The Cecil Whig., 1859-08-27
Editorial Correspondence.
HAMPTON, Va, August %, :;

same ground Wilch hau tHlS year gleIieu
crop Of early potatoes. Close by this village
there is Il field Of cotton, the plants well filed
with bolls and blossoms; it is an experiment,
but is expected to pay. In many fields the
wheat is still standing out in shocks Of from
& to 10 dozen slieaves. Large fields of falow
ground are covered with growing peas, Cor
beans, } to be plowed down for wheat as clover
is plowed down with us. l have passed
corn field the ows in which were full five feet
apart the last tillage was plowing and three
large furrows were thrown each way to the
rows. On some farms the sweet potato forms
the principal crop, and to see a number or
acres together is not uncommon. The corn
crop here will be an average one.
Labor is expensive here to those who have
not slaves Of their own. An average farm
hand is hired by the year for from S12O to
$3.50; a good woman for the kitchen, who
can cook and wash, brings $50 year; girl
Of II to II years brings $50 to $25. Besides
these wages to the master, the employer finds
their clothing, and pays the taxes the state
and county tax Oh Il slave over twelve
=
runs all risk Of sickness, accident and escape.
In case Of sickness the owner pays the doctor,
and in case of death the wages stop. Many
active negro men, hire themselves from their
masters, (not unircqucntly paying Sl50 per
year,) and live quite comfortably with their
wives and families These men follow fishing,
oystering, and jobbing about at days. work.
The lst Of January is the great hiring day,
when the hired servants go to their homes
and the bonds for their wages are dated.
Hampton Can boast of one of the wonders
of the day--a mathematical prodigy who bids
fair TO riva. Colburn, the young man Stafford
of Vermont, or the black boy Of Alabama of
whom SO much was said in the newspapers
a year or two ago. j i'm Cam, little yellow
slave boy, scarcely yard high, and only
greatest wonders Of Virginia. Having heard
Of his remarkable powers sought him out ;
fearful Of strangers, ard seeing me approach
he hid himself; his mother ran him down
through corn lot and brought him in, fright
ened and painting. Supposing him unfit at
the moment for any great mental effort l
talked TO him to enlist his confidence, but
Wills staid he confined shy. Taking up the
subject Off my crrand asked him if he could
multiply figures together and tell what they
came to. He answered :: | can do it a little"
How do you do it 81 don't know, sir. -
| asked him first how many are II times 81 {;
he repeated .'I1 times 81 ~ and instantly
answered ''sevcntcen hundred and thirty
nine." In every case he repeated the mum
bers and then answered kept pencil and
paper to prove his correctness. then asked
him the product of ~ times 60; without hes
ltaton he answered " thirty three hundred
and eighty one" To several other sums of
two figures each he returned equally prompt
and correct answers. then asked him how
many are 1Oi times 2i9, repeating the numbers
he said "twcniy fire hunGred hnudrcd nad sercn
hnndred ami ninety t'ro - the product is 25 1872
His difficulty was, lie knows nothing of
| notaiion; he Immediately arrived at the true
result, aud expressed it in the only manner he
was able. In several other sums Of three
figures each he failed, principally, believe
because he could not express the result; vet
he was in no condition for mental effort owing
to his agitation from the running down and
cutting he received at his mothers hands,
| sat before this totally ncttcrcd negro
urchinwith feelings ofsurprlsc almost amount
ing to awe at his remarkable powers, for one of
his age and condition. Somewhat acquainted
with numbers myself, can mentally multiply
all such sums, as tested him with, and give
their true product, but not Immediately as he
did. Every cyphercr will see how to do so,
by the {" short cut' as we say: for instance
to arrive at SO times 10, say so times 60, re-
serve the product mentally and subtract 60 ;
III some such manner the other examples ;
those accustomed to figures read lily do this in
small and plain sums, but how this little untu-
tored boy, who does mt know q written figure
or letter, solves such problems is mystery.
Persons on whom can rely say that when in
state Of perfect confidence and questioned
by those with whom he is acquainted he, with
out hesitation, solves far more difficult pro-
blcms, ever those involving intricate fractions
| give the exact extent of what he did for me.
| intended to see him again, but he goes out
all the day fishing with his father and is hard
to meet with.
Every hour and many times every hour the
sound Of booming guns comes over from
Fortress Monroe. They are trying the quail
ties, as | am informed, of rifled cannon
This is splendid Fort, but having been dos
cribcd SO offer my readers Will desire nothing
of it from me. With its huge walls, moats.
grinning port holes and frowning guns it pre-
scnts from without formidable appearance,
while within, tho soldiers with bristling
muskets, the rows of cannon, mounted as
though ready to rush at an enemy, and the
shady homes of the officers ovcrhung with
flowers and vocal with birds, present an odd
contrast of peace and war.
l called to see an old acquaintance of our
Elkton people, Mr.. j. NJ. Sewall, at his farm
on Mill Creek between Old Point and Hampton.
Judging from his crops he has turned out a
good farmer. He has greatly improved the
appearance of his property since he bought it
and his numerous friends in Cecil will be
Pleased to hear that he and his estimatiabe
family are in the continual enjoyment Of health
in one of the prettest country homes this
part of Virginia affords.