Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-06-15
Some Remarks on Labor, &c,

correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette
SALEM, Fauquier County, Va, June lS.-
Every now and then some fellow GETS l,p
and yclls, procaiming to I'LL who will hear,
Il am the friend of the poor man." Often
they arc but sorry dcmagogucs, seeking
votes ut the expense Of the country s
welfare. The talk of the hard times. of
the lahorlng class Of farm hands, is all gam
mon, where the man himself does his duty
by his employer. will cite my casc-that
OF thousands in this country. The LIST of
january we, my wife, four children and my
self, moved into" Il nice, comfortable house,
with tl'"cc rooms Il shady yard and three
artc"s OF an acre for garden; had nothing
hrt Il little furniture and few fowls. not
even supplies for two days on hand. On
the second day our boss issued me il barrel
OF flour, one bushcl of meal. and meat
enough to last my family well for Il wear:
put cow-a real good one, too,-iii nv
chargc-he feeds her and all the milk goes
to the use ofmy family. Remember, have
not struck lick, for my employer yet. He
merely trusts me. Ever since in his time,
| have hauled my wood, and worked my
gardcn-a better is hard to find. I am to
get another barrel Of -four he furnishes
me all the meal will need. If the cholera
does not come my fowls will bring me about
$50; will also sell some butter and vcmctfl-
blos. My wife takes in scwing-sav 500
worth year. At the close Of every month
promptly | receive my wages so. Last
year VIC saved $97; this year we have already
spent $jG Rainy days after the stock is
ied, we are employed in the barn, 50 there
is no need of lost time. "Hy the day" work.
is making very hcggars of our laboring elias
ses-thc loss OF time Is so great, that, at the
cad OF the year they have made but few
working days, and Of course were Obliged to
spend during the idle days the little they
had worked for.
Working by the day we have to support
| all our t;rmlies-by the year the PROPRIETOR
supplies lis. Some better hands than
am get $l2, some $l3 per month. There
has been Il great hue and cry gone
trough our land to go to PENNSYLVANIA. 1t
has taken lot of young men away from
us. But, If the railroads and iron mines,
would lend to the farmers, for about forty
day, their forces, the wheat and hay crop.
woald all be ready for market then all par
ties would get Oh very we'll
70 q certainty the railroads and iron
Mines would not like to stop workout
wo i'd it not be better, than having the
country suffer great waste in its agricultu-
raj products? Mr.. Malone talked big about
bringing in the Chincse-shOuld not wonder
ifit would have been very good thing-tor
"dc white folks will he waited c: and NV
colorcd kin, especially the women, are so
fond of crowding into the villages, leaving
good country homes, and plenty behind
them.
In my opinion, the politician hosuppics
this State, with honorable workers-agri-
cultural as well as mcchanical-he will he
thc leading man among the people Your
humble colored servant. ZACK.
n. B.-I came near forgetting to say that,
when we give our two days work on the
public roads, the master boards lis. our
wives and our children all for nothing.
IACK.