Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-03-26
INDUSTRY IN THE U
White and COIOred Labor in Ala
bama-Visit 10 a Cotton Mill.


NEW ORLEANS, MarCn Ill rode
out on horseback a dozen miles from
Huntsville, Ala, over the mountains
to see a southern cotton mill. The
scenery on the route was much like
what one sees in central New Hamp.
shire. At one point | saw near the
road a negro digging a post hole, and
two tall white men directed his oper-
atoms. | have been told that the me-
gro requires supervision, and have
thought that something might be said
in favor of the theory, but this seemed
to be a somewhat extreme applica-
ton. A little further on a young ne
gro, perhaps twenty years old, crossed
the road just in advance of me, with
books and slate under his arm, evil
IDENTIFY 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 | hain't
got much time fer to stan" | was
astounded, and could scarcely believe
that | had heard Alright. Everybody
that | had seen in the south before
had unlimited time 'fer to stan" and
this fellow ~utterance had an explo-
sive and revolutionary sound. If !
hear of anything great being done in
that region l shall think that boy
had a hand in it. If | should ever
write a book on the future Of the
south l 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, a
graduate of West Point and an ex.
Confederate army officer. 1t is a
family corporation, the members Of
which own three thousand acres OF
land around the factory, and the
whole property is worth about a hun
bred thousand dollars. They made
twelve per cent profit on this capital
last year. They work one hundred
hands, twenty men and eighty women
and girls. I looked into everything,
saw the homes OF the operatives, met
many of them, and learned something
of the conditions and methods Of their
lie. The factory. is large and roomy
for the machinery, and everything
seemed more easy and comfortable
than in northern factories. The young
women arc 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 a house
on the land OF the corporation, a large
garden and a COW. The houses seemed
to me wonderfully large, alter my
acquaintance with New England fac.
tory tenement houses Think of g
house more than forty feet long for one
tamilyo of operatives This is the length
ef each dwelling at the Bell factory,
and each one has in addition a detach-
ed kitchen. In every house | saw a
sewing machine. All have open fire.
places.
Major Echols was evidently regard.
ed as a friend, by the families on whom
we called. He is a kind of patriarch
Of the community Of 300 inhabitants
a fatherly king over them. No liquor
is sold except under his direction.
There are a church and a school. The
children earn from So to $l2 per
month, the women and men from $l2
to so. All raise their own vegetables.
house has a pretty dOor-yard
with shrubbery and flowers. | thought
it seemed a happy little community
Themanager takes great interest in the
moral and personal welfare of his peo-
pie, and they evidently love him as a
wise, strong friend. | am told that he
goes away to the town or leaves
the little factory village. The factory
has been in operation more than fifty
years. Before the war the work was
done by negro slaves owned by the
corporation. They grew up in the
mill and knew no other work. Now
the operatives are all whites. 1t
would be a great blessing to the coun-
try it there could be many factories
like this.