The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1900-02-22
Johnsonham, Junior
By Paul Lawrence Dunbar.

A NYONE will agree with me that
n it is entirely absurd for two men
to fall out about their names; but,
then. circumstances alter cases. 1t had
its beginning in 1858, and it has just
ended.
In. the first case, Ike and Jim had
been good friends on the plantation,
but when the time came for them to
leave and seek homes for themselves
each wanted a name. The masters
name was johnson, and they both
felt themselves entitled to it. When
Ike went forth to men as Isaac John
son, and Jim, not to be outdone, be-
came James Johnsonham, the rivalry
began.
When both families moved north
and settled in Little Africa they had
been taught that there must be eter-
nal enmity between them on account
of their names, and just as lasting
friendship on every other score. But
with boys 1t was natural that the RI
valry should extend to other things.
When they went to school it was a
contest for leadership both in the
classroom and in sports, and when
Isaac johnson left school to go to
work in the brickyard, James John
sonhaln, not to be outdone in industry,
also entered the same field of labor.
Later it was questioned all up and
down Douglass street-which, by the
way, is the social center of Little Az
'rica-as to which of the two was the
better dancer or the more gallant
beau. 1t was piece of good fortune
that they did not fall in love with
the same girl and bring their rivalry
into their affairs of the heart. for they
were only men, and nothing could
have kept them friends. But they
came quite as Lear it as they could.
for Matilda Benson was as bright a
girl as Martha Mason, and when Ike
married her she was an even-running
contestant with be1 friend Martha for
the highest social honors of their own
particular set.
1t was foregone conclusion that
when they were married and settled
they should live near each other. So
the houses were distant from each 9TH
er only two or three doors. 1t was be-
cause everyone knew everyone elsc's
business in that locality that Sandy
Worthington took it upon himself TO
taunt the two men about their bone of
contention.
"Mr. Johnson" he would say, when,
coming from the downtown store
where he worked. he would meet the
two coming from their own labors in
tab Johnsonham mekn' it ovah yo'
names?"
"Well, dom know that Johnsonham
is so much of a name" Ike would say;
and Jim would reply: 81 low it's mo-
name than johnson, anyhow"
$50 is stealin' ham mo- than steal
in" was the others rejoinder, and
then his friends would double up with
mirth.
Sometimes the victorious repartee
was Jim's, and then the laugh was on
the other side. But the two went at it
all good-naturedly until one day, one
foolish day, when they had both
stopped too often on the way home,
Jim grew angry at some little fling
of his friends and burst into hot
abuse of him. At first Ike was only
astonished, and then his eyes, red with
the dust of the brick field. grew red
der, the veins Of his swarthy face
swelled, and with "Take that, Mistah
Johnsonharn," he gave Jim a resound-
ing thwack across the face.
II took only a little time for a
crowd to gather, and, with their usual
tormeptor to urge them on, the men
forgot themselves and went into the
fight in dead earnest. 1t was a hard
fought battle. Both rolled in the
dust, caught at each Others short
hair, pummeled, bit and swore. They
were still rolling and tumbling when
their wives, apprised of the goings on.
appeared upon the scene and marched
them home.
After that, because they were men
they kept a sullen silence between
them, but Matilda and Martha, because
they were women, had much to say
to each other, and many unpleasant
epithets to hurl again across the two
yards that intervened between them.
Finally neither family spoke to the
other. And then one day there was
great hustle about Jim's house. A
wise old woman went waddling in, and
later the doctor came. That night the
proud husband and father was treat
ing his friends and telling them it was
boy, and his name was to be James
Johnsonham, Jr.
For a week Jim was Irregular and
unsteady in his habits, when, one
night, full of gin and pride, he stag
gered up to crowd which was sur
rounding his rival and said in loud
voice; james Johnsonham, Jr.--
how does that strike your"
"Any bettah than Isaac johnson
Jr.?" asked some one, slappine