The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1899-10-24
MISSISSIPPI DECK HANDS.
4 Different Ragtime for Each Class
of Freight.

tErom the Memphis Eevening Scimtar.)
One Who makes a trip up the river and
watches the antics of the negroes and lis
tens. TO their weird songs and tales wi |
not agree with the iconoclast who says
that all the beauties and the picturesque
features have faded out of the st amboat-
mans life. AS line of negroes goes up
the hill under the glare of the searchlight
with their peculiar swinging t.ead and
sing the music. which seems somehow TO b !.
an essential part OF the action. the sight
is one which has a strange wi.dness about
it and fascination. too. The negro is
not the same as he was before the war
Conditions have changed too much fo-
that. But he has retained his love for the
fantastic and most of those barbaric Gus
toms which civilization seems unable to
eradicate from the African mind.
The first mate has undergone a marked
metamorphoss, and to his change is due
some portion of the new features in the
deck hands character. Time was when the
first mate had a vocabulary which would
make ap ordinary sailors parrot die for
shame. He had this vocabulary, and the
negroes held the same opinion as the one
who answered, when asked II he did not
object to the mates abuse: No. loss. OATS
whut he's paid for. He's got ter make out
he's dom somethin', an it don't do Us
no harm" Now the deck hands actually
object TO being sworn at when the oaths
become too vigorous. The pay of the deck
hand is usually $50 a month even when
the business is only moderately heavy, and
last winter during the big rush crew of
negroes refused to ship because the wages
did not suit them. They were offered $50
month, but wanted 500 for the trip.
The hrst popularity which strikes the
observer about the deck hand is his walk.
He has climbed up the steep river en-
bankment when there was mud ali over
it, and he has come down that same slide
with a heavy weight upon his back. He
has adopted a step which prevents him
from slipping. and this gives him pecu-
liar shutting step unlike any movement
seen elsewhere. He combines with this a
hosting of the shoulders and a peculiar
turn of the head, acquired from turning
his face TO let sack rest upon the Shout
der. These three traits are distinctive
and give the deck hand a strange appear
anc upon the levee. or anywhere off boat
or away from the river.
As he works going up the inclines OF
along the gangplank precariously resting
upon a levee's crest, he has a rhythmic sort
OF chant which fits in with his music. AL
ways the same class Of songs is sung.
Usually there are no words, but some lead
er chants and the others voice the chorus
as they bend to their tasks. There are
sack songs and barrel songs, and music
for the cotton bales and the ordinary
package. The music varies with the task
as the movement of the negroes bodies
varies. The cotton song, as the bale i;
lifted forward and allowed tc drop, has q
catchy swing to it. Down go the SHARP
hooks and the bale starts up to fall with
quick thud. So does the music. The 9TH
er airs, like all negro music, are harmoni-
Gus, not melodies, which are timed to the
labor
The crap game can be seen inits full glo-
ry only when the deck hand plays it upon
the boats deck. From the foot Of Presi-
dents Island to the city no stops are made
and a like condition prevails in regard to
boats from the upper river. This is called
the crap limit The negroes are paid of
before they reacho the city. and usually at
the last step before the city. AS soon as
the pay is received the negroes gather and
begin to shoot craps, and the cries for big
Dick and Little Joe" and Ada are
heard until the boat has landed. When il
| does some few negroes generally possess
the money paid to all.