The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-11-15
Studies in the South.

rode out on horseback over the mour
tains from Huntsville, Ala, q dozen mile
or more, to see cotton mill. At one poin
saw, near the road, negro digging pos
hole, while two tall white men directed hi
operations. have been told that the negr
required supervision, and had thought tha
something might be said iE favor of tn
theory, but this seemed to be a somewha
extreme application of it. A little farthe
on yonng negro, perhaps twenty year
old, crossed the road just in advance of me
with books and slate under his arm, evi
IDENTIFY on his way to school | called e
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
| amt 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 seemed to have
unlimited time "fer to stan" and this fell
lows utterance had an explosive and reEo-
lutionary sound. If should hear of any
thing noticeable being done in that region
/ should suspect this boy of having a hand
in it. As / rode away and looked at his
energetic movement across the fields 1t
occurred to me that if should ever write a
book about the destiny of the colored race
in this country / should like TO dedicate it
to the negro who ''hain't got much time fer
to STAN"
In various parts of the South / found a
few negroes who own and cultivate large
farms, employing many laborers of their
own race. Men of this class are rarely
hopeful about their people. They say they
"know too much about them to expect any
great things" They always employ an over
seer, paying him more than the other hands
receive. The negroes "will do no good, J"
all such men say, without somebody to over
see them and keep them at work. The
overseer is responsible for the amount 3nd
character of the work accomplished, and if
there is any failure something is de-
Quoted from his pay. The employer either
furnishes all the supplies for the mainten-
ance of his hands during the sea-
son, keeping an account and charging
them with whatever they obtain Tor "take
up" as the phrase isl or he authorizes a
merchant in the town to supply them, be-
coming responsible to the extent of the
wages of his men. Then, as | learned
everywhere, the laborers try to obtain
credit for call that is coming TO them, and
a little more. I looked at many of the
account books kept by these farmers, the
records of their dealings with their work
men. Many of the charges were for things
which were absurd and extravagant for the
negroes to buy-costly articles OF dress for
the women and luxuIies for the table. |
often asked such employers why they did
not give their hands some advice about
and the use of their best judgment
the selection of things most nee
essary and useful for them when expending
their money, but they always said it would
do no good "Humph! Dey hain't got no
Judgments" / was in country store one
morning when a negro woman came IN and
asked for dollars worth of sugar. The
dipped out brown sugar, but the
woman objected and wanted white. The
man demonstrated with her for her extrava-
yance, saying that he could not himself
Afford to use such things as she bought.
She was greatly offended, and retorted that
,uch things might "do fuh free niggahs an
ow down white folks. l lows my money
us as goods Cunnel Gahshom's money
never come to his store again.
The negro farmers said that their hands
nearly always "tuck up" their wages faster
nan Incy eaTUeu IueII, anu IHtp oIleH d0u-
d such observations as these: "a niger |
will buy anything You could sell any |
nan on my place steamboat or an elephant, |
II a circus-band wagen-anything in the
FOrld, if he had the money" One man,
gho had family and was working for $40
er month, took up So 80 in month for
ghiskey. Such extravagance and tack of
ldgment as to what laborer's family
eeds or can afford to buy are very general
mong the negro ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS At
lntic.