Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1860-11-30

Think. We masters. iron-hearted
Lolling at your joyial boards,
Think how many backs have smarted
For the sweets your cane affords
LIFE ON THE PLANTATION,
1t was the cotton gathering season, and
| often went out on the plantation, at
night to witleSs the weighing and summing
up of the days work. The following is a
description Of the first scene of the kind l
witnessed.
When the overseer reached the place for
weighing, be called out to the black dri-
ver-who was following bis gang, whip in
hand Bring in the cotton. Instantly
| saw the slaves hurrying up to their bas-
kets and emptying ther sacks into them
Two or three wagons were on the turn-row
ready to receive the cotton when weighed
The black driver adjusted the scales, and
then called out, ''AlI ready, sir" Several
slaves Immediately jumped into the large
wagon bed, made for carting cotton, to
empty the baskets and tramp down the
cotton. One slave tn lantern seated
himself on the side Of the wagon to exam
Inc the baskets as they were emptied, to see
that there We're no pumpkins, clols, or
other substances secreted in them to in
crease their weight. Another, who had
been taught the numbers on the balance,
prepared to weigh; and another, who had
| learned the numbers on the baskets, stood
road, to announce the number of each
basket as it was put on the scales One
set of hands stood ready to drag up the
baskets and lift them on the scales, and
another to lift them off when weighed, and
dump them into the large wagon bed
The overseer-with large folding slate
in his hand, which contained the name
and number of each working slave, with a
irecord OF the amount of cotton gathered
by each one for two OR three previous days
is seated on basket, where he can see
the figures on the balance, and detect any
attempt to deceive him in the weight All
things thus arranged, he calls out, weigh
in little less than no time !" The slaye
who announces the number of the basket
on the scales, cries out Fifty, sir, and
the one who takes account of the weight,
responds, Lone hundred and seventy five,
sir. The oversecr compares the number
with the record of previous days and or
ders the black driver, who stood ready,
with whip in hand, to give No. so, fifty
lashes, I'D well put on" ''She ought
to have had over two hundred pounds such
a day as this--a moist day--no wind, and
better cotton to gather in than yesterday. "
He declares, in tones which send terror
through all their hearts, and with
oaths and epithets too vile to print,
that he will fog every niger that has not
more cotton to-day than lie had yesterday.
No 80 Jegs for mercy-"dls one time mas
sa .'-her head and back hurt her SO bad
she could hardly stand up.
60 to the black driver, you internal
b-h, and he'll cure your aches and pains
The cotton is wasting in the feld-the
weather is good for gathering it cotton
must come, shall come, or Mr.. Niger
hide must pay the penalty -
Another, who was sent to the black dri
yer, plead that the skin was worn off his
''fum and finger The overseer cursed
his thumb aud finger, and charged the drl
yer to give him particular hell, anc
| learn him to take care of his thumb anc
fingers. The black driver ordered them
one after another, in their turn, to "shel
off and come down. &. e., to strip anC
lay down, to receive the execution of tht
overseer's sentence. When any one in
) stinctively put up his hand to protect hi
! flesh from the blood-extracting lash, tn.
driver called on other slaves to stretcl
him out and hold his hands and feet.
As the female slaves came down, the.
gathered their clothes up to their waist
= and lay fat On their faces. If any one re
fused, or did not keep her clothes out G
the way of the lash. two or three wome
were ordered to put her in the vice-whe
one Instantly planted herself on the ground
secured the victims head between he
: knees, and drew her clothes over it, SO a
to confne her arms, and lay bare her bac
for the drivers lash, while two other
h stretched out her feet and held them.
l have seen from one to thirty slave
hogged after this manner, at one cotto
weighing. As fast as the wagons wei
: loaded, they were driven off to the Cotto
Gin. and when the last wagon was loade'
the slaves ali hurried to the Gin house.
Here, their first business was to gatht
n up in large baskets the cotton tha. ha
10 been summed that day and carry it up tv
fights OF stairs, into the second story
al the gin house This done, the wagol
we're drawn up and their contents sprea
upon the scafolds that had just been clea
cd, to be ready for summing the next da
Their days work thus finished. at Il
signal of the bell they all repaired, in hast