The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-16
EASTERN SHORE" DIALECT.
Queer Expressions I'm Common Use
Among Natives Of Maryland.

John A. Geeting, I'm Indiana School Journal.
Here on the Eastern Shore, which from
it's opportunities should be one OF the most
enlightened instead of most benighted re-
gions of the country, a teacher IN the pub
lie schools or a minister Of the gospel, no
less than any member of the common herd.
would never fail in telling OF his lack OF
luck in fishing to say. II was gone all day
and never caught either fish," or, on meet
ing with similar want of success In hunting,
would declare he saw plenty Of rabbits.
but never got either one"
Among these people there are no early
vegetables or fruit grown. but forward"
potatoes, cabbage, corn, Strawberries. ETC..
are quite common. I have even heard the
remark: 1.-The forward bird catches the
worm" Here rails are not used In con-
structing the old-fashioned worm fence.
only fence logs" although they be split
as Lincoln made them in lis forward"
days. What are called sawlogs in other
States are chunks" here. regardless OF
length or size. One never sees q corn crib
hereabout, but corn stacks buildings In
which maize is stored at gathering time)
are found on every farm. There are no
barnyards or stable lots. either: all such
things are given the name of pound"
The universal misuse of the word head"
is ridiculous. IL not ludicrous. A man has
five or six or ten head" OF children, or
visitors on a Sunday. but he never applies
the word head to his stock. Our congress-
man. who operates a large mill here. II
asked how many hands he employs would
tell you 50 many. or about SO many head"
Recently a news item In one OF the county
papers was headlined, big Revival In
Progress-Four Head Baptized" Quite al
the coIored portion of the population is the
use of &C" for 9TH" in the words the. this,
that. they and them The propositions "in'S
by neglect, the other by overworking Il.
Nobody has money invested I'm stocks.
land. merchandise and the like. but always
into" them. Ask a man what his farm or
horse is worth and he'll answer by telling
you what amount Of money he has invested
into" it. One never has a hole in his
into" them or 1T. I heard a lady teacher
say she had lost her portemonnaie. But.
thank fortune" she added, there wasn't .
penny into It,"
People never haul anything here. but car
ry it. A man carries his wife or family to
station or boat landing. his cattle to pas
never saw miII.") whatever he takes
vey from one place TO another. he totes"
instead of carries. There are no buggies or
phaetons here. every vehicle used exclu-
has more than two wheels. The land Is OF
two kinds, hard" and kind" Hard land
is cnle1y clay, ana KIM lana mostly SAND
The land is never broke when plowed.
but flushed" never narrowed" but
drug" TO make the surface. fine: crops,
when titled with a cultivator. are narrowed,
and a cultivator Is known here only as .
harrow, while a harrow is called q drag.
Teams. except when attached TO carrfaees,
are driven without reins or lines. The driv-
er, whether walking or riding. directs his
team by word OF mouth, supplemented with
a long-lashed whip. When he wants his
team-horses. mules or oxen-to 20 or turn
TO the right he halloos 'gee-a." II he wants
a short turn to the left he yells ~'-petty-wofs
but If only a slight diversion I'm that direc-
ton he calculates ''ha-ther" pronounced
like "father'D. in a subdued tone. To stop
his team he yeiis 'wo-back." loud enough
10 stop a train, and the team usually halts
within a space of ten rods The familiar
gee" 'haw," Tho" or whoa" Of our Ohio
boyhood days are not heard In this country.
and the use of a single line on the leader OF
a team is unknown.
No ODDS how wicked the natives may be
in this part OF the moral vineyard, none fs
so abandoned as 10 use the word hello"
They consider IL shocking profanity. worse
indeed than downright cussin'." Hesxh-ho
Is the word they employ instead. A tele-
phone exchange Is to be opened I'm Snow
Hill in a few days. and IL viii be interesting
10 see the exchange girl have Mysteries
when she hears some one say hello" 10 her.
This country Is as full OF superstition as
All egg is of meat. and IL the Journal cares
10 know something Of the whimsicalities
one encounters here / shall be pleased to-
tell about Some0bf them.