The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-08-25
count of its style. No one who aims to


DO literary should be without it.
He wrote up a picnic in July and re-
ferred to the gorgeous supply of victuals
brought by the picnickcrs "for the pur-
pose of sustaining hunger.
Such u man is either humorist or O
plumb fool. A committee ought to go
and examine him. Receiving transpor-
tation last month for an excursion, he
ladies out the following neat encomium
in his paper:
This was we'll enjoyed by the many
publicity and attraction of Editors and
distinguish men of ability on this event
full day. 1t seems generally speaking
from what little act can do to attract
attention on the part of the trip of this
kind is very highly appreciated. (,
We can do nothing better than to
thank the head Managers for their grace
fitness and ease of manner and respon-
sibility for the care of the passengers for
safetyness and round trip excursion.
Referring to peculiarities of genius,
and especially in tho matter Of methods
of expression, let ME say that Elder
Rumley, the colored preacher Of Ashe-
vile. will be long remembered after he
has passed away. His favorite discourse
is called "Tbe Dry Bones,'' and he has
preached it by request of DR.. Will Hill
lizard several hundred times, it is said.
He is singular looking man of African
descent and speaks without notes.
Will not undertake to describe or
furnish his dialect, for 1t would only be
confusing, and negro dialect has had its
Hay. The cockney English minstrel may
use it years after the American colored
man has abandoned it. But it has surely
had its day in America.
Brothers and sisters'' said Elder
Rumley the other evening, pausing and
throwing back his head SO that his nose
was in line with the tops of his shout.
ders, "you remind me tonight some
how as you sit there of great big, mon
strous bouquet
Every color of the rainbow is there,
from the blacklist, unadultered planta-
ton niger, in whose veins there runs
the unpolluted blood of tho genuine i'm.
ported and uncrockable coon, to the
pallid and highly amalgamated dude.
II don't like all this, brothers and
sisters 1t is no way to live The Scrip
ture teaches us that we cannot make one
hair white or black, and if it is wrong
for tho hydrogen blond to sashay into
society with bogus hues it is wrong for
the Ethiopian to change his skin. 1t Is
n humble life that the black man leads
in the sight of God, but he is Duke of
Buncombe County compared with that
straw colored dude sitting in the third
seat from the back, next to the aisle.
Yes, indeed And that brings rs back to
our text tonight, brethren: If the leopard
cannot change its spots, nor the Eth
oplan his skin. where shall the sinner
and tho ungodly appear?'
Eccentricities of expression are not at
all peculiar to any section or any people,
but cannot close this letter without re.
ferring to an incident which took place
III handsome drug store in North
Carolina city.
Not far from the door stood q very
snowy soda fountain, with q beautiful
Jot of water spouting two feet high in
side glass case Oh top of the marble
fountain and making q noise like es-
Gaping steam. On the counter was re-
volving squirt busy rinsing tumblers
and also making kissing noise. Three
tall young "razorbacks' from the tim
Der came in and bought glass of soda
in partnership. 1t seems like lying to
say this, but it is the everlasting truth.
The druggist, who is my authority,
said he served the beaker Of soda to the
tallest one, who was agreed upon as the