Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1884-12-26
SUNDAY osA SUGAR PLANTATION.
Joaquin MIXERS Letter.
Home and Farm. |

broad nat, boots and spurs. whip In
hand, and oa,hs on lips, loahng indo-
lently about his broad verandah, his
wife and daughters swinging dreamily
in their sllken and tasseled hanmocks
gay with colors, the mules resting in
the barn-yard, the "darkies," in their
Sunday best, singing hallelujahs in the
whi,ewashed negro church under the
oaks in their great swinging nantes
Of moss-a day of dreams, and indo-
lence, and ease. And | know this is
the picture tina; is entertained by our
people of the North,
They imagine the planter has a
splendid time oft down here in this
land of matchless fertility and eternal
summer. They imagine that if this IN
dolent and ease-loving planter, with
the broad hat and tall boots, whip and
spurs and oaths. was not SO luxurious
and lazy. he might do marvels with his
end of the Republic.
/ had seen Sunday on one great
plantation, watched the process OF
sugar making there from sunrise till
the laborers swung their lanterns
YEARLY at their work. But thinking
maybe this might be phenomenal,
resolved to Try second Sunday, ano
at another plantation, and find ou
certainly if these planters are COMPEL
ed to toll SO desperately and incessant
" to get on. Well, have found on
that this is an ugly fact.
Let me set it down here as sole
truth that these planters IN the grea
sugar fields of Louisiana toll harder
and are compelled to toll harder thar
ever did the men in the mines of Cali
fornia to keep even. This cold fact
set down in this single paragraph 70
the consideration of Congress. The,
hardly hope to make money now; onl,
to keep even.
The plantation chosen for my secont
Sundays observation was a famou
one, and one OF the very finest in tn
State. The residence now standing
close to the bank and under the leve
while the great tawny river rolls owe
the buried orange grove which grew il
the door-yard, is the one in which Gen
eral Jackson had his headquarter
when watching the British in their futil
attempt to reach New Orleans by tn
Mississippi river.
1t was something to sleep under tn
roof
WHERE JACKSON SLEPT
in the days OF his glory; something t
see the massive mahogany furniture {
the days when the Creole planters o
the banks of this broad river where tn
wealthiest and most aristocrahc me
in the world. 1t was much to see tn
modern refinement here now, tn;
quiet and absolute hospitality whlc
makes you feel that the whole hous
is your own without telling you so.
was notable meeting OF the old an
new, to see the latest New York mag;
zines and illustrated newspapers pile
upon or thrown about these broad an
massive mahogany tables that star
here in mute but substantial testimor
Of departed splendor when this part
the Republic knew another order (
civilization.
A X ndly blackman came into n
bedroom with me to tuck down 'ft
skeeter ba'." And dreaming of Il
day or the night when this stored o
house would also be swallowed up. al
lie In the bed of the river along wi
the orange grove that once grew
the door-yard, all for the want of
little care about these ievees on Il
part of the potential government
slept on till the braying of mules al
the screaming of the steam whistles
the sugar-houses told me that he
was another Sunday of desperate /
dustry before me.
Our breakfast was an import,
breakfast, all except the snipe. Ev'
the sugar, believe, came down fro
New Orleans.
The planters tell me this is cheap
than using their own gardens.
seems absurd, but they explain tn
they can have their eggs, chicken
buttei-everything-set down on Il
wharf each day cheaper than TIT
could employ labor to raise the
things. This may be SO. And W
must remember the climate almo
compels these people to spend pc
ton of their time further North. Ar
so you see there is break in Il
household economy.
In brief, no one IS left to guard Il
henroost. Still you hear and you S,
lots of ducks, turkeys, geese, and :
on, toddllng and waddling about {
the plantations. But in many cas-
they belong to the blacks mostly. II
COWS, too, have black owners often,
we'll as some of the mules, and no
and then further down the river whel
the plantations are not so large al
valuable, the black man is master ar
owner.
Two long rows of pretty white co
tages, facing each other, among tt
trees, reminding one of Saratoga {
White SULPHUR Springs, make up Il
habitalion of the black hands and the
families. Most of them were born ar
will live and die here. The little sire
between the cottages is populous WI
little naked hahies of universal ar