The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-04-22
The Tired POtomuo und tho Big Tent
Erected Thereby which Holds
Night After Night, Hundreds OF
shouting, Religious CoIored Peo-
pie, Who Want Nothing Hut Glory.
BY CY wARNiAN.
Copyright. 1896. by S. S. Mcclure, Lin
itde.)
washington, April :, 1886.
by cool siloam's shady rills

"HSiS tHS pauhS anu The EensS arc low.
1t Is called the tired Potomac because 1t
runs all the time and newer gets any
where. For six hours 1t flows out to-
ward the open sea. and then the tide
comes up and pushes 1t back into the
Dogs again. 1t Is usually the color OF
b!ick yard after ialn. anu the doc
tors say It Is conducive to good health
But the doctors live here: and as there Is
one doctor to every twenty people, 1t is
perhaps just as well for the doctors that
the Potomac water is as 1t is. Mind, /
don't say Ii is unhealthy. 1t is right
foi drinking purposes-that we know,
Tor the doctors, who are experts, have
said so; but 1t is not fit to battle in.
Sir Julian has been obliged to sink an
artesian we'll at the British Embassy. in
order TO have clear water for his bath.
I've seen band of hazel splitters come
rollickingi down the Virginia hills; but
when they reached the waters edge they
took q sip or two, gave q few disparaging
grunts. and trotted back to the bush
again. Ii was all right for drinking pur-
poses, but what they really wanted was
bath.
Aside from the Potomac and the medi-
cal specifically konwn as the mi
clEoe chaser the most amusing thing
in Washington is the negro. Not the
staggering political negro, the Sedate
.pectacled Sunday school negro, nor the
scrappy. noisy negro, who Is always
loaded down with raZorS and apple jack,
but the soaring ecstatic camp-meeting
negro-ra beats them all.
The winter is the season here because
Congress Is here. and in winter tile col
ored people work tsome of them, but
with the first twitter of the wrepn they
want to quit and get off and frolic.
Along with the wrepn comes the reviva-
list. who never fails to cause n great
a lxan "a RI nf
the capital. over against the jail, which
is near us. they have erected u great
tent. and here they hold forth every
night In the week except Saturday night.
They begin in the early twilight time.
and about the hour when the hard work.
ing poor take to their tents u mighty
wave of melody comes up from the
malarial banks where the wild thyme
grows. The chorus is always strong
the music ever the same. and the words
never change:
"By cool Siloam's shady rills,
How fair the lilies grow
1t is pretty picture that these happy
people paint OF cool Sloan, and l hope
and pray that they may be able to keep
1t cool and shady. have tried at times
to enter into the spirit of the song, but
I could not. / have seen the pool.
a Shiny, stagnant hole. 1t was. whose
green waters were oozing out over the
road. Down this road an Arab rode
thin-leEged donkey. whose sharp feet
sank In the loan until the riders broad
feet rested on the stiff mud. Then the
Arab stood UP and laughed while the
little burro struggled out from between
his legs.
by cool Siloam's shady rills.'
The only shade near the pool Is made
by the naked arms of a dead cotton
wood. The rills. If they were ever there.
have long ceased TO sing, and there
is not lily In sight.
Sometimes in the twilight the lcpers
who live below the pool come up and
carry away jars of the warm water, and
these things are constantly coming be-
tween me and the beautiful picture made
by the negro melodists in the tent be-
low.
The pool of Sloan is in the shadow
OF the cross at the foot of Calvary, and
the curse of God seems to have fallen
upon 1t and upon all the country round
about. It's net pretty place now and
IT Is just as we'll for these good souls TO
stay here and sing the song as it used
to be-better perhaps than for them to
visit the place and be undeceived.
But cool Sil,am" Is only the open
ing chorus In tlhe evenings exercises
AS the hours waste and the candles burn
deep into the night wilder song Is sung.
In front of the box taat the preacher
leans upon there Is brief space strewn
with sawdust. and from time to time. as
the excitement increases. a dusky re-
jo!cer will leave his seat and take few
turns about this little circus, just as
Senator Harris does when Senator
Lodge iiourshes red flag across the lit
tie arena In front OF the Presidents desk.
AS the shouting sinner circles he steps
quickly and executes sort of chicken
nutter that is enthusing to ithe on-look-
ers.
Over in a dark corner a black man
VIII stand up. close his eyes, open his
chimney and begin to pour forth a song
of his own making, words. music and all.
1t may have 4 chorus and Il may not.
| have seen one OF these extemporaneous
composers" start q simple song OF
three words, give us glory, give us
glory" and in five minutes every mouth
in the tent was wide open, and the song
was kept up without the slightest varia-
tion for half hour. During the render
ing of this beautiful chorus a woman
began to do the walk around; others
Joined her until the little space was filled
and she found herself the fixed centre of
circling host of Rowling enthusiasts.
Now they began to kick down the
benches and fling them out against the
tent walls and the circle grew larger.
l have heard old cattlemen tell how
a bull would balk on the plains some
times and the other cattle begin to cir
Gle about him. and in a little while the
whole herd. thousands OF steers. would
be walking round and round. and 1t was
next to impossible to break the circuit.
The cattlemen call that milling" and
that is just what these darkies do
That was nv first and In of rIoIt 49,.