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THE SOUTHERN WORLD, AUGUST 15, 1882. 7 1 [ i i Cora Husking la the Mouth. Twenty years ago removing husks from corn was protracted, though not a laborious occupation upon large plantations where vast quantities of the cereal were consumed. Barrels of corn were ground into meal and Issued weekly to the laborers as a portion of their rations, thousands of bushels were used as provender for stock, and choice varieties were saved by the wholesale as seed for the ensuing crop. To expedite the labor of husking corn planters usually gave at stated intervals unpretentious entertainments in which their slaves and those residing upon contiguous plantations participated. In ac cordance with Ethiopian dialect such enter tainments were called “cornsshuckings,”and were as much in vogue among the blacks as were sumptuous levees among the whites. A “ corn-shucking” was invariably a season of jubilee with the dusky inhabitants of the South, and the nocturnal orgy was usually prolonged until one o’clock, a. m. The time to give a corn-husking at Oak Grove plantation arrived. The first thing upon the programme was the igniting of a bright fire in the inclosure near the colossal double corn cribs (known in more elegant phraseology as barns or granaries) which were a sine qua*non upon every plantation. Every precaution was used, and the blaze was not in sufficient proximity to the barn as to incur the risk of wisps of hay coming in contact with the myriads of sparks which ever and anon shot upward like lurid pyro technics. No solid wood wus used for the Are. Pine-knots, which the negroes called, and still call, "light-ard,” (a corruption of light-wood, so-called, not because it is light in weight, but because it emits a brighter light than any other fuel,) formed an admir able substitute. At 7 o’clock, p. x., in November 18—, the negroes from several plantations (each of which was several miles distant) came whist ling and singing towards the theater of the prospective convivial gathering—the enorm ous “cribs”—and at the same time the colored foreman of Oak Grove plantation superintended stalwart black men as they brought baskets of corn, and piled it in heaps. All being ready the negroes stripped the husks from the com with ambidexteri ty, singing gleefully, or venting their mirth in laughter as they worked. The songs were interspersed now and then with some such plaintive air as “Massa’s in de Cold Ground,” or the pathetic ballads of “Boys Carry Me Long,” and “Ole Vir- ginny," or “ Nellie Gray.” As a rat e the negroes are correct ti mists, and possess an accurate ear for music. They are also good imitators, and readily parody not only tone but expression. As the untutored soprano voices joined in harmonious concord the sympathy was so sweet that a disciple of Gottschalk might well have felt inclined to reduce it to notation. The favorite songs seemed to be "Zip Coon,” and “The Monkey Married the Baboon’s Sister.” In the latter song the first soprano personated Punchi nello with many a ludicrous contortion of his jovial visage, while a young woman, black as the ace of spades, represented the “sister” referred to in the song. When the husks were removed from the last ear of corn the crowd adjourned to a spacious log-cabin, and four musicians (?) took alloted seats. One of the quartette thrummed a banjo, another beat upon a tamborine, another vigorously exercised his hands by a simultaneous striking of bones held between the fingers of both hands, and another seemed as well pleased with the dis cordant strains which be played upon a cracked violin os Ole Bull would have been with his most successful performance, dozen of the men secured partners among dusky females, and entered with zest into various African dances designated as the “pigeon wing," the jig, the back-step, etc. The participants capered and skipped with surprising agility and persistency consider- that they had performed their daily labors, had walked several miles to the frolic, and had husked corn for two hours. Those who had chanced to find the red ears were entl tied to the highest honors. If a female, she was overwhelmned with invitations to dance; if a male, no matter how unpopular he might be upon ordinary occasions, bis lack of popularity vanished for the time being. A transition caused the male devotees of Terpsichore to esposue the cause of Mars, and they became soldiers pro tern. In the parade—a burlesque upon the Mulligan guards—the wordsof command afforded good exercise for the lungs, and the evolutions exercised in obeying military tactics were absurd caricatures of a well-drilled infantry company, When the time for the captain to address his subalterns came he seemed physically or mentally incapacitated to speak. A bright idea penetrated his cranium, he resolved to talk to them by proxy, and requested a Goliah-like sub-officer to act in his stead. The impromptu orator mounted an impro- • vised rostrum (an empty pork barrel), and if his remarks lacked eloquence they were re dundant in verbosity. He spoke at length upon the necessity for military organization, not that his race ever expected to engage in warfare, except ns a source of pleasant farocs. He proposed that they should have mock battles—the consent of the most prominent planters in the community having already been gained for the participation in such di versions. The remarks were profuse with ex pletives and vehement gesticulations, and culminated in prolixity which he had not sufficient tact to avoid. Wisely concluding that he must end his harangue he said: Time tells me how it is time for me stop. I sees a heap’ of sand a failin’ from a hour- s way up in the ar’ and, and—and ahem—’’ as he continued to falter the captain with praiseworthy presence of mind came “So Ncsr'iind Yet No I'ar.” The illustration on this page conveys a useful lesson and is susceptible of several allegorical applications. Brer Fox it will be noticed rests his fore feet on a barrel and looks with longing gaze upon the fowls se curely perched upon their roosts—“so near and yet so far”—out of his grasp. Taking the fowls to represent the farming class and the Fox insidious extravagance and general untbriftiness the engraving sug gests that farmers should ever be in such condition os to be above the power of debt, and to see to it that their resting place—their home—is secured from its destroying at tacks. As this is the season of political excite ment, when farmers are beset with candi dates on every side of them, the