Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-05-01
DISPUTE ABOUT A POEM.
was King or Sarah Green Author
"De Massa and de 6heepfolY"

I DISPUTE ABOUT A POEM
was King or Sarah Green Author OF
"De Massa and de eheepfolS"
The other day in this city an after
loon paper in this city printed a negro
dialect poem entitled 1.-The Sheepfoid
and Its Master" 1t was credited to
Sarah Mclean Green.
Then some newspaper men talked
about it over their pipes and wonder
ed who Sarah Mclean Green Is. Some
Of the smokers thought they had read
the poem, but they had forgotten where.
So do the children Of some worn fancy
go astray.
A few days later another afternoon
paper printed the poem accompanied
by a statement from ]. e. Woods OF
No. $40 Center avenue. He had come
across the poem eight or ten years ago.
1t was unclaimed when he found IL.
Then he saw it in the New York Sun,
and the Sun asked If anyone knew the
father Of ofthefoundling, and added to the
interrogatory the seal Of the Suns ap-
proval-to wit: that 1t was the most
beautiful dialect poem In the English
language.
1t was claimed by several. but latel
inquiry disclosed the fact that the
claimants had no authority for their
statements. Finally, as was supposed
it was credited to Joel Chandler Har-
ris, but that gentleman, with his char
acteristic fairness, disclaimed the au-
thorship. And SO 1t comes to the front
again, this time credited to Sarah Nc.
lean Green.
Now comes another story to the Trib
une, as follows:
about eight years ago." said the In
formant, II was night editor OF the Chi
cago Herald. One evening an ungain-
ly but otherwise agreeable sort OF fel-
low came into my room and said he
had poem which he would like to sell.
I told him ut once that he was In the
wrong box, and to see the managing
editor, who would not be in until the
next day. The young man said he
would like to read the poem, and as
averse as I am to listening to people
read their own productions consented
to listen to this young man, for there
was a drollery about him which was
-estful to a night editor.
"When told him to proceed he pu,
his feet on the rounds Of the chair
and doubled himself into q pocket
knife attitude. He read the caption of
his poem, De Massa and de Sheepfol.'
The reading Of several stanzas follow
ed. The reader was a fair master of
negro dialect. He read with some ef-
feet. When he had finished told him
to see Mr.. Russell the next day. The
following night he came to see me
again and said Mr.. Russell had advis-
ed him, If he wanted to make any mon
ey on the poem, to send 1t to New York.
and that he had done SO.
"I saw him no more for severa.
weeks. When he called he had copy
Of the New York Sun. In 1t was DE
Massa and de Sheepfol.' with the COM
ment, as I remember it. given by Mr..
Woods. But it is my recollection that
the nom de plume Of the author was
printed at the bottom of the epoem-Bow
Hackley. l asked the young man why
he had not used his name, and he said
he had not the courage. He told me the
Sun paid him S5 for the poem. My rec
objection of the poem is that it was diff
ferent in some lines from the poem now
attributed to Sarah Mclean Green. But
the similarity is so striking rs to raise
the inquiry In my mind as to whether
Bow Hackley borrowed from Sarah
Mclean Green or vice versa. LIDO not
think Bow Hackley used the word
meadows in any Of his lines. 1t is
not negro dialect The negro who would
say 'wedda' and 'brung' and 'shecpfor
and 'gadderin' would not say meadow
Maybe someone who has Bow Hack
Iey's poems can throw light on the Is
sue. I suppose you know who Bow
Hackley was. Ben King. the Michi-
gan poet, whose death in the Press
Club in this city a year ago created
some comment at the funeral.
Here is the poem credited to SaraL
Mclean Green. But think Mr. Woods
will find that 1t is not exactly the poem
that was printed in the Sun:
THE SHEEPFOLD AND ITS MAS.
TER.
De massa OBJ de sheepfor
Dat guard de sheepfol bin
Look out in de gloomerin' meadows
Whar de long night rain begin
So he call to de hirclin' shepa'd,
Is my sheep, is dey all come in?
o, den says de hirelin' shepa'd.
Dey's some, dey's black and thin,
And some, dey's po' OIL wedda's,
But de res dey's all brung in,
But de res dey's all brung in.
Den de massa OBJ de sheepfor
Dat guard de sheepfol' bin
Goes down In de gloomerin' meadows,
Whar de long night rain begin
So he le' down de ba's oh Dc shccp.or.
Calm sof, come i'll, come in,
Calm sof', come in, come in.
Den up t'ro de gloomerin' meadows,
Tro de col night rain and win,
And up t'ro de gloomerin' rain-paf
Whar de sleet ia pie Gin thin,
De po' los sheep OBJ de sheepfol'