The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1847-08-26
lcorrcspondcncc Of the Home Journal.
Poor White Folks.

Poor White Folks.
have uniformly found the people Of all
classes, / have met with, kind and hospita-
BILE; aud being totally unarmed, have had
as little fear OF life or money, while travel
ling among them, as would in Massnchu-
sets. The Crackers as they are called,
arc the poor, white population Of Georgia
very poor and very ignorant. Very few
OF them Gun either read or write, and are
too lazy 10 improve their condition. They
abhor labor, and will only work just 30 much
as to obtain n mere subsistence. They will
take possession Of auy land unoccuplcd,
which suits their fancy, without knowing
or caring TO whom j. belongs, erect cabin,
plant few acres Of Indian corn, aud lit
tic patch Of cotton to make their own cloth,
and with a few pigs, COW or two, male
or horse, they manage to live and bring up
large family in the same ignormce with
themselves. When they get tired OF living
in one place, or have exhausted the soil OF
the few acres they have cultivated. they
pack all their movcnblcs into one-horsc
cart, and move TO another country. Thus
they are constantly migrating aud never
settled Tor life. Their ancestors are said
to be Highland Scotch, who first settled the
Western purt Of North Carolina; thence
they have gradually worked their way into
Georgia. and have commenced invading
Alabama. They have no objections To
working in factories, and are employed in
tho factories which arc now in operation ~
Georcia-but agricultural labor they con
slider !" niggcr's work." II Georgia should
become manufacturing State, rs IS conf
IDENTIFY predicted, they may DC usefuily em.
gioy cd, and their condition very much anne
Iiors,cd. They arc generally a good ma.
tured, inoiIcnsive people, have great deal
of pride aud independence Of character,
with all their poverty and ignorance. They
scorn 10 tell lie or steal, but arc vindlctivc
and revengctul when insuIted or injured,
and will not hesitate 10 shoot tnan behind
his back 10 resent m injury or Insult. An
instance occurred in Monroe county few
days before I passed through there. A
Cracker was insaiicd by = neighboring
planter, and watched his opportunity 4
take revenge By shooting him dead. The
planter had several hundred dollars in his
pocket, which was found untouched. The
Cracker fled; md rs the laws are SO loose.
lv ndministcrc,! j" feeTs'", do ~" Pfoo"-
bly, escape justice.
The Georgia planters sacrifice almost oil
tho comforts Of life, and devote oil their en-
crgy and all their means to raisc cotton. II
is the only article tina. will bring them mo-
ncy. They buy negroes to raise cotton,
and rinse cotton TO buy negroes. A plant.
er, with whom spent the night, is worth
$4,000. lie lives in cabin, full divide
cracks on every side, through which the
wind aud rain have free access, and Chin
ney mnde Of sticks, cross-piIed and plaster.
ed with clay. lie raises, for the subsis,-
cnce Of his family and negroes, plenty oi
corn md pigs: and with corn bread, aud
fried fresh pork, and smoked bacon, they
live contcntcd the year round. Yet he is
not miserly,' but free hearted man-they
do not know how to live better. There arc,
however, exceptions Of the wealthy
planters have the comforts and even the
iuxurics Of life, aud know bow to appreci-
ate them. Their implements Of husbandry
arc Of the most rude construction. Their
plows arc such as we might imagine were
used in scriptural times, being three sticks
put together in the form Of triangle, the
hypothenusc forming the handlc--thc poin,
at the sharp nngle being shod with iron,
much in the shape Of msson's trowel, and
not much larger. With this rude instru-
ment they prepare the ground for their cot
ton, corn and other crops, scratching up
the soil, not exceeding three inches deep.
Some Of the large planters, however, have
become so much enlightened rs to use real
Yankee plows; and a better system Of cul-
aviation 10 being gradually introduced.
i A CAPITAL ACCOMMODATIONS Ris-
lev. who is now in Italy, says that, recent