Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-03
Long tho Jcem. river.

Long tho Jccms ftfScr.
TO the Editor OF The Times Dispatch:
Sir.-Atcr putting aside the Sundays
Ii:u"s-pspatCh OF the 2Sth instant,
that contained the words OF part OF
the song. Liza Jane" that the darkies.
ana many white people. too. were fond
of singing some decades ago relicht-
ing his clay pine that had a long fig
stem; mE friend from The banks Of III"
old Jc"ns River and Kama wha Canal
delivered himself in the following
words:
some people say It's foolish and silly
Tor me Ia want the words os Old SONGS
that w"r" sung at corn shurking lor-
rol! inrs and other gatherings Of darkies
and which also became popular With
pie may also think II foolish. and
even worse. for folks 20 be spending
l"iS "' money ana time ia digging into
tho ruins o: cities long since icy.rnvcd
looking for hicroElyphics in ali manner
of places and even in the graves for
anTth'nE that VIII give a knuwledc.
Of the peoplc, their laws and hrnit.
and for missing links OF history. some
"i these same folks would give :. BOW
crflll lot for their ancestry "a be trac.,l
rack showing they came from the
riSht stock or TO prove they dida't
come from bad stock. or TO show that
their folks fought on this side or that
SIDE IN some war; and then there are
p""pl" who make Il business Of coll
iecfing old coins, stamps. or even bird
'Trs-so If am foolish and nutty be-
cause want Ia So. in print the words
hut jus, handed down hy word OF
mouth. like frcenasonry. thcn ! have
got lets Of company Trcn. what
want is III" simon pure article with
out any OF the hiralutin' frills ,vns
reading a snort time back where some
h"dy wanted to change The wording
wTou'd be almost as big shane as
changing the words Of the Ten Com
mandmentS: and that reminds me that
read something about even making
thcm shorter.
\ hundred vcara from nov somebody
VII, want the words of Liza Jane"
or 1 ,,oh Pan Tucker or ''sweerheart
i>tck"d Nc Turn Tunr e-Iulv" or
KUN. Niger Run: de Patrole Kctch
iou, say, can't YOU get nc the words
!" Run. Niger Run? lust wait. Let
me get my banjo and pick IL: n will
n,rlnE BACK 10 my memory a few lines
Yes ] thought so--hcrc II goes;
some folks say niger don't steal
caught one in my cornield,
KUN Niger run. patrole kc,ch YOU:
KUN Niger run It's all broad daI-t
Kun hiSccr rum. patrole kctch YOU:
Kun Niger run. It's all broad day!
As ] was goin' 'rrons dc Geld.
Black snake hit me on Dc heel:
turned around 10 do my hes
stuck my head in a hornets ncs,
Run. Niger run etc
You see. he continued that in s,ov.
cry TINE tn" darkics had mighty
rambling way at night: nor al, 81 7a,;
but some, would get i'm all kinds -
mischief and devcltry. and after heinz
up az night were not III for worl.
ms%t DAY: SO the slave owners employ
cd men TO ride and walk around ,bc
country to pairolc tho ncirhborhoods
ana any they found without narr;te,
10 b" Off the nlantation they took them
"p ana turned them over to their own
"rS or ovcrscer$. These pa.role mo,
were called patrols" (acccnt ,n thn
first svllable)--that is tho way ,he
S S%nE c"m me, "hon, n that Dinwiddio
Ia
COR his county. like he did LIN lane :;
ne Is welcome to II. II he viii com.
across with tho words ''e
Yes. these Old songs vera ~. -.
uct Of tho times in which thnv 49,
%unG--a real history Of the day. Man,
nave never hecn printed, neither TIC
w Wits ne ncr We music. If I can ret .ha
ing ~ go 10 town and, with my bon;o
liz mo ore OF vour receiving phono,
pms provided the windows End
Tor ! hate to think of some Ncw Ina
ANA schoolmarm butcherinu tbo vrnrSa
Fer instance. how would this sonnnp
7''''e ,"i n''" ."c'arr that the Ethiopian
Hut observed one actine- susn;o;.
III nv maize field, o"Siy
"uh' MI; Ethiorian run. or the officer
VIII apNr"hond you-- 1851
kun. The night is being s,1cceoso1 =.
tho day. etc Wv" ny
:. Now. Wouldn't :hat make every ao,a
. n"n,hsrn dark"y turn over in his
S.-Since writing the obov. v
nc lens nixer and kanawha Canal friend
mas noted, with much pleasure tho
l.. Harrison. OF TunstaIis. Va itn W. o., - -,
ineY sound like the natch'I st,ff 81
t ina MN; also The Timcs-D Dispatch
,or me memory. logger. adding eliza
"''' comm all right all right!
Richmond. October %. 1917.