Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1904-11-10
(Eritfen yor he Bsae
jim BOWLING AND
THE PHoNosssA

iOrtaDlY resting upVu tttNAtfN* cattAl
and loosely held in hisclasld hands
an old, gnarled. hook hand "a grape
vine stick which was inpeE 81 keep
ing with the old man biI ell as to
seem part Of bis own ihlliyldpali-
". Well stricken Ia years though
be was, as attested b. lht scanty.
wooIly covering Of bis head bis
wrinkled features aud generally
shrunkou lienfe, Ne* 49, that
about bin which belied lie nssnmp
ton Of actual dacrepitude, mental
or physical. His costume was Of
thai nondescript character common
70 many Of the elderly negroes
| IN the Southern Peninsula Of Mary
land and which il summer Is scant
| Ia the extreme. His hat, cotton
shirt, trousers and cotton suspend
ers, though mitch worn, we're scru-
| pulously clean and distinctly res
pectable looking The bots pour
ling down upon him. bathing bis
whole picturesque figure IN is
searching rays, beyond accentuas-
ing each item OF bis makeup and
personality, caused bin 20 appar.
ent discomfort. On the contrary,
be seemed, Judging from aheexpres
sion Of bis face and the general air
81 Injurious repose peryading bis
person, 70 revel ia what, 70 me,
would have been active suffering.
He was sIumbering gently but Was
ID ihe same time keenly alive % any
unusual sound. as evidenced by the
swift opening Of one eye and is rap.
ia survey Of the scene ii his line y
vision. whenever the oppressive
stiffness was broken Having trans
acted my business In the store. and
while awaiting The feeding d ny
horse, had taken u chair on the
porch near tho wall. ID tho shade.
and had been amusing myself spec
ulailnE on the history d this typical
Southern negroand watching with To-
creasing interest tho frequent opeu-
ing Of one or The other 81 his 70.
markably alert. intelligeaa fold eyes
There was something h0Eh ridicu-
ioas and rcsttui Ia the gradual clos
ing OF the vigiIans eye and its re-
lapse into siumber. and | Was won.
dering how hs managed 70 keep 10
alive 10 his surroundings md yet
apparently 80 sunk IN sleep whei /
WINS startled almost out d my chair
by She whlrr Immediately followed
by the crash 81 band nsnslc which
proceeded from photograph Inside
The store,
II was not The lirst time, by many.
that had heard tbs phonographs
but there was something 80 unex-
pecsed, so incongraous 10 hearing Il
in that Intensely rural, isolated place
that Il il not surprising jumped.
Inslinctiyely | turned my eyes on
the old man, and was rather con
fused 10 lind both Of bis keenuld eyes
lixed on me, but with al expression
so quizzical that burst out laugh.
1 ing. Theold man echoed lny laughter
with one 30 unsteady mellow and
80 foil Of intense enjoyment that
felt drawn towards bin and deterGl
ined 10 cultivate his acquaintance
This was an easy matter 70 do, and
/ soon found that be was uncls
Mace Ssnallwood, known BY eycrs
one 10 that section, and that humoi
Of the keenesi. racial SORT was bis
predominant character. Apropos o
tho incident Of the phonograph. til,
cause Of our acquaintance, he toll
me Of an amusing occurrence be vii
messed when II was first brough
there, and viii endeagor 70 give /
in his own words, though II Is IN
possible TO convey perfect idea Q
the inimitable manner expression
and gusto with which be related II
Talk bout funny things ! butden
! Paragraphs Is de ut-beatenest Q
! any funny things | everseed Well
] sub, the ye'ey day dat air funny
graph come here Jim Bowling, b
come, too. Who is Jim Bowling
Well, boss. Jim Is so emery dat eve
rybody IL dis deestrlct know him
Heis dat ugly dat be makes you fee
like Dustin out cryin when you fus
see him and dere niut nary stra
dog ever come round here yit Dc
didn't give jim de whole Of dc roa
! when he first come cross him. Sc
!, Jim onct and You never gwine fui
I Git him. He Il tall aud lean an
I long necked and kinder yalIer Tx
and his hands and feet IS monstrons
: dats what dey is, des monstrous