The Indianapolis journal., 1884-06-04
WHITE SLAVES.
Selling Men, Women and Children Pauperi
In Good Old" Virginia.
Oakland (Md.) Special.

Oakland Md Special. ..- .,tt.a
In the romantically- town of St
George, the seat of Tucker county, in the heart
of the Cheat mountains, overlooking the beauti
full Cheat river, was enacted a scene calculated
to make the blood boil with indignation There
was a crowd of perhaps 600 people gathered be-
fore the courthouse. and included farmers, cler
gymen and townspeople. For the past two weeks
| the county papers have teemed with advertise
ments. which announced the sale under an order
of court of justice of eighteen paupers for one,
year each. and forthe past two or three days the
families and others attracted by the announce
ment had come pouring in, on stage coaches and
country wagons, over the noun tains and through
the dells, for st. George has yet no railway
nection. The crowd examined the paupers, and
presently the sheriff mounted the horse block,
that relic of the dark days of slavery and read
the order of the court which decreed that for
the term of one year the paupers of the county
should be sold to the highest bidder" Then the
auctioneer, stout, joly-faced individual,
which caused the crowd to roar with laughter,
announced that the goods are divided into two
classes, able-bodied and invalid, and asked for
bids
seventy years of age. Turning him around for
the better inspection of the bidders, the auction
eer began
''Now, gentlemen, here you have a fne man.
He is sound, solid and gentle as a kitten. He
is good for big days work. How much am
l offeredH
The old fellow looked anxiousy at the crowd
of bidders as the amounts offered were out
bid. Finally he was sold to a man named
John Anderson for $26, who, after paying his
money took the old fellow who looked sad aud
weary and sighed heavily as he went away with
him.
Among the group Of paupers was beautiful
little girl, Of ten years, who cried bitterly be-
cause she had to leave the family to whom she
had been sold the previous year She had not
even a name and the auctioneer faeetiously
dubbed her Sally whereat his listeners laugh
ed immoderatey. She sold for IS. so and, shock
ing as it may appear, strange as it may seem TO
Northern ears and hearts, the purchaser was
minister of tho gospel
One of the most pitiful sights ever seen was
that of the next pauper to be sold. She was an
old woman, and it was her first year rs pauper
She had supported herself until the present time
and the question of the past was known only to
herself She WAS led TO the block, crying as
though her heart would break.
When she stepped upon the block she walled
in her anguish MY God! | wish that conld
die. Ny husband and son were killed in the
army. Oh! if | could only die" She was sold
to the keeper of boarding house at logging
camp.
inountaineer for the sum of sixty cents per
week
As the next part of the human goods and chat
tells stepped upon the block it showed the white
curly locks of an aged colorcd man who laughed
as he looked over the throng with his good
humored and Jolly eyes. II golly!T said he as he
glanced around, dis yeah is like ole times hress
my soul He was sold to a farmer for $ll
The sale aggregated $ll3 for the able bodied
paupers and an average price of 80 cents per week
for the 'invalids.
The paupers are numerous. and beyond
question or doubt They are worked to their
utmost capacity, they are fed on refuse, rnado to
sleep in barns, have to 60 bare footed for ten
months in the year and are whipped, pnd
whipped savagely on the slightest pFete%t