Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-06-05
PLANTATION NEGROES.
The Life of tIle Field Rands-Eh cir Do
Fs1estEc Relations.
Washington N. o. Cor. Troy Times.

FnestFc Relations.
Washington n. o. Cor. Troy Times.
Plantation negroes are, to those
who see them for the first time, most
miserable specimens OF men and
brothers. " if the they are to be judged
by their external appearance. They
are usually very block III color, with
pronounced negro features, and
ignorant. Ia some cases they are but
a few degrees above the animals.
They live only IN the present, know
nor care nothing for the future. and
seem to regard freedom as only the
means of deciding for them whether
they will work or remain idle, and, as
may be supposed, if bacon and corn
bread could be had without the labor,
1t is safe to say they would remain
idle. | was told, however, despite
their detected, work-a-day look, they
are very happy and contented peo-
pie, and they are treated with much
consideration and kindness on the two
plantations / visited, being allowed
to build huts and cut all their fire
wood on the lands, and IN illness
cared for either by the overseer or
owner, who employs a physician IN
urgent cases. These plantations have
also stores upon the grounds wherein
the hands car buy at market rates all
the accessories Of their lives, food,
clothing, and SHOES i'm fact, anything
that can be had at the usual or gen
eral country store" And this has
been done in order to keep the plan
tatiOn hands" at home, for If during
the plantation season the hands can
get off to town after a pay day there
is no chance Of their return until all
their money is spent and either work
or starvation stares them in the face
And, as most plantation hands are
born and raised in the work, they
know no other. Occasionally o more
ambitious and intelligent one will
aspire to learn to be barber" and
leave his native heath" but it is
said that they do not as q rule take to
education, and prefer to remain ignOr-
ant and work by day, and if they can
dance and frolic by night they are
content with life as they find it. Their
domestic relations and moral life is
better left unqueshoned III many
cases, although the law cOmpels mar
riage IC IS often hOnOred Ia the
breach only, but they have the
enthusiastic religious "revivals, and
their colored preachers are ever on
she plantations and hold services in
heir church at "OrtOn" for the
@eligiously inclined. Some of the
women seem disposed to think that
the lives of house servants" are more
enviable than their own, working as
they do in the hot fields, but it is not
an energetic longing and involves too.
much thought TO be put into active
execution. One rather bright-look
ing young woman, to whom spoke,
asked me if | thought I could get her
place" as cook at the north. I
asked her what wages she earned as
field-hand, and size said: Mostly S.
a week, but they say | could get $12
for a month as a cook" Her mental
arithmetic was little of. but she was
IN earnest. ! told her I did not think
she would like the northern states, it
was so much COLDER and she laughed
and said: That's what they all say,
miss; mebbe | would not" Freedom
means to this class of people only the
ability to earn money and provide for
themselves instead of having every
thing provided for them, and it will
be a long, long time before they are
elevated or educated sufficiently to
understand how much has been done
for them.