The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-01-24


Nanny" she went on, ''now is the
time of all times to let me hear 1t. !"
''Dee is er tale, sho' 'nough," Mann
my returned. "As nigh as knows hit.
hit begin sorter dis way. Dis yere Harp
Cross war libin in dis big fine fahm
now, he's son ter dc oberseer whar yo'
gran parpy, Miss Francis pa, had. Harp
Cross he older'n her, dough, free, fo'
years older. Dee growed up on de same
plantation. Yo' gran 'pappy he wus de
bes' manager roun 'erbout yere. He des
had oberseer case he think hit look bet
ter, seein he's sech er big gentemun.
Bimeby he gin de Crosses sech er good
show an larnt de ole man sech er much
fahm sense de oberseer gut 'bove hesef
an set in ter buy Ian an niggers OBJ he
own. But soon as he gut um folks
foun' out, dough he had larnt ter wu'k,
he amt larnt how ter troat he black
folks. Dee cotcht dc whup fer des any
an ev'y thing, an whuppin p'intedly
want lowed ON we all's plantation.
Ole marster he laugh an tell his mig.
gers he amt gwine bodder hese'f whup-
pin um eff dee wanter be triflin, an #
dee wanter steal, why, be smart IN hide
hit, so he won't be made shame er dee
by fin in hit out. Lord knows 'twa'n't
nebber nobody had de 'casion ter steal
dar. 'Twus dies AK an Eab, an de ve'y
same way at Marse John Ant'ny Nor
rises Dem two places, dee laid sorter
cattawampus ter one norrer. Ole man
Cross she had somehow gut hold er Ian
right in de notch er de two.
''Fust off ole marster metty glad OBJ
hit He hepped dam folks lex dee raj
viii folks-loant um money ter pay
on do Ian an gin de ole man er fine
saddle mar. He wisht um we'll, an dee
'peared ter him ter be right smart sort
er folks, considerin de wus borned in
do little short sort But pretty soon he
found out he been settin er bumbly
bee nest right under he nose. De wus des
always quoilin bout som pm, SO he try
ter buy dee Ian an swade dee of ter de
Eellenoy, whar de res er de po' whites
wus gwine.
"But dat amt suitin den Crosses
no fetch hit amt. Dee wanter tuhn
quality right dar what der been born
an raised. By dat time Miss Francis
come ID an 'ginned ter ride her own
hawse an saddle ter meetin slider goin
in de ca'iage wild her ma. An den, sho'
as I'm libin, dis yere Harp Cross he
had de inshorunce ter try all ride long
side OBJ her, lex Marse John Ant'ny
Morris er any er de other gentemuns.
Always dec wus two, free er dems
coined home wild 'er fun meetin. Harp
he low he gwine come, too, but he ain t
TUX no count er Marse John Ant'ny. On
de road him an Miss Francis CANT say
muffin. 'Twus de Harp Cross road des
much as hit wus deirn. But when dee
coined ter we all's big gate Marse John
Ant'ny he hilt hit open, an Miss Fran
els she rid though, sayin ober her
shoulder, 'Goodby, Harp. an den dee
gallops OH ter de house, nebber turnin
dee heads.
"Oowe, want be mad! Mad as
Tucker hit mado all er dam dar Crosses.
Ole man he whup is niggers SO hard ho
gut right skeered on un. Den he sot
Harp an some mo- lex him ter, ridin
patter rollers. No, dee didn't hsb no
law fer hit. Dee want lex de county
patter rollers neider. Dey wus mans
whar had de sense ter have deese'f
nebber totcht yo' eff yo' des said yo'
had er pass an nebber axed fer hit ef
dee knowed yo' er yo' viii folks. Dam
Cross .patter rollers dee wus diffdQt.
Whoeber dee cotcht often he own git
dee wanter tie him up right straight A
glib him 80 ;ashes. Fust off dee rid II
fur neighberhoods. Dee wus too 'feafd
ole marster ter go roun 'erbout we all's
house. Sometimes dee wus out all night
long, dashin up ter de cabins whareb-
ber dee seed light. No matter whut hit
wus 'bout-company, setting up wild de
sick er de dead, Ter weddin, er candy stew,
er eben des er pra' ar meteing-dee bruk
hit up. nebber akin fer passes ner sayin
nothin tall but des swish, swish FUN
Mr.. Cowhide.
Zone night, dough, dee cotcht er mig
ger too many-er Morris nigger-Sam,
whar waited ON Marse John Ant'ny.
He wus big an black an likely as he
could lib, black as tare, but Marse John
Ant my he des as soon yo' hit him as
ter hit Sam. When dam Cross patter
rollers come, de res dee runned erway
fas'. but Sam he stay dar an stretch
hese'f an say. 'Whut yo' pledjure, gen.
temuns?'
"'Nigger hide. dee say. 'Whar' yo'
pass?'
''Den Sam he stan tiptoe an say,
sorter gyarpin 'hine he han lex he tired
er dee talk:
"'Hit's at de cote e'ouse, suhs. I'ze er
Morris Niger. My marster he done tole
de cote Morris niggers kin come an go
as dee pleases. Nobody amt gut no
call ter stop dee. He answer dee amt
doin no harm ner muffin but min in dec
own business er else dee marster's.'
"'Shet up, 20 black rasoalp say
Harp Cross. I gwine whup yo' case
yo' is er Morris niger. Eff yo' marster
open his mouf, I'll gin him some er de
same. Yo' oughter hab er hundred
lashes. We ain gut time ter Gin yo'
but 30
Please yo'se'fs, gentemuns, Sam
say, case he amt Wanter Glib dee no