Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-01-31
From the "Su,saty South"


most directly east. YOU go by the West
ern r. r., extending from Montgomery
to Atlanta, Georgia, to Chehaw and there
take the Tuskegee narrow gauge road for
Tuskegee. | have before written Won of
the vast amount of land, in Alabama.
uncultivatel. On this trip / have had a
vivid illu, tration of the fact Since
writing you before have made visit 10
the U. S. Land Office ana [ find that, in
stead of nearl y three millions of acres of
government land in the state, there are
nearer tour millions or almost one-eig "a
of the entire area of the state. There
are also about million acres Of swamp
and overAowed lands belonging to the
state in the region of the gulf. Much of
this is very valuable limb land. So
thiply is the country settled between
Montgomery and Tuskegee that, in the
whole distance of fifty miles, saw not a
single store. There are stations enough
along the read but they consist, fer the
most part, of little group of houses
and cotton gin. 1t has plenty
of timber and is well watered. | sup
pose this land could be bought for five
dollars per acre, in large tracts. Wood
| brings, in Montgomery, from tour and a
half to five dollars per cord, so that the
timber on one acre would pay for 100
acres. 1t would make excellent pasture
land Here young cattle, mules and
sheep would thrive, the entire year with
out stahliug and hogs would grow fat on
the nuts that fall from the trees. In this
climate sheep are sheared twice a year.
teel sure that one with small capital
b. giving attention ID stock and corn
misht soon make fortune here 1t may
seem strange, that this land, if it may be
made pro objective, lies 50 long idle and yet,
to one knowing something of the
history Of the country, it is not so
strange The white man, at the South.
gives but little personal attention to the
soil Ia the days Of slavery he was IA
planter but, if well to do, he rarely lived
on his plantation but in the nearest ci y
or village The plantation and slaves
were put in charge Of an overseer. One
every year all hands were called into the
presence OF the planter and he would tell
them, now | want you to make me SO
many bales of cotton next year, so much
corn, 80 much pork, &c" The overseer
must pay attention to details, the master
caring, as Il rule, only for results. Since
the war il is very much the same, except
that the lOred man, instead OF being
slave and having an OYerseeer, rents the
land agreeing 20 give, for the use Of it,
certain amount Of produce. The plant
er. as before the war, still lives in the city
and has but little care for the plantation
beyond receiving his rent. In some cases
the planter puts his ground in charge OF
foreman, who lives on the place and
Lires men to do the work at ten dollars
! Ter month, for the year with one ration,
consisting of three and one-half POUNDS
! Of bacon and peck of corn meal per
week. The colored man cannot buy land
for himself because it is not, generally,
for sale except in large bodies. Ten dol
lars per month, with his large family is
rather hard bargain SO he leaves the
| farm and comes to town where bis wife
takes in washing and he works by the
| dav or month at whatever he can get to
do. Thus the neglect of the soil is east
| " accounted Tor.
I found Tuskegee very pretty place,
the county seat of Macon county, and
Containing about $500 inhabitants. 1t
is the center Of large cotton region and
many of its citizens are planters whose
farms are carried on by cOl0red men
The business Of the city consists chiefly
| in handling cotton and furnishing sup
plies to the country round about. A
young ladies Seminary, under the care Of
the Methodist and an orphan asylum un
der the care Of the Presbyterian church
are located here, also a State Norm al
School for colored people. 1t was TO VS.
it this school that I went 10 Tuskegee
The school was opened, for the first time,
year ago, in one of the city churches
The state made no provision for ground
or buildings. Two thousand dollars were
appropriated to provide free tuition and
five hundred dollars were received from
the Peabody Fund. During the year
Prof. Washington, the Principal, and his
assistant, Miss Davidson, secured money
enough, from friends at the North, tC
enable them to buy one hundred acres OF
beautiful, improved land, about one mile
from the post Office, to warrant them in
letting the contract for building, upon