The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-01-03
WHERE IS KOONER JOHN?
Norfolk Pilot.)


Forty years ago, in some parts of Vir-
glnla, North Carolina and other Southern
States, "Kooner john or ''the Kooner."
or John O'KOOner," was stil a feature
OF Christmas reVels. Perhaps it was the
last lingering relic of English Christmas
revels brought by our forefathers from
the old country. When we first knew
John, he had n wife,--J0hn being a stout
colored man, with a hideous false face. a
cooked hat, and from hat to shoes bedi-
/ zened with tinsel, ribbons, feathers and
rags of all sizes, shapes and cOlors. In
one hand he carried n small Der, which
| he rang continuously, and in the other
he bore staff, with which he Threatened
the children now and then, as he made
feroGous pretence of rushing upon them.
Staying and devouring them. His wife
was another colored fellow, dressed as a
woman, his bonnet being a BATTERED old
leghorn, Of prodigious size, and awful
| scoop and scope. From head to foot he
was ragg tagged like John, and wore
a mask even more horrible in aspect
than that Of John.
On the occasion referred to john and
his wife were accompanied by drum and
hfe, wuth a chorus Of singers and bell
ringers. The drummer and fifer wore
scarlet coats, blue trousers(an much load
ed with brass buttons and gold Iace,) and
each had a tall bear-sllin shake ON his
head When the drum and fife were not
sounding, the singers Gincud:ng John
and his wife) sang ait the top of their
voices and rang their bells with all their
might The song was all about John
kooner and his wife, and always asked
for money, usually zone cent" Though
much silver was usually thrown 10 them
from every house before which they stop-
ped to sing and dance and perform other
antics. They were at once the terror and
fascination of all children; and a long
procession OF them, Of both sexes and
colorS, and OF all conditions and ages.
generally followed them abOuh
This appearance Of John was the
grandest we ever Witnessed and it was n
long time ago, in Fayetteville, North Car
DINA. Subsequently John fell into n de-
cay, so to speak. He lost his wife; he
lost his drum and ffe and the last time
we met John, he was a small negro boy.
with n face smeared with SCOT and Span
ish brown, with some parti colored rags
tackled about on his clothes He was
accompanied by another colored boy, who
had a bell, and who helped John TO sing:
but altogether it was a tame and melan-
choly rendition Of the grand performance
which once entranced the children.
It is a question: Whence came John
O'kooner and his Christmas parade?
Whence his masquerade his rags, his
ben, his song, etc? We have looked into
the matter a little, and we incline to
think that john and his performance las
he and they became soon after impOrta-
tion here) were a parody, or a degener-
ate form, of some OF the old English
Christmas revels, brought over by our
early c0lOnists, and gradually transferred
to the African slaves that soon begun to
take the place OF the white laborers ON
farms and plantations.
In one of his recent Shakcspcarean ar
ticles in Lippincotts the writer has made
brief reference to Kooner John; and
this seems to be the only published men
ton OF John extant. Yet there must be
many persons in Virginia and North Car
0Ena who remember John; and we shall
be very glad If some OF them would send
us their reoollections Of him dress, songs,
etc. lit win be interesting to trace Johns
origin, his decline and fall, and we trust
that we hear about him from some who
read this imperfect reminiScence OF the
defunct Christmas worthy. Or does he
still Enger somewhere?