The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-06-12
TO- De With.
Jackfishing Was Sport Then
According to the
Black Homer.
9aaaaaas

TACKFISH!" exclaimed Tony Blu
u chanan, the Black Homer, of Jim
town. "Pow'ful sights of 'em, sub. An
jackfishin'? Why, co'se If dah's jackfsh
dab got to be jackfshin', aim dab?
Folks does heaps O. j~ackfishin', an
cotches coolies O. jacks, but sho! dab
ain no spote in jackfishin' no mo-.
In de yeas TO de war, dey wuz de days
when dab wuz spote in jackfishin'!
Jicketty! Jes' natchily makes my mouf
wattah fo' dem oil days, when l t'ink O.
jackfishin' way we done done it TO de
wahi"
The jackfish, or Jack, of southern
rivers is the pike of the north. or,
rather, the fish commonly known as the
pickerel. If you should ask almost any
native, not only of North Carolina, but
of adjacent states, if there were any
pickerel or pike in his bailiwick he
would be quite sure to tell you there
were not, because he would not know
the fish by such names. But jackfish?
Well!
"Yes, suil," said Tony. "Jackfshin'
TO de wah! Um-m-m-um! Dat wuz
spote, sholy! Dab wuzn't no mo- vim
IN de jackfsh den dan dab is now, sub,
an we cotch i'm jes de same, an git
jes' as crazy when he bite as we did den;
but dab ain muffin to jackishin' no
mo-! Why, I ben jackfshin' in dem
good OF days when my OF mahs' win
six niggahs on n cock fight, sub! An
1 ben jackishin', 'fo' de wah, when he
lose me an free mo- niggahs jes' bettin'
on n heat of a boss race, sub, an win
us all back ag'in an two mo- niggahs
sides us, sub, bettin' on jes' one hand
o. pokah! Jackishin'? Sho! Dab aim
no jackfishin' no mo-! Seems mighty
desp'rit TO- me to do it, but sometimes
1 fink if I only jes' see OF mahs' jack
fishin' once mo- down yon on de banks
O. de Cape Fare, in de days TO de wah.
] jes' natch'ly could jine my fadduhs!
81 nevuh see bettuh jackfishu dan
my OF mahsuh. Bes' fshin' fo' jacks
wah in de fall, an when fall come I
done spec ev' day to heah mahs' say:
eli, you Tony! Ain I got a red
roostuh O. some kyine, some whah bout
de plantation?'
"OP mahs' always keep a coop o de
fines chickens in de lan'-bes' kyine o.
jackfshin' roostuhs, too. When de
time come fo' mahsah to say dat, I say:
"tSho1y yo' have, mahsuh!'
"Den mahs' he say: SO 1 bean tink-
In. But co'se dat OF roostuh aim trim?"
he say.
"'Trimmest kyine!' I say.
"Den mahs' he pool he whiskuhs a
spell an 'peah like he tinkin' pow'ful
hahd. Bimeby he say:
"''Peahs like I dun bought a V'ginny
FLY some time, Tony. Spec I didn't,
though! Ain a boss on de plantation, L
reckon?
"Mahs' always have a stable full de
bes' young bosses, V'ginny FLIES an all
kyine. Isay:
"rHeap O. bosses, mahsuh!'
"'Grain an CRASHED, 1 done 'spec'!'
mahs' he say. All fat an pot-belly, O.
cose!'
Den 1 say: tJes like grayhoun's, dem
bosses is, mahsuh! An slick as silk,
subj
"Den oil mahs' he pool he whiskuhs
some mo- an do pow'ful tinkin'. Bime-
by he say:
"'Den Ise gwan jackfishin', t'mah
mon.
dat jes' wat 1 done bean waitin' fo'
to heah, case l bean baitin' de fishin'
groun' fo' a week an mo-, an Of mahs'
he know it mighty well. 'Fo de wah,
when we went jackfishin', we fus' frow
heaps O. con meal dough in de stream
to coax the fish. De meal OAK de
minny fish to de spot, an de minny fish
dey coax de jackfish in dab, so dey be
ready to be catched when we go out
to git 'em.
$50, when oil mahs' he tell me he
gwan jackfishin', L done have de fish
poles all ready rex mon, an de trim
red roostuh in n bag, an wait fo' NAH
sub. When he come he say:
"I done spec yo' aim ready yet, yo'
~rascal!'
"But I jes' grin. Den he say:
"'Whah's Kizuh?'
"Kizuh be a little niggah boy, bout
knee high to a lucky gobbluh, but how
he kin ride a boss! Um-m-m-um!
How dat black midget kin ride a boss!
So 1 holluh fo' Kizuh, IN Kizuh he come,
he eyes u spocklin', case he know what
comm.
".Kizuh,' oil mahs' he shy, 'dat brown
FLY 'peahs like she done feel her oats.
Vents axe'cisin', Ireckon. Guess mayb'l