The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-04-22
AN ARKANSAW TRAVELLER.
HIS OBSERVATIONS THERE.
THE PEOPLE PROSPEROUS AND
PEACEFUL.


PEACEFUL.
ARKANSAS TO DAY-AGRICULrURAL INTER-
EsTs AND PROSPECTS OF THE sTATE-THE
NEG o AS A LABORER-COTToN PLANTING
AND CORN RAISING on THE BoTToMs-NoTEs
BY NoRDHoFF.
Nordhoff, of the New York Herald, con-
cludes his correspondence concerning the
state of Arkansas as follows: The recon-
structors of Arkansas have been too busy
issuing bonds aud scrip aud mapipulat-
ing law sincs 1863 TO pay attention
to industrial statistis;ics. Hence 7
could get but scant and uncer-
tain answers to MANY questions affecting
the real interests of the state. A leading
politician conld tell me readily enough how
many black voters there are, and why these
are more numerous in proportion to popu-
lstion than white voters. which is because
formerly mainly adult negroes were brought
in as slaves, and since the war the small
colored immigration has consisted largely OF
colored men. seeking political and other ad-
ventures. But when L asked the same man
the more important question, how many
colored real estate owners the state has he
had not the least idea. believe Governor
Garland means TO draw information of this
kind from the sheriffs of the counties.
who are also often tax collectors
Arkansas, as viewed from railroad car, is
| not charming country to Northern's eve.
| IL contains good deal of thin and worthless
| land, and where you meet with civilization
the farms have aragged and uncombed look,
| the farm buildings are usually of a poor
| character, and very high fences show that
| stock is allowed 10 run wild. Fields are
| oftenest full of stumps, aud in the cotton
| region 'deadenings," or fields with Qirdled
| and decaying trees standing upon them,
give the landscape melancholy aspect.
| But, after all, 1t is useful for a Northern
/ man to remember that dead trees and
stumps are more economical than cleaner
| culture where labor is scarce, end that
THE ARKANSAS FARMER
does not need as solid house as bis coun-
trymsn in New York or Massachusetts.
Though the farms and plantations of the
state have too often an unprosperous look,
| The census tables of 1870 disclose the singu-
| lar fact that the value of the agricultural
| product of that year IN the state equaled
the assessed vGlue of all the farms and plan
tstiOus, which, If it is a correct sta ement
would make Arkansas one OF the richest of
our agricultural states. The state is divided
by natural confguration into two Sec
lions, the south aud east producing
mainly corn and cotton: the north and
northwest, which is mountainous Welding
wheat and other grains In the latter part
there are but few colored people, aud
here, during the war, were found Union
men, who fought for the old flag, either as
volunteers or guerillas. The richest and
most productive lands of the state sre OF
course, the river bottoms, and here are found
the most colored people. The Arkansas
neRroprefers. it seems, TO raise corn and cot
ton; he suffers less from malaria han the
white, and he likes the bottom lands.
Of the 40, 900 negro voters in the state it is
believed that at least one in 20 owns either n
farm or a house and lot in town. This
would give but 1000 such indeDendent land
holders small number, but yet a begin
ming, showing that even amid the intense
aud incessant political t7rmoil of the last
seven years a part of the colored men have
been persistentlv industrious and economi-
cal. In that part of the cotton country
which saw heard of a number of negroes
who had bought farms, and not uncom-
monty a manager or planter would say,
There's Jim; he's
GOING TO BUY LAND NEXT YEAR
if this crop turns ont well.'' In one negro
cabin the woman told me her husband lost
1900 in the Freedman's Bank, and seemed
delighted when the planter told her she
would probably get back a small sum.
was shown a black man who bought farm
| OF eighty acres last year-all cleared cotton
land-for $1,000, paying 500 down. Ga the
| remainder he was to pay ten per cent. inter
| est, and the planter who sold il to him told
me he would make it all safely out of the
farm. This fellow bad genuine energy,
| for he employed other negroes to
cultivate his own farm, and himself
worked so acres of rented land. "He gets
/ more out OF his people than / could, - said
| the planter to me; she'll hire some women
and get mans work out of every one o.
| them" The usual manner of working tbs
| cotton lands is to let them either on share
or for fixed price per acre. Some planter
| have their laborers by The month or year,
but Il il not thought a profitable plan, and.
| | believe, t is not so well liked by the
negroes. The rich bottom lands are worth
| from $50 to $50 per acre, according to location
and condition. Where land is let for
share OF the crop the renter usually pays The
| owner from eighty To ninety pounds ofclean
co ton per acre. II ne has good luck he can
raise 400 pounds TO .be acre, and he aims TO
get also corn enough for himself and his
stocks. In such case the owner gins all the
cotton, and he supplies, besides the land,
fencing, firewood, hou>e, which, even II
very good, will not cost more than $3.50, end
often is mere log cabin, aud range for
stock. TIE renter must have bis
own TEAMS AND TOOLS,
| ard must pay for extra labor for picking for
him, If he needs it, For twelve acres he
ought to havea mule, pillow, hoes and seed:
and be may get eight bales OF cotton, OF
which two would go for rent, aud thu net re-
m ,inder would be worth $780, beside the
value of his corn. The planter or landowner
usually expects 20 make his people advances
of food and clothing; ind it Is evident, FROM
what have seen and heard, that the greater
number OF the people are careless and do
/ not lay up money. That they can, how
ever, is shown by many instances. Where
planter hires lsborers coloted men re-
ceive from SIS Ia SIS month and board, or
81 day If they feed themselves. Women.
employed In hoeing cotton, receive as much
as men, il they do a full days work.
could not learn that any difference in wages