The New York herald., 1875-09-13

school, and there ignorant prejudice in Atlanta
against the teachers in the University the ground Of
their sitting table with the coored students which
thought to promote 'socal equalityn II is not de-
MED, however that the school does good work; and
imagine the teachers best instruct the pupils the
minor morals by eating at tho same table with them
One cannot help feeling little contempt for the people
who here in the South make themselves needessly
happy about "socal equality" | was amused
sensible panter-a democrat and native Georgan-who
said to melt is absurd in make such fuss;
there Is scarcely of whose children are not
sucked by negro nurses; playmates were negro
boys;s all relations in the old times were
OF tho most intimate; and for my part
would as soon ride in u with ceanly dressed ne
gro with white man. II is all stupid nonsense,
and makes absurd in the eyes OF sensible people"
The feeling takes the ridiculous forms, too. For
instance in Atlanta and Augusta colored people are al
lowed 10 ride in street cars in Savannah they are for
hidden. Why the dinerenceY Is Savannah negro
less clean, or is a Savannah white man more noble
being than those in the other two eIesY AS showing
the relations OF the two races I found wall in
Augusta poster giving notice Of a coored railroad
curson to Port Royal stating price Of passage and time
required, and at the end notice that special car
would be provided for such OF tho white citizens
would like take advantage Of this opportunity to
Port Royal and special accommodations for
their comfort would be ut hand. The whole
affair under the conduct OF colored men. The su-
perntendcnt ofSchoo told that there was less preu
dice against colored schools the Southern counties
where the negroes the numerous, than in the
northern part OF the State
CONDITION THE BLAcKs-wAGKs.
The negroes in and the cities and towns
usually prosperous There many colored mechan-
les and they receive full wages where they skul
farms and supply the market with vegetables There
fewer black than white beggars in the cities; and
missionary clergyman surprised by the remark that
the blackberry crop which was rpening was "a bless
ing to dozens of poor white families of whom he knew,
who lived half the year in condition of semistarva
tion. He explained that these people would not only
sell blackberries but that in the season they largely
lived this fruit These are the kind Of people to
whom factories would be blessing.
In the cotton country the planter usually pays his
| hands $40 month, by the year, with house and
ration The ration consists of three pounds OF bacon,
peck of meal and pint OF molasses per week The
aborcr has also 'patch" OF land for garden, and
Saturday afternoon for himself with the use Of ihe
Planters mules and tools TO work the garden They
work from sunrise sunset and IN the summer havo
two and a half hours for dinner The cotton pckers
fifty per 100 pounds in the seed and
fed or sixty-fve per 100 pounds If they feed
themselves The about fifteen cents day
Most planters keep small store and sell their aborers
meat bread and tobacco credit, the general settle
ment being made once year. The women receive for
field work SO a month and ration, and told that
they insist receiving their wages
and will not let their husbands their
money. They form an important extra force
for pressing work. One Of the most intelligent plant
ers met in the State told me that his aborers cost
H.. IL ITao lal
twhat surprised mel that the best planters prefer to
pay wages rather than let their land shares, and
that the wages system growing in favor also with
the negroes. I found this confirmed by other test-
mony It is very different in the other States have
seen-except indeed North Carona-and l imagine
the poverty Of the soil is main reason for It, In
Mississippi Louisiana and Arkansas the planters told
it would be poor policy to pay wages Certainly 1t
is the poorest system for the negro.
PLAS-fSG
Where the negroes plant shares the planter fur
nishes the land and mules and feeds the mules The
negro furnishes labor and feeds and gets one-third
the crop. He pays for onethird of the fertilizers
The planter gins the whole crop. Where negroes rent
land they pay $50 pounds of lint ginned
cotton for thrtyfve forty of land-as much
they can cultivate with mue-and they keep up the
fences and pay for the fertilizers On this lay said
planter to me, 81 know who made $3.50 clear
in year and above his support, and another who
lost $3.50" He added that the negroes on the whole
preferred the wages system; and this is mainly i'm
agine because the artificial costly and
uncertain element in making the crop. This
really Of course that it money TO make
cotton in Georgia than in the other States l have
named. A third Of bale to the is the average
crop in Georgia but in Mississippi they expect to get
from three-quarters to a bale per without
El
the negroes are most numerous, told they were
most quiet and docle population 81 live in the midst
of several hundred, he said 'with no white family
within several miles of me- and my people are never
in the least alarmed. have hrearm in the house
half the time Treat them honestly" he sad, and
they are all right" This man amused Inc with
stories Of how the blacks deceived by set Of
white rascals for some years after the war. Among
things these fellows brought red and blue sticks
which they sold for 81 each to the negroes wherewth
to stake orr the land which the government
give them. The blacks used also when they went to
the polls to vote bring halters with them for the
mule which General Grant TO give them. would
like know what graceless wretch it who spread
all the South, among the blacks the story Of
'forty acres mule 4" which has caused bitter dis
appointment many thousands Of creduous
groes and appears have been used mainly induce
them to vote the republican ticket In Louisiana
eral negroes told me that General Butler they
stood would make them this gift but usually is from
General Grant that they expect it, and they very
ready to vote for him.
The planter Of whom speak told me that the young
negroes who had grown up since the war worked less
steadily than the old hands He added that in his
county blacks owned as much $50 Of land
and many doing well on their farms. 'Jf it
not for the petit larceny they would all do well
He kept colorcd school on his own plantation The
black people liked it, he said They fond Of hoard
ing coin especially since the Frecdman's Bank failed
which caused loss many of them and they quite
ready To buy gold and silver coin a premium.
CHARLES NORDHOFF.
BLACK AND WHITE