The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1882-11-16

/, Down South
A writer in the Aa,mt,c Monthly for No
vember says:
rode out on horseback oAer the noun
tains from Huntsville, Alabama, a dozeI
7 miles or more to see cotton mill At on,
, point, near the road, ! saw negro dig
ging post hole and two tall white mel
directing the job l had been told tina
the negro needed supervision, and had
thought that something might be said il
favor Of this theory, but this seemed to b.
a somewhat extreme application OF it, A
little farther on young negro, perhaps
twenty years old, crossed the road Just in
front OF me, with books and slate under
his arm, evidently on the 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 said, "but / hain't got much time
scarcely believe that / had heard aright
Everybody that / had ever seen in the
South before had seemed to have unlimit
ed time "fer to STAN" And this fellows
utterance had an explosive and revolu-
tionaiy sound. II I should hear OF any
thing noticeable being done in that region
/ should suspect this boy OF having hand
in it. As ! rode away aud looked at his
energetic movement across the fields, it
occurred to me that il should ever write
book about the destiny Of the colored
race in this country, should like to dedi-
cate 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 ex
pect great things" They always employ
an orcrseer and pay HIM more than the
other hands receive. The negroes will do
no good, such men say, without some one
to oversee them and keep them at work. |
The overseer is responsible for the amount
and chsracter of the work done, and il
there is any failure something is deducted
from his pay. The employer either fur
nishes all the supplies for the maintenance
of his hands during the season, keeping
an account and charging them with what
they obtain, or he authorizes merchant
in the town to supply them, becoming re.
sponsible 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 little more.
looked at many Of the account books kept
by these farmers, the records Of their deal
ings with their workmen. Many Of the
charges were tor things that were absurd
and extravagant for the negroes to buy +,
costly articles OF dress for the women and
uxuiies for the table / often asked such ,
employers why they did not give their
hands some advice about economy, ami ,
he use OF their best judgement regarding |
he selection Of the articles most necessary G
md useful for them expending their mon J
y, but they always said il would do no G
,ood. "Humph, dey hain't got no Judge. G
nent." was in a country store one NOR. v
inn u hon a naUro wnman anna IN .nJ q
sked for dollars worth of sugar. The "
merchant dipped out brown sugar, but 81
he woman objected aud wanted Iwhite. d
he merchant demonstrated with her for I
er extravaganza, saying that ,be himself b
ould hot afford to use such things as she q
ought Tne woman was greatly offended p
nd retorted that "such things might do T.
lr free Iniggers an low down,white folks. q
reckon my moneys jes as good as Gun
Ell Cashum's money" The merchant af. ly
srwards remarked that she probably new W
; would come to his store again. II
often heard the negro farmers make p
ich observations as these: "A niger will SC
ny anything. You could sell any niger W
4 my place steamboat, or an elephant, d'
circus band wagon--anything in the p'
orld." One man who had family and 10
as working for ten dollars month, took al
. three dollars and eighty cents in al
onth for whiskey. Such extravagance a.
ID lack Of judgement as to what labor m
Is family needs, or can afford to buy are gr
ry general among the negro laborers he
II.