Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1914-12-04

chlllun, five boys an five gals, an de
las one un 'em lef home bout time
dey was gro'n. Some went one way,
some an odder way, to de coal fiels,
public works, de railrode an de like,
! an see dis young boy Pse got now
is gwine ter do jes lax de res. So,
me an de Ole Oman talk'd de matter
over sir, an think it hes to move to
town whar we Gin keep dis boy long
wild u.s."
But, Uncle Henry, haven't you a
good, little home and good neighbors?
Hadn't you better stay on your little
farm?" l asked. He replied. "Nar
SIR, l aint got no farm, cep'en bout
iive acres, an part o. dat is rocky
hill side, an II part in woods, an you
see, faint much lef fer to- wurk,
countin' whar de house an barn sets.
Mar sir, aint got no farm, wish
did had. rents lit patch or two
every year fer corn, an time | pays
dc rent an feeds dc mule an de COW
taint nutf lief to las tw'el de mex
crop. An den, eff l had nuff lam to
max a hvin' on 'twould be dc same
wld de young uns. 'Taint no cum
pny roun' me fer n culled man. I'sc
oe oniy culled man in dat naborhud
cep'n one, an he lives bout five miles
on sir, an wuks in town fer de whit
Ioks. You see, Il cullcd man cyant
git holt no lam in dat part o. de coun-
ty, even eff he had dc muny to buy
it wild. De whi'foks say dey don
want niggers livin' clos to 'em. Dew
say whar n culled man settles it in
gers de price o. land, an den, whar
dar is only one er two culled fam
blys dey gifts lonsum. Dar aint no
churchs, ner schools fer us. An den.
agin, sum whi-foks doan like culled
foks no how, an is constan' pestcrin'
'em. Ef chicken or as much as a
yer O. corn liz missed, dey say, dem
nlggers mus or got it, | likes good
whi'foks myscf, | means quality whi'-
foks, but po white trash, nn' desc
haf strainers donn like niggcrs an
niggers doan like dem wus raised
by one q de hes famblys myself. an
so was my Ole Oman, an we aint
never got useter ter po whi'foks. an
don't soshate wild 'em." $50. Uncle
Henry" | put in, 81 suppose, from
your talk, you are heartily i'm favor
OF segregation" "Faver er what.
boss? What is dat wurd you spoke
sir?" he asked. "Why," | explained,
segregation. You know the big men
are saying now that the races nught
to be separated-the white people liv-
ing all together to themselves, and
the colorcd people to themselves.
Then you could have schools and
churches, plenty of neighbors, society,
etc, etc. This is what is meant by
segregation" "ls dat dc same us
what ! hear 'em call dc Jim Crow law,
boss?" asked the old man, very earn
cstly' u 'spcct it would be fer dc bcs,
at las, but, as fer mo-" he said, al
doah wanter git too fur fun dc whi-
ioks, kasc dey is dc hes frens II culled
man can hnve. l'se had good white
irens all my life. nm | thank Gnwd
ise got sum yit." ! suspected Uncle
Henry's motive for his visit and his
long talk, and ! could see his drift.
He never yet failed to get me for
something when he tried. | had no
idea, from the first that he wanted To-
rent house at all. He continued.
"Ef should cum ter town. boss. III
lax to git sum whnr clos to YOU M
poserble, fer you knows how to trent
cullcd folks. Nice quality whi-foks
lax you an mistis always duz. How is
mistis, desc days, boss? She sho is n
nice lady, Wish had time to stop at
dc hous, but ! aint got time. Isc in n
hurry today" He took from his pock
ct Il little tobacco bag, and began to
count his money, the price of his load
oil wood, he said. II amounted to ex
actly one dollar and fifty cents, and
olher small coins ran the amount up
to two dollars and fifteen cents. He
began. "De Ole O'man's shoes will
cos one dollar and sixty-tive cents. A
piece er meat'll cos fifty cents. an
bless Gawd, dat'll take de last cent
lse got. needs dram dis cole dav
dc wus kind. My rhumatiz is mons'us
bad, but | spose I'll ha'ter do wild out
IL. gave him some money. He
smiled and was pr0fuse i'm his thanks.
lie picked up his hat and started
FOR the door. "How about the house
you wanted TO rent, Uncle Henry?
i've got one you can have, right
among, number of colored people, in
the colored ward, near q church and
school. You will have a plenty OF
company, and live right in town"
III see you agin, boss, | don't b.
lieve keers bout movin' dis winter
! is segugatered bout all | keers bout
sir, Good mornin' boss"
l watched him disappear around the
corner, and couldn't but smile to
think how shrewdly this old-time
darkey had fooled me. | found upon
inquiry that Uncle Henry hadn't
brought q load Of wood to town for
SIX months. But / didn't begrudpe
the money. He'll get me for more
Tie next time he comes to town.