Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1854-01-14
Yankee in the South.

in the New YORK llnles, ni"'eA "
Northern gentleman travelling in The
South. 1t presents much more favor
sblc view Of our Southern Institutions
than usually erhanases from such quar-
ters:
During the evening, all the cabin'
we're Illuminated by great fires. and
Ilookine into one of them saw very
picturesque and happy, family groupe
= man sat on the ground making bas'
ket, woman lounged on i chest in the
chimney corner smoking pipe, and .
boy and two girls sat in bed which
Ihad been brough, up opposite to her and
completed the family circle. They were
talking and laughing very msrrily.
The next morning whenI turned oul
Ii found my Yazoo friend looking with
the eye ofa connoiseur at the seven fi0e
field hands, who were, at half past sew
en-, inst starting off with hoe, and axes
for their days work. As | approached
him he exclaimed with Enthusiasm
tAra't them now right keen !ookin' lot
Of digcersI' And our host soon after
coming out, he Immediately walked up
to him saying, Why friend, them yer
uigcers O. yourn would be good for sew
enIy bales of cotton, if you'd move
down into our country Their owner
was perfectly aware of their value and
said every thing good Of them. .There's
something rather singular too, about my
niggers; | don't know ever see any
tLing just so singular
How SO, sir.
We'll, reckon its my way o tfeaten
on 'em, much as any thing. | never hev
no difficulty with them. I hens licked
nigcer in fSe years. 'cept spfout'
ing some ofthe young ones some times
We'll now my niggers never want no
lookin after; they just TEX ker o. them
selves. believe they do TEX greater
in,eres, in the crops than | do myself
There's another thing-l 'spose twill
surprise you-thete eht one of my mig
gers but what can readi read good too
--better'n can, al any rate
( How did they Learnt
4 'spose they taught thenselTes.--.
II b'lieve there was one on 'em that
bought, tha, could read and he taught al
the rest. reckon niggars is mighty
apt at larnin, . heap more'n white folks
lis
told him that this was contrary tc
the general received opinion and ex
pressed my surprise.
We'll, now let me tell YOU he con
,inued, i had boy 10 work when wa
buildin', and my boys juss tcachin' hin
night timesssnd suchi he war'nt here
more n three months, and he larned tt
read as well as any man ever heard
and l know he did'nt know his letter
when he come here. It didn't aeem tc
me any whits man could have don't
that, does tito you, nowl
How old was hsl' ..:..
.Wsr'nt more'n seventeen, l rsck
on ..+,t boss
How do they get books--ao you 60
them for theml' FL
oh no, they GO. ,hom for themselves
! Howl
Buy 'em.' ''--'''
'How do they So, the money!
Earn it, b.. b. 30, 5l
Howl ,., .a a.
by theft own work. Why tellyo'
my niggars have got more money'n
hev.'
"Whst kind of worksdo they geti'
Religious kind a books generally
these stories. and some of them will bu.
novels, believe .ss.
They bought 'em from pedlsrs.
inquired about the law to prevent nc
groes reading, and asked ifit allowed
hooks to be sold 10 negroes. He ha'
never heard Of any such law--did'nt be
lieve there was dhy.-The Yazoo MAJ
said there was in his country. The ne
groes never had any thing 10 read there
asked our host if his negroes were re
ligious, as their choice of works woult
have indicated:
We'll yes. they arei all on 'en,.
reckon, don't 'sposo you'd believe it
but tell you it's fact hain't heer'
oath swore here for ttSelvemonth,
Our niggers is mighty wicked dow
courry, said my companion
they dunce.'
Dance on Sunday do 5ou mechl,
asked.
.Oh no, we don't allow that
What do they do then, so to mesting
why, Sundays they sleep mostly
,hey'ye been at work hard Ill the wee
YOU know, and Sundays they stay i
their cabins and sleep, and talk to eac
other. There's so many of 'em tdsr
, lher they don't want TO so visiting o
the place.
Are your negroes Bap,ists or Meth
odisisl inquired Of our host.
AN Baplists; niggars al|ers want t
II, durLel Won know, They amt cor