The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-10-08
M i s Q Q IIa1ae O us.
John Randolph's Remedy
for Laziness.

~ 20 "Sil huoWH JnaC MI. Randolph
owned more than 300 slaves, and was ex-
ceedingly lenient toward them; he would
not allow his overseers to treat them with
any degree of haIshness they were eve
servants and would only work when close
~ watched, or when Mr.. Randolph was at
home, from their love for him or fear of his
anger.
Once when his public duties kept him
from home most of the time for several
years, his negroes became idle and worth
less, and not half crops were raised; the
carts and wagons and all the farming
utensils were lett in the fields. and with
out shelter were ruined; the fences were
down or dilapidated, and the cattle and
stock OF every kind were much crippled
up by the negroes in their efforts to chase
them out of the fields. More than half the
negroes were "playing possum," that is,
pretending to be sick, in order to avoid
work.
While things were in this condition Mr..
Randolph came home from Washington to
spend the Christmas holidays. Looking
over MS plantation accounts with his over
seer, discovered that his plantation was
not only not selt'sustaining, but actually
bringing him in debt. After thorough
examination of everything on the planta-
ton, he saw at once what was the matter,
and that his rigid instructions to his over
seers to be lenient to the negroes had been
the cause OF the trouble and that they
would not work unless under fear of pun
lshment, and he determined upon a plan
for correction.
The slaves in old Virginia, and all the
south, had always weeks holiday from
christmas to New Year, and these DAYS
were days OF general jubilee and jollifca-
tlon. Eggnog was kept at the big house
or mansion for everybody and all hands :;
there was terrible slaughter among the
negroes pet pigs and fat poultry, and
many possum caught weeks before and
fattened in boxes and barrels, and "coons"
smoked in the big cabin chimney, were
served up with pound-cake, pudding,
chicken pie, "store tea," and locust and
perslmmon beer, at the holiday feasts night
and day. 1t was then that the fiddle and
banjo, the tamborine and the clevis and
clevis pin kept up perpetual music for the
never ceasing dance.
Mr.. Randolph waited for the termina-
ton of these Christmas holidays, and
promptly on the first day of january he
ordered his overseer to have all the farm
ing utensils brought to the BARNARD. 1t
took all day to search for them and get
them together from where they had been
lett lying about in the fields, far and near.
The next morning there was q grand in
spection of all the plows, harrows, hoes
and rakes, and all that were broken or Sc
riously injured were thrown into pile
Mr.. Randolph then said in his shrll
voice:
"Set them on fire, Mr.. Chumley, and burn
them up"
The overseer demonstrated, and urged
that many of them might be repaired.
mo, sir No, sir | want them burned
up, they would always be old, rickety and
good for nothing; want no good for
nothing articles on this place"
And burned they were. Orders were
then given to have all the wagons, carts,
slides, Lizards, scythes, cradles, harness
and gears brought up, and after due inspect
ton, the next morning large bonfire was
made of all those rejected, and immediate
orders issued to have all the sheep, goats
and hogs gathered together On the en-
suing morning these were inspected and
many were found feeble with age and want
of food, Others were crippled and injured
and all such, in spite of the overseer's
pleadings, were remorselessly knocked on
the head and buried.
All the horses, mules and horned stock
were brought up for the fourth day, and
under Mr.. Randolphs rigid inspection
many were deslared worthless, and though
Mr.. Chumley begged that some of them
might be spared, as they could be fattened
and put to good use. Mr. Randolph was
unrelenting and all the condemned, includ.
ing the blind, lame, spawned, fistulated
and wind broken, were mercilessly shot
and buried.
AS the weather had been quite cold
during these days of inspection, many O.
the negroes, and especially the old, had
continued to "play possum," and had nev
or turned out of their cabins to aid in get
ting together the live stock or farming
utensils.
Mr. Randolph now gave orders that al
the negroes, old and young, should bt
brought to the house next day for in
spection, and in the meantime he had {
good many plain collins of all sizes made