Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-04-08
"wiil the Nigger Work -

The following account given to us by a
southern correspondent, for whom we can
vuuch, gives rather remarkable refutation
to tenet which the whole re dictionary par
ty, North and South, have been SO anxious
ly maintaining for years past.
The day and generation of the race oflong
haired, poor whites who have hung around
the bar-rooms of the South and spent their
time drinking, and chewing tobacco, and
harping upon the Same string, "The did mig
ger won't work, " is just passing away-at
least in this vicinity. The colored men have
gone to work with an energy and will this
spring, that has astonished us all, and if the
season continues 10 be as propitious as it has
opened, VIC may expect the very best results
when the crop is gathered,
propose to give you u short history of a
man who has shown such signal energy and
perseverance that he deserves honorable
mention.
l. was born and raised in Kentucky,
but was sold into Louisiana before the war,
his wife and chi,areu heing left behind He
has gone up after them and VIII have them
with him after this time
When quite young he managed learn to
read and write, an accomplishment that
caused his sale down South, and separation
from his family. Of course his old master
concealed that, it being great fault, worse
than broken leg or short wind. As l.
had suffered from this discovery, he was very
careful to keep it concealed from the people
down here, till the change of times has now
enabled him to use his knowledge to good
advantage.
During the years 1866 and 1867 he was
persuaded to work for his old muster, being
persuaded By smooth speech to believe that
lie was in reality one Of the best friends of
the colored race. But the fall of 1867 found
him about us poor as when he started, with
no good pr0sps CT of bt tier times; so he and
niue others determined TO look out for
themselyeo.
Their whole possession consisted of a very
scan'y stock of furniture and one bale Of
cotton. They came over and borrowed our
boat to ferry them across the river to an un-
inhabited island they had hired, and carried
all their possessions down to the river bank,
prepared to make an early start in the morn.
Ing That night the bank caved in, and they
lost most of their small lot Of furniture, and,
worse than that, their cotton.
They were not discouraged but went.over
to the island and commenced work with
their axes and hoes. We lent them fifty
bushels of com, which they pounded into
hominy, furnished them an old gun and
trusted them for powder and shot, and they
began life They caught a loUse skitf in the
levee before they returned our boat, an ID
with that they picked up enough lumber
from the sand bars to floor and cover their
log houses. They also used it as u fishing
boat, and were successful fishermen tho
whole season. Not mouthful of meat did
they taste till the next fall, except such game
as they shot. Fish and hominy were their
principal articles of food.
'Vh.v ..,,t . 1;tt1o xuoot xpi,irh thnv tn1
on their backs to the bank of the river and
sold to the steamboats,. This enabled them
to purchase salt, medicines, and such arii-
cles as were absolutely necessary. With
their hoes only they made crop, and L.
was down here the other day TO make set
tlemcnt of his accounts and start fair for an
other Year. He repaid the fifty bushels Of
corn, with five bushels for interest, paid his
account for powder and shot and for oars
lost in the spring, three hundred bushels of
corn for the rent of the land, had money
enough to buy good strong clothes for all
hands and stock of young hogs as start
tor this season, with corn and potatoes to
last till new crop.
"The id niger won't work.
/. - has found friends enough TO lend
him money to buy four mules and a wagon,
and in two years he will undoubtedly be
able to purchase the island and become one
of the landholders of the country. He has
taught school evening, and all hands, men,
women and children, can read, and most oI
them can write. With the money from the
sale of the first lot Of wood they bought
states and pencils; salt .frst-then these.
He has allowed me to copy the
Rules and Regulations Of - Island.
"Any one whose stock Injuries the crops
of another, shall pay twice over.
ANY one who steals shall pay ten times
and be turned off the island.
"No one shall drink or bring drop OF
| liquor on TO the island"
| Each of his tenants is Obliged to subscribe
to taese, and he informs me that for the
| whole wear he has had no occasion to en-
| force either of them.