New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-08-10
GEORGIA.
sHB STATE OF THE CaoPS--FREEDMES'S LABOR-Bx-
PERIENcB OF NORTHERN PLANTBGS-sTArs OF
IIpLT

sHB STATE OF THE CaOPS-FREEDMES'S LABoR-Bx-
PBRIENCB OF NORTHERN PLANTBIS-STArB OF
PUBLIC FEELING.
epe,isl Correspondence Of The n Y. Tribune
SAVANNAH Aug. s. 1856.
The cholera has ragged fearfully the quarantine
Tvbee Island but that is fifteen miles from here orr
citizens are not greatly alarmed about it. Up TO the last
report we learn that 90 had died Of the disease and 81
more were i'll with it SO also i'll Of other diseases
This is exclusive Of the deaths among deserers ia the
marshes
This does not leave more than twO-thirds Of the FS
men who were landed from the San Salvador Thediseaso
has assumed milder type and is now reported to be
abang We have had genuine Of cholera in the
city during the past week. and suspected case; also
suspected case of yellow fever. The total number Of
deaths the past week only 49, The general health OF
The city during July has been remarkably good The oldest
physicans here never July with less sickness This
Is partially due TO the fact that our sanitary condition Is
better than has been IN past years. the streets ana lanes
The weather has been very fine. Though the first por-
ton of the month dry for the past ten days We have
been blessed with copiOus showers Tie mercury has not
risen above % in the shade when fairly exposed and uds
ing from ell accounts have suffered far less from heat
While corn and cotton have suffered severely in
portions of the State the recent rains have saved much
which apparently doomed TO destruction and the ac-
counts from the interior of more cheerful character
have talked with great many planters OF late-men who
are cultvatng nee and long staple cotton on the Sea
Islands the coast both II Georgia and South Car
DINA
The Southern men all agree in saying that the negro
won't work either for himself for them and that with
system is failure and that nothing but the lash will
mako fun crop. Most Of them expect to make only
about half crop have 10 faith in free labor, and talk
dismally of the future.
On the other hand, all the Northern whom have
conyorscd wth--thoUgh having numerous difficulties to
contend with expecting make from 200 to 600 per cent
the capital invested this year. and many of them have
sold their crops in advance at that rate Not single man
bavo who does say that he is making money by
the cultivation Of cotton rice, and that almost any
Northern can do it as well. Every man of them
ronuts larger profits and better crops next year 1an
this because the land had grown up 10 weeds and they
met many difficulties which they will lot encounter next
year.
5000 acres last Winter the Savannah River within 10
miles of the city. went all the rice fields with him
month ago and he informed that the total expense
of cultyatug the place, including rent would be about
10000 for this year. His crop estimated by good
Judges will be az least 50 900 bushels Of clear rice worth
In 1860 81 per bushel on the place. OI course. IL
will be worth much more He has old oyerseer-
they cali him Superintendent nowadays and the hands
system He will cultivate the land next year if
accident befas him. and expects to make larger crop If
the should be as favorable as the present has been
Col. -, also Northern man cultvaies rice planta-
ton on the Ogeechee River and is doing we'll lie COM
plains that of his hands slight their work. and get
Through with their tasks at or II O'Clock, instead OF
or O'Clock D. H. the usual hour aud though he viii not
have large crop by IL, still he will get good average
crop aud make about as much as our Massachusetts
friend Another year he will plant by machine, and prob
ably hoe and harvest also by machinery. He perfccting
kind of hOrse.hoe, which will cultivate between the
drs Ind cut M all the weeds leaving little for the hands
10 do afterwari lie is daily expecting reapngmachine,
10 harvest his crop it will undoubtedly do with slight
notifications and thus dispense with eaping by band
A gentleman from Maine called on me last week He,
10 company with nine others-al discharged Federal
sodicrs, from different States North-came 70 South
Carolina last Winter with from $1,000 TO $1,000 each
They found Of the wealthies men IN South Carolina
on his plantation Beaufort lie had several thousand
acres OF land but TOOLS stock or money and his old
servants mostly lying idle on the place. They rented
900 acres Of his land for year at a. 50 per acre. and
Immediately divided il into ten farms, each man owning
farm. They agreed that they would cut loose entirely
from the old system OF task work. and make their hands
labor fun day all farmers do North Each man hired
his hands-who had always worked on the plaee-and
agreed 70 pay them 50 cents per dey OF s9 month when
duct for lost time and bad work 81 per day. To compen
safe for the long day. they added 10 ~ rG0ns to the
value Of dollar per week over one OLD allowance
1sdinr their hands 6ter than aRyJody else and paid them
promptly every Saturday night reservng only the value OF
the ration for week in advance, and disehagng them
whenever they desired TO leave.
Az first the hands declared that they could not work
without task and then, at O'Clock p M they left the
Geld because Their days Iork was Done s LOOK sn nsn
for half day If they returned at that hour, but finally
they became accustomed to working full day. and liked
the new system better than the old He assured me that
their days work is about task and half on an aver
age. ,,,
planting Sea Island" or 'long staple cotton. Tho
former occasionally leave their little farms week and hire
themselves him, purchase raons their capital hay
Ing been too small o. support their families year. or till
the new crop harvested. They invariably TO
hire for long PERIOD and return to their own crops in
SEASON 10 prevent them from suffering II is generally
Agreed that il will be impossible TO hire those men next
gear as they viii make enough this to support Their iai'
lea next and enable them TO get good crop for them
selyes without hiring to anybody They are very am-
bilious 10 be their own masters.
This man says that he had only $500 when he began
kusness on the plantation and viii need $500 more 10
pay expenses tin after harvest and that be was offered
$4,000 fof his crop few days before he saw me: This
viii leave him about s. 200 for his years labor The con-
sequence Of such state Of affairs can be foreseen Young
farmers In the North with little capital will come
South where they mako three times much as they
can at home and than double what they West
1T will not be long before they will find this out and learn
that the temperature here during Summer is not high
enough 10 Dure Northern men prevent their labor in
the field They cannot only get nearly double the labor
from hands under the system, but 1t is performed
better The kndest feeling exists between these North
e operators and the old landhoders, and between the
freedmen and their former masters as far as they OBJ
serve
Any deficiency Of manual labor in tho South will soon
DO supplied when such facts these become generally
SnnEn hoSh and tnllroyed machlneV VII DC laLidAeei