Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-02-23
A BELMONTER ON THE WING.


Memphis going southwark. We get well
into the cotton belt, and the country i'm
proves very much indeed. About all the
land on either side and especially on the
Mississippi side will, with fair season,
yield from one and one-fourth to one
and Ono-half bales of cotton per acre,
which will produce at fair price. say
ten cents, sixty-two dollars and fifty
cents to seventy-ive dollars per acre, at
which rate nine-tenths of our Northern
people would get immensely rich in
few years, but these people do not. There
is scarcely a plantation but what has a
lien upon it, the owEers living from
hand to mouth as it were.
was so fortunate as to form the ac-
quaintance of gentleman representing
factor and commission house in New
Orleans and he gave me their card which
advertises mortgage loans on well i'm
proved and well cultivated plantations,
giving the terms, and ending with the
condition that "the crop in all cases to
be shipped to u.s. and as we passed
down the river he would stand on deck
and point out large plantations Of eight
hundred and one thousand acres on
which his house had advanced twenty,
twenty-five and even thirty-five thous-
and dollars on the above conditions, so
that these remarkably productive lands
are continually incnmber.d with loans
advanced to their owners. Settlement
is made from year to year it is true, but
the people are SO apparently improvi
dent that no matter what the crop is or
what the price is, there is no balance
left for the ensuing year, but all gone,
and money must be secured again on the
crop that is to be, and the negro planters
are learning of course from their white
masters.
Particularly in Arkansas and Missis-
sippi, and l presume throughout the
South, for southern civilization is the
same wherever you find it, there has
grown up class of white dealers who
don't want anything better than Negro
planter to deal with, and especially if he
is too ignorant to count. If he has mon
ey, it is said they will take his money
and give him back whatever change
they think proper. Ii he has no money
they will advance to him the necessaries
of life, securing themselves with chattel
mortgages on the crop that is to be, and
on his live stock and farming imple-
all.
The cotton crop of the South is ssti-
mated at five and one-half million bales,
which will yield at present prices TWEEN
ty-seven thousand five hundred millions
dollars, and yet the South is said to be
poor. However, the crop is largely held
for an advance in rates and returns are
not coming in yet, and in some portions
the returns will not be in until April
next, but the planters have largely al
ready secured the loans wherewith to
supply their plantations for the ensuing
year while the next crop is growing, and
settlement can be had for the past year
at any time when the factors have the
returns ready. What an improvident,
thriftless way this is of livingl Always
encountered, never out of debt, and yet
in possession Of annual incomes of hun
dreds of thousands of dollars in the
finest country in the world But not
withstanding the bad teaching and ex-
ample set the negroes and the many dis
advantages under which they labor, they
seem to be getting along exceedingly
well, and appear very well contented
and happy. True they move around q
good deal, but all tenantry all over the
world do that, and there has been more
moving this spring than usual. This is
accounted for by the shortage of crops
last year and a consequent desire of a
betterment of condition.
In the cities and towns the. colored
people are the only workers. They are
the draymen and cartmen and street.
workers, and on the railroads they are
the gravel trains, and all appear to be
busy, owning their own teams, drays,
etc, and making good wages, and con-
tented, but seldom, very seldom indeed,
well dressed.
At Helena there was balloon ascen-
sion advertised on a Saturday, and it be-
ing a NEGRO day" the streets were so
full of colored people that it was exceed
ingly difficult to pass along the streets.
Many of them had come in through the
mud ten miles to see the balloon aseen-
sion. Thsse people were poorly dressed
and gave evidence .of improvidence and
bad management, and yet l think they
are progressing. They have many dis
couragements to overcome. They have
been taught badly and the whites admit
that they don't propose to let them get
ahead. They say they must keep to
their proper level.
Near Helena is a plantation on which
convicts are employed, and in the town
is contractor who works many Of them.
They are allowed twenty-five cents day
and found. working out fine, and if
hired out by the State that sum goes to
the State. Nearly all of the prisoners
are colored. And in Helena the colored
common laborers are allowed four dol
lars per week and board themselves. and
this toe in a town where very ordinary
business rooms rent for ninety dollars
per month. In many cases the negroes
are arrested on trivial offences and be-
ing unable to give bond or to pay their
fines, are remanded to the work-house
or farm for thirty days or six months,