Chapter VI: The American Dancing ‘nigger.’

BY C. STANSFELD-HICKS.

It is now some years since one evening at Christmas time I made one of a large family party assembled at the house of a relative. The evening had passed very pleasantly, and we were chatting together, and watching an arrangement which was being made in a recess behind a pair of curtains, before which was a small table. After some little time waiting in expectation, there suddenly appeared from between the curtains the agile gentleman who is portrayed at the head of this chapter. The operator, concealed (all but a portion of his arm) behind the curtains, placing the stand on the table, and cleverly manipulating the wire, caused the figure to dance in the most amusing and ridiculous manner, creating the greatest merriment. Afterwards, some lively jigs and reels being played on the piano, the figure footed it away, cleverly keeping time to the music.

Coming across the stand of the figure brought the memory of it to my mind, and I thought that making and working such a figure would be an amusing occupation for boys in the long winter evenings.

The nigger, when he first came out, was rather an expensive toy, and I have not latterly seen anything quite like it, but it is within the capabilities of any ingenious lad to make one for himself at a very small expense. The one I have described was about eight inches high, and had a proportionately-sized stand; but of course it can be made of any size, though a smaller one would be quite as troublesome to make, and not so funny. We will take the figure as being about the height described.

The stand (A) is a piece of common deal about 13 in. long (for the figure eight inches high; if the figure is made larger or smaller all details will of course also be proportionately more or less). The width of the stand is 2-3/4 in., and it is shaped as in the sketch. On top of the stand is a spring-board; this board is shaped as Fig. 2, rather less than 1/8 in. thick. From A to the shoulder at B is 6 in., and from B to the centre of the hole at D is 9 in., the whole length being therefore 15 in., and the spring-board in consequence projecting 4 in. beyond the end of the stand. At D on the stand is a button screwed to the stand, the screw passing through the hole in the spring-broad, and by tightening up the screw the spring-board can be made more or less rigid as required. The spring marked C C (which can be put in either way; the dotted line is perhaps the least effective way, as the greater the spring--within limits--the better) is made of steel or iron wire, one end being stuck into the back of the figure and the other being bent as in Fig. 3, and put under the button, the screw passing through all, as shown in Fig. 4.

The next thing is the figure. The head you must shape as fancy dictates, and the result will be the criterion of your cleverness as a wood-carver. If you cannot manage to carve a head, you might buy one and stick it on, or make your figure out of a large Dutch doll.

The head and body must be in one piece; the hat may be separate and glued on, or carved with the head, as you prefer. The trunk must terminate as in Fig. 5, to allow the legs to fit in and swing easily. The legs must be made in two pieces (Figs. 6 and 7).

Figures 8 and 9 speak for themselves. The flanges must correspond of course with the slots, and a pin is run through to keep the leg in its place, while it is fitted loosely so as to swing. The lower part of the leg and boot should be made rather heavy, so as to come down with some force on the spring-board.

When you have made your figure you can dress him if you like, but the legs must be left free at the joints. Loose trousers of very light striped stuff can be fitted, but they must not come much below the knee. The figure may be painted a dark brown, the hat red or white, the boots of course black, and the stand green or blue picked out with black, but you must use your taste in these matters. When all is finished it is not difficult to make the gentleman dance; but still your spring-board must be tightened to the right pitch, and the spring wire bent so that the feet of the figure are just off the spring-board; then by slightly agitating the wire the nigger will commence to dance; and it will entirely depend on its owner’s tuneful ear whether he dances in time to the music or not.