The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-09-27
A APP REPAR TEE.

We e recently a clever ''skit' in
in the New York Evening Post. A
northern man had been telling some
marvellous yarns about southern peo-
pie, possibly believing all he told or
heard. His production was quite
worthy Of northern ignorance and
Icredulity. 1t is astonishing how eager
the scribblers up there are to our
lesque the south and to bamboozle
their receptive. gullible readers. Mum
Ichausen, the German, has been dead a
century or two, he only living in Eng
lish fiction, but Munchausen, the
northern man, is Tive and kicking
and constantly making a fool Of him
self. The article we saw that struck
us Is good of it's sort, and it very apt
Ily, amusingly exposed the tomfoolery
of a writer by a broad piece of fun-was
an amusing exaggeration. 1t is head
ed, "a dialogue in a Library" and
the beginning is this:
Sir: The little boy had just arrived
at New York from the south, and, af-
ter he had left the ROOM, one of the
lparty said it seemed so funny that he
wore no shoes.
Not at ALL" said the North Caro-
linian. Boys never wear shoes where
he came from, and not until they get
half-grown do they wear any clothes
other than a single loose garment"
"a gunny-sack, with a hole in the
bottom for the head to go through, and
the corners cut off for the arms" cor
rected the V~irginian; and no one crack
ed a smile.
Why down in Duplin county, where
I was raised" continued the North
Carolinian.) evidently encouraged by
the confederation he had received, and
could depend upon receiving, from the
Virginian. they turned boys out to
grass in the spring and did not see
them any more until frost. Yes, sir,
they just tethered them by the side of
the swamp, so they could get water,
and let them live on huckleberries."
That's So" said the Virginian.
The North C~arolinian seemed to
think that, so long as he had let the
cat out of the bag, he might as well
go ahead and make a clean breast Of
lit.
There are rings around my legs now
showing how high the water in our
swamp used to rise, just like the rings
you have seen around the lower part
VI NASSS NAACLS oAOf ~ ~ SN~-Nr
he confessed.
The New Workers were staring in
open-mouthed wonder.
Then spoke the Virginian. He told
how the people in his country had run
naked in the woods until they a be-
come a hairy race.
That was too much for ven a New
York audience, and one of the men
said he thought the Virginian ought to
TO he ashamed of himself for talking
about his native land So"
There is more, but this will 10. 1t
was ridicule of a fellow who produced 4
Joke as to how southern people amused
themselves by burning 'niggers"-not
lin vengeance at all for greatest crimes,
but for pure amusement. The writer
of the burlesque retort says:
land the worst of it is that a morn
ling paper of today quotes a portion or
MIR. Mowbray's article, presumably
Iglad to get from a respectable source
something that can be twisted into a
Isemblance OF confederation of its own
bigotted and BIASED views. and actu-
ALLY comments on it as though 1T took
lit seriously
The "retort courteous is from the
lpen of a young North Carolinian Tor
Years resident in New York city, Mr..
FRANCIS B. Hays, born at Oxford, and
son of the able N greatly v~enerated
Air. John B, Hays, who passed away a
few weeks ago