The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-26
Was lit Gh@ lD@W60 WHO
First Drove a M]QD0@R 2
BY REV. R. n. WHITAKER.

We can tell who built Babylon and
Nineveh; who laid the foundation of
Rome who built the Temple at
Jerusalem; who destroyed the city of
Jerusalem; who built the pyramids;
who made the first alphabet, where
learning had its first home, who were
the first astrologers; and, coming on
down we can tell who discovered
America, who conquered Mexico, who
caught the lightning, who discovered
the use of steam, who built the first
steamboat, who built the first rail-
road, who harnessed the lightning,
who invented the telephone and the
phonograph; yes, We can tell all these
and a thousand other things, but the
question is. who invented cursing-
calling on God to damn Gods crea-
lures? / suppose some fellow will
hop up and say, That's the Devils
invention;" and I guess that answer
would be correct. If so. we have TO
admit that he has been most wonder
fully successful in popularizing his
invention. for, strange to say, cursing
used to be regarded by many people
rs Il necessary accomplishment, who
nsad 1t az prefix, or Suffix, in ordinary
conversation, to strengthen state
ments, inspire confidence, express
contempt, manifest disaprrohation.
and, oftener than otherwise, to heigh-
ten the worlds opinion of the bravery,
the wisdom or the superiority CT the
swearer. To my mind there is nothing
that is more useless or more sense
less than swearing, or it would not
have been so specially prohibited;
and, I will add, there is nothing that
lowers a. man In my estimation more
than to hear him ripping out an oath
when, seemingly and really there is no
provocation.
There was a very distinguished
man-one for whom. as young
man, 1 had the highest admiration.
because 1 thought to be great meant to
oe good. He was a lawyer, and l had
heard some of his best speeches. both
at the bar and on the stump, in all of
which he said nothing that raised the
suspicion in nv mind that he was
otherwise than good as we'll as great.
But one day / went to his office on
some business. He treated me
courteously and said many pleasant
things which I was packing away to
be remembered. when another law
yer came in. and the conversation
with me ceased. remark from the
visiting lawyer, about some business
matter, provoked the distinguished
and the most horrible oath I had ever
heard fell from his lips. My ideal was
destroyed, and the shock L received so
disconnected me that ! was unable.
intelligently, to finish delivering the
message I went there To carry from
my father. I saw him hundreds of
times after that before he died. and l
always wished that / had not heard
him swear.
T In
these latter days, SO ! am indulging
the hope that 1t is becoming unfashion-
able, at least among the intelligent
and more refined. Ny father used to
have a negro who commended that
swearing was absolutely necessary
when driving mule team up a steep
hill with heavy load on the wagon.
He said that horses would pull all
right, but mules had to be cursed, or
they wouldn't pull. OF course my
father didn't believe q word of 1t, nor
do now. but I'll tell what happened
once when / was a youth. We were
going to Fayetteville with q heavy
load of cotton. and the question with
us was, could We climb the Black
Creek hill, beyond Myatts MILF All
the morning that question was on our
minds. Father and I walked behind
the wagon and frequently / asked the
to pull up the hill?"
At last We came in sight of the
much dreaded hill. the driver stopping
in the creek, while crossing, To let
the mules drink. He drove out and
halted right at the foot Of the hill and
said: "hIarster. you go on up the hill
and get clear out of sight and hear
ing. If you stay here desc mules
amt a gwine to pull up | suppose
my father took the hint and went on.
hut left me with the driver to scotch
the wagon when a rest had TO be
made. AS soon as the driver saw that
''Marster" was out of sight he walked
around his team and gave each mule
a sharp cut with his whip, at the
same time treating each one to as
sharp a curse word as he could think
Of Gle said he was waking them
up.) Then mounting his saddle mule
he cracked his whip and began TO
curse in good earnest. Every mule
looked like he was crawling on the
ground. the whip continued to crack
the curses rolled koIt and the wagon
rolled on SO fast I could hardly keep
up with my scotch. Half the hill had
been climbed before the first rest was
made. When making the next start
the driver screamed out with pre-
fix and a Suffix: "What's dat | bin
a telling youi Crawl tell you,
crawl" The whip cracked, the oaths
flew out and the mules continued to
crawl until the top of the hill was
reached. Father. who was out of
sight, but not out of hearing, made
his appearance, saying to the driver:
81 see you are up the hill!''
"Yes, but I wouldn't a bin if you'd
stayed down dari"
Father smiled and said, 81 am glad
you pulled up, but I think I heard
you say some bad words
II don't know what you heard, but.
Iarster, I'll tell you one thing. a
preacher like you is couldn't made
desc mules pull dis Vaughn up dat dar
hill. / knows how to talk TO a mule
better'n you do, if you in q white
man."
Father didn't discuss the matter
with him: but. when We camped that
night, and father had gone to a house
near by to sit awhile with a family
he knew, the driver raised the sub
ject thus:
''Marster's nifty mistaken il he
thinks he ken make mules pull by
singing, Show pity Lord, o Lord for
OF Mrloc oip,f onf dat IiCb nm