The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-13

cany through mis- nei0s 20 see mat the renters are
at work and 20 aid them with his advice. During
the winter be hires them 10 chop wood Tor his own
use. and to split rails and keep up the fences.
All the plantations have quantity OF unused
woodland in which stock roams at large, ana this
Is free 10 the renters. IL Is waseful and
wretohed way TO keep stock, and one result OF it
you see IN the steers which are used TO draw wood
into Little Rock some OF when are not much
digger than eood->lZed Newfoundland dog It
MAKES trouble too about hogs The hog 10 IN
Arkansas what the umbrella is in New York-tne
prey OF the first man VINO needs it, PORK is called
"mear," and when your planter friend explains
10 you that ne has to buy all his meat. he will add
that "the negroes VIII steal nogs-you can't keep
Rog about the place."
PLANTATION LIFE.
The cabins or the renters white as well as black
are usually pretty cherries affairs. and there are
few signs or o desire Tor tasteful or even orderly
surroundings. But In this respect the planters
own home surroundings are usually but little In
advance OF his tenants. Here aud the you mud
man who keeps Kitchen garden; but most or
the people have chickens; q lorehanded negro will
own some cows and they all buy coffee, sugar,
moasses and wheaton fioDr. which last they pre-
Ter 10 corn meal plantation store which
examined was pretty thoroughly supplied not only
with dry goods and groceries but with furniture,
ssddles, COOKING stoves and all kinds OF kitchen
and stab,eware, OF the palmer sorts or course. A
placard announced ''Scotch snur,n and to my
inquiry the storekeeper told me that many OF the
women, white as well as black. use 1t In the way
called dipping" was sorry to discover that at
some OF the plantation stores whskey Is sold to
the renters.
ON one OF the plantat l was told that negro
renters are preferred because they are easier to
get on with, ana less apt to grumble and Ind fLut
than native whites; and Judge, from all heard.
that the negroes are quite as economical and as
apt TO bug land out Of their savings the poorer
class of whites who become renters.
Cotton picking, when, It used to be said, could
never be satisfactorily done with free labor
because 1t requires the concentr ltlon OF muo6
labor at certain time, is, it seems, better done
nov than ever under the slave system. In the
picking season women and children gather upon
the plantations from towns and Villages, ana from
all the surrounding upIands ami as they are well
paid, and by the hundred weight the work Is
quickly and well done. During slave times we
never got THROUGH picking so early. or saved the
whole crop in such good order as now,n said q
planter 10 me; "sometimes the cotton was not
all gathered before March, and now tho fields arc
usually stripped clean before frost comes"
Every neghbo mood has church and school for
the colQred people. and usually also school for
the WHITE children. On Sunday the women go to
church in bright dresses, and this is great Occa-
sion. The colored preachers are usually renters,
and imagine they also have some political innu.
ence among their people. Political meetings arc
held IN the churches.
PEACE AND PROSPERITY.
To conclude. Where yer / met colo ed people
they seemed comfortable and at ease. ana
neither saw nor heard The least evidence that
they are regarded by he whites otherwise than
as an integral and important part ~ the popula.
ton. They appear to me to have withstood, very
credtabv. the demoraliz'ng influences OF political
Iunkettng barbecues and excitement incident TO
the earlier years OF reconstruction On the panta.
lions white and colored renters seem 10 hold like
relations TO the owners OF the land. Cotton land
IS still 50 abundant that there IL difficulty in
buying 1t In sdch quantities as laborlng men.
white or back, want. In Little Rock negro police
men are seen az frequently as white. and In tho
State House and elsewhere In government OMEGA
! saw them employed.
Arkansas IS at peace. The condition OF parties
makes prescription for opinions sake impossible,
Tor neither party can afrord 10 sacrifice adherents
There i the best evidence that industry mas re.
vived all over The State. that the people oil both
parties strongly desire peace ana order, ana that
the cessation OF federal interference has moved
the only Of disorder by thro wing pollti.
cans on their own responsibility ana leaving tn0
people TO control their own local affairs ana to
remedy abuses at the polls which before tney
were unable to cure or remove by lawful means,
and were therefore tempted 10 resort 10 the shot
gun and the revolver. "In my country said
an Arkansan TO me, "tne County Clerk
and Collector OF Taxes were appointed by
the Governor. They were not citizens OF
the county, but strangers; they wasted
the taxes; issued scrip TO a heavy amount aud
stole that; gave us neither improvements nor
good mao agement, and We I'D no appeal no way.
at elections or In any other method. oil Kidding
ourselves OF them. Taxes went no TO seven per
cent on high valuation. What should We dor
one OF these scoundrels was shot aud the other
ran away. And then came howl OF political
ostracism and persecution OF Union men. But
now we can protect ourselves At the polls. aud wa
win Keep the peace.n
The public debt OF Arkansas is very great, and
its management IL iul OF difficulties for tho pres
ent. But the natural wealth OF the state Is large.
too It Is now under the rule OF honest men, and
the peoDe. individually, owe less In proportion "a
their property than ever before In the history or
the state Their prospects, there ore are iavora.
bic. and . good crop this year will, everybody
tninks. make tnem prosperous.
CHARLES NORDHoFP.