, 1877-06-11
POOR WHITES OF THE SOUTH.


Tho ordinary tourist In tho South rarely
has oconsion to note tho abjoct condition,
low grado Of civilization, aud dcplorablo
ilitorntcness Of tho rural districts. 1Ie
vista only tho cities or popular wintor re-
sorta, aud tho only specimens Of the poor
whites and Southern negroes he encounters
aro those who hnvo been polished off aomo-
what by thoir contact with superior civiliza-
ton, and mako up for thor ignorance by tho
"peartneRs they have acquired while Loaf
ing about hotels, railway stations, saloons,
steamers, etc. There aro vast districts in
tho South, however. which arc inhabited by
tho most lazy, vsgaboudisb, and ignorant
people, black mud white, that can be found
anywhere on tho faco OF the civilized part OF
the globo. The fact is rncallod by a rorusal
Of q letter to an Enstern journal from
a correspondent who has seeu aono al
tho aboriginal life Of this terra iaoogath1,
and dopioted its peculiar squalor aud
dismal monotony. IIo wrote from tho monn-
tainoua dasrict Of Alabams, but thers ars all
through the extreme Southern States groat
diatriota Of precisely tho kauo nature, whcro
schools ass unheasd OF. reading and writing
ara among tho lost nrta, and social anusc-
ments beyond tho comprehension Of the
donizsns. There aro milliona OF people In
the South who literally llyo from hand 10
mouth, working no moro than is necessary
to earn tho bareat subsistence, and having
no ambition beyond that Of lolling about
md chewing tobacco, il men, or loIling
about and rubbing snuff, II women.
An average country homo Of this clasa
Of tho Southern people consists Of small
patch Of land, with n low shanty fora house,
rarely having more thnn two rooms, aud fro
qt,anuy not moro than ono, whore the whole
family Of both sexes, and auy transient
guests there may ba, bunk in together. h
log-pen Of ten or twelve feet square sesvos
"a stablo Tor the mule, aud there arc hog.
pen aud a corn.erib. All tho cat
To feed ont Of common trough,
which. consists Of q hollovod log;
the human boinga live On corn-ueal
and salt pork. Chickens, ducka, children,
and pigs luldle together. Tho entire e.
tablishment, including utensils, represents a
cost OF not more than 4400 OF $500, which
lnay be tho accumulation Of two or three
generations, and mn actual eatimato Of the
cost Of living for one family, which was
somewhat abose tho average In the pre-.
ralling prosperity, waa 5000 por year; tha
big items wore pork aud eosn-msal, tbs
small ones coffee, sugar. aud salt. The men
work only few days at timo and they
loaf-tlo absolutely nothing-tlll necessity
forces them to earn something more to live
upon. Tho women spin sono cotton, card
II into rolls, fry ths pork, mako the cora,
dodgsr, and bear the children. It Il In thla
dzeary, monosonous, animal existence thu,
Thousands Of families Ut the BouIh--tht
poor vhites and the poor blacka--psss from
ono generation To another. It Ia mere
existence, without any OF the thought, 50
ciety, pleasure, OF employment which mos
civilized people think essential to life. The
correspondent We hAyo referred 10 thu
genernllxes the situAtion:
The matesial surroundings Of thess people ~
inadequate to human Development Man viii II
| Ways remain ~ animal IN animal conditions Ia