The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-04-11
THE HON. SIMON RAMON.
He Tries to Tell Why He Gave ui
 Steamboat Navigation Sad Story.

"Speaking of negro immigration to Arkansaw," said the Hon. Simon Hai- mon, "puts me in mind of the fact that it was this immigration that compelled me to sell m steamboat and start saw mill have always said that so soon as got so that l could not supply the de- mand, no matter what business was en- gagged in, would surrender the position and retire in pretty fair order. The trouble began shortly after the com mencement of the great stir up among the negroes. we'll remember the first load got. The landing was literally covered with boxes Household goods seemed to be so plentiful among them that wondered why they had left home. A representative negro came to me and asked if was going to charge for few dogs. Knowing how devoted is the friendship existing between negroes and their dogs, told him that would not charge~for them. After we had gotten pader way, the mate came on deck and told me to come down a minute. did so. never saw the like before and hope never to see the like again. There were on the lower deck, eighty-three crates of dogs. Sixty-nine of these crates contained yellow dogs.
 Look here,' l said to an old negro who sat on small crate of rat-terriers, what in thunder arc you fellows going to do with all these dogs?'
 "The old fellow looked at me in aston. ishment. Then he said: When CT pusson mubes erway rum his old home, doan yer 'speck him ter carry his fambly wid him9 'Speck CT pusson ter go all by hisse'finter CT strange country? Wy, yer's mighty nigh ez bad CT de white folks wrz beto' de wah. We wanted ter lebe Souf K lima ease de folks want reasonable, an now eff yer's showin' me de Kline of folks I'se gwine ter fine in Arkansaw, wy jes' turn yer ole Hutter mill CT roun' an' take me back whar yer foun' me-
 "'I don't care how many dogs you have in your family, but don't see wha you can do with them.'
 "' Neber mine, un'erstan's my bus'- ness putty well by dis time. One O de reasons we lef Sout K1ina wuz bercase de state put CT tax on dogs. Arer dat l thought dat de naixt move would be ter tax CT mans wife,
 "l got along very well with that load, although the dogs kept us from handling a great deal of freight that we might have handled. The next load, though, was when we caught it. We landed about ten o'clock at night to take on large party of negroes. Feeling tired, lay down and went to sleep. did not awake until the next morning at eight o'clock. The boat was still at the landing. hur- ried below to learn the cause of the delay. The sight was appalling. Two hundred and fifty crates of dogs, mostly yellow. had been put on board, and the bank was still"
 ~Say, Simon," said a man who had heard the terrible recital, "I thought that you had joined the church."
 "I did while was down in Mississippi. Let me tell you about those dogs" "Never mind tell us abou. the church."
 "Well, while was down in Mississippi, I thought that was going to die. I don't know what made me think SO, but l did. knew that it was necessary for me to join church, but what was to do! There wasn't white church in that section of country. At last l blacked myself up and joined a negro church. The negroes were so much pre- ljudiced against the white people that they had passed church ordinance pre- venting white person from attending their meetings. Well, they received me rather susp;ciously, but I soon gained their confidence. was taken into the cabinet and was in fair way of becon,- ing a leader in administrative circles when one of the brothers said:
 @s May it please de solemn council O desc heah holy folks fur de ole man ter make CT few remarks. Dis gennerman, erfore he takes sich CT high place in dese heah bright an shinin' circles oughtex