Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-10-09

FREE vs.. SLAVE L,BoR.-A correspondent
Of the Springfield Republican,, writing from
Gauley Bridge, West Virginia, say-
Il have within a few weeks learned some
interesting facts in relation to the effect of
the war upon slavery in the valley of the
Kanawha. This war Is a good thing for
US. because it has cleaned ont the nis.ers,
say the poor men. The war has effected
one good work for Us in this region. saw,
another class. commonly called the miuI-
ling class, energetic, enterprising, prosperous
men, who have got along without slaves. 10
has opened the ewes of old iogics who thought
they could not live without slaves This i-
the way it is represented 20 me. Mr- H..
who owns the largest farm nearest o. our
camp down the road. had twenty negroes
mostly women and children. With all her
field working force. she got enough from the
farm to support herself and iamilyahundlut-
ly. and that was all. Ii from any cause the
corps were short. the family was piuchci a
little. " hon government troops came into
the valley, she was advised hy her friends 10
save her slave property by sending the ne
groes 20 friends within the confederate lines
She reserved TWO female house servants and
their three little ones. Noir she hires work
hands, and the help M the fields of the house
servants produces lust as much as before
sells the surplus. before consumed hy the
fifteen negroes sent away. and always ha,
plenty of money and more luXuric> than Dee
fore. Besides the support Of her present
family, she provides "a good deal for travellers
on the lonely. long road. She has several
times intimatei 10 officer, stopping there
that she il glad 10 he shed of the fifteen
slaves, whether she over gets anything for
them OF not
Another case 10 which my attention has
been called Is that of two men now deceased.
There was large amount of land and forty
negroes The heirs rented the home farm.
and nearly all the work-ncgroe- were hired
out in planting and harvest time. But their
work did not support all the negroes. 4
good deal of the best land was reserved for
the slaves. the women and the children doing
most OF the work This was necessary To-
provide corn and bacon for the forty negroes
during the winter When secc,h lost rule
here these slaves were run off into Dixie hv
the heirs of j. and II. Now the land is all
rented 20 advantage, and the owners say they
could afford to pay the board of the slaves
sent away a. long a. they live. and then
make money under the present system
Another good point is, that the price of
white labor has increased The rich slave
holders hired out their workmcn. They were
in the salt works. in the coal mines. and
working in the timber business. \ good
labOrer, white or black. gets sixty u eighty
cents per day. Now the negroes are gone.
the poor white men gets : ] 80 10 - per dav.
And get your money every four weeks, said
one Of them to me. When the niggcrs were
here we were obliged TO take our pay in or
ders, and out of the stores owned by our own
employers, and lost one-third of our earnings
IN that way All farm laborers We're de
pendent IN the same way hiring n little
land 10 raise their pork and corn. and work
ing out for little coffee, sugar and dry
goods from their employers at double price
You cannot imagine with what contempt the
poor white men now talk of ncighbOrs in like
circumstances who are in the rebel army
Every man who is willing to work can get
employment for good pay. The presence of
the army has something to do in keeping up
this state OF things, but the men referred To
tell me they have no fears for the future.
whenever there l. peace. The institution
and the old preludices are rooted out, and
prosperity Is certain 20 continue. There
were not many slaves in the Kanawha val
ley, but yet enough of them to make strong
controlling influence. Its reign Is over, and
many OF the old families act as though they
hitherto lived in darkness and had Just begun
to see light. The happy influence is every
where visible. ! ought to have said before
that it is estimated that six-sevenths of all
the slave property in Kanawha county, and
in what is called the valley, has gone either
into Dixie or into the free States