The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1864-11-02


beds, with corn shuck mattresses and
tattercd furnishings; but the whole as
pcct of the place reminds one strongly
Of to!crably kept swinc.sty or dog
kennel. The character Of the inmates
of these novels is suited to their sur.
roundings. They are inIoleut, shlftless,
and thicving given to whiskey drinking
snuff.dipping, clay.cating, and all man
uer of social vices.
Their Incidence is almost past belief.
They are literally "too lazy to come in
when it rains" \ traveller tells Of ask
ing shelter at one Of their shantics in
storm. The rain was pouring in a: the
roof, and the family were huddled about
the only dry spot on the floor. 49,.
Why don't you mend your root?
the traveller asked.
"S,rauger,"' replied the host, "wc
can't do tit rains"
"But it doesn't always rain-why not
mend it in dry weather.
"Why, wh-whot's the use o mendln
it whom it doan't Leak" was the very
sensible reply. ~ -..
Still. they have a mortal antipathy to
water. They never take it outwardly,
unless the roof leaks, or they arc caught
in rain storm, and never inwardiy,
unless i, is mixed with apple jack or
whiskey.- Whiskcy is their staple bcvc'
rare. BY exchanging deer or other
game (their only currency at some
cross road do.yery, they obtain plentiful
supplies Of vile fluid, which is COM
pounded oflogwood, strychnine, Juniper
berries, and alcohol, and "circulates
among them under the appropriate name
Of "Tauslc.loot," e Blucruin," " Bust
head" and Knock. 'cm.stift." If the
vendcr Of this vile stuff did not dilute
| it freely with watcr--so freely that it
rarely fails to itself get tight in cold
wcathcr-thp race Of "mean Southern
whites would soon be swept from the
earth. AS it is, they seem to thrive and
Gat,cn upon it old men, doing away
in the chimney corner, and little CHILD
rem, tottling about the aoOf, drink it as
il it we're water.
\ Northern man was once forced to
dine at one of these novels. Missing
the customary whiskey.keg y from the
table, he said to the housewives:
"Can't you give me mug Of Knock
stiff"
"I can't, stranger" was her reply
81 haiu't nary drap ter slccr !"
"Nonc to spare! Why sec barrel
of it there in the coruer!'
\ barr'l w it !"''exclaimcd the wo,
man, "why, who,'s tibet fur lone Wild
der an SEWN chillen? We shall be
nation dry fore winters over
Not one in a.thousand Of these people
can read, and not one in ten thousand
can write. | have known many who
never saw 4 book or newspaper, and
some who never heard Of Bible or 4
spelling book. AS q consequence OF
such ignorance, they have very crude
notions of God aud religious duty. $ >;
To these mean whites" Mr.. Cairncs'S
description appropriately applies, and it
applies only to them. The great mas.
Of poor whites, as l have said, arc very
different people. The poor white man
labors, the mnu white man docs not
labor; and labor marks the distinction
between them. Labor makes one hardy
industrious and cutcrprising, law abid.
ins and useful citizen; idlcncss makes
the other thieving, vicious, law breaking
and Of " no sort Of account" to himself
or society.
The IrLori4y whites comprise two
thirds Of the free population OF tho
South, and they have done more for its
material progress than all its " chivalry
and all its slaves. They have done
more, because they have worked under
the stimulus Of freedom, and because
they vastly o"'nHmJer the other classes
The census shows that on the FIRST Of
June, LSG0 There lwerc in the fourteen
slave states, exclusive Of Delaware, ono
million three hundred and fifty. inc
thousand six hundred and filty.fvt
white males engaged In agricultural and
other outdoor cmployments. OF this
number, nine hundred and one thousand
one hundred and two are classcd as
farmers men who till their own
land; two hundred and thirty thousand
one hundred and forty.six arc classct
as "farm .laborers men who till tho
land of others and two hundred and
twenty.eishs thousand four hundred and
seven arc class,d as "laborcrs "-mcr
engaged in outdoor work other than
the tillagc Of land. The "farmers
are not to be COMPOUNDED with the plan,
ters-men who work large tracts of LAND
and large bodies Of slaves, but do moi
work thcmsclves-for the census takes
distinct account Of the latter. Thc5
number only eighty, five thousand five
hundred and 6fty- eight .but-suchi ha: