Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1869-12-18
IIiRING HANDS.

duty in this important movement, y
IIiRING HANDS.
The Macon (Ga-) Telegraph, of q
late date, under this head, has the
following ideas Of 'farm work, which
may be of advantage to planters In
this section: "The time for new
contracts and arrangements for an
other year Of agricultural adventure
is now rapidly approaching, and there
are probably few among agricultural
readers whose minds are not occupied
with the general subject matter of
labor engagements for the year 1870.
A.wide discrepancy Of opinion stiIl
exists among planters as to the best
method Of contracting for labofsa
whether upon shares or stipulated
monthly wages. Personal experience
on this subject will, Of course, control
the Judgment OF almost every man,
whose experience has not been unsat-
isfaetory; but, after all, the best way
TO determine the relative merits of
the two systems would be general
comparison Of results, if that We're
practicable. glE gi3hi s8lgi 1iedi aua-
But results are, of course, vastly
modified by the personal application,
energy and Judgment Of planters
The man blest with an ardent, active,
energetic temperament and that in
describable faculty Of controlling sub
ordinate minds and infusing into
them aportion Of his own enthusiast
tic, active and iaborious spiritmay &C
complish more upon a less judicious
system of hiring, than a lax, unsys-
tomato, and easy going neighbor who
works pretty much on the principle
of letting things take care Of them
selves, would upon better system.
We have heard the most opposite
views and personal experience upon
the different plans of hiring. A few
days ago one of the largest, most sa-
gacious, liberal and ut the same time
money making, planters we know OF,
was delivering his ideas at length
upon this subject in our hearing. He
said the war had deprived him of con-
siderably upwards of 100 valuable
hands, and left him with large
landed property of nominal value
He determined to invest lightly the
first year and cultivate but little land.
He wished to take the year for obser-
walton and reflections upon afuturo
planting policy. He therefore hired
but a few hands by the month, and
the results Of their labor were so dis
heartening that he would have been
glad to have sold out every acre had
1t been possible to do so short of u ru-
inous sacrifice. 49, .......
When Christmas came again, he de.
termined to abandon the wages sys-
tenn and give all his hands proprie.
tary interests In the crop. He sal
down independent and digested a
system for himself, upon the plan q
offering very liberal inducements to
his laborers. He proposed, ON hi,
part, to furnish rent, fuel, chat Is /,
say, the privilege Of cutting 1t from
the land,) and agreed to allow cacl
ahle-bodied negro the privile of keep
ing n hog inpen Mt his own expense.
also Of milking one COW from tn,
herd on paying q dollar weekly. IL
also stipulated to furnish and feed al
necessary stock, ondprovide utensils
wagons, etc. "
On their part, they must feed an,
clothe themselves, and work faithful
~, Sundays and Fourth OF July ex
ceptcd, for stipulated hours, iron
Christmas to Christmas. They mus
lose all time at stipulated rates whic
IL consumed in other holidays and /
sickness, nnlcss arising from som
bodily injury sustained In the cours
of labor on the plantations n,
count OF which loss is duly kept wit
the laborcr They q. reed also to kee
tho plantation inorder as 10 fence
etc., and also TO pay one half IN
wages and expense of the plantatio
manager who is the common ager
of both parties, and pledged to equi
aud exact justice to both.
When the crops are gathered III
laborers are entitled to Just one-lial
excepting only tile corn shucks an
cotton seed the former OF which WI
rough forage for the mules, and ii
latter duly applied to manurlng III
land. '. ..'H. Is..l. ... i.
Upon this basis, our freud had bee
working eyersince the year 1866, wit
the most satisfactory. results both
himself and the laborers. He said i
had no trouble Will. them at all, an
huta few days ago he made poil
against nn Increase Of salary to one
his managers, who claimed it on a,
count 81 increased magnitude Of opc
atoms, that although the operation
Increased, the difficulty Of MAJ
'nacmontl was far less than
was even in the days " slavery; an
this point his intelligent manag,
cpneelcd at once. .T.a.
The negrs's were very sharp owe
sccrs upon each otlcr, aud mad
every ono of their number stand n