The National tribune., 1900-09-13

SJtFoLN- y.
The writer. having been born within :
few miles of Suffolk, and connected will
the Commissary Department at Ports
mouth during the latter part of the war
is very familiar with that portion of Nir
ginia, and many Interesting and entertain
i'm. scenes and incidents connected Will
the war OF the rebellion.
Suffolk is situated in the southeastern
mart of Virginia. Immediately at the lIavi
gable headwateiS Of the NanScm0nd River
This river has its source several miles
above Suffolk and flows through bcautl-
ful farming country. great and prohta'
bic oyster-rlanting industry is carried on
some u or 10 miles from its mouth The
river cmptics into Hampton Roads about
midway between the Rivers James and
Elizabeth.
Suffolk is the County seat of NanSe-
rond County, and is approached from the
west over very substantial bridge mat
spans the Nansemond River at the loot
of the sloping little mountain. or hill, on
which the town is picturesquely situated.
Suffolk was noted before the war, ana
Is now, for its prolific crops of corn, sweet
potatoes, fruits. melons and the succuient
and eyer-loved peanut, or 'goober. Yet. l
remember when a boy that half-buShei
of "goobers" could not be sold in the Suf-
folk market in week, even ut > OF 4
cents per quart; and | remember, also,
that about this period then little boE)
became bankrupt because of having lnJu-
diciously put i'll an exceedingly large
scrap of these same toothsome "goobers.
AN old vIRGINE" CORN sHUCKING.
On the invisible wings OF memory l fly
back, for a moment to the bright DAYS OIL
boyhood. A Vision, Time, about 1S42.
Scene, the farm house of Henry Darden,
near Barber's Crossroads, some four or
ss,,crn IL w, nf n
large corn crib capable of holding from
500 to 1000 bushels of corn extends a
ridge of corn in the shuck 20 or so yards
In length and six to eight in hight. Some
80 or more people are collected, and there
are rosy-cheeked naidens, the neishborlng
farmer and his wife, and the negroes by
the dozen, that have come to help 'Massa
Darden ''shuck dat corn drink apple
brandy and fare sumptuously at the grand
midnight supper" All are admiring the
monster ridge of corn, counting the grains
on some of the larger ears, while the
young men are slyly secreting the red
ears for special use later; for it is the
custom, long established, that whoever
finds "red ear has the privilege of kiss
Ing any person present, regardless of their
being maid or matron; and the negroes
also enjoy the same privilege with their
dusky sweethearts.
Now, you, Jim Ely, you fotch a rider
(fence rail- to put across de middle oh, de
corn pile, so'se to be ready fer de race"
A fence rail is placed across the middle
of the pile of corn, and at the word go,
given by some young lady, the race COM
mences, after the negroes had been equally
divided.
Old Dick Darden again cries out, You,
dar, George Dews, you jes come er way
fun dat gate and round up de corners OBJ
de pile er corn. What you stayin' bout
dat gate fer, any way, you yaller nig2er!
George, a splendid-looking mulatto, is from
the Dews farm.
You ole black Niger" replies George,
''who is yer hollerin' at, any way; Mars
Joe sont me ahead by dis gate to open
it when he an his band come. and here
Use gwine to stay; an, for de Lord, he is
comm, for hears de shoutin, de singin'
and Marse Joe's fiddle"
A moment or two later "Marse joe
appears with 80 or 40 negroes, some from
the farm, and the balance from the vari-
Gus farms on the route who had Joined in
to swell the numbers of moving corn
Bhuckers." As this.band of negroes passes
in the gate they sing, in thunder tones, as
darkies only can sing, the popular song,
made up by the negroes, of I'VE are all
gwine TO de shucking."
In their immediate front is carried a
plump, joyous little white boy, some nine
years of age, who is playing vigorously
on his little violin the everlasting tune of
I'VE are gwine to de shuckin'," in con-
cert with his coloFed friends, who have
him perched up in their black, brawny