Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-02-07
Letter From Todd County, Ky.

To the Chronicle:
The farmers have husbanded
splendid crop of ice, averaging from
six TO eight inches in thickness.
What blessed thing it must be to
feel independent of 1.-THE weather
or no weather." But we poor
country fellows are always at the
mercy OF the elements, and must be
delighted to have zero conditions in
order to provide for the evils of
dog-days, but philosophers say that
every evil has its attending good,
and SO we will contemplate the
cooling draughts that will refresh
palates during the long, hot sum-
Iner days and feel thankful.
There has been u great deal OF
suffering among the. negroes during
the intense cold weather. We have
heard Of several deaths from pneu-
nonia and some serious cases of
frost bite. They are crowded to-
gether in cabins, prefering to shiver,
starve and Idle, to hiring, working
and living decently. At Christmas
the hireling gets his dues, the crop
per small allowance on his tobac-
co; all of which is quickly spent
with the country merchant for in
different goods, gewgaws and few
groceries-for the time he Is prince
in his palace with chimney and
p, ep hole, surrounded by his fam
lily, relations and friends. Each
cabin counts it's two to six hungry
dogs. Happy, with nothing to do,
satisfied with plenty of company,
never taking thought of the NOR
row. They cling together till absO-
lutte long suffering drives them to
seek situations. Sickness or death
among them is but a new incentive
to congregate, more people and
more dogs more singing, bowling
and shouting, till the poor wretch
es are often hurried to their end.
Labor is indeed getting to be a
serious problem that is staring the
farmer more practically in the face
each lay. AZ for good servants in
the country, it il something of TIE
past. tits tru'y discouraging to
thinking mind, each year develop
ing new difficulties. But there are
two sides to every picture, a Why
and wherefore for every cause. The
negroes unavoidable condition has
made him what he il. lie rarely
gets full justice done him, he feels
il i'm an inexplicable Way, and in
his ignorance reaches out feebly to
right himself. We Southern people
regard him as "trifling scamp"
and yet we are dependent on him
for our manual labor; we might al
most say our bre IL aud our clothes.
He keeps Us from soiiing our hands,
our backs from aching and our
hearth-stOnes warm, and-he keeps
our purse and stock both lean 10y
his stumbling habits. Two Glasses
of people 80 dependent one on The
other ought surely to underst nj
each other better. Has not the
time arrived when the more intel
ligent employer can rise superior to
his prejudice and adopt better
plan than the old groove OF man
aging the farm labor +; creating mu-
tual interests ? It is "a serious ques-
ton; one that presents itself in
many shapes, but we beg pardon
for already taking up so much
space. We only speak of the case
as it exists in a general way.
In our little town was marriage
on the evening of the 22d. Miss
Bessie Clark, OF Guthrie, to Mr.. J.
s. Evans, of Frankfort.
Mr.. Sam Lawson died of con-
SUMPTION at the residence of Mr..
r. Adams. MIR. John Luck, of
Elkton, of heart disease. Mr.. j. E.
Wilcox of Typhoid-pneumonia.
All good citizens much regretted.
REMINGTON.
February 2, 1885.