New-York tribune., 1881-03-23
INDUSTRY IN THE SOUTH.
WHITE AND CoLoRED LABOR IN ALABAMA


NIGHT RAIDERS DIsCoURAGED-NEGRo POLITICS
VIEWS OF THE NATIVES ON THE LABOR CUES
TIoN.
lFRoMA SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.l
| NEw-ORLEANs, March IL rode out on horseback
dozen miles from Huntsville Ala, over the noun
tans to see Southern cotton mill. The scenery on
| the route was much like what one sees in Central
New-Hampshire. At one point / saw near the road
negro digging post-hole. while two tall white
men directed his operations. l have been told that
| the negro requires SUPERVISION and have thought
that something might be said in favor Of the theory
but this seemed to be a somewhat extrcme applica-
ti0n of it. little further yo;ing negro, per-
haps twenty years DID, crossed the rod just in adj
vance of me, with books and slate under his arm
evidently on his way to school. called to him and
asked him two or three questions designed to educe
whatever knowledge he might possess on points OF
interest to ME. He answered briefly and then added.
But haint got much time fer to STAN" was as
founded and could scarcely believe that had heard
Alright. Everybody that had seen in the South be-
| fore had seemed to have unlimited time "fer to
stan'0 and this fellows utterance had an explosive
and revolutionary sound. If l hear of anything
| great being done in that region / shall think that
| boy had hand in it. II should ever write book
on the futrre'of the South should like to dedicate
| it to the negro who "hain't got much time fer to
STAN"
| found the factory on Flint River, under the
charge of Major Echols q graduate of West
| Point and an ex-COnfederate army officer
| 1t is family corporation. the members Of
which own three thousand acres of land
around the factory and the whole property is worth
| about n hundred thousand dollars. They made II
per cent profit this capital last year. They work
| one hundred hands twenty men and eighty women
and girls looked into everything, saw the homes
| of the operatives, met many of them, and learned
| something Of the conditions and methods of their
life. The factory is large and roomy for the ma
chnery. and everything seemed moro easy and
comfortable than in Northern factories. The young
| women are all Americans, natives OF the country
| around the factory. They all appeared modest and
pleasant, and the Major said there was no vice
| among them, Each family has house on the land
of the corporation, large garden and a cow. lhe
houses seemed to me wonderfully large. after my
acquaintance with New England factory tenement
houses" Think OF house more than forty ieet
long for one family of operatiyes This Is the length
of each dwelling at the Bell Factory, and each one
has in addition detached kitchen. In every
| house saw a SEWN g-machine. Ali have open fire
! places.
Major Echos was evidently regarded as friend
by the families on whom we called. lie is kind Of
| patriarch of the community of 500 Inhabitants
q fatherly king over them. No liquor is sold except
| under his direction. There are church and n
| school. The children earn from rs to HlZ per
month"; the women and men from $l2 to $50. AL
raise their own vegetables. Every house has a
| pretty Aoor-yard with sbrubbeTy and flowers.
| thought il seemed happy little community. Tie
manager takes great interest in tho moral and per-
sona welfare of his people. and they evidently love
him as a wise. strong friend. l am told that he
| rarely goes away to the town or leaves the little
| ha has Ieen n
moro than fifty years. Before the war the work
wasdone by negro slaves owned by the corporation.
frey grew up IN the mill and knew no other wOrh.
| Now the operatives a.e all whites. IL would DO .
great blessing 10 the country if there could be many
| fac ctOries like this.
| wEIL-To-Do NEGRO.
| | find everywhere a few negroes who are making
| money Thoy are all much alike, class or type by
themselves. / wish to describe the class, and can
best do so by telling of visit to of ts best rep
| res.ntatives | found him in the county few
| miles from Huntsville. Ala. The leading business
men Of the place all said his credit was as good as
tDat of any in the county. aud that be was
verfectIy tIut' full II, bought his GTst land IN 1S73,
! and has since gone on purchasing aJ".ning
| tracts still he has 3@S acres. Mist Of
| IT, il uuder cultivation. He has fifty sheep,
| ten mules six horses aud twelve COWS. He
EMPLOYS five or six hands il winter and ten in sum
uer paving each from So 20 $40 per mourn.
He raises twenty bushels of wheat per acre and las
seventy acres in wheat this year. lie made twenty
fonr bales of cotton last year. and has this winter
Sod fifty tons OF hay at $40 per tor. Tho
average product OF corn Oh hls farm - twenty-hye
bushels per acre, but on some fields he raises MY
usbel sper acres oats forty to fifty bushels 9cr
lIe obtains these prices this year, Wheat. 70 cents
TO 81 per bushel; corn, 30 10 90 cents per
bnshel oats, - cents per bushel.
Resides the cultivation of his own land this man
rants ffty-e ght acres of land aud pays for 1t cash
rent of 81 IS per acre. He told inc lie had made
all his money By hard work and savin'.' lie lives
m a neat comfortable frame house; and his fields
ara very clean and all the fences in good repair
This man is little over 6fiy years Of age lio can
not read but has learned to write very little or to
put down figures with pen so ~ to keep DOCKS OF
| accounts in L way that answers his purposes. But
be is resolved to educate ns cbildfeh-It 1t takes
all | am worth " WAS his expression. lie has been
married twice. His presen. wife Is n pretty, lady
like young woman and he is evidently very prond
| of her as he is of their two little children took
| supper with them and had pleasant evening. and
| afterward tho accompanied mo back to the
| town. | asked him about his laborers, and about
the negroes in general. Men of this class are never
hopeful about their own race. They say they know
too much about tLem. He SAID he always employed
| an overseer. paying him more than the ordinary
| laborers The negroes "wl do good" all
such men say, without somebody to oversee
| them and keep them at work. he overseeT
il responsible for the amount ard character oi
the work accomplished. and # ticre is any failure
| something is deducted from his pay The employer
either furnishes all supplies for tho maintenance #
| his hands during the season, keeping an account
and charging them with everything which they OBJ
| tain. or he authorizes a merchant III the town u
supply them the employer becoming responsible 10
| the extent of the wages OF his hands. Then. az |