The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-06-11
SOUTHERN SKETCH
Some DriftwOOd Caught
From the Cur
rent.
BY F. S. II.

............ NO. :. ...'. ...'.'.'''
Lawrence Austin was one of our
customers at the store. The boys uSed
to enjoy a call from him because of ms
remarkable flow of language and his
originality of thought and expression
He was a kind of local preacher or
''Zorter," and his services were much
sought after i'm the meetins. me
other afternoon he dropped in at the
store as he said ter see how yo' Wos
dertailing upon goods. Yo flour is a
great 'eal Considibler reeziEabler an us
down der country. | bin down ter de
tractable meetin at Bar swamp. L
favored down dere wild 'cm an draWed
three (convertS) an dey feel very lott
ter gi' me up. Bein' attacked wild er
risin on me SIDE l feel very much dis
plated at times. | dunno but I'll attain
wild 'em eny longer er not but | guess
I'll correspond goin' home till der
shank o der week eny how. Buck
Hays sed he'd take me home Sat y
perviGed providence submits an ne
kin get er convenience. Can't yo' fix
me up er pollygacid (carbolic acid
wash fer my side? De doctor tot me
ter take some clinches of iron (tinct-
ure of from an paint der risin' wild in
adeens Godine). l tuck sum nlnequlne
but it diden seem ter do no good. YOU
know'd sister Fanny COley? Well, she S
dun receasted las Sund'y She had er
ingestis Chill Well if yO' dun got dat
truck redy, / must be guine.'
Jake Benson was quite factotum
about the cotton yard and stables. He
was small of stature but big in his
own estimation. He was ambitious to
hold a high hand with the other
sex and withal a rival not to be de-
spised among the younger darkies. BY
his own acknowledgement he was "a
little man" but" says he L kin
make as big appearments as eny
body" Realizing that it might be of
advantage to him to add to his store
of accomplishments he would come
after work hours for us to teach him
how TO play the compliments on the
banjo" explaining that he could play
these quick and devilish chunes but
he noticed the gals liked the com
plimentS," which was a very good
double play, tho he didn't realize it.
He had wonderful things to tell of his
conquests and how he was the dread
of his rivals. He seemed to desire no
higher enconium than to have it said
of him he's a bad niger befo' de
wah." Did you see me cut out dat Mig
ged Sund'y evenin'?
mo, how was that?" We'll, Dinah
Mills was dab befo' de church talkin
wild dat flat-footed Jim Snaders an l.
slept up an aXed de privilege o eX-
.coursin her an She tuck my arm an
went rite off down de road wild me
leaVin' Jim Sanders dar wild his mouf
open feelin' lax de little boy de calf
runt over. as de oil sayin' seq Bleve
I'll try sum O. dem. Reckon | can't
git EN- fom sum o. dem mcrchandiers
down at Smithfield? / know de DeWs
(Jews) keeps EN- but / hardly ever
traids dere. Boss, can you tell me.
how it's a man kyan mex as good ap-
pearments wild is sweet art as he kin
wild jes de ordinary naburhood gals?
Wen I'm wild dem | kin talk de hons
off'in er brass billy cote but Wen I'm
wild meh sweet art sum9hOw-er-nuther
meh idecrs flies all erbout."
An election was being held down at
the corners and party feeling ran high.
Our ccnstabulary had their hands
full with efforts TO keep order. one
Henry Lynch was specially boisterous
and not needing any word of warning
was knocked down by constable
Brown. The rowdy crowd rushed in
upon the constable and he might have
Jared badly but for the timely inter-
vention of Ephriafn Jackson, a kind
of leader among the cOlored politicians
who With stentorian voice and COM
handing words quelled the disturb
ance. Stan back dar stan back! Dis
man shall not be obstained in his Of
fee. He shan't be reposed upon. /
would not wish to refend eny one but
if eny body in this crowd exists, I'll
spill der las drap o fer EN-. Every
one of you is lively to be invited fer ex-
isti er officer, Jes waite twell der fish
erkil returns comes in an We'll show
'em. Der longes' poles gwine ter git
der simmons and dcr's no use fitin
and scratchin'. Don be harraskin ar
ter cny body an don be drinkin' ct
mans corn liker an den gwyne an
votin' fcr. somebody else"