The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-06-04
THE SONG WON HIM
The Camp Meeting Tune
Bridged Social and
Race ChaSms.
A Story in Which Red WhiskeY, Ra-
ciaI FEELING, and an Old Time
Tune Figure and Recall Old
Times in Carthage.
Carthage Blade }

the metropolitan insurance 20. at
Pittsburg, Pa, once 1 was sent to
/ Cumberland Md, to investigate
| death claim over which there had been
| some controversy.
/ Upon arriving at McKeesport, the
| train that L was on was side-tracked
| for a special to pass. In company with
several other passengers l got off and
was walking up and down the station
platform when l was accosted by a
| young man of muscular build. He
had the appearance of being a sport
| and il was plainly visible that he was
on the outside of several drinks.
Graspng my hand he exclaimed,
| Hello, pard, you are from the South,
/ knew it as soon as | saw your hands
| in your pockets. and that help-it-go-
fetch-it walk that only a Tar Heel or
! Sand LapperS can boast of"
1 told him that / was born and bred
| i'm North Carolina. He replied that
| he. too, was a Soutlferner his home
being i'm Georgia. He had been visit
| ing the various cities of the North,
| Sightseeing. and was then on his re-
turn home He said that he would be
| glad to get home for he was tired of IA
| country where they ate, rode and slept
| with niggers
| The special passed and We boarded
| cur, train, which shortly pulled out.
| My new acquaintance occupied seat
with me and soon became very bolster
Gus. Every few minutes he would pun
flask of red whiskey from his
| pocket, and after taking swill would
| pass ii to me and the occupants of the
adjacent seats. No one would join
him except an actor. who had got on
with the other members of his fro1pe
at McKeeSport.
| finally exchanged seats with the
I l. i,rnt ,,f IL no 10
man from Georgia exchanged conf
dences and the flask of whiskey till
the latter was all gone and they were
shaking hands and having a love feast
| to themselves when a large black
negro entered our car and sat down
| by the side of a young white woman on
| a rear seat OF course ii was all right
! with the lady-she was used to il. Not
so with the Georgian. He sprang 10
his feet and pushing up his sleeves
went TO where the couple sat and rub
| bling his fist in the Negroes face ne
cursed him soundly, and then proceed
ed to give the lady piece of his
mind, winding up by saying that after
all he believed that the negro was in
| bad company.
| 1t created great CONSERVATION, and
I ii seemed for a while that a free for
| all fight was inevitable. The conduc-
/ tor was sent for to quell the disturb
ance. and the actor and myself inter-
! fered i'm behalf OF the Georgian and
succeeded in getting him back to his
| seat.
When order had been restored the
! negro arose and stated that he felt
himself too good to dirty his hands
/ with such common trash as the man
! was who had seen fit to insult him.
| He produced a document, which he
| said was a diploma from Lincoln Uni
1 a
/ further that he was formerly of South
| Carolina and knew the class of ill-bred
whites to which the Georgian be-
! longed and waving his diploma above
| his head, he exclaimed: II can teach
/ them in books and manners" No one
needed him and ne sat down and con
| tented himself by rolling his eyes in a
vengeful way at the man from Georgia,
who was now too engrossed with the
actor and his lady friend to give the
coon from Lincoln University any seri-
| Gus attention
Presently the actor began to sing
| some witty stage songs of the latest
| composition, but they did not appeal
| to the taste of the man from Georgia.
who insisted on the rendition of an
| old camp meeting song. which was
| doubtless sung a century ago, and is
| still sung i'm back woods revivals. viz
! ''Oh. Father, Won't You Meet me on
| Caanan's Happy Shore" He was just
drunk enough 10 sing and got his voice
| geared up to &c" and kept it there.
| The disciples of grease, paint and the
footlights saw that he would have his
| way and Joined in That actor had
| trained voice and he used it. When
the lady fell in ranks with her alto il
| did the man from Georgia a sight of
good. and he stood up and began to
| clap his hands. when he reached the
| chorus second time the whole theat-
riCal troupe had caught the tune and
| Joined him with some OF the richest
voices | ever heard:
| Nv the grace of God I'll meet YOU.