The true northerner., 1898-06-01
A Southern Cake Walk.
Prescott. Ark. Nav 9. 1898.

people of the town. 1t was held in the
parks a square of five acres with cover
ed structure in the center, opened at the
sides, 30xl0O feet A platform was erect
ed at one end, before which a blanket
and two sheets were stretched for a cur
tain. AS | arrived, colored orchestra
was playing, and many white people were
filling up the front seats at 10 cents
each Behind and on the left ranged the
white people who didn't care to pay the
price charged for front view. On the
right were the colored people. All climb
ed the steps into the enclosure indiscrim-
inately, but Immediately separated into
two classes.
Two large lamps hung near the front
of the platform and Illuminated the
black faces on my right, as the darkies
stood and crowded up towards the stage.
On the left, white boys and girls throng
ed the space between the supports of the
roof-two pictures it was worth going a
long way to see. The music from the
orchestra "a violin, banjo, mandolin
and bass viol-was excellent. The har-
monies were of that tintillating character
that kept the toes of the crowd vibrat
ing like castanets and the teeth and eyes
of those on my right glinting like fire
flies in the darkness.
There were songs and dances and dia-
logues galore before the Logging exploit,
which was the drawing card of the en-
tertainment had seen negro charac-
terization and heard its minstrelsy before,
and supposed it was an exaggeration, but
nothing is too absurd to simulate such
performances. The acting is mixture
of comicality, grotesqueness and buff
foonery. In one of the plays" the staid
old daddy" was reprimanding his two
boys, with lath, for dancing, and they
frequently were all piled in a heapin the
effort to "wallop" and to dodge, which
set the black faces at my right wild with
delight. At length the music began to
tell on the old mans early propensities,
and he would occasionally shake foot
in time with the music. The contagion
increased and spread until old NANNY
caught it, and then-well, | am not up
in terpsichorean phraseology, but the
slippered click of dancing feet and the
graceful gyrations of these four clowns
were beyond anything had ever before
seen or thought possible. The merciful
blanket and sheet intervened to prevent
damage to black and white faces.
The star walk" of this occasion had
recently come to town from Hot Springs
where he had "taken the cake" from all
competitors and won for a New York
man 81 600 from Bostonian, in a con-
test of this character. His partner was
one of the boys of the previous scene,
dressed in female attire. The exhibition
which followed was another revelation.
The step and posture and lofty airs, all
timed to music, were quite astonishing
to me. 1t showed that when a colored
character attempts to show off, it Is al
ways an eXaggeration.
When the colored preachers here are
out on pastoral duty, their coats are
about three inches longer than those of
their white confreres, and their collars
about an inch higher. If they carry a
cane, it is a huge club with. a silver knob.
If they wear glasses, they require con
stant shifting to keep themselves land
others in mind of their existence. All
aspirations above that of servant are
derided and baffled, and are likely to be
come farce from a consciousness that
they are not fully capable of filling the
place. They do good work as laborers,
but many of them need watching and
commanding. \ mild request is taken
as a permit to shirk, and so a club or the
threat to use it commands respect.
1t is of little use here to ask a color
ed man for information. | came across
one blowing corn with a mule and asked
him how much he got over in day.
"Oh, right smart" 1.-Two acres?" Bout
that, boss" And in the same field an
other plowing the same way, being asked
if he could plow JfCe acres, replied, 81
reckon so, boss" So in every case sug
gestion of time, place, distance or value
is assented to and never disputed or ques-
toned.
The colored man never votes the dem
ocratic ticket, but will vote anything here
that opposes it. So the populist party
has captured his ballot. Every one, white
or black, is assessed ten days road tax
and must have his receipt if demanded
at the polls. Both classes shirk this
duty if possible, or as much of it as pos
sible but when the colored vote is not
wanted the tax receipt dodge is used to
to disfranchise him.
Any discussion about "nigger" here is a
red flag menace to excite invective and
abuse. You can say as many bad things
as you can think about him, and you are
applauded; but no good thing can "come
out of Nazareth" and be permitted to
stand unquestioned. The negroes can
nearly all read, and / notice they buy
nearly as many papers as the white men
when the trains come i'm from the North
with the war news. They have churches
and schools by themselves, but there is a
good deal of kicking among white taxpay-
ers against free schools, mainly because the
money goes to educate "niggers." | am
not yet able to say what the tendency is
towards improvement in condition.
A. G. GLIDDEN.