The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-12-19
-s.A.As-a..a..rH r. ':s
s. 4
!. "WUZ SANTA CLAUS JES' A NlGGER?" :
& +


These memories which spring
through the branching shade OF years
into bud. and which | translate mo
words for my dear little people. are Il
literal translation of a Christmas, our
ing the late civil War, III my OLD VIZ
ginia home. which was situated neaf
tae village of Chuckatuck, iii NanSe-
uoEd county. named for the tribes OF
Nansemum indians, and so called ny
John smith. This home was Gla&-
eaaliy opposite Newport News, Cn il
rcck Of land formed by the Chucka-
tuck creek and N~aNsomCEd river.
twenty miles southwest from Norlolk
L about ninety miles from Rich
mtLI. ana from Il point OF which l
Uitnas cd the naval engagement be-
tween the Monitor ard Mer"inllc.
All Ct this section Of the country
YVES nj hat time. and had been since
lie CaDtule Of Roanoke island by the
E'cd"rals ana the Abandonment OF Nor
folk ara Suffolk by the ConfodcrateS,
IL gUict possession Of the former. The
Confederate lines extended only TO the
ElaokWater river on the east. where Il
small body e Confederate forces. IN
der Ger. Pryor, w. tatiOned to mold
The Feaprals in check. Through the
proclamation Of that MaI.vT. harbar-
ousiy ur'ered by slavery, while
Gods instrument To solve it's WrJnGS
ard W~retchpdrcss, mad not been
graspcl in lis entirety by the negroes,
get they knew they had only to cross
over beyond the reach of the Confed-
eracy to be free: but the iGht Of re-
lease from their bondage was almost
p,..,s'pn I, ,,..nI IN tlnf. lAvrta,.r InXnt
hearts by the darkness of leaving
their old homes.
Nearing Christmas Eve.
"Woll. dis liz Christmas ebe. demon
rer will be C'ris'mus ebe, an day after
demon C'his'mus Day in de ~mawnin','
| overheard Aunt Serena saying TO
herself, though wiki anything but the
wonted cheerful Christmas glee in her
usual CHEEKY voice. as | went into her
kitchen. all cleaned and ready for
Christmas with the Night finishing
touc hes. cedar wreathS ana bright
holly berries pi~cturesquely hung round
It's whitewashed ceiling.
Yes, chile, dat's 50: C'ris'mus doan
:um hut wunc er yeah; but | amt got
no C'ris'mus i'll my bones dis yeah. en
my insideS ain lindcd wild iutruS' ner
plc%cr, necder, Ell dies now. wen |
WIZ troo wild all de Wuk en- sOt down
EN- tUck cr intervue er de Ire muses.,
| loyWd ter mySe'f at SumhoW cr
nudGer it all 'peIrt ter ne mo- per
sakly lax Good Friday dan II did
CriSmus. Ell Wen | stunt TO d. safe
lWd de dos open, after 'ad dun turf
hrack cakes II C'rism'IS doiDS SCtlil
dar in rows on dc Slef's. ca&'n Slad-
deTs des lax dey had gumpShuu er-
nuif inside er um ter put on deep
mo'nin' fer all er dem yurher happy
C'riS'muSeS at dun en- gone fcrpDet
mo- | sed ter myself at Of | did'u
kno' diifunt | I'D blecbe Ole Santa
Claus WIZ er Niger dis yeah fer shO'
Den ! Shet de safe do en- SOt down
wild my sperits er swinkin' en- my
kerrege er OOZin'."
Since we had no sugar in Virginia
sorghum, an AsiatiC plant with succu
lent stalks, Il native Of Asia, but re
Gently introduced into this country
and from which we made a syrup
had to serve all its purposes. anC
somehow we i~ngeniouSly managed t,
C a great many things out of /
that tasted very good to us then. IL
those war-starving times. With tn,
aid Of our native fruits, dried %currants
cherries. apples, pears. peaches, figs
wortle berries II citrOn. we succeed
ed in making a very delicious frui
cake.
The shelves in the old tin safe nov
Were filed with sorghum puddings
sorghum pies. sorghum cakes and sol
ghum candies. made into all name
of shapes, some plain and other
filed with walnuts. peanuts and hick
DRY nuts, and TO me, as | remember
all now, in the long distance Of time
locked very tempting and inviting. /
spite of the uncanny suggestions of
"nigger Santa Claus"
Christmas Dainties.
THE hOg-killing' quite an event o
a Virginia plantation had been owe
with fer nearly two weeks. anu mac
Of the time since then had been sper
by us preparing and getting off til
Christmas boxes for our loved one
across the lines. Besides the man
sOrghum-made daiGties that we y,