The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-03-29
A Memorable Tournament


| BY CLAY.
Some years ago when the tournament fever
was at its height and every exhibition OF the
kind was attended by throngs of pleasure
seekers, application was made to one of our
| well-known farmers by a committee of color
| ed men for the use of his meadow for the pur
| pose of holding one of these unique entertain
ments. As the applicants represented IA very
reputable class of the citizens OF that race, the
| favor was granted on the condition that horses
| should be excluded. This was acceded to,
| and on the appointed day the meadow pre-
scented an unwonted and peculiarly enliyenng
scene. The one road, which following the
course of the creek, connected the two main
| avenues of travel, was thronged by the large
number of Afro Americans who had been at
tracted by the novelty OF the occasion, and a
considerable quota of Caucasians.
The ground selected for the chivalric enter
| tanment, was admirably adapted for the pur-
pose. beautiful meadow, stretching for
quarter of a mile down the ripping and rush
! ing Deer Creek, environed by the lofty hills
which had been for over century the dread
of team and teamster alike hemmed in by
the groves which reached TO the waters edge
| ON the one side, and presenting almost every
feature'of a sportsman s paradise, was enliven-
ed by the unusual cries and CALCULATIONS of the
striving knights, and the dulcet strains of har-
mony which burst forth when some successful
champion ran the gauntlet.
1t is impossible, at this late day, to remem-
Der with amy degree of precision, the curious
and high toned, ii not euphonious, titles
| which had been adopted by the dusky repre-
sentatives of the age of chivalry, but many of
| them were mirth provoking and some of them
| extremely appropriate.
| At the hour named the signal was given for
| the exercises to commence, and the parade of
| the knights took place. 1t was before the
| days of kodaks or any species of snap shot
cameras but that wonderful procession is
| still fresh in the memories of those who were
| fortunate enough to be spectators. There was
| about dozen of them, of assorted sizes aud
| appearances, and as they proudly marched
| past the assemblage, which contained nearly
| all of the damsels of the surrounding
| country, il was amusing well as amazing to
| note the different ideas of grace and dignity.
| AT the outset the band struck up lively tune
and all was harmonious. The said band was
| composed of an aged and somewhat intirm-
colored man, who in his younger days had been
| almost sine qua non i'll community which
| had been SO famous for its numerous dances,
| as this part of the Long Corner Perched
| upon lofty stool, in the shadow of a gum
| tree, he was there to make music, and right
well did he perform his part of the contract.
| The rivalry for the privilege OF browning
| tssS aSAen of love, &c, was perhaps as strong
and deep as it could possibly have been with
| any race and the contests, wordy and other
wise fully as fierce. One incident, which We
remember distinctly, will serve as a sample of
| the GarDeSlneSS anu ZedI ulSpldIeu. lie
Knight of the Wild Boy of the Woods" had
| ambled over the course in style fully in ac-
| cord with his title, and returned to the start
| ing point disguised and enraged at the silence
which greeted his effort.
| "Why de debble don't dat band play ?"
| wrathfully exclaimed he, while he looked
black and savage enough to demolish the
| aforesaid band.
''Kase you didn't take all dem rings"
81 did too"
You didn't nuther.n
''Say Look here Any coon dat says
| didn't -"
.sQuit your chinnin'," said the marshal
| coming forward. s'You missed dat upper
ring. Whar is it 1t amt on the pint of your
| lance is it ~
This would have satisfied almost any rea-
sonable being. Not so the wild boy however,
and he retorted to the amusement of the audi
ence-"I don't keer if | didn't, got gnat
in my eye and Tse gwine to have dat run
| over agin," and run he did, evidently with
success this time as the band played ferocious-
| ly.
The rings had been hung in such manner
| as to cause II changing sound when they were
pierced, and success was as apparent to the
! ear as to the eye. Owing to the usual incl
| dents OF such affairs, it was growing late when
| the party repaired to the pavilion in order to
crown the queen and her maids. About half
way up the hill and bordering upon the be-
an acre or two had been cleared and slab
| cabin erected In front of this cabin a rough
| platform, or, as it was styled, pavilion had
| been erected and it was on this favored
spot, hemmed in on all sides by the rugged
and yet romantic scenery for which the upper
| Deer Creek country is noted, the coronation
and the accompanying ball was to take place.
AS the victorious knights made their way to
the platform, preceded by the band, who can
say what emotions caused the hearts OF the
girls to throb, or what pent up volcanoes of
jealousy, pride or wrath were locked within
their husoms. to break forth at some oppor
tune moment when the chance came to repay
| the slight which they felt? Human nature is
pretty generally the same, whether the body
which contains it be white, yellow or black,
and we watched the outcome with much inter
est. 1t was perhaps slanderously suggested
at the time that efforts had been made TO pur-
chase the privilege of browning the queen OF
the occasion, hut these efforts We're spurned
with The contempt which they deserved
Probably the fee was too small. As we are
not dealing with personalities in these
papers nOuames will be mentioned, but when
the choice was announced it met with general
satisfaction, especially among the audience.
She was brunette of the most decided type
and devoted disciple of Terpsichore indeed,
as one of her admirers characterized her.
could heel and toe with any Niger in the
county,
Inc dance WHICH lOllOWcu was truly one W
be long remembered. The shuflling and
jumping, the laughter and outcries, both hap
by and otherwise, could be heard for some
distance, and all would have gone as merry as
the proverbial marriage bell, had not some
tiend or iiends in human shape insiduously in
troduced various samples of spritus tItmteIti
and pitted the champions against each other.
The result, as may be imagined, was disastIOus
to the harmony as well as the dignity of the
occasion, and the closing scenes of the tour
nament mark ed it as an orgie which has never
been repeated in this locality.
-"Perhaps you would not think So but a
very large proportion of diseases i'll New York
comes from careleSSneSS about catching cold"
says Dr. Syrus Edison. at is such simple
thing and common that very few people,
unless it is case of pneumonia, pay any at
tentiOn to cold. New York is one of the
healthiCst places on the Atlantic Coast and yet
there are great many cases of catarrh and
consumption which have their origin in this
neglect of the simplest precaution of every day
life The most sensible advice is, when you
have one get rid of it rs soon us possible. By
all means do not neglect it," DR.. Edison does
not tell you how to cure cold but we will
Take Chambcrlain'S Cough Remedy. 1t will
SecretiOns and soon effect permanent cure
% and 80 cent bottles for sale by Thos. G.
ForwOod Co., Druggists. Bel Air.
In Memory of Harry f. Russell,
son of John and Emma Russell, who died
March Is, 1895, aged IL months and ID days.