Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-07-31
LIFE oN TNs PLANTATIONS.
tFrom Russell's Lett rs to the London Tlmes'l
GOV. MANNtNa,s prANTATION.


GOV. MANNISe's PLANTATION.
NATcHEz, June Alt last we reached
Gov. Manning's place and drove to the over
seer's-a large heavyeyed old man, who asked
us into his house from out of the ram tlll the
boat was readr--an, tile river did not look III
viting-full of driit,trees, swrls and mighty
eddles. In the plan room in which we sat
there was volume IF Spuryeons Sermons and
OF Bakers works. "This rain will do good
to the corn" said tliS'averseer "The niggers
has had sceerce notiin' to do leety as they
eve cleared out the fields pretty we'll we
drove down to poop shed on the leyee, called
the ferry house, ATTENDED by one stout young
slave who was TO low me over. Two nat
bottomed skitfs lay On the bank. The negro
groped under the slltd and pulled out piece
OF wood ike l;N spatula, some four feet
long, and Il Ssma ,und poll little longer.
What are tic. quotll |, DEEMS oars,
Massa,' was my satle fer1yman's brisk reply.
''I'm very sure thk are not; if they were
| spced they might make an oar between
them" "GolIy, AN dat's the trute, Massa.
'rhere, go and get bars, will you?" While he
| was hunting abou we entered the shed Tor
shelter from the N. We found "a solitary
woman sitting" smoking pipe by the ashes
on the hearth, besr eyed, low proved, ana
morose-young as she was. She never SAID
smoked, and looked through her gu1nmy eyes
at chickens about " size of sparrows, and at
a cat MT larger ths "a rat which ran about on
the dirty floor ARttle girl some tour years
of age, not over.d $sed-indeed, halt naked,
mot to put too finl point upon it'-crawed
out from under ii ed, where she had hid on
our approach Al HE seemed incapable If
appreciating the use small piece of silver
presented to her-Mving no precise ideas on
coinage or toffy -herD parent took the opoious
in charge with unniistakable decision Dut,
still, she would not stir Il step to aid our Char'
on, who now insisted ON the "key OBJ de oar.
house." The little thing sided off and hunted
it out from the top Of 1.-The bed-stead, and was
not sorry to quit the company of the silent
woman in black. CllRron pushed his skill IN
to the water-there was good deal OF ram IN
it--in shape snutfer dish, some ten feet long
and foot deep. got in and the conscious
waters Immediately began vigorously squirting
through the cotton wadding wherewlth Inc
craft was caulked. Had we gone out into the
stream we should have had u swim for 1t, and
they do say that the Mississippi is the most
dangerous river for that healthtul exercise in
the known world.
BATON ROUGE.
1t is the capital of the state of Louisiana,
and the State House is quaint and very new
example of bad taste. The Deaf and Dumb
Asylum near it is in much better style. 1t
was my intention to visit the state prison and
penitentiary, but the day was too hot and the
distance too great, and SO dined at the oldest
little Creole restaurant, with the funniest old
hostess and the strangest company Ill the
world. On returning to the boat hotel, Mr..
Conrad, one of the citizens of the place, and
Mr.. w. Avery, Judge ofthe court, were good
enough to call to invite me to visit them, but
was obliged to decline. The old gentlemen
were both members Of the home guard, and
drilled assiduously every evening. Ot the
1900 voters at Baton Rouge, more than
760 are already off to the wars, and another
company is being formed to follow them. MT.
Conrad has three sons in the field already.
The waiter who served out drinks in the bar
wore uniform, and his musket lay IN the cor
ner among the brandy bottles At night a
patriotic meeting Of kitizen soIdiery took place
in the bow, in which song and WHISKY hau
much to do, SO that sleep was dithcult put al
seven o'clock on "Wednesday morning the
Mary L, came alongside, and soon afterwards
bore me ON to Natchezl through scenery which
became wilder and Less cultivated as she got
upwards. Ofthe fifteen hundred steamers on
the river not 1.-THE ORE now in employment,
and the owners are iri bad way. 1t was late
at night when the steamer arrived at
Natchez, and the Rext morning early l
took shelter in another engineless steamer
which was thought to be hotel by
its owners. Old negtRas on board, however,
u1'R;sssG.s was NOTHING for breakfast; go to
IL In hill to Curry 8