The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-05-25
NEGRO f0LE-sONGs,

4 -~---.----
Quaint Ballads of Southern Darkev
: Some of Which Are Echoes o
t His Primitive Life in Africa
Rhythm a Prominent Part Of His
Emotional Make-up.
Austin, Texas, May Is, 1912.
Editor Chief:
Dear Sir-As Sheldon Fellow Of
Harvard University am engaged in
collecting the folk-songs OF America
my work being at present especially
concerned with the songs of the ne
gro-his reels, his snirituals, and
his play songs. I ask your aid in
bringing together the words and
music Of the most distinctive negro
i "ballets" precisely as he has sung
them and in many places continues
to sing them. Almost all negroes
sing. Sometimes their songs are YER
s1ons OF music-han ballads; oftener
they are a crude, natural expression
Of his emotions, his real life. Per-
haps some are echoes of his primi-
tive life in Africa. He improvises
readily and rhythm is a prominent
part of his emotional makeup; and
| his songs seem to rise spontaneous
" to match every emergency of his
experience. In the cotton-patch he
| sings:
Fus' time saw de boil Weevil
He was settin' on de square;
+ sE Nf,V' r =,
He had all OF his family dare
Dey was lookin' for a home,
Jes' a-lookin for 4 home. .
As a teamster Oh the levee::
me D
Billy done holler Tor his oats an
hay 8
Gwine t harness in d. mornin5
soon, soon,
GWine t. harness in de mornin'.
soon''
AS Mississippi riverman:
Long come de Katie Adams with
her headlight turned down stream
An her side wheel a-knockin',
'Great-God-I been redeem'.''
Of one Of his desperate friends:
Twas on Christmas morning,
De hour was about ten
When Stagalee shot Billy Lyons
An landed IN de Jefferson pen
0 LaWdy, po' Stagalee.''
In his church:
when my blood run chilly an col
Use got to go,
Use got to go, I'se got to go;
When my blood run chilly an col 7
I'se got to go
Way beyond de SUM-
Among the reels" alabama Bound, .
frankie and Albert" s'The Blues"
big Jim's Dead an Cone "Rail-
road BILL" among the spirituals,
Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray
There's a Little Wheel a-Rollin' In
My Heart" Goods Coin t. Ride on
a Whislin' Chariot" 'Norah Hist de
Winder,' are all genuine negro folk
songs.
Many OF your readers know such
songs or know where they can be had
shall greatly appreciate any help
given me in getting into permanent
form this fllusive material, both the
words and the music. Possibly the
music of the negro will turn out to
be his most important contribution to
American culture. It can be easily
caught on the phonograph.
Others of your readers who have
not been thrown into contact with
the negro may know ballads equally
as interesting There are current in
America many ballads Of the cowboy,
the gold-seeker, the soldier, the
mountaineer, the sailor, as well as
interesting versions of the tradition
al old world ballads. All are of in
terest to the student of music. Of
literature, and Of social customs. and
shall be most grateful for anv helm
in collecting this shifting, fast-van-
ishing expression of the American
ballad spirit. I particularly invite tbs
correspondence of persons who are
willing to help in collecting this ma
terial.
Sincerely yours,
JOHN A. LOMAX,
President, American Folklore
Society
A libel against the excursion steam
er Belle of the Bends was filed in
the United States district court at
New Orleans by the West Kentucky
Coal Company, which claims that the
boat is indebted to it in the sum of
SIS for fuel furnished at Donaldson
vile. The vessel was seized at New
Orleans last week by a United States
deputy marshal in accordance with
an order issued by Judge Rufus e.