A COPYRIGHT PARABLE

Western Star, Issue 1353, 11 May 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

A COPYRIGHT PARABLE

Uncle Joe is one of the mostingenious darkies in Washington. The other day he contrived to make & rude wheelbarrow for himself. The morning after it was completed he went out to try it, but was dismayed to find it gone. "I I 'clah to gracious !" he exclaimed " know dat wah a mighty nice wheelbarrow, but I did'nt spec* it gwine to run off by his own se'f." He presently found it in use in Jack Turner's garden. ' Jake, what you doin' wid my new wheelbarrow, I'd like to know ?" " Wy, Uncle Joe, 'taint none uv yo'rn. Hit belongs to de community. Fer you to keep it would be a monoply 1" " Hain't I done made it ?" cried Uncle Joe ; "an' hain't it mine ?" " No, it hain't," said Joe. U 'Twuz yo'rn afo' the wheel was put on to it, but when you put the wheel on it you done los' it." " What's the wheel got to do wid it 1 " " Why, you see, I done hear Cun'l Beck, the Kentucky Senator, say dat when a man writ a book 't wuz his'n, but ef he print it't wuza't his'n. An' printin', makes a book go, an' a wheel makes a wheelbarro w go. Cun'l Beck said that it wuz a monoply to give a man the book he writ after it wuz printed. So I sez it's monoply fer Uncle Joe to have his wheelbarrow when the wheel's on " " You g'lung," said Uncle Joe, going off with the wheelbarrow. " I done made it, and it's mine, wheel ur no wheel What good's a wheelbarrow 'thout a wheel V "•Well, what goods a book that you can't print 1 An' dun 1 Beck he said—-" " Oh, you shet up, Jake. Some niggahs get so smart it makes 'em fools. An' as for Cun'l Beck, I don't want to be dis'spectful, but ef he ever said any sech stuff I don't reckon he mean it. Any way, this ain't Kaintucky, an' ef you go off with my wheelbarrow agin I'll have you tuk up. You heah, now ?"—Washington Post.