The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-01
THE NEGRO MEMORY.
Examples of It's Remarkable Fidel-
ity to Auricular Impression.


ity to Auricular Impression.
From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Memphis, Tenn.-Every one who heard
Blind Tom knows that conscious intelli-
gence did not influence his reproductions
of sounds-that he was but a sound-re-
cordng and sound-reproducing ma
chine. The enormous capacity of
his memory was phenom-
enon of secondary Importance Its
wonderful exacttude was what most i'm
pressed reflective minds, The Globe
Democrat correspondent has recently
come upon two minor but noteworthy ex-
arnples of this same gift.
Jim Caisson is an idle, ignorant negro of
about 30 years who hangs around various
hamlets in Mississippi and Crittenden
counties in Arkansas. He works a little,
upon dire necessity, but has no vocation
unless it be dice-throWing. He has never
been seen with paper or book in hand, and
his most intimate associates say be can
not read. But last fall Jim was persuaded
to endure a few days labor in loading cars
with lumber He and his fellows chat
tered almost incessantly, the intervals be-
ing filled with snatches of song. One day
every member of the crew, except Jim,
had gotten off some favorite rgmarole of
song or story. When the diversion of the
company had devolved upon him, he start
ed in promptly in dignifled, recitative tone.
OF course, his comrades gave him "the
floor" He rambled on for five minutes
before your correspondent comprehended
that Jim was getting off one of Joel Chan
dler Harris best Uncle Remus" stories
the @Tar Baby"-and in very artistic
style. too. AS Jim proceeded the aston
ished white man became more and more
~.
treat. 1t was to be expected that jim
would mango the dialect" all right, but
he did more--he gave to every phrase its
due rhetorical value, and employed all the
little elocutionary tricks of a trained pub
lie reader. Nor did he, as far as the mar
rator's memory serves, omit a single
phrase of this long and complex Uncle
Remus fable. If Jim had devoted weeks
TO its rehearsal it was really wonderful
performance for an illfterate negro. When
the story was done your correspondent in
quired:
Jim, have you read Joel Chandler IIar-
ris' book?"
Joe Chamber sIarris? Who's he?"
why, the man VINO wrote that story,
and lot of others like it,
mo, white folks; Use nevah read muffin
like dat"
"Weil, where did you learn the Tar Ba-
by them"
'-Oh, dat stuff, white folks, was what 1
heerd in one of desc here talking machines
down to Jericho "a nearby viIlage).
How many times did you hear it?'
"Only once-hit cost a nickel, and l list
had de price,"
The writer took some pains TO ascertain
whether Jim had really learned this COM
plicated composition in Southern folk lore
by once hearing 1t, and all the testimony
went to show that the fellow had had but
ora chance, and that was when a little
3 yon chow made a stand at Jericho. near
where Jim was picking cotton, and that
the darky had spent his last nickel on this
monograph entertainment.
The other story In point comes from the
Hotel Kiech, at Nettleton, Ark Last No
vember O travelling man brought in a
Globe Democrat and read an hour or two
before supper. He left it on the Office ia
Bile when he went OUT. Presently q negro
stable hand came in, and, picking up the
paper. he seemed 10 read aloud a most
graphic and fiorid account OF the Johns
town flood. The breaking OF the great
dam; the wild race of the messenger Of
warning; the awful development OF the
calamity with its detailed horrors. were
narrated as from the practical pen of a
gifted newspaper correspondent. II ran on
for more than a column. and closed with a
gloomy forecast of the succeeding DAVIS
Developments When the negro had Hnish-
ed his performances he clapped on his hat
and went about his duties. Another tray
cling man, curious TO know how such m
ancient paper came to be in the hotel cf-
fee IN such good condition. caught IL IN
and found that II was copy OF that devss
issue. and contained not one line about the
Jamestown flood.
He hunted up the negro and had no trou-
bic IN getting him TO admit that he had
committed this striking descriptive com
position By hearing i read once as a piece
Of news 10 a cotton plantation commissary
store. Then he rccited i at every oppor-
tunity.