Black Cat Club : Negro Humor and Folk-Lore

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1902 Excerpt: ...'ten' lak he wo'ked fi' hunderd han's on his plantation. An' he used to make his one slave tell strangahs all kines o' lies to prove 'at he owned mo' slaves den he could count. "Dahky's name wuz Pompey; but dey called 'im ' Pomp' foh sho't. "' Pomp,' Cobbs 'ud say, 'whah's Bill an' Jim an' Henery? Go down an' watah ma Arabian steeds, an' hitch Jack an' Jinny to the carriage. An' tell Tom ef he don't come up an' black ma boots befo' you git 'at carriage up here (the ole' one, mine you; I don't puppose to take ma five thousan'-dollah barouche out in such mud as this!)--You tell Tom, ef he don't come up an' atten' to ma shoes befo' you git 'at carriage here, /'// do it ma se'f. 'N' I'll settle with him when company's gone.' (Co'se dey wuzn't any Bill ner Jim ner Tom ner steeds ner barouches neither.) 'Pomp,' ole Cobbs 'ud say, 'how many niggahs do I own, any.-.way?' "'At's de way ole Cobbs 'ud carry on whenevah his rich company come, an' ole black Pomp 'ud lie right along wid 'im. "Cobbs had a mighty putty daughter 'at he wuz anxious to marry off well. 'At's why he tried to put on so much dog, an' made Pomp tell so many lies. Mighty nice young fellah wuz a-settin' to Cobbs' gal. Fathah wuz rich as cream! Pomp knowed whut wuz up jes' as well is de white folks did; but he nevah let on. He wuz fiel' han', coachman, an' all-aroun' servant durin' de week, an' chief cook an' bottle-washah uv a Sunday. Ole Cobbs allus drove his se'f, 'at day; ca'se Pomp had to take his wife's place, an' do de cookin'. But Cobbs 'ud fix 'at up all right by remahkin', in a genteel sort o' mannah, 'I'm one o' de ole aristocratic school who still believes in a genaniun han'lin' his own ribbons.' "One Sunday dey went off an' lef' Pomp to git a big dinnah; ca'se de...