The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-30
MEN; WOMEN
 AND ! THINGS

rival of the boil weevil and the war status in Europe, whereby the cotton market was put on the toboggan.
 One of my friends asked me if I wouldn't try and give some of the humor connected with the sudden transference of so many colored people from Dixie to Yankeedom- was born and reared in Alabama, and in that part where the negro was in his glory and was treated kindly.
 Now, I think I know the negro ra- ture and the black psychology as well as any white man can know them, for r-had negro nanny. my father was a slave owner and the only servants I ever knew as ! was growing up were the colored ones and, like all southern boys. came in contact with the chill dren of the butler, carriage driver, cook and other help.
 I have always had sympathetic in- terest in negroes, not in the way of the | mistaken reformers who invaded the I taken notions about social equality and !. irritating political matters; but in keeping with the better class of south erners who were really desirious of sec ing them make good in their new found freedom in a way best calculated to make them independent.
 The negro has a keen sense of hu- nor, and it's a confirmed pessimist who can>lfsten to them as they josh" one another in their peculiar way and not get good laugh. They are rough in their words and give vent to all kinds of insinuations in their verbal contests, yet underlying it all there is total lack of malice or any desire to really hurt one anothers feelings. They just seem to lose themselves in the fun of getting the better of one another
 You don't have to explain a joke to negro for the average member oi the race is quick to catch on to the good points of anything which he hears. If you doubt this, try out any | servant and you'll get a grin if the tale has any merit in it. I have fre- quently watched the walters at our public dinners and by the play on their faces they are among the first to re- act to a good story.
 I was particularly struck with this at the Father and Son banquet, for when Charley Lane got going good, l saw the head waiter beginning to lose control of himself, and with him were the balance of his crew, and in order not to laugh out loud they retired into the hall but not far enough away tc flowing thick and fast from the lips of the speaker.
 wish some student and preferably a southern man, who knows how to differentiate between the negro stories invented by white men and those born in the minds of the black people them selves and put the latter in book when put alongside of the nationa humor of other races, wish it mfghs be done before the old time darky oi Joel Chandler Harris, Thomas Nelson Page and Harry Stillwell Edwards dies out and gives place to the new breed made famous by our own Roy Octaviu; Cohen
 An effort is being made to preserve negro folklore, negro music, negr, dialect, etc, and why not negro humor. am not here speaking of their abilit, as story tellers. for if it came to match between the raconteurs of al races. if left to the verdict of southern boys and girls. and particularly thos. reared before the war and just after it their votes would go almost solidly fol 7 their negro mammies. for they had tn, dramatic instinct which gave then S power to paint word pictures that chil, P dren had no difficulty in being abl,
 to see and understand.
 I know number. but will cite her, only one case of negro who went be : yond the Mason and Dixon kine and il now home again. I will try and giv,
 his experience as told to me fev 7 ! nights ago by my nephew, l. Merce
 Barnett, when I was out taking Sunda,
 night tea with him, for Mercer and Jin
 were the only two parties in the story 7
 d Jim, one of the best men on the yard . of the Barnett Lumber Company ' caught the exodus fever and sought al e interview with Mercer. and as near a a can set it down the following dialosu ], took place: Boss. Is gwine to oui t syer." said Jim. All right" answere,
 Mercer, you have the right, bu h haven't I treated you square,, "Ot e yes, you sure has. but then I am of n fered ss day, and you know dats $ lot of money for a nigger." ! Mercer went to explain that tn :. chances were that he would be give :. the s6 per day, but that whe
 his railroad fare and other ex penses were worked out ! nor
 than likely he would be fired and re , hired, all of which came true. accord = ing to the darky's report when h U showed up back here not long ago an
 applied for his old place, which wa
 readily given to him, as he was needle and was a really valuable hand. 5
 ,- Here is his story: Boss, it was je