Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-10-27
Slave Labor in a Louisiana Parish.

St. Marys Parish, Louisiana, with white population of four thousand and twenty one. a slave population of twelve thousand and nine teen, and free negroes to the number of five hundred and eighty-6 is probably one of the most wealthy communities in the south.- The New Orleans Picayune says of it:
 The slave property is assessed at S6,433, $50 averaging S535 p as the value of each slave and about $500 head for slave property Tor every white man, woman and child in the parish.
 The total assessed valuation of all the taxa Die property in the parish is S13, 976, l69, or within a ttlfe of S3,5OO head for every white nhabtnt
 The number of plantations in the parish is l'l, and the number of acres cultivated and in swamp lands is 279,547. of which the assessed valuation is S5,49S, 100.
 It IS difficult to state from this with accuracy the average value of the cultivated land. which is returned at 59,426 acres. The estimate in the register takes S5 per acre as the value of the swamp lands, and deducts from the agcre- gate the estimated value of the town lot, and buildings in the towns at S6lOO0O The aver age deduced from all the circumstances is, that the cultivated land in St. Mary is to be valued at S65 62 per acre--an estimate which the writer himself is startled with but he can only amend it by estimating some of the uncultiva- ted land at more than S5 an acre, or in suppos ing the number of cultivated acres unstated.- The figures will bear no other alteration. and they show at all events an extraordinary state of prosperity.
 The products of these I'll plantations for the year ending with the crops of 1927. are estima- ted by the prices furnished in New Orleans, viz: Sugar at $55 net per hogshead, moasses at 614c net, corn at 70, and cotton at $40 per bale although only 40 bales were raised in the parish
 The total value of the products raised. viz: 31,915 hogsheads of sugar, 4 ,309 barrels mo- lasses, 4O1 6O9 bushels of corn. and smaller products, is put down at S2,3l6, 553 50. The average production is, therefore, S39 and small fraction per acre, of the cultivatei lands. Taking the excess of S2,Ol9 over 10000 as the estimate of slaves employed other than in ag- rcuture, the production of every slave on the plantation, men, women and children exceed ed S23l head, and if we take only the work ing hands must be nearly $500 head. The product for every white person. of every age and sex. averaged S576 he'd.
 The plantations being IT, the average of each plantation was S13 5l7 O9
 These are the gross receipts. The following are the estimates made of the net income. The molasses on plantations Is estim ted IS pav ing current expenses and other produces ex. centing sugar. Is cunsumed on the place The sugar therefore, is net profit. This amounted to S1. 755.325.
 Each lave, therefore, netted his master s175 year, or nearly B per cent on his assessed valne.
 The summing up is as follows:
 The III plantations have an average value each of S72,198 an average net income of SlO265. There are 97O voters in the parish and 1t follows that f it were equally d'v.d d among the white population, each would re. ceve S3,4O1 02; if shared am,ne the 97O vo- ters, each would receive Sl4 40 48; if shared among the whole population, ircluling whites. negroes, and Indians, there would be for each S839,88.
 The number of slaves being 12,O19, there are three to each white in the parish over twelve to each voter, and over seventy to each plantation.