Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-06-19
POOR WHITES OF THE SOUTH.
Their PeculiaritieS and characteristics
Interestingly Sketched.
G.. w. Smallery in Philadelphia Times.


To form any proper conception ofthe
condition of the poor white trash one
should see them as they are 1t is true
that the war, emancipation and the es-
tablisnm ent of free schools have helped
their condition somewhat, but they yet
retain many of those characteristics
which distinguished them in slavery
times. The poor white trash are about
the only paupers in the Southern States,
and they are very rarely supported by
either the state or community in which
they reside. They are found nowhere
but in the country, in hilly and noun
famous regions generally, in communi-
ties by themselves, and far removed
from the more refined settlements.
Why it is they always select the hilly
and consequently unproductive districts
for their homes is unknown. In the
settlements wherein they chiefly reside
the poor whites rarely live more than a
mile or two apart. Each householder
or head of a family builds himself a lit
tie 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
a tapering top, all the interstices being
" dobbed as above, puts down a pun
cheon floor, and loft of ordinary boards
overhead; fills the inside of the rude
dwelling with few rickety chairs, a
long bench, a dirty bed or two, spin
ning-wheel (the loom, if any, is outside
under a shed) skillet, an oven, a fry
ing-pan, a triangular cupboard IN one
corner, and 6, rack over the door in
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 Immediately surrounding
his domicile, and these he pretends to
cultivate, planting only corn, pumpkins
and little garden truck. He next
builds a rude kennel for his dog or dogs,
a primitive-looking stall for his mag
ditto for Beck, his COW, and a pole hen
house for his poultry. This last he
covers over with dirt and weeds, and
erects on one side Of it long slim pole,
from the upper branches (Which dangle
gourds for the martins to build their
nests in-martins being generally re-
garded as useful to drive OF all bloody
minded hawks that look with too hungry
an eye upon the rising generation 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 ignor-
ance and general spiritual degradation,
he rarely suffers from hunger or cold
AS class, indeed, they are much bet
ter off than the peasantry in Europe,
and many a poor mechanic in your
city-to say nothing of the thousands
without trade or occupation wandering
| through the north and west-would be
most happy at any time from Deem
Der to March to share the Cheerful
warmth of the blazing pine-knots, which
glow upon every poor mans heart II
the south; as we'll 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 a slice cut
from It's sineWy bones and boiled to de-
licious juiciness upon the glowing coal
Indeed, the only source of trouble to tht
poor white is the preservation of his
yearly crops" of corn, owing to thu
sterileness of his lands and deticien
cultivation that sometimes fail him
running all to weeds and grass. But III
has no lack Of meats. Wild hogs, deer
wild turkeys, squirrels, raccoons, opos