San Diego State University - Del Sudoeste Yearbook (San Diego, CA)

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ca.ow' 4 WHITEANDGOLD Christmas on Willit's Farm The Christmas holidays were the greatest events of the whole year for the negroes on Willitis plantation in South Carolina. The time from Christ- mas to New Year's was spent in mei'ry-making and rejoicing. Before day- break on Christmas morning the negroes were astir in the cabins. arraying themselves in the best they had in honor of the occasion. At daybreak they all assembled together and marched up to the mastefs house to greet the members of the family. At the head of the long line of negroes, Old Tom, the autocrat of the whole plantation, and his worthy wife, Grand, mammy, marched in solemn array, feeling no doubt the dignity of the position. They were certainly a pair to behold! Old Tom always enjoyed the distinction of receiving, Malrse Joh'1fs cast off clothes and many speculations did he indulge in regarding tidat last suit of Mame Johnisii and the number of months before it would adorn a peg in his cabin. Marse John was as broad as Old T om was thin and comical was the sight he presented on this Christmas morning arrayed in the latest addition from Marse Johifs wardrobe. The black face of the old man was surmounted by a high silk hat, from under which a fringe of snowy white wool showed itself like a fleecy cloud. As to Grandmammy, she was attired in a black silk dress, which for- merly belonged to qMiss Ann? and a freshly starched white apron. On her head was perched her best black lace cap, for without a lace cap her dress seemed incomplete. Never was she seen without one, and many thought that she even slept in one. When questioned as to the use of this ever-present cap, the reply always was, tilt sartinly do keep the cold outen my head. One of Grandmammyk weaknesses was her enjoyment in posing as an invalid. One glance at her proportions would instantly dispel any anxiety as to the state of her health, but her answer in reply to an inquiry concerning her health would invariably be lTse feeling very porely this mornin. Before reaching Marse Johnishouse the spirits of the young people could no longer be contained and they broke out into shouts of itChristmas gift, Marse John? or itChristmas gift, Miss Ann? and as they gathered about the porch of the house, the members of the family came out to greet them. After the eggnog, according to an immemorial custom, had been passed around, the presents were distributed. Old Tomis face was made to beam by the possession of a Hbrand-new suit ob clothes? not even :Marse John had worn them. Grandmammy seemed to forget her chron- ic aches and pains in the happy possession of five new black lace caps. On the first evening of this week of rejoicing a wedding was to occur. The prospective bridegroom was not held in any great esteem by Old Tom, who called him a ttgood-for-nuffin nigger, and said that if dat stick yonder was not in plain sight ob dat lazy Joe, held hoe de corn wid his eyes shut, and den what would de corn be ? By seven oiclock the negroes 0f the surrounding plantations had ar- rived. During the marriage ceremony, which they regarded more as a lively and happy affair than a solemn one, the bride and groom stood under a tree 3A;

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WHITE and GOLD Vol. H San Diego, Cal., December, 1905 No. I School Song You may talk about your colleges, Your high schools and the like, And all your dinky boarding schools That litter up the pike; Of the blue and gold of U. C. And old Stanford,s crimson hue, That hy away to northward, over Hearts both brave and true. From our dreamy San Diego, Up to distant Shastats plane, Away off to old Mexico, away back home again, Thierets no college, university or School can ever star So brave, so true, or such a crew Of students, as we are. CHORUS. For we are jolly students of the Normal School, Wetve come to rule. Our colors are yellow and white. we bear the standard proud and high of our beloved school, Rah! Rah! Rah! Wetre the crowd that do or die, For we are jolly students of the Normal School, Wetve come to rule. Our colors are yellow and white, We hear the standard proud and high of our beloved school, Rah! Rah! Rah! Ye11--Che, hFChe, he-- Che, ha-ha-ha, Normal, Normal, Rah! Rah! Rah! W'etre the crowd that do- or die.-Gussz'e Stephens

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WHITE ANDGOLD E5 Vlighted with torches, while their friends were grouped about them. The closing word of the minister was a signal for loud hurrahs, and the couple received the congratulations and advice of their friends. Grandmammy was heard to remark to the young bride, nYou shore hab your hands full wid dat lazy nigger livin, wid you? The rest of the evening,r was spent in dancing out on the bare ground under the lighted trees to the music of a home- made banjo, a fiddle and a couple of flutes and jews harps. Late at night one could still hear the music accompanied by the laughing and talking, and the tap, tap of feet on the ground. The next day the negro women had a quilting party. They assembled in one of the larger cabins and started to work, each sitting before a large frame on which. the quilt was fastened. T heir working did not seem to in- terfere with their talking, as they kept up a steady stream of conversation. Towards evening they rolled up their quilt and made preparations for the big feast. Soon the men began to arrive. Accompanied by ttOld Tom was Grandmammy, who had sent word during the earlier part of the day that she was iifeeling too poorly to come to de quiltini party. She seemed, how- ever, to have suddenly imnroved when the feasting time came around. Such merry making as went on at the feast, and such good things they had to eat! After the feast came another dance in the open air until the early hours of the morning. The next evening a coon hunt was on. At dark the negro men started out, each armed with a heavy stick and a torch. A pack of dogs went with them. It certainly was exciting to crash through the cane-brakes, clamber over fences and dodge trees in endeavoring to keep in sight of the dogs that were on the scent of a coon. And the feeling of satisfaction when the dogs stopped under a tree and there among the branches sat a poor, trem- bling coon! It was soon caught and killed and the fun went on. More coons were caught and finally the men returned home tired, but happy in the pos- session of their trophies and in the thoughts of the feast on the marrow. And so the Christmas week goes on, full of pleasure and freedom for the simple-minded negro, and when New Year passes by they again take up their life of labor, happy in the memory of past pleasures and of those that are to come again in another years time. Old Tom again takes up the dignity of chief councillor on all vital questions arising on the plantation, from the growing of nde cotton and de cornii down to the treatment of the measles when it strikes the chi'lluns. -P. B. A TRANSITIVE VERB. hMy,but grammar is hard, said one member of the grammar class to another. Does i: killi take an object ? Why, of course it does, was the reply. There is a man who is Ski! ling himself. Mr. Thompson: Love has had an operation performed on his eyes. He is no longer blind.