Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-06-11
SUCCESSFUL ECCExTRICITY.

| known as the nlarvelOusly eccentric
man, found on his return one season
from n long term in 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 in
boxes and barrels, and coons, smok-
ed in the big cabin chimney, were
served up with pound cake, puddings,
chicken pie, "store tea" and locust
and persimmon beer, at holiday feasts
night and day. 1t was then that the
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 a 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.
"No, sir? No, sir | want them
burned up. They would always be
old, rickety and good for nothing.
want no good for nothing articles
Oh this plantation
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 oyerseer'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 and
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 inspection,
many of the negroes, and especially
the old, had continued to "play pos
sum-" and had never turned out of
their cabins to aid in getting togeth-
er the livestock or farming utensils.
Mr.. Randolph now gave orders that
all the negr oes, old and youngl should
be brought to the house next day for
inspection, and il the meantime he
had great many plain cotfins of all
sizes made, and suitable graves dug
near the chapel.
The news of these fearful prepa-
rations soon penetrated every cabin
in the negro quarter, and things be-
gan to look serious in the mind of
Cuftee Black. The negroes knew
that Mr.. Randolph was member of
Congress, and big man in the coun-
try; they knew he was accustomed
to have his way, and that nobody
attempted to interfere with him, and
they fully believed that lie had full
power of life and death over them.
They knew he was good, kind
master, man and neighbor, but then
they said he had "such quare ways"
that there was no telling what he
would do if the notion took him.
! ....... l. i,..... 49,.