uh good 'scuse T. tan my hide.
"'FO' long l gin to member heap
OOuI DuSdu. " ddO w cOO OA
bad uhgin. Sue done saunt me word by
nh black 'Oman dat she nightly TUX up
wild 'er new mistis, en- ax'd me to min
sut Gu not mex MIR. Norton mad Wid me,
Now DIES know'd all dat word did'u
mean noth'n tall 'cep'n Susan want me
come EN- see her, en- iI mex me ez restless
IS u ii IN out'n watah. So 'cfude ID az
Mr. Norton fuh uh pass t go ober = Col
Barn. sis. Iu dem days, Boss, nigger1
couldn't 60 nowhar ~idout passis. Ei
patteiroil r kei CHI w widout yu pass, Z
burn yuup. MIX uh bi. be uh sot uh
fab. Dem will young men wot use tel
watch DER roads in de night, don't wan
no bet,uh fun AN T. ketch uh darkey
'dout is pass"
ssUacle Jake, do you remember the
voraing Of the passes that were used =
ION yes, iickoll ct de b,rry words
Nv young Mos Tom-C.tu n. he writ 'uu
fun me FUN de time e fust farnt {
write. Ole Mps-dat's Mos Toms dad