The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-22
SOUTHERN DARKIES AT PLAY.
A NIGHT or SPORT WAY BACK
IN ARKANSAS.
champion Eaters Of the District Turn Out
for q Cracker Match at the Plantation
store A Marvellous Performance
and Generous Little Victor.

for a Cracker Match nj the Plantation
store A Marvellous Performance
and . Generous Little Victor.
LATHE Rock, Ark. Dec. 1.-THE Robin
son place, which Is the unpretentious name
of one of the finest cotton plantations IN
the Arkansas River, Is doubly isolated
Living fifteen miles below Little Rock,
IL was al one time skirted by the great
river. In those days the noise and traffic
of steamboats, were part OF the plantation
life. It was In direct II remote contact
with the great world whei, the Halle. the
Lotus Flower and other craft OF a bygone
century were necessary factors In CON-
merce, in the days before s~teamboating
was an obsolete term.
But many years ago the river, during a
season OF foods and disaster, cut It's way
across a low-lying neck Of laid, leaving
miles OF channel. lying in the form OF a
horseshoe, deserted. Tn abandoned chan
mel Is now full OF water, deep and clear.
but not a ripple stirs on it's surface. With
the fight Of years its terminal points have
been clicked with drift and earth, and the
great sheet Of water has become practi-
cally a lake. 1t Ia. full Of fish perch. crop
pie and other varieties-and one rising
with the dawn will find the wary wild
duck on it's bosom. But Old River, rs 1t Is
called. II all that IL left to the Robinson
place OF the former mighty water way.
The whistle Of packets. the droning song
Of r~oustabouts are heard no more.
During the winter season, when the
fields are lying fallow, when the white
| cotton fields have been denuded and their
bare brown stocks rattle in the wind. there
is a breathing spell in the plantation life.
Wild fowl fly overhead in the dusk OF even
ing-straight lines against the leaden sky;
and during the brief days. when the golden
| sunlight floods the fields, the quail is abroad
in the yellow grass 1t is the silent time
of coveys, when the male bird IL clad in
| Puritan earb, and is never heard through
the silence calling to his mate. Now the
feathered folk are silent, shy, alert. They
know the hunter is abroad in the land.
The plantation store is a prominent and
necessary feature in the work Of conducting
the great farm. Here a hundred darkies
and their families. all employees, come to
buy the neceesaries Of life. Here. too, they
find a common meeting point, where They
can perch themselves on counters or barrels
about the box stove and discuss the meagre
interests which circumscribe their lives.
The plantation darby Is not to be asso-
ciated with him OF coontown. or ragume
fame. He leads a lowly, serious life, In when
strel effects. But when the days and even
ings are cold these workers seek the warmth
of the store and throng about the stove
like flies about q molasses jug, TO quote tine
storekeeper.
heads Of families were comparing notes as
to the appetites Of their children. Patterson.
one Of the speakers, was commonly credlted
with having said on one occasion; 'lelhn' de
trufe Ia de mos debilitatin' practice knows
Of And Pat. as no wal familiarly Calico
always enjoyed the most vigorous health:
He had been born with the imagination OF
an Esop, and long years Of pulpit expert
ence had given him a facility, OF speech
which enabled him to convey his IDEAS In
the most sprightly fashion. In short IL may
be said that there was a sort Of NNverbal
unaway now and then when Pats audience
proved to be an inspiring one. On these
occasions the most attentive could see noth-
ing but meaningless words In his haran-
CUES.
n muscular little man who was an utter
stranger to both idleness and WEAKNESS,
said Pat: Il likes TO see Qua unde' growth
feed hea'ty. Put dem boys o mine does
johnson. whose .high-pitched, husky
drawl gave an effect OF simplicity not at
ali In keeping with his black, sparkling
eyee. responded: Dat iii bowey o mine am I
no sluggud when he gifts hees feet unda de
table"
sOh, dom be settin' up no counta'claim
BRO, her Johnson said Pat, stcrnly. 'Io'
boys CANT syndicate wild my boys when
hit comes TO table matte's.'
He then explained how his onsplng,
three In number. had on a certain occasion
made AVA with a fifteen pound ham,
a not OF beans. another Of rice and braid
in popotion-con braid, hoe cake and
AQUA biscus like the white folks eats
And a. there still remained a pot oil hoinihy
the oldest, Sam Pat. had bitterly wept te-
cause he could eat no more, while there
wera vet viands In sight-a a. dilemma more
painful, II less sublime, than that which
confronted Alexander the Great on q mem
orable occasion ALI
removed his hat and scratched his head
sidney's hat, by the way was nat and
creased, somewhat like q closed aooofuIon
II ono could have explored its unkno~
history. the fact might have develops 'hal
~ one time n Was of It's. rtin NaHrfs' bul
this n mere oonlecture
Il neckon III la We To withdraw my boy
from de oontes . said Sidney
A Silent Hercules who stood IN the hsck-
ground srnted with con,.mP ~"
didn't helieve Pats story. 'lb1IsVe that .
q dam sketch, said he
sOh. come on, Pat, said another, mor,
outspoken Your. s l"s' maxim dat
You knoNs yuu CANT tell the irui, Pat
Pat lap-sd iuto scripture M naturally
A. a xls-sl alps Into q rut
You wants tO paoi de b~An oui"n 30
own .ye, lo~.sgn yuu cAlnt So ue mote ~hst''
a. nAns. ls nsspondot Ii"n 10 addei al.
drr-.lnk tho stowk~IEr M tnla~H
knOxs that dem bays kih de- H., 'aIns ~
l.sf. phnsilnas S.sk and niei az Along Gle
ouunta. and ryy uio bf"usli sufns poi0ny
a. cls-sT an' ,aIsub afh lsfo d'b 80
Al noRei. day hal s%fsytlatHF - ~ Nc
Git,snn diiut Ahos ~iai b. had HsAi Do
al iam oil n.alSioi ul
III tsn 300 shai II do said ,aIs.u
~ Pa ~tll lnns ias t1Ys Ann,ast isr
haianlaF xsN iAsS = iisatri hlinrh
innE yoW iHYB Az - sea atf
" - sha nah ssi tus rfarAris a. tta
loa.i uHs ihs sinis.s 500 . ps,asd 4
taiait
ps my i-bs ~ 500 40 500 Hala
~ sltl frtsusalHf
ssH sees asn isfr saad . $50
uu4s $50 81 81 i@-H astsua.s "a
s~ir 40 ufs dec tasfa isA laaas.
H. go f. fslan iaH buHh lee a. a. A.
eos sia itaaHaAs ian latasslg s4l -.
80 = . issl nsfs asn i@ia sta fia
isalH
" uas 80 ua siAy asiHafHas ttan
aisi A. anaf 80 - - "a sss 49,
Mst Istf 49, TO nsuiss sssissils ~
fls 49, Hsaal lHi gss AL sssssa gus'