Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-09
COL. ORPINGTON'S Bluffs
Drawings by E. w. kemble
By w. Bert Foster

Drawings by E. w. kembe
"Dey's buff orpin' tons-somebody must a
:. done named EN- after de Kunnel. Oh,
n M lawsy! Amt dey fat an juicy lookn
- sassy" calculated the old negro he
III snapped his whip again to scare the
NmMN maraudng fowl.
MMMk Then suddenly he became very quiet his
WENa# head seemed to sink into his shoulders, and
ME#W Z his little beadke eyesba roved from side
~ ks to side as he scrutinized the neighborng
landscape There vantage point
a. for an observer within sight. Indeed, all
q" z,M that spectator at a distance would have
N T9IT<1 two pair of mules eating their
s. VI and an old negro sitting on the wagon
+. tongue idly Shoolng away the hens from
the feast.
Uncle Jasper went to the wagon and
took big bran bag from the seat. When
he sat down again this bag between
his knees, mouth upward and held with
his left hand. Now and then he would lean
forward suddenly and the aggressive hens
would scatter. Occasionally there would
sound a single loud protesting squawk.
When the mules had finished their corn Uncle Jasper
tied the mouth of the sack and put it quickly and
fully away under the seat. 1t was bulky, and there
were sounds of protest from Within and the old mans
eyes rolled convulsively all the time he hooking
up the mules.
But when he had got away without being hailed by
a soul, and a clean mile farther the road to
Richmond, he began to chuckle hugely, stamping his
feet on the footboard of the wagon, and sang
"or Mssus Har' is 20 at hornee
Deed is sttin yere chewln' on bone.
Frow erway dat oil bone; 10 yere de chicken am.
An she il sho' soon be fryin' in de pan!
"Er-huh yuh! Desire say kin have fried chicken wen
l earns disher dollar fom Mist Cyardwell but dat
don't make provision TO no bou'ten terbacker, an
CANT bide homespun."
HE drove around by another road when he returned
IL from market and halted at his little cabin and
patch long enough to drop off bag the contents of
which ceased not to squawk protestingly At night he
put the stolen chickens the roost in the poultry
house and kept them herded in the yard for few days
He had r1ra6 he andS of he
try lover would wish to
To Desire, Uncle Jasper explained that he done
traded for dem towels What he had given in exchange
did not seem clear but the beauty of the fowl
bargain. She wouldn't hear of of the bluffs being
killed. she decapated one of her hens for Jaspers
supper.
The flock of orpingtons were the show birds of the
neghborhood. negro can't pass yard OF fowl with
out his mouth fairly watering Uncle Jasper nailed up
his henOuse door every night and counted the beauties
every morning.
ONE day he was leaning his the top rail of
~ the fence, watching the flock contentedly at work
when Jake Montague stopped to pass the time of day.
Denis likely lookn Towel, Unc Jasper he OBJ
served.
"Deyis dat" admitted the old man warmly:
"Dey looks jes' 1aik dat Kunnel
Orpin tons done got limited Jake.
Uncle Jasper blew calm cloud from his
lips. Same strain" he said, "only got desc
fom ovah in Car'line County. Dey is sho'
purity birds, an l reckon an Kunnel
Orpn ton is de only folks watts got any of
"Yo' reckon so?"
dat All does.
lakes eyes rolled "Yos sho' wrong den
Unc' Jasper" he said. II flock jes'