The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-09-17
g NICODEMUS."

Some News Of the Colored Colony in Kansas
Letter in the Lamars QOwa) Sentinel. Rep.
l stated in my last letter that we had
visited the negro colony in Graham
county, Kansas, and would write you 8
letter concerning it. This will en-
deavOr to do.
Nicodemus is situated on the North
Solomon river, in Graham county. The
country to the north of it is quite level,
and appears to have a fertile soil, more
so, at least, than parts of adjoining cOun
| ties; to the west the land is more broken,
and appears not to be 30 we'll adapted
for agriculture; on the east is the gentle
flowing Solomon; bordering on its banks
are the sylvan shades, wherein lies the
dusky child rom the land of Brigsdiers,
through the sultry hours of day, away
from the cares of life, and free from the
burning rays of old Sol; to the south the
land is a slightly undulsting prairie, int
tetsected here and there by few minor
streams.
But it is not the country that arrests
the eye of the tourist; it is the inhsbi
tants. As the history of this colony is
familiar to all, I deem it unnecessary to
repeat it here. Driven from their once
sunny Switzerland by starvation, the
negro endeavoTed to find home in the
Wilds of Kansas.
They had always imagined that when
they came to Kansas they would be pro-
vided for and should receive here land,
horses and implements gratis, but their
disappointment can be better imagined
than described, when they found nsught
save a wild and unsettled country.
Their condition at present is shocking.
Having raised nothing the present year,
and no money in pocket, work scarce,
and ignorance combined With Incidence,
it is evident that many shall die this
year from famine, unless they receive
aid. And while I am now speaking of
aid, it may not be out of place to say
few words relative to the manner in
which Parson N did his begging last
year. Their condition, as all know, was
desperate, and ottr beloved brother c0n4
ceived an idea of going to the whites and
obtain from them, nourishment for their
dark brethren. The whites save with q
free hand, but our sanity parson, in
stead of dividing it among his famisbed
people, retained it all and sold it out to
those who were able to buy, and those
who were not received none. when the
doings were found OGt Mr.. ParsOn uar-
Towly escaped 8 coat of tar and feathers.
A majority of the people are ignorant
they have, however, in their midst two
of the smsrtest lawyers in Kansas, but
they are of no benefit to them, for when
in q lawsuit with the whites
the case il carried to Rocks county Gas
there is no court in Graham county,,
and the justices almost invariably de-
eided AGAINST them. But as yet l have
not SPOKEN of the dwsllings-if such l
may call them-ot the niggers. Doubts
less many of you have seen a prairie
dog towh-if. yop have, then you have
seen Gown similar to Nicodemtts.
As you drive along the road, or street.,
you can see here and there a black, !
woolly head stick up, but the moment
you approach it, it is gone, snd you
have passed a negIO's dwelling. Many |
Of the houses are not noticeable until |
you are fairly before them, and in some |
DIae6s We lave undoubtedly driven over |
them, unaware that we were driYihg |
over the home of q human being.
But, although the outside has a hard |
appearance, yet it is nothing when COM
pared with the inside. One that we |
entered was the most dismal-loOking |
receptacle that ! ever saw, having moth
Ing but couple of logs and few shovels'
full of dirt to constitute th5 roof, through |
which the rain might pour in torrents, |
The furniture consisted of a three legged |
stool and an old rickety bedstead, while
the wearing apparel was nothing but |
filthy rags patched together to cover
their naked forms. Within this hOvel |
we counted fifteen dirty, hslt-starved |
little negroes, of ages varying from one |
year to eighteen,
We have been asked by some of these |
little darkies il we would not give them |
some of our horse,feed-thisw was all, in |
a great many cases. they had to live |
upon-the horseefeed they could beg |
from travellers as they passed through |
their colony.
How they can live through the winter
God alone knows. There are from three
to four hundred souls, with but one
bare team to work for them ALL
Unless they receive some benifcence,
disease and famine will undoubtedly
carry off half of their numbers, and it
seems to me that in this great Republic,
where charity is preached to so great an
extent, nowhere can it be given more
than to the negro colony in
Graham county, Kansas.