New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1878-10-05
PROSPECTING TEXAS.

While New Orleans has been so quar-
antined as to be in state of commercial
insulation, rival cities have industriously
proepected her natural territory to secure
the, supply of goods which that territory
requires. We may well suppose that the
drundmers of Cincinnati, Chicago and st.
Louis, deplore the calamity which has be-
fallen us, nor is it probable that they
would advise Q customer to risk his life
either in visit to New Orleans, or incur
the possible danger Of disseminating the
contagion through the medium of suit
Of clothes or key of nails purchased in
this city.
The st. Louis Globe Democrat publishes
a letter from commercial traveller WHO
has been prospecting Texas. BE describes
the cotton fields as sight never beheld
by his constituents, and makes it as in
teresting as the cotton culture on the
Zsmbesi reported by Livingstone. From
this discovery of interior Texas we extract
o single notice. 1t is headed, 1.-THE
Southern beauty and her wonderful per-
Torrance. What the cotton missionary
of the Future City deems so wonderful is
o very familiar fact. Women pick out a
great deal of cotton, and they can get
more in day, with good weather, than
men:
COTTON PICKERs.
The fields are now full of cotton pick
ers-men, women, girls and boys. As
soon as the dew dries-it is heavy one
always--the piekers, armed with large
baskets and coarse bagging sacks sus-
pended around the neck, go forth between
the high rows and become lost to view.
The staple is by the fingers pulled out
from the gaping boil, continuously thrown
into the sack, and, when that is full, into
the basket, and thence into the wagon,
which stands in waiting at the end of the
rows. The pickers are generally negroes,
who can best stand to stoop all day in the
sun, and good hand is capable Of pick
ing two hundred and fifty to four hun
dred pounds a day Ordinary pickers,
however, women and boys, only reach one
hundred to one hundred and fifty pounds.
Not unfrequently young ladies, whose
fathers and brothers or their lsborers hap
pen to be hard pressed with work, go into
the fields and lend helping hand. Among
the latter class is young lady-the fifteen
year-old daughter of one Of the Oldest and
most respected families on the Brazos-
whom the correspondent met at the man
] sion of her father near Psttison.
WHAT SHE SAID.
The conversation naturally turned on
cotton picking. The young Texan girl,
blooming with youth, her dark hair float
ing over her fair forehead, matching her
large dark eyes, that flashed at intervals,
proceeded in her girlish way to give him
all the information about cotton picking
| desired.
1.-THE most of my fathers hands pick
one hundred and fifty to two hundred
| pounds day" she said.
THAT seems excellent work" replied
the correspondent.
"Oh, not very"
al do think SO"
She laughed, and her eyes flashed again.
"Why, can do almost that well myself,
and / am not used to il.
"You?"
| Eyes.
" l must doubt
| IL hnvo sono out in pas field and
picked one hundred and fifty pounds in
the day."
Didn't the sun burn your face to a
crackliDg?"
"Why, no-you are crazy.
How, then, did you manage, my little
southern girl?"
"Ob, Ijustput on this long sun-bonnet
exhibiting it, and pair OF gloves with
my fingers out at the top"