The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-05-16
Life at the south.
pirgtnid--Richmond--B Bs Business, Mills,
@e.-Slape Breeding-Hs most prefta-
Ole Misunderstanding .aboliiionists


Die Manufactures Why .4boliiionists
are so hated.
A correspondent Of the Portland Ad-
vertiser, who seems to be shrewd OBJ
server of men and things, and who has
enough of the Yankee not TO be revolt
ed when a good bargain is to be driven,
thus writes:
Richmond is fine city containing a
population of $4,000; it is situated up
on an elevated bank Of James River at
the head Of the tide. The large Falls
at This place furnish an extensive water
power which is well improved for vari-
Gus manufacturing purposes, giving ac-
tivity and prosperity to the people. They
have cotton and wooden factories, iron
works, Touring mills, and about 40 to-
bacco factories; the operatives IN WHICH
are blacks. There is another branch
of trade in which Richmond has of late
become famous, and that is as a Stare
market
Eastern Virginia is turning its atten-
ton to raising this kind of stock, as
Slaves are familiarly called, and large
numbers are continually sold to supply
the demand in the Southwestern States.
There were taken in the train with ns
about 40, which had just heen pur-
chased by trader, and were on their
way to Alabama; they kept company
with us to near the line of that State
The majority of them were young, Is
years, and their average price was not
far from $500 apiece; the boys, ii or
l5 years old, cost from S4O0 to $50.
The day before, company of SO was
taken on from the same place; and we
frequently took into the cars, smaller
parties for the same destination. A
sound healthy negro man will readily
sell in Virginia and North Carolina at
$1,000 to $1,000 for transportation, and
these constitute the mechanics, the far
mers and laborers Of the whole South.
receiving themselves nothing for their
services, but their food and clothes.
You can thus form some estimate of the
capital required to pursue this business.
! In the traders, for instance, the party
that went on with US, did not cost less
than 100000 The expense Of trans
portation is not inconsiderable; for !
found that the Railroad agents did not
abate much on the stock or servants as
they are often called, from the regular
fare of human being, although in re-
gard to subsistence, the cost was much
less. 1t was painful to observe per-
sons examining these slaves; the cool
indifference with which they felt Of their
flesh, and opened their mouths to look
at their teeth, and made such other tests
of their qualities, as they would of any
other cattle. Yet they bore it very pa
tiently, and seemed on the whole,
cheerful and happy. There was one
boy in the company, who in any other
association, would not be distinguished
from European; his hair was straight,
his features regular and handsome, and
his full black eyes were fringed with
long black eye-lashes which gave them
a soft and pleasant expression. was
told in the cars by Southern gentle
man, that ludicrous mistakes sometimes
Happened from the hight complexion and
gcnteei carriage of some Of the slave
family where the girl was a. white if not
winter than her mistress and when she
accompa MED her mistress On Journeys,
it not anfrequently happened that stran-
gers would, by mistake tender to hel
the first attentions! He said that some
of her children had blue eyes and light
hair On one occasion q colored girl. a
bright mulatto, was in the cars with us (;
and may remark that there is much
more intimacy and freedom between the
white and colored races at the South
than at the North; some Southern gen.
tlemen were making remarks upon her
points and qualities, enc inquired what
the price of such a girl would be in
Charleston, the reply was that if heal
thy and of good qualities, she would be
worth 5000. Another said he had re.
Gently purchased one who was goot
sempstress for that sum, and that the
price depended upon their qualities as
cooks, sempstresses, SC. Much too is
said and thought of the natural increase
of this class. and it is with reference to
this that purchases are made, and values
attached to the persons of the females
In most Of the States in the South, slave.
} are treated as personal property; bu'
in some, particularly in Louisiana, they
are regarded, by statute, as real estate
aud pass by deed under seal.
W- AS an evidence Of the sorrow j,
South Carolina for the death Of Mr.. Cal
houn, the day the news Of his death reached
Charleston, its Corporation met and decides
to erect monument in the public square
and subsequently. when proposal was is
sued to prn, the last speech Of Mr. Calhoun
in the Senate, upon satin ia letters Of gold
at SIS ropy, 5000 were Immediately sub
scril.e,i for. Mr.. Calhoun has left q wife
now ia Charleston. and family Of four son
aud two daughters.
90 The Ne~ Orleans Crescent Cir.
says, that gentleman who had just return
ed from California, having been ahsen
about four months, states that when b
reached California, curiosity led him to Wis
IL grave yard, where he found only eleve
grayer Nine months from that time h
visited the same grave yard, and betweei
IL -. 81 kc.l sho,