Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-06
say YOU done quit bein' a true demo-

say you done quit bein' a true demo-
Graf, does you"
Nck-Yes, OATS what 1 mean, to be
plain with you.
thought when you left our ole neighbour
hood that you would stray off dat way
and take up wild the enemy. | am still
sticking to the ole faith and my white
folks.
Nicll-Well, wish was in your place,
Sam, and felt as good as you do, but you
see the white folks in dis neghborhood
done seem to lost sight of the ole rebel
niggers, but de yankee niggers dat run
off from home and took their masters
mules and horses to de yankees is now
drawing big pensions all around me, and
dey are ADLER to work than 1 am we is
forgotten, Sam, and it seems sorter the
same way with the poor ole crippled
rebel white soldiers, too; the state gives
them a little money some times, but 1t
amt big enough to call a pension, and 1t
looks more like making fun of dem;
faint moren enough to buy their chaw-
ing tobacco. l tell you what's fact, the
laws give thes hifaluting young niggers
more for pretending to teach the little
ones than they give the poor ole white
rebels and You know OATS wrong,
and de Lord won't prosper such law
makers, and OATS why 1 amt got no
more respect for them, and I don't eX-
pect to till de change their way of do
ing.
Sam--If dem yankee niggers get SO
much pension money all around you.
what's YOU doing not lingering some of
it? You used to be sorter flush in old
timse and lend me money when l got
out
Nick-Yes I helps 'em handle it right
peart sum times If 1 get EN- in little
game of seven up. l haven't lost my
army learning If ! Is lost all my friends,
lyro nGhhar
hold a light to our young bosses playing
keerds, but 1 got hold of one that was q
little too much for dis ole niger not long
ago. and I'll tell you how 1t was; we was
playing right brisk and 1 done won all
de money he had and he put up his
watch and his pistol, which I didn't heve
no use fer, agin all had, thought I'd
put a sweet taste in his mouth fore j
turned him loose, so In l went, away IN
the lead, and my DEAL were six and he
were three and he begged me and | gin
him one, he led his ace and caught my
jack and when he flashed his duce I
struck him, but he got all dis nigger's
money and den he reported me to the
ole squire, who, by the way, wus one OF
dem old time confeds and dat sharp mig
ger got in his tale and never said word
about keerds, and de squire looked NIGH
ty solemn like, he was sorry for me, but
must carry out de law, but fore he pro-
nounced Judgment he axed me what had
to say in my defense? So l ups and
tells him de whole trufe, jes like it was,
and when 1 got through he broke out In
a big laugh (bless his old souD and said
''Uncle Nick, you done him right"
The Judgment of this magisterial court
is that the defendant go hence and be
discharged, and the costs be taxed UP
against the plaintiff for bringing friv-
olous case into this court" And that
nigger had to go to Jail ten days, kase he
didn't have the money to pay the cost.
done spent it on a drunken spree fore
the trial come off. OATS what call one
of hem old time days mighty scarce
of dem old time confeds days getting
mighty scarce, and wish he was in the
legislature. know he'd think of the
old rebel niggers when he went to make
laws, even IL dem ribbon wearing school
marms didn't get quite SO much money
as dey do now.
Sam--Why. shucks, Niger. Capt.
Johnston woulder done jes' like your
squire did. -
Nick-You reckon so. Sam?
Sam-Why, yes; he's one of dem old
confeds and u true one, too.
Nick-Well. I'm sorroy i didn't vote for
de captain, but II he turns out to be that
kind Of man I'll vote for him next time.