The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-05-24

COTTON RAISING BY MAINE MAN.-Gen. r..
B. Shepherd of Skowhegan, we'll known as a
prominent business man and state senator, i'm
mediately after the close of the war purchased
cotton plantation of about 5000 acres, in
southeastern Georgia, which he has since car
ried on successfully by methods that demon
strate the ease with which the.colored men of
the South can be elevated and brought into ha1-
monious relations with the whites, by simply
treating them with kindness and justice.
When Gen. S. took possession of the pianta-
ton he found about thirty families of negroes
on it, just emancipated from slavery, ignorant,
degraded and but little elevated above the
brutes. He first hired them, paying them
fair compensation AMI placing superintendent
over them. While doing this he adopted siren
nous measures to improve their cabins and
their modes of living, and employed Northern
lady in the winter to teach them to read and
write He also erected plain building for
church, secured negro minister. and gradually
brought large congregation under the inf1u-
ence of the preacher, who heartily responded
to the Generals suggestions for the moral, men
tai and material improvement of the colored
men.
The negroes proved to be faithful laborers;
and as Gen. S. dealt justly and kindly With
them and showed himself their true friend,
tuey COuuueu Ill dlIu duu readily accepted MS
suggestions for improvement. The plantation
was success from the start But Gen. Shop
herd felt that he could make it still more sue
cessful by making the negroes more immedi-
ately interested in the plantation. He accord
ingly divided his grounds into as many sections
as there were negro families, and gave each
family section to till on their own account on
favorable conditions. Gen. S. furnished seed,
fertilizers, tools and all kinds of supplies, and
took charge of all the cotton picked, sold it and
gave to each family the portion of the proceeds
belonging to it after deducting for supplies.
The result of this policy of making the col
ored man laborer for himself was seen at
once. The crop was increased. the ambition of
the colored man strengthened, his manhood
developed, his condition improved, and in many
cases the foundation of small population laid.
In the comparatively few years that this exper-
iment has been tried, there are many instances
in which colored men have accumulated from
one to two thousand dollars Beyond that, the
pay something in the period of low prices,
while many planters in that section have failed.
At the same time the General has kept up his
plaus for educating the negroes, until all of the
children and many of the adults can read and
write. He never has been tronbled by his ne
groes or by his neighbors.
More remarkable than anything else, per-
haps, is the fact that Gen. Shepherd has found
that the ne groes on his plantation do better
without than with white superintendent, All
that is necessary for him to do is to see that the
supplies are furnished as wanted, and to take
charge of the crop when raised. Consequently
he finds it necessary for himself to stop on his
plantation only portion of the winter and
spring. Last year there were about $4,000
pounds of cotton (250 bales) raised on the plan
Naturalization Journal