Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-10-06
Matters i'm Texas,
COTTON PICKING IN THE LONE STAR STATE
ICJ5TeSPDE,iCaae II tie Srr.I
TEXAS Sanf- Tx

lCC5TeSpDgiCane II tie SrrI
TEXAS, Sept. -, 1.75.
heTe we are in the midst of harvesting our
crops while we read OF frostS iniuring those
still immature in more northern Iatftudes
Cotton picking has progres S,I toIa-9 bl = yraI.
better with white laborers than with the
cOlOred 2S the latter, with few exceptions
lost the early season in q tendance on camn
meetings. Hundreds, for over four weeks,
crowded the grounds both day and night;
ana really seemed to care little about what
lhey hOuld eat, or whereTithal thew should
be clothed, further than the garments i'm use
ana the lunch in their handkerchief aud
buckets AS a consequence, OILY q small nor
ton of their cotton has been gathered The
stalks were ladehed with bowls OF the fIeecy
Sfarlc snowy white and cont ,aSting 80 bean
tiIully with the green leaves and brilliant
blossoms that few could look on il aud not
DelleVe Cotton picking delightful employ
Ihent. But on the 10Th, al one o clock a m,
storm OF wind and rain set in and laS:ei
without 1ntermiSsIon fOTty-eight hours. Aud
such havoc. In some fields the ground Is
nearly covered with cotton, so beaten into
the soil as 10 be worthless. Talking with n
goCi Old cOlOred wO. pal about this loss she
said, with hands uplifted above her heat
We does the best we kin, You know; AID
then ef Providence sends stO..hs we h'atnt
no right To grumbie." BE-" we asked
don't you think people like - use Prov.
lazines.? Suppose now, that q ose who have
neglected gathering the, crops, which they
profess 10 believe are the gifts OF Gc1, Will
themselves attribute their sufierings to
Providence. while they alone are to blameo,'
That they will and 10 mistake. Bat isn't
one Of them sort. st"id at home OF week
days and picked cotton in the day time AMI
by moon shine, too, did" said this Old
aunty We'll, she il one of the exceptions.
One o. the many customs that have sprung
up under tie 1lOtledU re- ,t1ie is that of giving
- cotton pickingS." When a person has a
grea deai of the staple open he gives din
per Il the picking is la be in the day; SUP
per If by moonlight But the ne plus ultra of
the feast is whisky. II is understood that
this Will even answer for food as well as
drink. IL is, so TO speak, the back bone %
the picking. Boys and girls rren and women
flock to these z -thertngS baskets on their
herds, long sacks that reach TO the ground
Slung over their shoulders; and If they don't
get too much whisky in the Start-aS some
times happens-dO n good job. One man.
who gave nothing but that sub ;titute for foCi
and water, had bale Of cotton pic xed out
by moonlight the night before the late storm
Sometimes they get up " a Jolly good fight
in which nearly every one preSe 1t takes
sides, and some OF them are impellei to re-
tlre and repair damages. Ten to one the Wig
liant cOnSt able knows all about il, bat keeps
mum until the crops are all safely housed.
Then he hunts them up with remarkable per
tin3ciiy; they have lively times. sucd as
would delight the heart of " Riiah," of the
Detroit Fice Press fame. the county treasury
Is repleniShed, and the offenders are duly inn
pressed with the majesty Of the law. But IL
is time FOR this ray" TO stop shining.
PAUL PITH