Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1867-04-18
Coolies in Louisiana


apprenticeship there has expired LARGO
numbers are said to be anxious for remoy-
al to the United States. The New Or
leans Crescent Of March 31st saws
Two shipments of coolies have alreadv
been received here from Havana. under
auspices of Mr.. Bullet, the last one only
two or three days ago, on the steamship
Liberty These men, fifty FIVE in number
were remarkably athletic andiactiye snec;.
mems, and as they are guaranteed to be
sober, industrious, willing, peaceable and
honest laborers, already we'll acoua;ntea
with the use of agricultural implements
and the mode Of cultivating sugar, corn
and rice, they will prove Invaluable adj
'junctssto such as may have the good for
tune to secure their services. al. ,T~s.,
ai 1t is the universal experience Ia Cuba
that coolies are the most intelligent and eff
fcient laborers that have yet beenemploy-
ed, and are by far the cheapest There
being few, or rather no women among
them, the contracting planter is not en-
numbered with the young and helpless
relatives Of his laborers. They have no
membranes, but are all, without excep-
'tion, healthy and vigorous. .,- II
The cost Of bringing coolies from Cuba
and delivering them On the plantations in
any part of Louisiana is from $50 to $50.
The;wages paid them is only S12. in cur
erency, per month. The food taey require
and are satisfied with is two and half
pounds Of pork week and ten ounces Of
rice daily. 9, They are the most frugal aud
ingenious people in the world; are never
idle, but have fish traps and game traps
set in every possible locality, aud are EN-
ployed during their leisure hours in max
ing toys, domestic Implements, bird snases
or fishing nets. Any number, extending
even to thousands. can be procured at a
very short notice on the terms mentioned
above. If
Coolies have been working on several
plantations in the Red River region, near
Nachitoches, and their employers are de-
lighted with their industry, frugality and
tractability. @
A COOP S1eN--At meeting in Wythe-
vile, got up by two or three "mean
whites" claiming to be Radicals, the ne,
groes had the good sense to see that these
fellows were acting from corrupt motives,
and foiled their ''cut and dried arrange
ments. Several very sensible speeches
were made by negroes, among them one by
WILSON LEEwooD, a preacher, who (says a
correspondent of the Lynchburg Repa6-
lican), earnestly "enjoined On his color
ed brethren the Importance of conducting
themselves as christians, and being polite,
respectful to all, honest and truthful. He
knew if they would do this they would re-
ceive the respect of all he knew they were
now ignorant and they would have to be
careful whom they selected as their friends !;
that in selecting men for Office, they must
select gentlemen who were respectable,
and competent and could be relied upon,
and not suffer themselves to be duped by
those who wanted to make tools of them
to get into Office and then discard them. -
He cautioned them too against men who
had nothing but false promises and deceit
to offer them, and told them that their
true friends were those to whom they had
to look for employment-that they would
have to live among and must cultivate the
friendship Of the better class of Southern
white people. Altogether his speech was
very sensible and well received.'L
LUXEMBOURG. The town of Luxembourg
is the capitol of the Grand Duchy, and
has a world wide reputation as one Of the
strongest fortresses in Europe, second on
ly to, Gibraltar It is divided into two
quarters, the latter of which is two hun
dred feet higher than the former, resting
on solid rock. and accessible BY steps and
zigzag streets. This rocky crest is sur
rounded by a massive wall, deep bitches,
and formidable outworks. The Grand
Duchy was divided by the treaty of 1914,
part Of it going to Belgium, and part, con-
tanning the town and fortress. to Holland
This Dutch portion formed the eleventh
State Of the Germanic Confederation, and
the fortress is consequently held BY Ger
man troops, which naturally enough ac-
counts for the opposition offered to the
proposed ,cession. Part of this territory
was in the hands of the French from 1859
to ia, and was, called Luxemburg, but
in the latter year it passed intothe hands
Of Austria, and was SO held until won back
by the revolutionary armies Of France, to
be lost, as we have stated, by the treaty of
1914. Owing to the consolidation of
Prussia, the Emperor Of France is anxious
to get back this stronghold. Nat. Intm
LoUDoUN AND HAMpsHIRE RAILRoAD. -
This important line of communication be-
tween Alexandria and the interior Of the
State, now in process Of repair. is rapidly
approaching Leesburg, to which point its
construction had reached at the commence
ment Of the war, and where an extensive
trade depot had been established The
bridge over Goose creek, an expensive
structure, now being erected, will be COM
pleted by the end Of the current month.
Those over Sycolin and Tuscarora creeks,
between Goose creek and Leesburg, each
about 40 feet long, have been framed, and
can be placed in position in short time
The erection Of these bridges, with the ex-
ception of about quater of mile of track
to relay, and two cuts to clean out, consti-