New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-29
MIGRATORY LABOR,

The travellers on the upper Mississippi
and Missouri river steamers observe, III
the months of July and August, large
numbers of men coming aboard at the
different landings. These men are known
as harvesters. They are tall, stalwart
sons of toll, Injured to work; usually take
deck passage and ride from twenty-five to
fifty miles at time They generally be-
gin early in July to gather the harvests in
Southern Illinois and Missouri, and gradu-
ally work their way northward, as they
clear the southern fields, which ripen
first, and end their labors in upper Iowa,
Wisconsin and Minnesota. They are
ready to return southwark again some
time in September.
As rule these harvesters are hard
workers and hard hitters. They earn
their money faithfully and spend it with
free hand. Most of them have been
soldiers in the Union army, and keep the
memory of their exploits fresh in mind
by some very lively traditions. great
deal o. the unwritten history Of the war
can be heard at any time when three or
four hundred of them are assembled to.
gether on one of the Northern Line Packet
Company's boats. Nearly every man of
them is the hero of some thrilling ad-
venture, which he has either experienced
or invented. 1t makes little difference
which it is, since to dispute it in the
smallest particular is pretty sure to get
the skeptic into temporary difficulty.
Now, it occurs to US that these birds of
passage might easily be prevailed upon to
extern the limits Of their field of labor.
1t is happy circumstance that just
about the time the harvest season of Min
nesota-the most Northern State on the
Mississippi river-closes, the fields of Red
river are white with cotton. We hear
every year that the fertile acres have
produced more than can be gathered
Why not, then send for fifteen or twenty
thousand Of these "harvesters" and let
them come and pick out cotton on shares
or such other terms as might be agreed
upon. They could be probably employed
up to the first week in November, which
hap pens to be election time in Louisiana.
1t might happen, too, that they would
meet with exculsionists from Texas, men
whom they have met before on other fields
and they could regale each other with
anecdotes of the war.
AS Texas is so overwhelmingly Demo-
cratic, and Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois |
so decidedly Republican, neither Of the
parties Of immigrants would be
needed at home for political purposes, and
at that season of the year, as we have
shown, the Mortimer would not be re-
quired elsewhere for industrial purposes.
As for the Texans, all seasons are alike. |
No local duties are supposed to bind
them, and it is the official opinion of the
Galveston Democracy that they can easily |
be spared.
The result of the employment of about
twenty thousand of these Western har-
yesters would appear in large "pick'' Of |
cotton, full Republican vote, and i'm
proved behavior on the part of the people
of the rural districts. 1t will prove to be
a pleasant excursion to the South by our
Northwestern cousins, and if we make it
profitable to them as well as useful to u.s.
it may prove the entering wedge to that
which Mr.. bennett is striv-
ing for in brave words, at least There
can be no doubt that many sections of the
South have been too much lsolated-too
exclusive. This can be changed by the
of new and desirable ele-
nents, such as abound in the large per-
'entage of migratory laborers of the
oopulous States bordering on the upper
river.