St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-05-21
HIPPOPOTNUS IS
Frightening TEXAS
NEGROES.
They Are Holding Mass-Meet
ings and Protesting Against
the Importation of ssthe
Beasts of Prey

There is almost a panic among the
Texas negroes of this vicinity, who
have heard Of the proposal of Repre-
sentative Broussard of Louisiana that
Congress appropriate $250,000 to i'm
port big game animals Of Africa and
turn them loose in the jQngles Of the
Gulf States and to allow them to
multiply and furnish meat for the
buckers Of the meat trust, and they
are taking the matter in dead earnest,
according to a story told here BY
Sam Ward, who has just returned
from the Double Bayou district, says
a WallisyiIle, Texas, special to the
Item.
He declares that the old mammies
are already warning their fickanin-
MES not to wander from hom lest a
hippopotamus from one Of the bsYous
should make a sortie and gobble tRam.
THE negroes are worked up to 4
high pitch Of excitement over the
stories that have been told them BY
white visitors said Mr.. Ward, of
the governments alleged plan to put
big wild game from Africa into the
forests and sWamps. While I was
there q mass-meeting was held in the
rickety old negro church TO discuss
the matter. Two or three hundred
negroes crowded into the little room
and considered the impending disaster
from every possible standpoint. The
Rev. Tobias Tomlinson, the pastor Of
the flock, presided over the meeting.
Somehow the belief Is firmly grounded
in the minds Of the negroes that ex-
President Roosevelt is the originator
and chief promoter Of the proposition
To bring voraeious African animals
to this section.
POWERFUL TRUBBLEIN TIMES.
Breddern, dis am q powerful
troublesome time wild which we are
about to be oppressed, began the
Rev. Tobias. We know not what
moment shiploads Of appropriateness
and other kinds Of savage beasts Of
Africy may be turned loose on our
shore to devour our little chillens
and feas' On our sweet pertater
patches. Maybe the appropriateness
are now being unloaded down at
High Island, and
"sOh, Lordy! oh. L-o-r-d-y! Whar
am my two chillens? interrupted a
fat woman on a back seat as she rose
and waddled frantically out Of the
door.
The Rev. Tobias gazed intently
at his audience over his black
trimmed speetaeles in mild rebuke Of
the interruption.
Tt am strange thing what am
bein' done, this here bringin' them
beasts Oh prey from Afriey to Double
Bayou he continued. Wherefore de
whyness? | asks you-all. Can any
OBJ Yo answers? No! Therefore,
say, wherefore de whyness oh bringin
dem air animals to Double Bayou
No mo- will we lib in peace; no mo
viii
An old darkey who was sitting
J upon the front edge Of the pulpit
platform jumped to his feet anf
waving his arms at the preacher
made inquiry in a high pitched voice
J Brudder Tomlinson, what am dese
hippopotm muses. dat we hear 80 much
! about? Ef dey amt no Wusser dar
| dem razor-baek shotes what gifts il
my garden / kin handle 'em myself.
PREACHER SHOWED CONTEMPT
! THE Rev. Tobias allowed his con.
temptuous gaze to rest upon tbs
braggart for a moment and then said
Rastus Williams, Use s'prised a
You. OBJ course, yo' can handle den
J ahotes what come fom white folks
I pastur / s'pect right now 70 go
smoked bacon from offer dem shote'
! right in 20 house. But let me tel
you, Rastus Williams, yo' would dral
daid wild hearts disease if 70 was Il
meet one OBJ dem appropriateness il
de road or see one OBJ dem in yo' sWee
pertater patch. Rastus Williams, 70
] know how big dem appropriateness is
Listen to me breddren' an I'll tell &c
, about dem animals. 70 all hab seel
] dat big mule what Massa jackson
dribes to de mail hack? Wall. da
mule he makes no more than one lei
J OBJ a hippopot'mus. Fact! No more'