The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-11
at the south-Opposition 20
Labor-Saving Machines.

| The New Orleans Picayune, in an amusing
article maintains that the labor-saving machines
| which are beginning to be introduced from the
North are regarded by the freedmen s.as copper
heads with steel arms and as natural enemies OF
| the col0red man." As consequence they will
have nothing to do with them The Pirav,1ne
| says:
They see in these devices only the effort OF the
rebel to make himself or herself independent OF
African muscle, and are determined that so long
| iers and economizers of force shall not be en-
| ployed A friend in the country complained to us
some time since especially OH this subject. He
| provided himself with full set of the most mod
ern and best approved agricultural implements,
| and having selected out OF hundred the ten best
most willing and trusty hands for full hearty
and fair trial OF emancipated labor, ne went
cheerfuly to worh TO arrange for making colt IN
and corn. But to his dismay, mis- fayorite
and picked negroes, who believe him to be both
good and smart were, nevertheless. utterly
opposed to using these new-angled instruments.
They knew how to pillow with the bull tongue and
the turning pillow, made in the blacksmith shop:
| they were handy with the hoe; they preferred to
work thus: When he urged them to try the new
implements, insisting upon it, they promptly de-
cared that they would not; itwas new scheme to
avoid paying the black man, and they would have
none of it. What was their surprise the next day
to see their young and senderly built master with
tearing over the field, and turning over sod they
had never been able to reach before, and to find
by night that he had dispensed with the labor of
several of them. But, during the entire year, he
has never been able to get one of them to touch
one of these implements, though he had often de-
monstrated their use and usefulness.
We are again reminded OF this by what has late
" happened in the household Of friend in this
city. He procured early this year a washing ma
chine. Hewas satisfied OF its vast saving of time
and its improving the cleanliness and saving the
| xraa NJ far ly'a otuie prt
the servant was not 80 well pleased. Many criti-
cisms were made upon it, and uncommon awkward
ness displayed in usingit. Finally, the servant
found herself too delicate in health to do the
get for such was the name give the machine,
was exhibited to her, and its use practically de-
monstrated. She, however, also looked on it
with suspicion and dislike. Dat was no way to
do. White folks gettin' smart Bime by dey'll
have no use for niggers De ole ways de bess If
I'm gwine to do de washing, rs gwine to do 1t de
ole wayr So she went on the old way. The mis-
tress of the house had many cares, and was in
somewhat impaired health; but having got strong
and hearty again OF late she concluded to see that
day, she had it brought out just as they were
getting ready for the washing. What forP
TO do the washing 1t must be done
with the machine But Aunt Patsy shrunk
from the contamination. Support Copper
heads and rebels Yes; but never allow
this dispenser with the trade of washer
women to touch her hands. She crept away. The
lady waited long, and then looked for her. She
was not to be seen. But this did not balk the
firm resolve The fire Was stirred, the soiled
linen was put in the machine, the boiling suds
poured over, and the machine put to work. Just
as she was about to put them through the wiring
err Aunt Patsy, who had been hid away, peeping
at the process so successfully carried on, reap
peared on the scene, and prayed to be allowed to
hang them up.
So far as we know, neither the hands ON the cot
ton plantation nor Aunt Patsy have declared their
satisfaction with these efforts to throw off the
this region have 80 long been bound. We hear,
too, the general complaint Of entire unwilngnssss sss
on the part of laborers and servants to use the
labor savers. But our friends, whose experience
we have given, have resolved to use them, il they
were to dispense with negroes altogether, the one
to send to the North for such additional aid as il
indispensable for moderate farming, and the other
to do her own washing until Aunt Patsy or some
one Of her kinfolk relents.
With such determin alton, generally made and
carried out, the reconstruction OF the South would
be certain, early and complete, though politically
it should 60 irretrievably TO the dogs"