Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-05-01
PLANTATION LIFE.
How the CoIored Man in Arkansas Runs n
Plantation.

now the toiored Wan IN Arknnsas Runs n
Plantation.
Charles Nordhoff, in one of his letters
to the Herald from Arkansas, gives the
following interesting picture of planta-
ton life there:
OF the forty thousand negro voters in
the State it is believed that at least one
in twenty owns either farm or a house
and lot in a town. This would give but
two thousand such independent land
holders-a small number, but yet be-
ginning, showing that even amid the in
tense and incessant political turmoil OF
the last seven years a part of the colored
men have been persistently industrious
and economical. In that part of the
cotton country which saw heard of a
number of negroes who had bought
farms, and not uncommonly a manager
or planter would say: "There's jim;
he's going to buy land next year if this
crop turns out WELL" In one negro
cabin the woman told me her husband
lost 5000 in the Freedman's Bank, and
seemed delighted when the planter told
her she would probably get back small
sum.
[ was shown a colored man who bought
farm of eighty acres last year-all
cleared cotton land-for $4,000, paying
800 down. On the remainder he was
to pay ten per cent. interest, and the
planter who sold it to him told me he
would make it all safely out of the farm.
This fellow had genuine energy, for he
employed other negroes to cultivate his
own farm, and himself worked fifty
acres of rented land. He gets more
out of his people than could, said the
planter to me; "he'll hire some women
and get mans work out of every one of
them"
The usual manner of working the cot
ton lands is to let them either on shares
or for a fixed price per acre. Some
planters have their laborers by the
month or year, but it is not thought a
profitable plan, and, believe, it is not
so well liked by the negroes The rich
bottom lands are worth from $50 to $50
per acre, according to location and con-
dition. Where land is let for share
of the crop the renter usually pays the
owner from eighty to ninety pounds OF
clean cotton per acre. If he has good
luck he can raise four hundred pounds
to the acre, and he aims to get also
corn enough for himself and his
stock. In such case the owner gins al
the cotton, and he supplies, besides the
land, fencing, frewood, a house.
which, even if very good, will not cost
more than $3.50, and often is mere log
cabin, and range for stock. The renter
must have his own teams and tools, anC
must pay for extra labor for picking fol
him, if he needs it. For twelve acre,
he ought to have a mule, pillow, hoes ant
seed; and he may get eight bales of cot
ton, of which two would go for rent
and the net remainder would be wortl
$500, beside the value of his corn. Thu
planter or landowner usually expects t.
make his people advances of food anC
clothing; and it is evident, from what
have seen and heard, that the create
number of the people are careless ant
do not lay up money. That they can
however, is shown by many instances.
Where planter hires laborers colore,
men receive from fifteen to eighteen dol
lars month and board, or one dollar
day if they feed themselves. Women
} employed in hoeing cotton, receive a
; much as men, if they do full day
work. I could not learn that any differ
J ence in wages is made by reason {
color; but negro laborers are thought t
be more peaceable and more easily pro
vided for than whites. General Churchill
= now State treasurer, told me that som
l of his former slaves were still on h
: plantation as renters. Several manage
I forty or fifty acres each. He found Il
/ difficulty in collecting his dues frol
t them, and liked them as renters. 81
S he remarked to me that the youn
colored people do not farm so well t
their fathers, and more of them see
= some other employment.
e The favorite method, [ think, is
o rent cotton land for fixed price pt
s acre, usually from six to ten dollars, IL
n owner ginning the cotton in the latt,
y case. The negroes usually use the lab,
h of their women and children in IL
d fields, and man takes more or less lar
% according to the number Of his famil
d If a renter takes fifty acres at eight dc
is lars, his account in an average We
e year would stand somewhat thus: Thir
h acres in cotton would gin twenty-fi'
d bales, worth ST., 300. OF this he won
< pay out S40O rent, and probably $3.50 Fl
1t extra labor in picking, etc, and won
lie have left $3.50 cash and twenty acres
er corn as food for his family and stock.
Y. Such results not only satisfy the negr
Is but they even tempt white men to con
in from the less fertile uplands, and {
some plantations there are Swiss al
Germans, who as rule, became pre-
va porous, I am told.
,o The PLANTER keeDs on the Mace a ato