A Boy with Horns

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Title

A Boy with Horns

Subject

Black race

Description

A report out of Mississippi that "a negro boy in that region, eight years old, who has horns on his head like 'a young devil.' The horns are said to be three inches long..."

On p. 1 is "Origin of the Horse Rake." Slaves are told to rake the hay in a field in the master's absence, but it is hot and they give it up. Later they get worried they don't have the time, so one of them rigs up a big rake that can be dragged behind a horse, and they get the work done. Thus the horse rake, "and the lazy negroes were the inventors."

Also on p. 1 is a story about a negro's meeting with a black bear, which he does not recognize, and talks to. The bear chases him up a tree and out on a limb. "The limb broke, and down came bear and nigger." The bear breaks his neck and the negro says, "Dere, you black devil, I tole you so; dis is all your fault."

Abstract

The editor reprints three racist or racially tinged stories about black slaves or blacks in general, in the south, including an account of a black boy born with horns like a devil.

The significance of these articles is that the Puget Sound Herald, an independent newspaper that will be by no means pro-Confederate after secession, considers this racist humor of interest to its readers.

Creator

unknown

Source

Puget Sound Herald

Publisher

Steilacoom, WA: Charles Prosch

Date Issued

1859-11-11

References

Prosch, Charles, b. 1820

Medium

Web

Type

humor, satire

Bibliographic Citation

Vol. 2, No. 36

Spatial Coverage

Steilacoom; Pierce

Temporal Coverage

1859

Provenance

Washington State Archives

URL

www.sos.wa.gov/history/newspapers_view.aspx

Start Page

2

End Page

2

Geolocation