Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-03-23
OLD TIME MELODIES,
SONGS THE p4RKlEs USED TO SING
 IN THE OLD SLAVE DAYS.

Negroes of the Present Day Cut Them
 Into scrappy Discords-"aIassa win.
 Visits Old BIose, and Together They
 Recall the Happy Old Times.
 The old time plantation songs of the slavery days have about passed away, and the negroes now cut the original melodies into scrappy discords and mi nor notes A negro had rather strike minor note than to rub the waistband of his pants against well filled table and eat. It seems that the peculiar tone holds a fascination for him which can not be overcome. There is always so1no- thing to interest you when you can hear a genuine old time plantation song as sung by the aged slave negroes, when heart and soul are united in the song.
 l have spent many a pleasant hour listening to the quaint songs of an old gray headed negro on my grandfather's farm as he would rasp the screeching chords i'll accompaniment on his banjo When he would sing, he would get humming start with the chords, and begin with Q long drawn out note, rear way back, pat his feet and shake his old gray head. He enjoyed singing, and I enjoyed listening. I would take him little pieces of colored paper and all the colored glass could find to get him to sing for me and to repeat the farfamed verse of alliteration, Did you ever see 8 possrm in papaw patch a-pickin up papaws and aputtin lem in his pocket to make papaw pie for his papa?' This is the joy of his life, and it never grew old or tiresome to him to repeat it.
 Nose WAS his name, and not long since 1 concluded to pay him visit and to hear again the songs I had so enjoyed when Q child. I found his cabin and he was at home, being unable to get about much. l shook hands with the honest old negro and sat down. The light which came into his face showed how welcome l was. and we had long talk.
 Finally l asked him to take the dusty banjo from the wall and give me few strains of sNigger Foot h Ashes,' at lively clip. He did as asked, and the old time vigor came upon him again. After playing awhile asked him to sing me the corn shucking song the triggers" used to sing while they danced the rabbit dance, after the corn was all huszed and the white folks had gone to bed He was in fine spirits, and, with his head way back on his chair and his feet extended to keep time with the banjo, he sang:
 Early one nornin on my massa' s farm
 Gut dat pigeon wing, Lizy Janel-
 heard dem chickens a-givin de alarm.
 Shake yo' feet Miss Lizy Janel
 Shake yo' feet, niggers; it'll soon be day.
 Shoot along lively, Miss Lizy Jane
 Massa ketch us danein, there'l Il - to payi
 We got to dig taters and hoe dat corn.
 Hit dat dubble shuttle, Lizy Janel
 You'd better be a-humpin, coz it soon ha
 norn
 Shake dat balnoral, Lizy Janei"
 After Nose finished singing this song an eight inch grin played across his face from ear to ear, his eyes spark1ed and the old negro was happy again as if the young folks had gone through their dancing while be sang. He said, Mas sa Will, de best days ob de old nigger's life am done gone, but when I think ob de good old times We had befo' de wah desc bones ob mine gifts young, and want to git right up and bit de jig step az in like use to do.
 l told him 1 was something of 5. dancer myself, and that if he would cut down lively on the old 'barnyard cackle' I would show him q few steps in jig dancing. This tiekled the wrin- kled faced coon, and he sang and played in earnest:
 "Rooster in de chicken ccop crovin fo' day,
 Horses in de stable go nay, nay, nay,
 Ducks in do yard 50 quaclz, Quaclz, qraeh,
 quaek,
 And de goose goes fIey-Ifeel
 Pigs in de pc. keep a-squoalin fo' slop, Big oogs barEia like dey never will stop, Guineas in de tree 50 pot-rack, pot-rack,
 And Ge goose goes Alley y-Ifeei'
 stopped him because I was out of breath, and he laid back in his chair an6 laughed till his sides were aching. l pulled out a rabbits fcot and tossed it to him, and the effect was magical. He jumped three feet on q rise and six feet on the stretch, , and gave a whoop which was equal to Comanche chiefs After his fright was over he told me, whatever I did, not to put any more Of those hoodoos on him. did not intend to frighten him, but wished to see if the superstition he had possessed in his young days had departed from him. ! gave him shining dollar for soaring him so, and he was himself again. We had had fine time in the few hours I had staid with him, and asked him