Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1850-05-06


Suppose planter to cultivate tobacco by cont,act
advertise that proposals would be reo-vei 10 rersis
-----,nilrs IL fence plough re-pl"'igh and manure
--acres ot land burn AMI prepare - yards
Of plant land put up - thousand tuhaceo hills
und plant. work, worm, and sucker this tobacc cut.
hang. hease fe. strip bulk and prize the c'opat wha,
price could he I'll nd 10 sell this iobscs2 will answer
at not ess than twenty dollars per bundred ye by own"
ING the slaves he realize small profit a five dalara
may ,weyer, he answered. that greater skill IL rsqar
ed 10 make canals railroads than is necessary in ths
cultivation of bacco; but beg leave ren and say.
that have had much experienre in making tol'acco and
canals aud heeye tha, sound judgment Ia neces
ssy in the former than is required in tho latter opel
aton.
Ih,ve frequently heard tho objection urged against
CONT anies IN king their Improvements with slaves be.
longing ihemthat contractors fee! greater inferest
aud with fiwer hands t. superintend, will have mara
done by their laboers than companies have Perform
I'D by their slaves. aml, ilai this might be the
to s,me inoonsderahle extent hut with grd system
aud with Of good common sense 10 manage The
affairs of company feel satisfied that this difTrrenre
would ba inc nsdsrahe for proof that this opiaon s
well formed. refer to- contractor now NJ work. boih
the canal and milroal (Mr Charles Scot,.) who hs,
from three Ia five hundred nrn employed (prncipllly
slaves and vel from the hest information can obtain.
he makes larger profit in propoion Il, numbers than
the contractors who work. comparatively speaking. hui
few hnndshe has To rely upon az od system and up
IN overseers. ami so would the pes'den OF Company
| readily admit, that with infilie,ent 'iTcefs-w,
president. whose ouly qualification is The ability 10 wrs
long REPORTS with BEAUTIFUL figures of speech and hand
somoly rounded Periods aud VIII, believes II is his only
du'y 10 preside III tho meeng of the directors III one
whose time IL almost entirely occupied with his own
concerns -or who knows nothing Of tho management
Of works nf this chsfnciet. OF the governing aud o-
trolling Of men that such Presidents nigh. progress With
10 themselves. and other flcers, hut with
good system and gnd officers. contend that II is nut
much more difficulty 10 manage Que thousand than ten
mon,
would recommend tho following system fr the gov.
of largo number uf slaves upon work ofntaf-
nal improvement. Tho slaves, think, ought TO h' di,
vIded into companies of sbou thirty men, including buys
for driving cNrs. If Ills he reqnired-each company
should have an over cer co X, mud blacksmith.
with all necessary carts, hoses and tos the cmpsnics
should be located nearly IN each oher as the wk With
accom- yng circumstances would jrs'iiy-tH ah nh
overy ten companies an assistant engineer would he
necessary aud fs sbm one thousand men. comnlssa-
~ Ia purchase provisions, carts. horses 'ools &c II
should be the duty Of the assistant engineer aided by 'w4
sprphlly slaves (ff rodmen) 10 designate particularly
by mres and h,unds the work 10 be executed by 'hs
pass aong the work entrusted tu his supss-
ion as often ns p's-ibe, noting IN hk or oheck r"i
kept Tor the purpose the number Of hands nj work al,
each Section and the end oi tho month make an accnn
estimate Of the quantity Of work done by each over
sror
I, should be tho duty nf every overs 10 keep IN
of all TOOLS povii ms, &c. received from tho
comnissary, aud check roll "f tho nambr Of handle
work each day. with the Of the absence OF any
hand.
At the enJ Of The month The quantity Of work done by
each ovrrseer would indicate aihs President his value
and Notwithstanding there sgreai difference III the quail.
ity Of earth and rock yet man Of good romm"n sense
would soon form pretty correct judgment Of what conld
be and removed aid also Of the value of tbs
oveseer. and should any Of the oversecrs prove unwor
thy. dismiss them and employ others. WIN such
~ stem as this well carried into efct have no douht
thai the work would only he well n'ed but as
mitch done the hand is n.uay Obtained by conirac'
tors.
Suppose The James River and Kanawha Company had
adopted this sysem the commencement Of their work.
" hat different aspect would the pecuniary conceim ii
tha, company have presented 10 what they now dol In
stead Of the stock bling nearly warhless would have
bern the suable 10 the United States Instead
of the State being huened with heavy debt conlrac,-
ed principally for this improvement, without pvrpct
,l remuneration. hcr asuy would now be receising
large dividends from her Investment; Tor contesd thai
the il cost To construct ihe canal 10 Iynohbrg
wonl lave ompetrd 10 The Ohio and that the greater
IN If not The whole amount, Of the money expended
might have been returned To the State aud to the stock
holders.
| am aware that this statement has visionary ap-
p"aranre, bat all ask ia 10 examine my tncts and
figures, and do not prove In tbs satisfaction of any
unprejuced mind that such is the case.
The canal from Ric,mond 10 Lynchburg cost nearly
s6.0000O0; with hat sum ! cnlend t'at the canal
could have been constructed 10 the OHIO, (wheher
sufficient feeder could have ben obtained on the Ale
phany, shall not now at emp, 10 discuss aud much
the larger portion il not the whole of that amount, fe-
turned to the State and Stockholders.
When The canal commenced, negro men were
worth about 500, but am willing 10 make my calcu'a-
ion, upon their prescut selling price, $500 Al III com
ncncemcn OF the work Iwoud have bought one thons-
,ad negto men which would have cost S6OoOoo; aud ns
I'd the first yoaIii000O0 To purchase the necessary Carts
and tools TO pay land damages cngineess aIles,
md all other necessary expenditures. which snnld have
been an ample allowance; and the remaining 100000
interest would yield $500 900 annually. which would
be sufficient for each succeeding years expenditure, ana