The bee., 1883-02-24

mulate property has been created, and
who are encouraged in thrifty habito.
may say that these questions actually
represent two methods now in active
force along this river"
The above is portion of Mr.. Will
kinson's story. Here is the other:
Now for the other side. John c.
Calhoun came to Arkansas from New
York city in 1869. He was strongly
impressed with the steadiness of the
rents paid for the agricultural lands
lying in the bends. Before the war
these lands were valued at from $75 to
800 per acre. It was seldom they
changed hands at any price. The first
thing that recovered it's value after the
war, and recovered almost instantly,
was the value of these lands as indi-
Gated by the rent paid. Promptly the
rental of these best of cotton lands was
fixed at $40 per acre. AS said, before
the war the lands were valued at from
$75 to 800 per acre, and the rent paid
directly after the war plainly showed.
that these lands had not deprecated
in value. 1t is true that these lands
could be bought for $40 per acre from
the discouraged and impoverished own
erS; but it must be remembered that
in many cases the owners were women
who felt that they were unable to man.
age the property; and in addition the
rent of $40 per acre was not for rent
alone. 1t included the use of house
and free firewood, and the certainty of
being carried by the planter until the
crop was made.N So it was SO and
privileges; but at any rate the rent in
dicated the value of the land. Mr..
Calhoun saw that these lands were sold
ut far less than their intrinsic value.
He acquired possession of the Flowr-
ence plantation in 1870 This planta-
tion contains $500 acres. When he
bought it there were but 200 acres in
cultivation, and but twenty hands were
employed on the place Determined
to interest the negro, to try to have
him stick steadily to the same land year
after year, he adopted an enlightened
policy. He sold goods to his own
hands at fair profit only. He strove
to contine their purchases to the neceS-
saries of life. He talked to his hands,
explaining the conditions of life and
the habits essential to success, and thus
gave them something to talk about.
He brought from the old Calhoun plan
foti in A 1nh 4 Of hn
who once belonged to the family. These
men were dead broke and in debt.
Under the management of Mr. Calhoun
they have prospered, and he has pros
pered. To-day there are 260 full hands
on this plantation, and 1000 acres are
under cultivation. The houses are
clean and comfortable and surrounded
by well-kept gardens that are fenced.
| The fields are well titled and most ex-
cellently fenced. All the improve
ments have been paid for out of the
profits of the farm. Every expense
connected with the plantation or fam
lily has been met with money received
for cotton grown on these lands 1t
must be borne in mind that these are
alluvial lands lying in the heart of the
cotton belt, and capable of producing
| 500 pounds of cotton to the acre as an
average yield. The negroes who were
brought from Alabama are now en-
tirely out of debt, and have accumu-
lated stock and tools and a store of
money. So also of all the hands en-
ployed on the plantation. Dozens of
runners visit them annually, and strike
Not man leaves. They are contented.
The policy is to sell these negroes
goods at an advance of 25 per cent. on
their cost. By buying in large guam
tities-1,7OO hands are employed on all
his plantations-a for cash, Mr.. Cal
houn obtains discount of Is per cent
In other words, buying 500 worth of
goods for $85 he charges an advance of
% per cent. on the $85, making the
cost of 800 worth of goods bought by
the negroes S106. Every bargain made
with negro is religiously lived up to.
Every inducement is held out to them
to work with their hearts backing their
hands. Land is rented to the men for
cotton rent almost exclusively The
negro takes more interest in the crop
when he is to have a portion of it. No
negro is too poor to obtain land; none
SO rich but what terms to suit his pros
perity are made. That these negroes
are doing well is indicated by the many
applications for houses and land re-
ceived daily. No agents are sent out
from these plantations to induce ne
groes to come to them. Mr. Calhoun
pays no transportation bills for agents
or hands, and still men travel 200 miles
to get to place where they can have
a chance to get ahead in the world.
Yes, "the shiftless, drunken, gambling,
idle niggers' have found out that on
the Calhoun plantations they can earn
a good living, save money, and accum-
ulate property. Many of the tenants
hire large tracts of land, 80, 20, 80
acres, and, having acquired mules
enough to cultivate the tracts, they hire
other negroes for monthly wages to as
sist them in their operations. Some of
them are very successful managers
and are rapidly accumulatlng little
fortunes.
Let the books of the store speak and
tell the story of the prosperity of these
ignorant black men. / opened the
books at random, and copied the &C
counts as found them. These accounts
are for 1882, the year of the great over
flow; William Clayton owed $31. His
crop was twenty-six bales, two-thirds
of which were his After nayinr his