Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1898-04-01
OLD TIME MELODIES.
soNes THE pARklEs USED TO SING
IN THE OLD SLAVE DAYS.

Negroes Of the Present Day Cut Them
Int sorAPpy bIsoOrds-'iMasaa VIM
Visits Old Nose, 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 a
minor note than to rub the waistband
OF his pants against well filed table
and eat. 1t seems that the peculiar tone
holds fascination for him which can
not be overcome. There is always somo-
thing to interest you when you can hear
genuine old time plantation song as
sung by the aged slave negroes, when
heart and soul are united in the song.
have spent many a pleasant hour
listening to the quaint songs Of an old
gray headed negro Oh my grandfather's
farm as he would rasp the screechiug
chords in accompaniment ON his banjo.
When he would sing, he would get a
humming start with the chords, and
begin with long drawn out note. rear
way back, pat his feet and shake his old
gray head. He enjoyed singing, and
enjoyed listening. 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 ALTERATION, Ibid you ever see
possum i'll a papaw patch a-pickin
up papaws and a-puttin 'en in his
pocket to make a papaw pie for his
papaT This is the joy of his life, and
1t 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 had so enjoyed
when n child. l found his cabin and he
was at home, being unable to get about
much. L shook hands with the honest
old negro aud sat down. The light
which came into his face showed how
welcome was, and we had long talk
Finally / asked him to take the dusty
banjo from the wall and give me few
strains Of Niger Foot In Ashes at
lively clip. He did as asked, and the
old time vi8or came upon him again.
After playing awhile l asked him to
sing me the corn Ghucking song the
"niggcrs" used to sing while they
danced the rabbit Dance" after the
corn was ell husked ard tho white folks
had gono 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 ono mornin on my massa's farm
Cut dat pigeon wing, Lily janet
hoard dem chickens n-givin de alarm.
Shake 20 feet, Miss Lily janet
Ghako 80 feet, niggcrs; it'I soon be day.
SEoot along lively, Mics Lizy Jane!
hlassa kcteh us dancn, thore'll - to payl |
We got to dig tators and hoe dat corn.
Kit dat bubble shuttle, Lily janet
YOU'D better DO a-humpin, COZ it soon be
morn.
Shake dat bnlmoral, Lily janet"
After Nose finished singing this gong
an eight inch grin played across his face
from car to ear, his eyes srarlaed and
the old negro wes happy again as if the
young folks had gone through their
dancing while he sang. He said, "Mas-
sa Will, de best days OBJ de old nigger's
life am done gone, but when L think OBJ
de good old times we had befo' de wah
desc bones OBJ mine gifts young, and 1
want to git right up and hit de jig step
ag in like use to do"
l told him l was something of a
dancer myself, and that if he would
cut down lively ON tho old "barnyard
cackle" would show him a few steps
in jig dancing. This tickled the wrin-
kled faced coon, and he sarg and played
in earnest:
"Roostor in do chicken coop CROWN TO- day.
Horses in do stable so nay, nay, nay,
Ducks In do yard go quack, quaok, quack,
quack,
And do goose goes illley.f.feel
"Pigs in dc pen keep a-squoalin 10 slop,
Big dogs barkin like dey never will stop,
Guineas in dc tree go pot-rack, pot-rack,
And do goose goes filley-Ifeel"
stopped him because was out of
breath, and he laid back in his chair
and laughed till his sides were aching.
pulled out rabbits foot and tossed
1t to him. and the effect was magical.
He jumped 'three feet ON rise and six
Ieet ON the stretch, and gave whoop
WAASA Woo NIubA W u OOluduCn6 Cnlel q. |
After his fright was over he told me,
whatever did, not to put any more of
these hoodoos on him. / did not intend ,
to frighten him, but wished to see if
The superstition he had possessed in
ais young days had departed from him.
gave him q shining dollar for soaring {
him so, and he was himself again. We
had had n fine time in tha fauv bo,,rs I | l
had staid with him, and / asked him I
% pick up his banjo again and play and
ling the tune he used to call ''Mr. Kim
DE. His bony fingers raked across the
strings again, and he sang the quaint
'ong l had enjoyed often when child: I
Impure Blood In Spring.
This is the almost universal exper-
ence. Diminished persplration dur