Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-03-25

Oar Southern fellow citizens arc atclstonei
to assert that the c,!ored man has two gls,ial
taults-that he will not work, and bis prcseE c.
ossts such blight upon chickens that no white
man can prtfiably engsg, 10 ra;sitg poultry ii
the Southern States. Mr.. Jsmos G. D:dge
who rceeutly em;grated from Natiek, Mass, t.
LaureVillc, Ala, has sigua!ly refuted tho pop
u'ar Southcro estimate CT the c?lored man, and
hes src,eeded, not ooy iu keeping chickens
bat In inducing thirty Jour oo!crei iacn 10 work
for him without wages.
Mr.. Dodge arrived ut L,urelvio last splice
with the intention of cul;iva;iog farm. The
local white population received bin caurteously
and Wished him every success, but they warned
him that he could go. iaGuce single ccl0red
msn to Wolk on lis fam except ct prcpasto.
rcua Wag s. When ho casually introduced the
subltc; Of chickens, ttcy assured him that
there was an African chuch pi.hin q milo OF
bis newly ruchascd farm, AID that hu Eight
as we'll try to keep iccl,s 10 hothouso as TO
raise chickens 10 such nei2hborhooS.
Mr.. Dodge was stubborn nGn. and, withaI,
90 IL genious one. He Determined to prcvo to
tho Lsu:elVllleans tEet h, c,ud Go precisely
what they said be c,ull Eos DO Aco5rGiDsly,
be offered to bet with Judge S!amoos that he
would cultivate his now farm with cocred la
bor aId that be would raise ctiekons without
losing single one ty coiored ia!csby. The
bet was taken. ard Mr.. D9dse wcGt to his
farm sDd began operations.
With The aid CT the j. ureisii:e carpenter,
Dir. Dodge built magnificent chicken house,
With accommodations fer five huudrcd Gathered
guests The windows We're ma6u so small that
not even c)msuDtive c,lorcd boy c1uri pass
through them, aid lho daOr was ct uaprt c.
Gentcd thickness and s,rooeth. In ole tf'se Of
the chicken house Mr. Dodge II qaire1 the csr-
renters to leave round hole ct about W. feet
10 diaue:tr, fer o purpose which ha dcoiincd
to explain. Much pity Was iet tor hin by hi.
ntlghbors, on the ground that he va, Wasting
bis money ld q Vain attempt to struggle ageirs.
the chicken stealing gerius of ttn coIcr.d pep
pie; but MIR. Dodge "kucsscd" he wgs all
rlght,and 'cal lated" that his CHICKENS would ut
be stolen to any great cXteut. When the c.r.
DenteIs had finished thulr work and had gone
home. Mr. Dodge u1packcd large tuad!e
which h. had received froua ths Nor.h, and
af:er dark he filed bis chiekao hcu;c with
three huadrad chickens, and, Io:kirg it s:ouro.
y, went to bed.
About II O'Clock that night leading c2lurcd
clsiz,n It chicken rrloliTiii mete Eis gay
ioto TIC chicken house through tie hcIo which
had tcen lett open. Il: cbuck!cd qlijsly &t
tho folly cl Mr. Dodge ia i0cs4a the d,cr ssi
ct the sama t!ne iarge:inE to o'o:e lhs h1,n in
the Side ct the chicken Louae. ii hen he haG
seize ed dtzaa of tho largest ol;ckcaa, 10 un
ftrlnuk 10 oIerp stoelthi!, aut OF the hGl,, tut
t)uod bis cRrtss mnedvd h; series Of sip!u
AID prtjac;iog splkes. Ha thco reelz:d that
he had Dten oauttt iG y trap ct tho s.a.c gen.
erBl rRture as that pleasing rG!isty Of mouse
tap ia,o which tha mou:o readily enters
through wire lined pssssge, The pti1t.d ends
Of which prevent him tLo,n cscsii;r. The
leading cnlcrtd cllz MS estimate cf w.ite IT,
teect uud2rSept sudden chape.. ard be sat
doSn glOoDiIy 10 tho oorncr If tho chicken
house to Invent somo plausible tale which would
tc,ount ior bis presence when tho ioeYi!sble
moment OF discovery should come.
half an hour later the minister Of the co!ored
chulci entered tho chickeu house, and was
warmly greeted by his pred: :oesgor, who was
beginning t1 feel vary lonesome. From mid
night until dawn tho arrivals were almost To-
cessant. The fact hat three hundred cSickcts
we're in MIR. Dodge's chicken house was knowc
in every c>lored cabin within radius Of two
miles, and the oppressed race had risen rs one
mao aud resolved to have tboec chickens. At
half past thrae there was standing room opIs
10 the chicken house, and gentlemen arrvipl
after that hcur were compelled to return home
disappointed.
After a comfortable breakfast, Mr.. Dodge
took his shot gun and the key Of Tho chicken
house, and proceeded 10 ascertain what luck
mis- trap had brought him duriog tho night
To bis great pleasure, he fouud thirty tcu,
able bodied c0lored men in the chicken tous,
aud, after most careful Investigation, he sscor-
| tained that not chicken was misscg. III
put DO unpleasant questions to the c,loret
| men whom he had caught, az to Why they hac
crowded iuto his chicken house, but be
merely Informed them that he soppCset
they had come to assist him 10 planting, aoG
that be was greatly obliged to them for lh,i
kind assistance. At noon Judge SIemons auC
a dozen white LaurelVilIears arrived at th
farm, aud gszsd With amazament at the sprc:a
tace of 81 colored men working eueraetcaily i,
| the field. When the Judge was convitc d tba
no Chickens had been stolen during the nigh.
he frankly admitted that he had lost bis bet
and, borrowing the money from Mr.. Dodge
paid it on the spot.
Since that day Mr.. Dodge has nege, less
chicken. de has, however, only caught few
sporadic colored men, and has thus been obse,
TO hire most of bis labor Nevertheless, be ha
successfully refuted the assertion that 90 whit
man can keep chickens in Alabama, and has o.
at least ono occasion induced "a coored me
to work for him without psy. Whether hi
plan would be perm anently successful if tried i
other parts OF the South Is, Of caur:e, uucer
tsir; but there is carsaioly good reason to sup
Doss that II would greatly irorpase The arcurjt
of chicken propertY.-N Y Times
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