Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1902-05-29

Ibid It ever occur to you that we
have had in this country during little
more than a half-century three distinct
types of negro songs?"
The speaker was retired minstrel
performer of the old school, who mas
been spending a few days in Washing
ton.
Perhaps it would be more correct to
say two, for the so-called coon or rag
time songs are far from typical of the
American negro" he continued The
first that would speak Of are the
antebellum melodies of the type com
posed by Stephen e. Foster, old Black
Joe Down OH the Suwanee River,
'Massa's in de Cold, Cold Ground or
for Charles m so Early in the Mornin', :
Of the class to which | refer. They are
songs that depict TO a considerable de-
gree the conditions of the Southern ne
gro in the days before the war, OF sug
gest something of his feelings during
that period. The melodies of not q few
of those songs are, of course, familiar
to the present generation. Fosters mel
odies viii never die-not because of the
sentiments expressed therein, but be-
cause of the simplicity of their tuneful-
ness. There is nothing complex about
them.
But particularly do desire to speak
OF the second type OF negro songs,
which are practically forgotten, and
which are almost absolutely unknown
to the young men and women who were
born, say, since 1880. They are the
songs that were inspired by the condi-
tions obtaining during the reconstruc-
ton period, and which met hearty
response up to about The year / have
mentioned. Who of us older fellows
won't recall with pleasure Ned Harri-
gan's old words with the sweet melody
Of the late lamented Dave Braham?
Il am thinking to-day
or de years now passed away.
When dey tied us up in bondage long ago.
Twas in oil Virginny State.
1t were dere we separate,
And il filled our hearts with agony and
Woe"
There was a negro song Of the per
iod that went far toward building the
national reputation that came to Harri-
gan and Hart. The people Of the North
during the reconstruction period were
was a multiplicity Of them, just the
same as there is a superabundance Of
ragtime' songs to-day. Why, who of
the preceding generation doesn't re-
member the time when. with rapturous
pleasure, he sat in the theater and list
ened TO the old negro's plant, the
chorus OF which was:
Take me back to old Nirginny.
Deres where de corn and de sweet per
taters grow:
Dere's where de moon shine SO bright in
my childhood:
Dere's where dis poor old darky's heart
am long to GO"
The melodies and the words We're
turned out by song writer's with rapid
ity, and many of them We're good and
had remarks able sales. AS said before,
there was a demand for them during
the dozen or so years following the
Civil War. Another song that had n
long run in the minstrel shows Of that
period and was played by bands and
orchestras and whistled in the streets
was that in which an aged darby was
depicted as recalling former days on
de OF plantation | remember one
verse and | remember what hit it
made when 1t had its initial produc-
ton in the first part Of our show. 1t
went:
in de evenin' by de moonlight,
When dis darky's work was ober,
We would sit aroun' de freside
Till de hoecake il was done;
After dat we'd eat our supper,
After dat we'd clear de kitchen;
Twas de only time we used to hab
TO hab little fun.
Uncle Gahe would take de banjo down
Which hang upon de wall,
While A. moon was shinin brightly all
de time.
How de OF folks would enjoy it,
De would sit all night an listen
As we sang in de evenin' by de moon
light"
"The Old-time minstrel fellows, some
If whom are still at work amusing the
public, will recall with no little pleas
ure the hits that were made with this
second class of negro songs to which
refer. And | believe that "A revival Of
the songs of the reconstruction period
would he a grand. good thing. as show
Ing to the present generation what then
obtained in the way Of negro melodies.
Nearly all of them depicted the aged
darky as being away from home and
longi. tn go back, More often il was
Georl In, Alabama. Kentucky or oil
VirgLny,' with an occasional Tennes-
see. the writer's of the words finding
the NJ mes Of these States more rhyth-
mical han Texas. Louisiana or some of
the other slaveholding States. Why.
from 1870 to 1880 no minstrel show
would think of going out without a
first-clHss old man darky sketch in its