illustration may prefigure Brer Fox as the candidate with a face ever beaming with smiles urging his claims upon the tjhmble voters who oc cupy a higher position to come down to the polls and elevate him to office. Brer Fox too may represent the flatterer who for sinister purposes is filling the air with panegyric after panegyric upon the he planted a kind of corn noted (or its pro lific qualities and for maturing early, but not a good corn to keep in this section, as it is too soft. The corn being fully matured, was gathered last Mouday and measured, by ascertaining the number of barrels and then shelling enough of the barrels to get at the yield. The yield was a little over one hun dred and twenty-eight bushels. The gentle men who signed the certificate are perfectly reliable and understood what they were do ing. We do not believe this yield has ever ever been beaten in the State, and we know it has not in this section. Gkoboia—Thomas county. We the under signed certify that we have this day carefully measured an acre of corn raised by W. B. Hambleton and find the amount to be one hundred and twenty-eight (128) bushels, twenty-four (24) quarts and one (1) pint. Witness our hands this July 25tli, 1882. Robbbt Alexander, N. E. Tubnkb. SO NEAR, AND YET 80 FAR. to the rescue, and proposed three cheers for the speaker. The air resounded with a loud hurrah 1 in the midst of which the disciple (?) of Demosthenes descended from his ele vated position evidently highly elated that his trust in “the inspiration of the moment” had not been misplaced. A substantial supper of beef, pork, corn- bread, biscuit, pumpkin and apple pies, gin ger cakes, coffee, cider, and persimmon beer was in readiness for the voracious appetites of the audience. The blacks assembled en- masse around the bountifully spread tables, and partook of the edibles and beverages with gusto, after which the tap of the plan tation bell signalized the hour for departure. The revelers were rapid pedestrians, and soon reached their respective homes where they basked in the quintessence of Ethiopian delight, dreamland until daybreak. Linda Walton. Fayette, Mittittippi. Some men can get more fun out of a $5,000 income per annum than others can out of a $10,000 one. beauty and grace of the unsophisticated fowls. Moral—Ever keep above the reach and in fluence of Brer Fox. IVhnt Can be Done by Good Farming. TliomosvUIe (Qa.) Enterprise. Mr. W. B. Hambleton lives four and a half miles east of Thomasville, on what was known for years as the “old Gatlin place,” because it was farmed by a man named Gat lin so long ago that only the oldest inhab itants of the county remember the time when the Gatlin family moved to Texas. The place has been in cultivation probably fifty years, yet when it was proposed last winter to form a club of twenty or twenty five farmers, each one of whom, would plant an acre of corn, the one that made the larg est number of bushels on the acre to receive a bushel of corn from every other member of the club, Mr. Hambleton went into the arrangement. We have not been able to learn anything about what manures he used nor how he cultivated the land, except that An Important ltailroml Hatter. Instead of the associated lines dissolving, as was rumored a few weeks ago, they are more solid than ever. On the 1st of August Mr. Sol. Haas, who has filled the office of General Freight Agent of the associated lines with such signal ability will take charge as traffic manager A Richmond State reporter called on Mr. Haas to learn the details of the new arrangement, and was in formed that there would be a General Freight and a General Passenger Agent un der him, but that the persons to fill these offices had not yet been selected. The roads under the traffic manager will be the Sea board and Roanoake, Raleigh and Gastoti, Raleigh and Augusta Air Line, Carolina Central, Richmond and Petersburg, and Weldon, Wilmington, Columbia and Au gusta, Northeastern of South Carolina, South Carolia Central, Cheraw and Darlington, Cheraw and Salisbury, Richmond and Dan ville, Virginia Midland, Western North Carolina, Atlanta and Charlotte Air Line, Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta, Green ville and Columbia, Northeastern of Geor gia, Elberton Air Line. Few Traffic Managers in the United States have a greater mileage than is included in the above list of roads. Mr. Haas has been connected with the Richmond and Danville for the past nine years—from 1873 to 1875 as agent in Baltimore, and from 1875 to the present time as General Freight Agent. Mr. A. Pope, who has filled the position os Gen eral Passenger Agent of the associated lines, is one of the most accomplished roilroad offi cials in the South. He is not only an able pas senger man, but a fine freight man as well, und is recognized as such yi Southern rail way circles. He is withal a courteous gen tleman, and has been uniformly popular with the press and public.—Augusta News, A Wheat Fair. F. & H. Fries, of Wachovia Mills, Salem, N. C., have inaugurated “A Wheat Fair," to come off at Pace’s Warehouse, in Winston, N. 0., on August 26th. Col. L. L. Polk, of Raleigh, N. C„ will de liver an address on agriculture, after which the premiums will be awarded as follows: $25 in cash, for 5 bushels best white wheat. 3 bushels best white wheat to person hav ing second quality white wheat. 2 bushels best white wheat to person hav ing third quality white wheat. $25 in cash, for 5 bushels best red wheat. 3 bushels best red wheat to person having second quality red wheat. 2 bushels best red wheat to person having third quality red wheat. Decisions will be rendered first, by the cleanliness. Second by the yield per acre. Third by weight of five measured bushels. Messrs. Hinshaw <fc Bynum, also, offer the following additional premiums to farmers using Allison & Addison’s star brand wheat manure: No. 1. For tho largest yield and best wheat on 10 acres, 4 sacks Star Brand Wheat Ma nure; 5 bushels to be exhibited. No. 2. For the largest yield and best wheat on 6 acres, 3 sacks Star Brand Wheat Ma nure; 5 bushels to be exhibited. No. 3. For the largest yield and best wheat on 3 acres, 2 sacks Star Brand Wheat Manure; 5 bushels to be exhibited. No. 4. For the largest yield and best wheat on one acre, 1 sack Star Brand Wheat Ma nure; 5 bushels to be exhibited. We commend this example as worthy of imitation throughout the South. A man never knows what a weak, fickle and uncertain master he has in himself until he is at liberty to govern his own life and do as he pleases.