The Portland daily press., 1878-06-07
re-. W. Smalley in Philadelphia Times
The Poor Whites Of the South.
Their Characterfstics Interestingly
Sketched.

them as they are. 1t Is true that the war,
emancipation and the establishment of free
schools has helped their condition somewhat,
but they yet retain many of those character
istics which distinguished them in slavery
times. The poor white trash are about the
only paupers in the Southern States, and they
ara very rarely supported by either the State or
community in which they reside. They are
found nowhere but in the country, in hilly and
mountainous regions generally, in communities
By themselves, and far removed from the more
refined settlements. Why it is they always
select the billy and consequently unproductive
districts for their homes is unknown. In the
settlements wherein they chiefly reside the
poor whites rarely live more than q mile or two
apart. Each householder or head of family
builds himself little hut of round logs or pine
poles, chinks the spaces between these with
clay mixed with wheaton straw: builds at one
end big wooden chimney with taperipg top,
all the interstices being ''dobbed" as above;
puts down puncheon floor, and loft of ordi-
nary boards overhead; fills the inside of the
rude dwelling with few rickety chairs, long
bench, a dirty bed or two, a spinning wheel.
(the loom, if any, is outside, under a shed), a
board in one corner and rack over the door,
on which to hang old ''Spitfre," the family
rifle; and both the cabin and furniture are
considered as complete. The happy owner then
clears some five acres or so of land imme-
diately surrounding his domicile, and these he
pretends to cultivate, planting only corn, pump
kins and little garden truck. He next builds
rude kennel for his dog or dogs, a primitive
looking stall for his "nag," ditto fol Beck. his
COW, and a pole hen-house for his poultry.
This last he covers over with dirt and weeds
aud erects on one side of it a long slim pole,
from the upper branches of which dangle
gourds for the martins to build their nests in
martins being generally regarded as useful to
drive off all bloody-minded hawks that look
with too hungry an eye upon the rising genera
tion of dunghills. Being thus prepared for
housekeeping, now comes the tug of war.
Whatever may be said of the poverty of the
poor white, of his ignorance and general spr-
itual degradation, he rarely suffers much from
hunger or cold. As a class, indeed, they are
much better off than the peasantry in Europe,
and many poor mechanic in your city-to say
nothing of the thousands without trade or oc-
cupation wandering through the North and
West-would be most happy at any time from
December to March to share the cheerful
warmth of the blazing pine knots, which glow
| upon every poor mans hearth in the Sontb; as
well as to help devour the fat launches OF the
noble old buck, whose carcass hangs suspended
from one of the beams of the loft overhead,
ready at all times to have q slice cut from its
sinewy bones and broiled to delicious juiciness
upon the glowing Goals. Indeed, the only
source of trouble to the poor white is the pres
ervation of his yearly .scraps" of corn, owing
to the sterileness of his lands and deficient cul-
tivatlon that sometimes fail him, running all
e., aAo ox,d Rnk he hne l. e
meats. Wild hogs, deer wild turkeys. squir-
rels, raccoons, opossums-these and many more
are at'his very doors. and he has ouly to pick
up ''old Spitfre,' walk few miles out into
the forest, and return homo laden with meat
enough to last him week. Aud should he
desire to purchase little wool for spinning,
orr cotton ditto, or little Sweet ming" to put
10 his coffee or "sassefock' tea, or few cups
and saucers. or powder and shot, salt, meal or
other household necessaries, weeks sue
cessful hunting Invariably supplies him with
enough game to procure the withal for luxu-
ries which he soon possesses himself of
from the nearest village or crossroads
store. Having obtained what he wants he
hastens back to his barren solitudes; his
wife and daughters spin and weave the
wool or cotton Into such description of cloth
as is most in vogue for the time being; while
the husband, father, sons and brothers betake
themselves to their former idle habits-hunting,
beef-shootng, gander-pulling marble playing !,
card playing and getting drunk. Panics, fnan-
cial pressure and the like, are unknown among
them, and about the only crisis of which they
know anything is when poor fellow is called
upon to shuttle off this mortal coil" Money,
in fact, is almost an unknown commodity in
their midst and whether our currency is gold,
greenbacks or the dollar of the "daddies." /" con.
Germs them not Nearly all of their traficking
is carried on by barter alone. In their cur
rency COW is considered worth so much, a
horse so much, dog so much, fat buck SO
much, fat turkey so much, coon skip, so
much, etc, and by these values almost every
thing else is rated. Dollars aud dimes they
never bother their brains about
The chief characteristic, the crowninS en-
bem of the poor white however, is laziuess.
He is the LATEST twolegyed animal that walks
erect on the face of the earth. Even his mo.
tions are slow, and his speech a scksning
drawl, worse great deal than the most down
eastern of all the downeasters; While his
thoughts and ideas creep along at snail 9
pace. All he seems to care for is to live from
hand to mouth; to get drunk, provided he can
| do so without having to trudge too far for his
| liquor; to shoot for beef; to attend gander-
pullngs; to vote at elections; to eat and sleep;
| to lounge in the sunshine of bright summer :
| day, and to bask In the warmth of roaring
| wOod-fire when summer days are over In
religion the poor white is generally of the hard
| she'll persuasion, and his parson is of the
| "whang doodle order. He Is also very SUPER
| stitious being firm believer 10 witches aud
hobgoblins, haunts and spooks; in fortune-tell-
| ing after the ancient mo1es-such as palm
| reading, card-cutting or the revelations of
coffee grounds left IN the bottom of the cup
| after the fluid has been drained off.