Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-04-26

The Mason County Record of Michigan, re-
Gently published the opinions of a gentleman who
spent the winter in Florida, in regard to matters
and things in that section. His ideas were OBJ
tanned by the editor in the form Of an interview.
We copy the following
Is there much travel in the South now
Over $4,000 people from the North bad VISITED
jacksonville this season, at the time we were
there. The railroads and steamboats, alc crowd
cd with passengers and the hotels are full.
What is the character of the soil
Some of it is excellent, though it is mostly very
poor-not nearly as good for purposes OF cultva-
ton as our northern pine lands. We had new po-
tasoes and other fresh vegetables in February
but no such quality of vegetables OF any kind II
produced there as is raised in Mason county. L
any man would give me the entire State Of Flor,
ada fence it and plant it with orange trees.
would not take It Is a gift and live there five
wears. There was considerable rain while we
were there. The day was in st. Augustine the
thermometer stood at 50 deg above zero on the
same day that it was 20deg below in Ludington
Did YOU have opportunity to learn much in re-
gard to the social, political and financial condition
of the people of the South
travelled with my eyes and ears open, as al
ways do eonversed with great many men OF all
classes, and improved every opportunity for gain
ing reliable information upon these matters.
How is business in the South
The people in the South are poor-thc whole
country is poor. Ninety mine out of every hun
dred lost all they had in the war. The old slave
holders and their families have never been accus-
toned to manual labor, and most of them have lit
tie to pay for labor with. presume that at least
one third of the sugar and cotton plantations o
! the South are idle, their buildings and machlner,
| are going to decay. Georgia is in the best con
diton of any southern State, and Savannah wa
| the most busy city l saw.
| What is the condition of the Negroes?
| They are exceedingly ignorant and have great
idea Of liberty, very much as we would be IN then
condition. Freedom to them seems TO mean per
feet liberty to do as they please without any re-
straint. They are no more assuming than other
people.
Are they willing to work
The colored people do nearly all the work, and
work well where they have any one to direct them
have been in the mbering business for twenty
five years and never saw men work better IN
mills than the Negroes, none take hold and work
more easily and expeditiously than they. One
difficulty with them is that they are not inclined
to work steadily, but will want to quit as often as
once in week and 60 a-fshng.
What wages do they get in mills
About dollar a day for common laborers.
How are they treated by the white people
As general thing they are treated well, but
unscrupulous men take advantage of their lgno-
rance to impose upon them in all sorts of ways
of the war went through the South selling the
negroes at dollar each little pine sticks about
six inches long, striped with red, white and blue,
telling them that wherever they would select a
piece of ground and put one of the stakes at each
of the four corners, the Government would give
them the land. Thousands Of these stakes were
sold jim tins manner.