Middletown transcript., 1895-02-16
"why, that. is Phil" answered my

is he doingp and especially, how doe
he do it?"
"He's calling hogs" replied m,
guardian. ''If you'll walk up to tina
skirt of woods. you can put your othe
questions to him in person. He is no
shy or difficult of approach. Intro
duce yourself, and be sure to tell hin
whose son you are"
My uncle's face wore an amused
smile as walked away. He could i'm
agine the sequel.
In the edge of the timber ST. cd tall
broad-shouldered, brawny negro man
singularly ugly, but with a counten
ance so full of gnod humor that l Wal
irresi>tibly attracted by it from thu
first. At his feet stood great baskets
of corn, and around him were gather.
ed a hundred or more swine, busily
eating the breakfast he was dispens'
ing. As l ap 'roached, his hat-whai
there WAS of twas DOTTED, and l was
greeted with fabulous bow, apparent
ly meant to be half tribute of res.
pect, and half bit OF buffoonery, in.
dulged in for my amusement or his
own.
"Good mawnin', young mosta; hope
l see you we'll dis mawin'.'
"Thank, you, I'm very WELL" | re.
piled. "You're Phil, Supposed"
"You're right for dis oncet. mosta.
Is Phil, toe be sbo; ak de dogs-dey
done knew me-"
"WelI, Phil, Pm glad to make your
acquaintance. I'm your mas JOS son. -
"What dat2 Mas JOS sou =! Mas
JOS sonlll Ny mas JOS son ! !! /!
Let me shake hans wild you. mosla.
Jes' to think Mas JOBS son !! an Phil
done live to shake hal's wild mas Jos
son! Why. my young mosta, l raise
youa fOther Him am me done play
marbles t'geder many an many time.
We Was boys together right heah OH
dis very idenLucal plantation. Used
to go in swimmin' togeder, an go
fshin', an steal de mules out'n de
stables Sundays, an ride races wild
'em, an git cotched too sometimes
when ole mosta git home from chu'ch.
My, mosta. but rs: lad to see you !"
All this while the great black giant
Was ~r-nching my hand we'll nigh off,
laughing and weeping alternately, and
stamping with delight, which could
tini nn other vert han in physical ex
eftInn. | was naturally anxious To
diver. ilo conversation Into suut
o llrI and less personal channel, ana
IL do 50 presently by askIug
PM % glv- me specimen Of his hog
Calling cry, Which l ished 10 heal
near al hand. That performance over,
"e talked again. began by say ing |
al never heard any one Gail hogs II.
ua- Wy netoTe.
Da ) jr,' IL, mo la," he replied.
ik> uon', undut tin' DE- science ~
-tsiii: DtS sats, - - i
~ ,!.un- r"@s an.', p' a all bu,
t :. liy ii, 'h'g' u.
swat w. so dry ihlnks. But del
~, no >else III da,. Hogs don't uE-
du- an dat. Dty can, ak, an DOM
k..' W de meanin' o'talk words (''wud'
Pnn pronounced ny. You mus jes' IL
'eIn know dat " hen You wants 'em to
Come you's gwine to make moi e, de-
like o. which amt in heaven or yuih.
Deu dey gifts to knowin' what dat
Dat's my way, When l fetch
a yell al 'em dey jes' raise der yeahs,
an say to de- se'f, dat dnh's Phil, for
sho', am PhiPs de big, ugly, black
nigga, wild de bauSkets o. cawn.' When
you say Phil you mean mosta's big
nigga what works in de fiel. an plays
Dc banjo, am goes tishin'; but when de
hogs says 'PhlP dey mean big black
fella, wild a big yell into him, an de
o. Gavin. An you better
b'lieve dat makes 'em jump up am
clap dah hams for joy, jes' like a nigga
does whes when he gifts religion 'nuft
to make him shout, an not enough not
'nut to keep him often de hen roos's.
If nigga gifts religion 'nuff to keep
him from stsalin', it's a mistake. Dey
don't never mean 10 do it, an when
dey does dey amt glad bit, an dey
hurries up an sens surplage back"
Phil's respect for what he called
"niggas' was exceeding small, az the
reader will have discovered ere this,
and it was his greatest pleasure in life
to demonstrate their inferiority and
emphslze their shortcomings, in a
hundred ways. He was "head man"
of the hoe hands, which is to say he
hoed the leading row Of tobacco hills,
and was charged with the duty OF
superintending the work of the others.
1t was his delight 20 keep his own work
80 far in advance that he must now
and then set his hoe in the ground and
walk back to inspect the progress and
critlclse the performance o. slower
workers that he. In all this there was
no spice Or malice or uncharitableness
however. He wished his fellows well,
and had no desire to hurt their feelings;
but he keenly enjoyed the fun of out
doing them, and laughing at their in
ability to cope with him.
1t was during wheat harvest, how
ever, that Phil was in his glory. The
rapldIty With which he cuuft cradles
wheat was a matter of astonishment to
everybody VINO knew him, and what
was more wonderful still, he was able
to main a squirting speed all day and
ovaru 1av