Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1865-12-21
SRlettea geEisfeaat1lg.
From the Abbeville Banner.

From the Abbcville Banner. ;
Contracts for Labor.
Ar HOME, November rs, 1856.
Mr. Editor Newer before in the his
/ tory Of our State has the planting mind Of
the country been SO exercised as at the pres.
ent. Each neighbor is enquiring of his
still further off neighbor, aHow do you
propose regulating labor on your plantation
next year" This one proposes to interest
the laborer by giving him proportion Of
the crop that one thinks as "noney made
the mare g" It will be the only efectual
stimulus to the freedmen, and hence pro.
poses to pay monthly.
I'advocate neither. of these plans, but pre-
! fer q mixture of the two, which simply
means to pay in money for the quantity
harvested For instance, for each bale Of
cottons( 400 pounds, each bushel of corn,
peas, or small grain, for each gallon of syr-
up, and pound or hundred pounds of fod-
der, [ propose paying so much, the ,aggre-
gate being divided pro rata amongst the
hands, who will in the contract be rated rs
full, three quarters, or half hands. Medi-
cal attendance and all other plantation ex-
penses to be furnished by the master, but
deductions to be made at the expense of the
laborer, such as loss Of time, from any 9th:
er cause than that created by the master,
| fines imposed and boarding children. aE.
viotion,' aud discharges to be within the
power Of the master at all times for disobe,
dience, idleness, or impudence.
Stock will be raised by a servant not
counted a field hand, whose pay will de.
pend upon the flock or herd, and the num-
Der Of pounds of pork batchered. In simi,
lar way is poultry to be grown. No en-
ployee will be allowed to raiss chickens or
cultivate q patch Tor himself, and By no
means TO o,on dog
With these explanatory items, Mr.. Edi.
tor, / give you below my contract fora
plantation or farm working seven hands =
Of course the same would answer in form
and principle for apy number of hands:
FORM OF CONTRACT.
:, This agreement, made and entered into
this the frst.day of January, 1865, between
John Smith On the one part and sundry
freedmen on the other part, wituesseth:
That We Qresdmen) whose names are
hereunto attached, do agree and bind our
selves to labor faithfully for one year for
the aforesaid Jehn Smith, obsying all his
orders, consulting, defending and promo.
ting ali the interests of his plantation, aud
rendering it, by our industry, as produc.
tive aud the ensuing crop as abundant as
possible. That We will be obedient, hum
4 bic, civil and polite to. himself, his family,
or agent and for violation of these pledges
render ourselves liable to the punishments,
or either of them, mentioned below.
!. In consideration Of. the service above
specified, John Smith,. do::agree to house
comfortably, feed literally, and furnish
medical attendance for the aforesaid freed.
men, deductiug, however, from their wages
SO cents per day for each day lost by one of
the laborers from sickness, or any other
cause, except that created by me: g..
l further agree to board and lodge The
children (uon workers. Of the aforesaid
freedmen at monthly expense Of 81 each,
and at the end of'the year to pay the field
hands, stock minder and poultry woman as
follows; The field hands for each bale Of
cotton (4O0 pounds,) $40; for each bushel
of corn or peas, 20 cents for each hundred
pounds of fodder, 20 cents; for each gal.
lon of syrup 10 cents; for harvesting small
grain, 5 cents per bushel; these amounts to
be aggregated and divided amongst the
freedmen as rated below, each full hand re.
ceiving one seventh of the whole net a
mount. - 80, s9
The stock-minder will receive for eact
lamb or calf added to the flock or herd du'
ring the year, 25 cents, and l cent pei
pound for each and every pound of porh
butcherei in the fall of 1866.
The poultry woman will be paid 5 cents
for each head of poultry grown.
Any or all the freedmen parties to thil
contract may be 6neda sum not exceeding
81 for each offence, for idleoess, impudepce
disobedisuce, or for maltreating the stool
on the plantation, aud for repeated offences
may be discharged at my discretion, appea
being granted. in case of discharge to {
Magistrate or the District Judge-loss o
time oOcasioned by the appeal chargeabl'
to the offender.
! All expenses incurred by reason of Law
regulating labor, approval Of contracts, tax
! es Of freedmen, and boarding the (non
workers) children, will be deducted from
the wages of each freedmen as he may b.
severally liable.
This contract to continue for one yea
only.
JOHN SMITH, Employer.
Witness PETER SNooKs,
ROBIN HOOP. -,
FREEDMEN.
his 49,
Simpson, x full hard.
-. marx. --~rr-. r-s.---.- -