The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-01-03
FREDERICKSBURG. VA. THURSDAY. JANUARY 3,

Another pronounced characteristic
Of the negro is his
ABILITY TO KEEP SECRETS.
II negro feels a thing ought to be
kept secret. let no detective think he
can baguile him into letting 1t ont
So great is his fear OF detective aud
that he might. unawares, pump out OF
him something Of secret nature, that
he looks with suspicion upon every
stranger coming into his commun'
ity II stranger should pop up
who could not readily be accounted for'
the negroes will whisper oil around
that community Keep a look out for
that there fellow. for he mought be
one q these here potectors " To Illus
trate how well he can keep secret and
at the same time tI show how Yankee
sharpers have taken advantage OF his
oredulity aud duped him. l Will relate
an instance which Is said TO have oc-
Cured in county in Virginia. Inn
mediately after the war, some Yankee
.harpeFs came 20 Virginia, and in night
meetings represented TO the negroes
shat they were agents OF the Federal
Government, sent out for the purpose OF
distributing sticks, which each male
negro over 2l years was entitled to,
provided he had s. 10 pay cash down
for each stick to deiray the government
agents expenses Each stick repre-
sented ten acres Of land. to be the prop
erty Of the owner Of stick, wherever he
wanted to stick it-provided he stuck
IL South Of Mason's and Dix0n's Line.
The agents enjoined secrecy in the mat
ter, until they could get ont OF the
country. They sold many. many sticks
One poor old negro could raise but $40,
and as special favor the agents let
him have q stick for that amount. The
old negro insisted that she agent would
''write me some kind Of paper 30 /
can tie it on dat stick, showing my 10.
thority." The agent complied with
his request and the paper was tied to
the stick. About two weeks sfter the
purchase the old man selected his ten
acres in one Of the most fertile mead
ows In all that region there he stuck
his stick. Then looking over his newl y
acquired territory he commenced TO
solilOquize: now know TO a GER
tainty dat old things done done away
with and all things done made new.
Many times is worked dis Ian for
Mas John, but neber did once thought
Old Jim would ever own foot Of dis
medder. The next day Jim brought
down his steers. whip and plow aud
went to work. The real owner OF the
land seeing plowing going on. came
down and asked Of Jim what he was
about Jim told him If he wanted to
know his "inthorlty, go down tha
! and read what is on dat stick" The
gentleman went TO the stick and read
what the Yankee bad written. as fol
lows: "As Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness so l lifted up this
d-n old niger for four dollars and
seventy five cents. "
The ante. bellum stock stands much on
PRESTIGE.
In nine cases out Of ten the ante-bel.
lum negro entertains for his former
owners and their near descendants q
fondness akin to love. No one since
the war has raised " Any fowl like old
mistress or corn like old marster used to
raise fore de war, is the oft-heard ex
preston Of the ante.bellum negro. For
any one to cast slur against or make
q detrimental statement about old
marster or old mistress will immedi-
ately put him on his dignity. Some
years ago lady wanted 25gallon iron
Dot moved distance Of several hundred
yards. No cart being nigh old nanny
Liza said she would get another woman
living nearby to help Ter move IL.
Nanny made her request Of this med
ern oolored lady, who informed her she
was no slave and would help her at no
such dirty work as handling a black
iron pot for Mrs o. or any other white
woman. This slur OF her old mistress
put nanny Liza on her dignity, and
seizipg hold of that pot che conveyed
IL to the desired spot alone. saying
when she he'd sufficiently caught her
breath: "These here new fashioned mig
gers oan't fling no slams ct the msjesty
of my old mistress"
" "swEAR NOT AT ALL"
is one command Of the Bible sacredly
kept by 50 per Gems. OF the black race
in Eastern Virginia. can now recall
but two or three negroes of my COM
munity who take Gods name in vain.
While | have always regarded slavery
as an uD- Christian and almost inhuman
institution, still twas the most luxurious
institution she world has ever known
No automobile Of the present day can
compare to aristocrAtic daddy Simon,
mounted upon the front Of the family
carriage. during the halcyon days Of
slavery no electric fan TO the little
barefoot mulatto girl with her charac-
teristic smell and peacock-feather bush.
shooing the flies off the table, no mas
, sage or shampooing establishment &c
the little black bOyzscratching old mis-
} tress' back or ''looking her head. "
} never expect TO eat any bakers bread
; that will be as good Is NANNY Betay'l
ash cake. or any seedsmnn's new va