The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1895-01-26
WHIPPING MADE HIM HAPPY.
Showing the Force of Habit with Or
Aholibamah skinner.

showing the Force of Habit with Ons
Aholibamah skinner.
Aholibamah Skinner wa a North
Carolina cornfield hand of inky black
ness Of skin and the shortest of woolly
hair, who was frequently beaten with
many stripes by his irascible master,
the rich and influential Squire Mat
thew Skinner
Holy" as everyone called him, was
very industrious, always leading the
gang up and down the corn rows, and
he tended" in his own time the larg.
est patch ell new groun' clurrin'" OF
any slave upon the plantation. he
could catch mor fish than any other
Negro for miles around. and he was SC
expert in trapping birds and war.
mints" that he threatened an extermin,
alton of all the desirable creatures OF
the field and forest. The Squire knew
Holy" to be forehanded, for he held
In trust for that worthy several hun
dred dollars he had accumulated in di-
vers ways.
Still, the master was irresistably i'm.
pressed with the idea that loggings
were Indispensable. not only to the
proper discipline of Holy" but also
to his health, peace of mind and con.
teptment Of spirit. What Is most sx-
~traordinary is that he had brought the
Negro to the same way of thinking.
OF curse 1t will be understood that no
disgrace was attached to such a punish
ment on the plantations, the only PEN
atty being that of physical suffering,
and "Holy's" skin was as tough as
that of an alligator. Those were days
when soldiers and sailors of the army
and navy were logged for petty Of
lenses and when the rod and ferule
were in every school-house in the
land.
The trouble with Aholitamah was
his inability to govern that member
which wiser people than he have had
difficulty IN keeping under subsection.
He would '.jaw'.th overseer and get
up chickering's among his fellow slaves,
which frequently brought his back
into touch with the whip. Yet, after
all, in . majority Of instances, he was
thrashed upon general principles and
without any ostensible reason.
One bright June morning, when the
waist-high corn might almost be seen
to shoot upward, so rapid was its
growth, and the 'hoe-hands' were fol-
lowing the plows to complete the hill
ing" the old Squire came up and rode
in front OF the gang. Aholibamah
touched the brim OF his ragged straw
hat, and then taking il off, said res
pectfuily, with ~downcast, sheepish
eyes:
Mars Matter, you's done been furgit
spnefin' dis mawnin', deed yuu is"
What's that you say?' demanded the
squire, sharply.
"faas, sub, Mars Matter, Is done
been orful poly m de hoes been er
slippin' n slippin' all dis Dressed day.
Jessir, t'ink, Marse Matter, youse did
done furgit m rs jis uncommon mis-
able"
why, you chucklehead, if you don't
handle that hoe lively I'll bring this
whip about your shoulders, can tell
YOU
Dat jis' hit, Marse Matter. you done
turgit to lam me dis mawnin' N |
nat'ally KANT git erlong 'dout hit. If
you 'ould gimme o lickiu', Mars Matfar,
n no foolin'."
With n smile the squire disrnounted
and complied with the request, apply.
ing the whip most vigorously, Aholi.
bamah, following an unvarying rule of
bis race under such ordeals, writhsd,
twisted, squirmed, roarei, bawled,
pleaded piteously for mercy, declared
he was being killed, aud insisted he
would never sin again as long Is he
lived. With the last blow the tears
dried as If by magic, the groans ended
abruptly, and with a broad smile that
covered his entire face, he said:
"T'anky, Marse Matter, dat er sho'ly
good 'un, n Is peart es err cricket"
a moment later his stentor voice was
raised above all the rest in the singing
Of the familiar refrain:
'Possum up de gum tree, coon in de boiler.
Show me de man dat1l ketch EN- fer u doIlcr.
Chicago Tribune.