The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-07-25
THE LABoRINa PEopI.E

THE LABORING PEOPLE
OF both sexes are generally very erect,
| and walk with what in q whits man
would be awagger. but in them. with
their free limbs, is merely graceful in.
dependence. The business men have the
business mans usual stoop, methodicsl
walk and steady look, and generally
carry an umbrella and wear q broad hat.
| think these natives are usually yerv
strong, and some of them are maqnif.
Gently shaped, especially the women,
The most beautiful and massive pair of
female shoulders have ever seen, / saw
here. Their owner had heavy load on
her head. but walked under it as straight
as an arrow, and the shoulders just spo-
Zen of were studies for an artist, being
straight, square, cleau cut and we'll
rounded-altogether perfect Almost all
the overland transportation is done on
human heads, there being only three
horses in the entire colony. A woman
will walk into town at good pace from
miles in the country, with child swing
ing at her back, ard from thirty to sew
eDty pounds of produce on her head,
carrying herself as we'll and showing as
little fatigue as an average American
or English woman would after q miles
unencumbered stroll. What the men
cah carry / am afraid to say. I saw one
start home with two huge iron pots bal
auced On hi5 head, Weighing probably
one hundred pounds, and he looked as if
he hardly felt them. The laborers whom
we met at the wharf bore two two-gallon
demijohns of rum in each hand and an
other on their heads. sew no woman
whose dress would forbid her appearance
on the streets of an American city. The
children to about eight years old wear
very little-yery often nothing al aiI.
Now you have the people as they appear
on the streets.
LOOKS OF THE TOWN.
From the large stone dock on which
we landed we walked probably half
block across sort of court, on me tight
side of which was q large brick ware.
house, in and about which demijohns
and bales were being handled by q gang
of black men. Here we reached fight
of broad steps msao &C heavy stone, in
the interstices of which grew grasa and
weeds. On these steps we get up q short
bill and are fairly within the town, which
does not differ much 90 far as can see
from any small American seaport town.
Tho town proper (Freetown) contains
about 3,6c1 population; ana .hs colnny
OF Sierra Leone extends some thirtyr
miles back of the coast, and contains
between $4,000 and 10000 people. Free.
town is built moro along the foot of the
high hills than thought, not running
moro Glan third OF the distance up
them. The streets are Of ordinary widli,
being unpaved. The sol. is common red
clay beaten hard by much treading, and
the streets or roads are fringed on each
side by o broad border OF grass precisely
similar to our American grass and wceds.
THE HOUSES
are. generally one story, and built of
wood, with roofs made of reeds or rushes
plated. From the front of each of
these houses projects q wide roof, cover
ing wnefe the pavement should be. The
feuces are also familiar, being the or6i-
nary stat ones, the 6iats being boards, or
barrel stsyes. In the little gardens.
which are generally about .seventy.five
feet square, grow short stalks of corn,
yams and o few other vegetables, and in
nest of them cocoanut tree or two
towers up. At long intervals q more
pretentious building is reached, there
being several large two-story frame stores,
the upper story snrronded with lattics
work, few brick stores, end probably
half a dozen brick and wooden ware
houses. A tin or tile roof is occasionally
seen. The town Ia we'll laid off into
streets, with English names painted at
their corners. a short walk down seye-
raj corners brings us to tho place of bus
mess Of
THE AMERICAN corsUL,
from which the GLORIOUS Rridironn floats
Our guide has been blactr man picked
up from boat, and on the way hs sue
ceeds in engaging himself to wait on The
ship with mis- conveyance. We note en-
route that nearly every man we meet
touches his hat and says "goo morpin l''
We see only one white inan-a squarely
built Englishman, in cork hat and his
shirt sleeves, smoking largo pipe, and
standing under tree, experimenting q
gang of labcrers-who eyes Up super
ciliously rs VI pass. The American
representative il member of an Eng
lish firm doing the largest business IN
Sierra Leone. On the first floor of his
establishment is the retail store, wide
| and deep apartment, stocked with bright
prints, cotton, beads, hats, sandals, hard.
ware, notions, clothing and guns. The
latter are the old flintlock, long barrclled,
smooth bore musket. My idea is that
the man who fres one of them thereby
gives proof of courage Of q very high
| order. The store has counter, behind
which stands the keeper, black-the head
| clerk, black--the junior clerks, black
porter, black-measenger, black. Back
of this store is the warehouse, where
gaugs OF labcyeYE are at work. Up stairs
are the offices af which therA IL |, large
suite. Here are four white men, inclu-
ding pFoprietors, and several colored and
black clerks, oil working together.
THE BUsINEss STREET.
There Is little diifioulty in getting our
American notes chalpAd end drafts CASH
ed here, and we sally out 70 see the town
further. One of the junior saleamen is
cent along to take care of me and my
umbrella. My guido is European dress
ed, plodding, methodical and business
like. We go arour3S few more cofneTs
and get into the but,ness etreet, which is
lined on both sides with one story shops
with their broad porches in front. Under
these porches arc grouped samples of the
| Wares for sale Within--bEight prints.
painted china, clothing and so on--which
gives the boulevard an extremely anima.
ted and picturesque appearance. Put in
this street the people heretofore described
with baskets, calabashes and trays on
their heads, and you have Sierra Leone.
| Like evervbody elye an fha Azor he'd