The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-05

their mistaken system OF farming. AZ
they usually work for the landowners on
shares, and cotton Is the most profitable
crop, It Is difficult 10 induce them to cul.
tivate anything else. Being thus destitute
OF corn, bacon, everything, indeed, except
cotton, they are compelled to buy pro.
; visions ut high rates by pledging their
crops in advance II such family would
raise its own food something could be laid
up ior rainy day. and In most cases,
lands now extremely low could DO pur.
chased. The overseer class Of the country,
and the snewComers, a few northern and
western men and Germans, all, indeed,
who are capable OF self.help, are fast rising
TO atiluence, wilhelm nearly every instance
the old planter and his family are sinking
deeper and deeper in poverty and wretch.
edness. Bertram says that his firm alone
has closed mortgages on 30 valuable plan.
tations, all the debts having been contracted
by the lords oithesoil to procure the means
ol living. One case which especially i'm.
pressed Bertram he said might serve as a
sample Of hundreds.
A physician oil good standing in Mis-.
sissippi town before the war, whose wife
was the heiress OF an Arkansas plantation,
found himself unable to live uhon his 70.
duceti practice, and being much harrassed
with debts and the expense OF HELPLESS
IaIily, removed to the plantation, which
well managed would produce cotton crop,
worth $4,000. The physician and his
wife, 10th people Of fair education, accus.
toned to wealth, with the usual habits OF
SoHtherpers in their rank OF society, were
utterly wretched In The circumstance into
which adverse fate had Gust them. Quite
incompetent to adapt themselves 10 their
change Of fortune, they only struggled to
live as iar as possible In their iorlnerstyle
OF comfortable Incidence. The grown
daughter spends her life visiting friends
and relations in the nelghboring cities,
end the slender purse Of the parents Is
heavily taxed to procure the necessary
outfit for her desperate attempt at
misunderstanding, the fine match she
is expected to make, being truly the for
lorn hope Of the family. The mother Of
the family still thinks i indispensable for
her health 10 to take an annual trip to the
Springs, while the responding husband
and father finds himself yearly deeper in
debt, his cron always pledged In ADVANCE,
himself always resorting " shabby make.
shifts to appease impOrtunate creditors
Bertran made tho acquaintance Of the
family when sent by his employer to Sc.
cure q debt OF some $500, the money ad-
vanccd on the crops for the delicate fine
l4ly's visit to the Springs, almost the
Whole crop being thus pledged for family
expenses. The doctor and his wife ri.
ceived their visitor cOurteously, but being
on an unpleasant errand, their profuse
apologies for not being able TO entertain
him better, Nere very embarrassing 10
Bertran. The court yard In front OF the
house was so deep in mud that the guest
was compelled 10 dismount on the gallery,
(which ran about the low.browcd cottsge
pEee theoyerseer's house. 0fthc two rooms
which 1t contained, qle was Allied with q
motley collection of harness, broken fur.
niture, household wares, ETC., while the
other formed tho dwelling place of the re.
duccd family, and was used as dining
room, parlor and bed.chambor. After
much dismal talk from the hosts, supper
vas served in most unattractive fashion.
Several small OhildrpR now appeared, hav-
ing been hunted up from their haunts
among the negro cabins, and an unsuCcess.
ful attempt made to render them present.
able hetorethGy met the stranger, who was
much impressed with the contrast between
their pnoo0th manners and the polished
bearing OF their parents. After the supper
was ended and the children had rcjotned
sundry small blackamoors, who were peer.
ing and bobbing around the door during
the meal, the discussion Of business began,
and it was melancholy to see that, with
falling fortunes, honorable feeling was Civ
ing way, and no means seemed to occur 10
the luckless proprietor Of the fine estate
to settle his debts, except 10 evade them.
Rertram was at first disposed to defer
the conversation, as its nature was una
voidably painful, until The lady OF the
house left tho room, but It seemed there
was no place for her to 90, and it soon
TRANSFERRED that she was fully informed as
to the business in hand, and displayed
quito rs much knowledge Of the aitGir and
as great anxiety to evade paying the debt
as her husband. Although the money
had been advanced by Bertram's employ,
or to supply the wardrobe and the travel
ing expenses OF this lady, she considered
herself much aggrieved by him and re,
ferred bitterly 10 her shabby apparel.
saying, "rhe merchant got everything
made on the place; she could not even
buy q calico dress. AT late hour, the
host escorted Rertram to the guest cham.
Der, an old cabin in the yard, depths OF
mud aud nights OF rubbish having to he
overcome to reach it. The visitor woke
early next morning, and says he lay long
looking out through the cracks OF his
apartment and rejecting upon the unhap,
ply and helpless condition OF tho once
prosperous physician, when the indvid-
ual entered. There was mixture Of on.
cient hospitality and logged defiance, sui.
len despair and sorrowful shame in the
broken down gentleman, whose refined
manners showed what he once had been,
that was touching to witness. He tried to
brush the thick coating Of mud from Ber-
trans clothes, lamenting that he could
not furnish his guest with valet 10 assist
in his toilet. When the guest intreated
him TO desist from his seli.imposed task.
!, aud assured him that the mud did not
signify, rs tho roads had to be traversed
. again, The disconsolate host laid down the
. begrimed garments with sigh, saving,
"Ses, II you had to live as we do. YOU
would soon get used toittoo, and would
not care for mud and dirt" His visitor
mentally decided that he should never see
tho necessity Of living thus. but had not
the heart to speak q word OF needless
harshness to the broken,spiritcd man, who
! now invited him 10 partake OF very in.
, different breakfast, with the dir Of ieudal
lord. Further discussion OF the debt
| question only confirmed the conviction Of
, the young collector that argument was
thrown away upon tho luckless debtor;
, and Bertram took leave Of his entertainers
who again courteously apologized for the
+ discomiorts OF This visit, and invited him to
return ut some future time when they
{ hoped to make his stay more agreeable.
Q His employers orders next led Bertrau
. to a country store, about . mile from til,
= physicians estate, kept by a German VIII,
J. had lately come to the country, and wa
!. already doing fine business, The store
3 which adjoined the dwelling.house, wa
!. surrounded on three sides By a neat law
i. filled with handsome flowers and shrub
a - t.NIh { Il