The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-04-05
LEvEE
Unloading Freight at the
Wharves of the Crescent
City.


It is ? O'Clock in the afternoon. It
has just arrived from Vlcksburg with
a large number of passengers, a heavy
cargo Of freight, end 1910 tons Of
baled cotton. Five hundred niggers
are in line near the gang planks.
There are no coiored men here, 10
negroes, no darkies. They are mig
gers whom it were ase fa.tery to
call loustabouts Among the 500 not
one has a suit of clothes or a garment
which would be called decent IN Uti-
ca. Two-th:rds are bare footed and
the rest are slouchy and slipshod
about the feet. Among the 500 one
half are bare headed, but there is not
a presentaole piece of head gear in
the: thsong. Neither is there q whole
shirt or a pair of p~antsloons that is
not consplcuously patched or ragged.
"Ah," you think as you take IN the
spectacle of this sou, 1.-The black man
OF the far South Is very unlike the
black man as he appears in the
North"
You are right, too. He is an entire
~ different creation, and l will tell
you how and why presently.
The passengers step ashore, the
captain 0 e up to his state room, and
tlen appears tue mate who is to SUI
perintend the unloading of the cot.
ton. 1t is his business to handle mig
gers, and With an oath he yells to a
subordinate OF the lesee to ''punch
some life into dem 49, n~iggers.n
In five mInntes the 800 are lined and
ticseted, each n receiving with his
truck 2 card suecifying the hour and
minute at which be begins work. A
bell rings, the 500 scamper down the
gaug-piauks. The river IS very low.
The grade down to the boat Is very
steep Each truckman tackles a bale
Of cotton and surprises you by going
up the return plank on 4 canter. The
load is heavy, the grade sharp, but no
niger Is permitted to walk. Should
he pe moderate his speed, the mate flies
into a rage and relieves himself in
this fashion:
IL. yo' -- niger! What ia
wagin or - - l break yo' neck!!"
The mates voice is shrill-tbe kind
OF voice upon which the rebel yell
was built. His manner is threatening
his g~esticuiatiJn PASSIONATE, and he
is level seer without a huge stick,
which be brandishes as a punct>
uation mark to his profanity. 1t is
evident that the 800 are afraid of the
mate. The latter knJws it and prof
its by it. Again and again he urges
the truckmen to increased speed,
Tbere must be no break in the line, |
The same jog trot must be kept up
hour after hour. The heat grows
more unhearabie. PerspiratioA has
drenched every thread OF every gar
meut Worn ty the 5O), but hour upon |
hour the bales are rushed up and the |
trucks (wagins) are rushed down
with the regularity OF clockwork-as !
continuously as the mates pro-
family.
Suddenly a halt is noticed on the
up plank. \ niger has missed his
footing, and pressure from the trucks |
behind has crowded him off the plank
and down into the ri yer. The mate
yelis louder and swears new oaths.
a reserve niger jumps to the plank.
SEXES the truck, and the 500 move
along at the same old jog trot. The
delay has not exceeded over thirty
SECONDS. But what Of the bigger who
fell into the river? Does the mate
rush to the guards and throw the
black rascal a rope? Does any one
pay any attention to him? Verify.
nay. If that roustabout escapes
drowning be must fish himself cut.
l questioned Il mate one day O n
corning this policy of indifference.
and he replied with profane polite
ness;
HI: great Gawd, sab. you s'pose
stop to pull - nigger out sab?
1o' mus renembah, sab, dat We are
dem two bits an houah. san.
: pose ". yanh out one niger, sab.
GREAT Ga"d, sab, inside &c mex
nouan de Whole - gang jump IN,
sh'Jes TO, cool bath an TO de fun O.
icing yanhed out. SAIL"
But suppose the niger accident.
Ally pulls the bale Of cotton into the
river when he goes overboard?"
~! great Gawd, sab, We sabe de
cotton bale..n
The cargo of the Ed. Richardson
Vas unloaded in five hours and a
quarter. Every niger received 81 80
making a grand total of 81, $3.50. How
vas b money invested? In food or
'lothe>: No. 20. AS soon as the
.oln had been counted out to them
EoO out OF the 500 made 3 break for
ne gam cling dives. There they got
rec whisky, while they risked their
III n game Of Spanish monte.