Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-08-04
Letter from the South.
Correspondence e The OronOtyps.

Correspondence nj The Gronofype.
ATHENS. GA, July 7, 1919.
My DEAR CHRoN Tho glorious fourth
scarcely received a passing notice from our
Athenians. We had no militia parade. no
ora'ions, no firing Of cannon, no ringing OF
bells. The slaves had a "free day." and
thronged the. streets in their gayest dresses,
and a few students appeared on horseback, in
grotesque costumes, and "played their fan
tastic tricks before high heaven" to the inf
mite delight OF the aforesaid slaves. With
these exceptions, the day passed as other days
are wont 10 pass in this quiet town.
But yesterday something occurred to break
the monoiony OF our village life. Soon after
breakfast the peaceable inhabitants of College
Avenue were startled by the sharp crack Of a
:" revolver" This was followed, in a mo-
ment, by a rapid succession Of similar reports,
and everybody rushed TO the doors and win
dows, TO see what was going on. 1t proved
to be a fight between two sprigs of Southern
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of the University of Geor-
oia, named Julien Cunning and De Witt G..
Rowland, between whom a quarrel had for
some time existed. 1t seems that Cunning
was sitting on a bench in front of one of the
hotels, in company with several others, when
Rowland came up. and presenting his pistol,
said d" Sir, you are a I'D rascal-de.
tend yourself!" Cunning sprang up, and at
the same time Rowland fred at him but miss.
ed his aim. Rowland now drew his revolver
and they cracked away " at each other, at a
distance Of about ten PAGES, ill the tubes Of
their T%evolvers were exhausted, when both re-
tired from the field with the honors of war!
One Of them received a slight wound in iha
neck and the other a scratch on The arm!-
Rowland left town imm ediately. They Will
both be expelled from college, and there the
affair will end. So much by way of episode.
! ieek q alimnsa the othet dag Of he I'M
side of a Georgia Cotton Mill. | had often
passed by it, and had admired it's pleasant
situation, on the banks of the Oconee, sur
rounded by trees and within sight of beau
titul waterfall formed by the dam, thrown
across the river. A sight Of The inside was
not so pleasant. The mill looks small 10 enc
who is familiar with Lowell Factories.-
There is not the same order and neatness as
in a Northern mill. OF The operatives | could
say much if lime and space would permit
They are most Of them the "brunettes of the
PIney woods" as Bryant calls them in one Of
his letters in other words they are the chill
dren of the poor white people Of Georgia,
called in common parlance, "crackers,''-
They are neatly dressed and seem tolerablv
skilful in the performance of their tasks, but.
"alas for my hopes DOWNFALL" | locked in
vain for the beauty and intelligence ! have
been accustomed 10 associate with factory
girls! If these are a fair sample of the brG-
nettes of the " sunny South.' save me from
them, ] say, now and always! Their faces
lack that oppression which education alone can
give. They have the looks Of sLares-the
look which always accompanies a state of
helpless poverty and seTvitude. Our Sonth-
ern friends often talk loudly of the "white
slavery " of the North. God knows there is
enough of it there, and that it is bad enough,
but by the side of " Southern white slavery"
most of its forms seem quite tolerable. Most
of the girls in the room visited were pale,
sallow, and ugly. l did not sec what Mr..
Bryant saw in the Augusta Mill, "a girl
from the North with long curls, stepping
about with the air OF a Duchess though it
is a fact that girls from the North are usually
employed, a, first, as instructors OF the rest.
No blacks, | believe, are employed in this
factory.
As | left the Factory passed a row Of
boarding houses. They are OF brick, and but
one story high. | looked in at the open doors.
| did moi see a spacious hall, or entry OPEN
ing into a carpeled p%aTlor, furnished with So
IA and piano, as ! might at Lowell or Man.
chester. but into a rude apartment with a bare
dirty floor. three or four beds and a few old
chairs! Behind this, which serves for par
Tor, sitting-room and sleeping-chamber, and
opening from II, is The Kitchen. Urls OF Low
ell, Lawrence and Manchester, what do you
think of these arangemeE'sl
In this connection justice requires me 10
state that the operatives in The Athens Mill,
and other similar establishments, come 10
them from the poorest and rudest homes in
the piney woods, ragged, diny and ignorant
either TO read OF TO write ; that they
are now sent to a Sunday school where they
are taught reading and writing that their
though small, enable them TO dress
comfortably, and indulge in the hurury Of
shoes and stockings! and that, on the whole,
their condition is improved. As il now is,
however, the black slave of a rich planter
looks do,ch upon them with contempt. Is is
not a crime here TO be poor, neither is it con-
a disgrace, bat woe to the man or tho
woman who does The DOrk Of a slave. The
aristocraoy OF The South is not so much the
aristocracy of wealth as OF occupation, dress
and manners. SHAwMUT,
An Indian chief being in an eating -house,
asked whether he would have a glass Of
ale. He cast a very aboriginal look upon the
pale face, and replied:-"Thdnk you Sir, 7
mi become 50 far eiriLi=ed as to drink