Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-06-09
SUCCESSFUL ECCENTRIcITY.

man, found on his return one season
from long term i'll Congress that his
slaves had become careless and lazy.
They had great privileges during the
HOLIDAYS. Chickens and turkeys were |
caught weeks before and fattened ID
boxes and barrels, and cOons, smok-
ed in the big cabin chimney, were
served up with pound cake, pnddlngs,
chicken pie, "store tea" and locust
and persimmon beer, at holiday feasts
night and day. 1t was then that tue
fiddle. the banjo, the tambourine and
the clevis and clevispln. kept up mu-
sic for the never ceasing dance.
Mr.. Randolph waited for the ter
mination of these Christmas holidays,
and promptly on the first day ofJan-
uary he ordered his overseers to have
all his farming utensils brought into
the barnyard. 1t took all day to
search for them and get them together
from where they had been left lying
about in the fields far and near. The
next morning there was q grand IN
spection of all the plows. harrows,
hoes and rakes, and all that were
broken or seriously injured were
thrown into a pile. Mr.. Randolph
then said in his shrill voice:
"Set them on fire, Mr.. Chumley,
and burn them up"
The overseer demonstrated, and
urged that many of them might east
ly be repaired.
mo, sir9 No, sir! want them
burned up. They would always be
old, rickety and good for nothing.
want no good for nothing articles
on thisplantation."
And they were burned.
Orders were then given to have all
the wagons, carts, slides, lizarhs,
scythes, cradles, harness and gear
brought up, and after due inspection
the next morning, a large bonfire was
made of all those rejected, and imme-
date orders issued to have all the
sheep, goats hogs gathered together.
On the ensuing morning these were
inspected, and many were found fee
BILE with age and want of food, others
were crippled and injured, and all
such, in spite of the overseer's plead
ings. were remorsely knocked on the
head and buried. =,
All the horses, mules and horned
stock were brought up for the fourth
day, and under Mr.. Randolph's rig
id inspection many were declared
worthless, and though Mr.. Chumley
begged that some of them might be
spared, as they could be fattened anc
put to good use, Mr.. Randolph was
unrelenting, and all the condemned
including the blind, lame, spawned
fstulated, and wind broken, were
mercilessly shot and buried.
As the weather had been quite
cold during these days o Inspection
many of the negroes, and especial,
the old, had continued to ''play pos
sum-" and had never Turned out O
their cabins to aid in getting togetli
er the livestock or farming utensils
Mr.. Randolph now gave orders tina
all the negr oes, old and young, shout
he brought to the house next day TO
inspection, and in the meantime h
had great many plain cotiins OF a
sizes made, and suitable graves du
near the chapel.
The news Of these fearful prepi
,rations soon penetrated every cabi
in the negro quarter, and things b'
ran to look serious in the mind
Cutfee Black. The negroes kne
that Mr.. Randolph was member
Congress, and big man in the cou1
try they knew he was accustomt
to have his way, and that nobo'
attempted to interfere with him, al
they fully believed that he had fl
power of life and death over thel
They knew he was good, XII
master, man and neighbor, but til
they said he had "such quare way
that there was no telling what
would do if the notion took hi
They had seen how he had burnt
all the damaged farm implement
III IL .,,cnl o,I ,rnrt