The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-01-28

q style equal to many hotels in Older cit
i,s: besides this ono there are three
other very good hotels and any NUMBER
OF boarding houses. The resident popu-
| latlon Is about 900. besides floating
population (railroad mem of five hundred
NOR. Most Of these latter live in the ho-
,cls. which gives them quite o metropolis
tan dir in the evenings. The town is reg
ularly laid out with stone street cross
ings, and as the soil Il sandy the streets
are never muddy. A number OF large
buildings are in process Ofcrection,a among
which may be mentioned music hall, by
Mr.. George \ Robbins, who is recog-
nized a, one OF the most enterpri,ing
citizens. The hall will be an ornament
to the place when completed. 4 new
Jail is also being crested on the Arkansas
side undcrs the supervision OF
Judge W. }. Watson, county
clerk. The iron, elevation OF The build
ing is of sand stone and resembles
the private residenc. Of some wealthy
gentleman. having nothing about it sug-
ges;ive of the Uses 10 which 1t Is 10 be
put (; the cell, are lined with boiler ron.
and reckon they might as well write
above them the Inscription Dan.o saw
oyer the gate of hell. 'iAll' hope abandon
ye who enter here. n have just returned
from very please two weeks visit to
Judge wa,sorE aniation at Pecan
Point. twenty milelAfom here. 1t is,sit.
uatcd in the famous Red river bottoms.
aud contains go acres, there Is a fence
surrounding the plantation and along
this are built the negro cabins, there are
no dividing fences which are so ruinous
to the landscape in the North. aud when
this immense field is ihickly covered with
the open boles Of cotton IL !, sight
worth seeing, although !, i. not a. large
rs some of the neighborins plantations,
(tha, Of Capt. Wadleigh. containing li00
acres joins itl ii is under a very high state
of cultivation and produced bale or five
hundred pounds OF lint cotton to tue
acre, which IL above the average. The
cotton from the Red river country /,
graded IN the market neN, 10 Sea Island
and always comm,nds a good price.
am indebted to the Judge for many
facts as to working his plantation. which
may interest your readers. The great |
trouble ia the South now is lack Of re-
liable labor. The blacks have not yet'
and probably never viii. recover irou'
the effects OF their emancipation. ana |
will. when tho wlim seiles them. forfeit |
the good results TO be- derived nom
whole season Of hard labor. just for u few |
weeks Of idJcncss at the critical time Of
licking the cotton they have raised.
The manner Of working this plantation
= the one usually adopted, aud is As iol.
ows: 1t is divided into plais containing
rom i've To twenty acres and farmcd ont
o the negro tenant. according TO num-
,er 81 workers there are in a family.
Ehey are furnished male. piow, hoes
nd other Implements for working the
,rop. aud receive half for their labor.
u soon a. the crop j. planted, ii is mort.
aged 10 The owner Of the land, who also |
furnishes them supplies while the crop /,
eng raised. Under the heas Of .',,,p.
lies" Is included clothing, bacon, corn
neal aud tobacco, when are issucd every
evening, at the rate OF four
'"""as o. h..",-. 49, 10 peck or corn
neal for each one. and clothing "A. it is
ecded. Thi, is charged TO them and Is
aiken ont 81 their portion Of
he crop at the end Of the
eason. This ration il TO last a week. IL
oes not look inviting 10 an educated
'alatc, yet tho negroe, thrive upon II and
re seldom sick. The only fresh meat
hey ever see j, an occasional coon or
postum. at hunting Of which thcy are
dcpts. The crop being planted it is the
'vcrscer- duty 10 see that II is properly
cultivated, and his task is by no means
II easy one he il on HE horse from day
light till dark, riding around seeing that
he workers are on deck, as 1t Is consti-
uliohal Tor \ negro To shirk, and they in
ent all sorts OF excuses for not going to
work, Judge Watson's plan is In case a
nan sharks to hire man to work the
'rop. aud charge the cost to the shirker.
rms sort Of moral suasOn usually brings
hem to realizing sense of their duty.
md is very effective. 1t will easily be
cen that this system can De made very
oppressive II the planter il not disposed
o deal fairly with his tenants. The nc.
'rocs have no iorethought whatever, and
VII II they are permitted, buy all sorts
u useless articles from the planter. who
runs store in con-
lection with his plantation and
hargcs whatever prices he sees III.
they cannot 20 elsewhere 10
purchase a' he holds a mortgage on their
growing crop, and that Is the only col
iter;d they have upon which to obtain
redit, and many OF them at the end Of
he season will be indebted to the planter
tier giving up their entire interest I'm tho
rop; there are exceptions of course. one
ID negro and wife on this plantation
made thousand dollars clear, AS the re-.
al -. II