Omaha daily bee., 1883-02-22
THE SOUTHERN PROBLEM.
Down the Mississippi-The Negro
Roustebouts on a Cotton
Steamer.

NEW ORLEANS, February 4.-Lite
on a Mississippi steamboat is monoton-
GUS. Winding In sinuous curves, the
mighty river fows through a scene OF
almost absolute desolation. Therear
thickets OF cottonwood trees on both
the low shores of the river. Newly
formed bars are covered with denae
growth OF young trees not more than
six or eight feet high, the growth Of
the pilot house, the young forests
standing on newly formed land pre-
sent distinct terraced lines, rising one
above the other far back to tho main
land. The terraces mark the annual
growth Of the bar and of the trees
with which nature seeks to protect
the bank the river has created In
obedience to her laws. At long In
t~ervals, plantations are seen on the
river shores. At long intervals, i'll.
built, foul. smelling, and dirty towns
are seen. At short intervals, on
either bank are the shabby buildings
that are erected ct most of the steam.
boat landings. These consist, gener.
ally, Of q store and q dwelling
house; occasionally there is a email
freight house, in which any goods re.
ceived for the planters that could pre-.
sumab'y be injured by lying in the
mud or being rsined on are stored.
These landings usually belong to some
Observation-Disclosures, and, If not
kept by the owners, ore rented to other
parties, who keep little stocks Of cheap
goods and provisions and q few barrels
Of mean whisky t? trade TO the me-
groes. Another sourcs Of revenuo Is .
toll of % cents per bale Of cotton or
heavy package, and 10 cents per hand
package charged for every package
shipped or received. Many Of the
landings, whose buildings would not
! sell for $500, rent for from $1,000 to
49, 900 per year. 49,.
Back from the river, behind the
levee and beyond the forest line bor-
deripg the banks, are the houses and
cotton fields of the planters. Many,
indeed most OF these houses are far
superior to the farm houaes of the
North. They resemble the summer
houses built In the country by rich
northern men. The grounds around
these residences are generally we'll
kept. Scattered broadcast over the
land are the negro cabins. These are
no longer built In long rows, as was
the case in the days of slavery. The
new order of renting land to the ne
groes has neceseitated the breaking
up OF the plantation village.
The stories the pilots and boat off
clsls relate &C to the swinging to and
fro of the river through the alluvial
soil, here devourlng land by the acre
|, and cabins by the score, and there
building up land and adding to the
. acreage of plantations, are appalling
to men who have a firm belief In the
, stability Of real estate At any point
on the river an old Captain or pilot
can tell, and truthfully tell, of great
cotton fields once cultivated over
: where the boat Is then moving. As
stood on the deck Of the steamer,
!, watching a flock of wild ducks feeding
. on Q bar, q planter with whom I had
/. bsen talking touched my arm to attract
, my attention, and when I turned to
him he said: "When I WAS IL years
old I killed my first bear on a new
, plantation my father wal then cutting
3 out of a forest that grew directly over
the waters of this bend" indicating
; with sweeping arm the waters we were
steaming over. After q short pause
no added: "That was q mighty good
plantation, and there we're a right
. smart OF bears there, too" I looked
around In bewildered smszoment.
There was o acknowledgements bar
on one side of the river, and q high
bank surmounted with large oak trees
on the other. I could zee no sign OF
q plantation. "Looking for the plan.
tation3" my acquaintance inquired.
/. eyes," / replied. "That 1000 acre.
of cotton land went into the Mississ.
: ippi river years ago. Houses, cabins,
everything excepting the persona
. property slid into the river and disap'
: peared forever. Those oaks pointing
: to the trees on the bank, I" were two
miles from the river when I was q
Q boy" he explained. In reply to my
question as to the value of the land hi
Q said: "When we owned the niggers 4
Q was worth 500 per acre." The los'
9 OF property caused by the errstic
!, swinging to and fro of the Mississippi
foots up to an enormous sum.
Q During the season Of cotton ship
q ping large steamers ply between New
Q Orleans and 'the bends" TIL,
steamers pool their receipts and dis
y triot off the river. The great cotton
producing region Is ''the bends" ant
the largest steamers on the river ar,
engaged In carrying the cotton bale
from that region to the export port O.
New Orleans These steamers ais,
o carry passengers. They are fitted NJ
very comfortably, and the boats are
far cleaner and much more swee'
n smelling than any Of the hotels In tn,
y lower Mississippi valley. Ties,
steamers are managed by black roust
q abouts, who are hired In New Orlean
0 for the round trip at a certain pric
per day, which varies as to the cottol
!. crop. In productive seasons, whel
the price Is satisfactory to the pro
Queer, and every landing Is orowde,
!. with cotton bales awaiting shipment
o and every planter Is anxious to sell
the boats are driven to their utmoa
speed, and the work of the rousta
bouts Is most srduous. Then the
10 receive as high as s. a day; but tn
usual wages are from 90 90 to So pc
le day and board. The day is "a hour
1t long. A boat freighting from 18th
10 bends" to New Orleans during tn
10 busy season carries about so rousti
.. bouts. These men are armed wit
cotton hooks, with which they handl
the cotton bales, two men to a bale
which thev roll down the psng plan