Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-23
MIR. DANAs CATS STORY.
Negro LabOrers in the Turpenttne For
ests and Their Alleged Condition.

GIBsON's, April 17.-One-half of
second-class railway car on a road that
runs out of the turpentine forests of South
ern North Carolina was filed with
negroes, who were handcuhed. They did
not wear striped suits, however, and
they were excessively jolly. A white
man whose boOtlegs extended above his
knees, and whose hat brim tapped down
so as to hide his face and neck, had them
in charge, and he was as jolly as they
were. He addressed them as "boys,"
gave them bottle of whisky, exchanged
rude jokes with them, and a merrier COM
pany YOU never saw.
"Oh, nav, they amt pen boys" he said
with a great laugh, when l asked if they
were criminals, and the negroes them
selves ratified the chains on their hands
with gleeful gestieulations, and laughed
so loud that they drowned the noise of the
running cars.
"Well, boss, t'ink we done come to dat?"
said one.
"He amt never seed turpentine mig
ger afOre," said another.
''Jes' gwine ter Gorgy ter make de pine
tree yieP," explained third.
BY this time the man In the boots and
the hat had recovered his composure,
and, after an apology for laughing at me,
said:
sit did seem Gurus, stranger. and folks
afore has asked the same question:"
He then went on to explain, the negroes
meanwhile listening attentively.
You see, stranger, the pine trees in our
section are now mighty nigh skinned SO
high that de law of gravitation's got all
she can to fetch tie turp'tine down into
the boX-skinned clean up outen de reach
of de highest niger and de longest back.
SO we are now gwine to make war on the
GOrgy pine. These boys is old hands at
the business, and they's gwine out to
Gorgy with me to work. Pse hired 'em"
Still that did not explain the handouts,
Cuff 'eml Yes, sab, every timev
SAY, boss, you don't know er turp'tine
nigger,o one of them exclaimed, and they
all laughed bOisterOusly again.
This man had been into the partially eX-
hausted turpentine region of North Caro-
lima, wherefrom many operators, as the
turpentine workers call themselves, have
of late years gone to the fresher forests of
Georgia, and had employed these skilled
negro laborers to go there. There he dis
tributes them among the operators who
need hands. No negro, of course. has
enough money to pay his fare from North
Carolina to Georgia. The contractor
therefore, after he employs them, buys
their tickets. Being afraid that some OF
them will suddenly take it into their
heads to stop in South Carolina or upper
Georgia with their own consent, he hand
cuffs them. Their wages for the first
month go to repay the contractor for adj
vancing their fare, and the operators who
need negroes pay him so much per head
for bringing them.
The contractor, therefore, is practically
dealer in negroes, much after the fash
ion OF the old times, These negroes work
q season in Georgia, where they receive
as much as 500 per month, and then re-
turn to their old homes. Many of them
leave their families in North Carolina,
and many, OF course, have no families.
The time of their return is a season of
rich harvest for the pine woods grOgge-
ries. A negro from Georgia who has $50.
or perhaps even 500, in his pocket comes
back to his old home as a capitalist-fOr
a few weeks at least. RiotOus living,
then period of the old poverty and hui
militY, then another trip to Georgia--this
is the circle OF their lives.
Yet these turpentine negroes scOrn the
dOmesticated darkey who works for $12 a
month on a farm. They have noble saw
age scorn also for such effeminate things
as beds and crockery, of anything, indeed
that hints of the tame mOnotOny of civil
ization; but they can drink liquor with
anV civilized being in the world. They
work by the piece and receive their pay
weekly, and, in consequence, have more
cash than any other negOes. But they
seldom work more than five days week,
and Saturday they spend at d railroad
station. The liquor is vigorous and some
times leads to tragedy. When a negro
in this remote region kills a negro there
is no sentimentality or philanthropy con-
veniently near to make moan or inquiry.
The murderer goes away before the Sheriff
comes, and there is simply one negro less,
that's all. During his life he enjoyed no
clearly defined individuality, and so who
misses him?
During the idle season of the year. when
there is no boxing or chipping or dipping
to do IN the forest, many Of these I'M
tanned labOrers get employment on the
ditching and wood trains OF new railroads.
The boss of such a train is regarded as an
extraordinary man, and, indeed, he is.
he has fifty or more of these men to over
see. and among every fifty there are likely
to be a few who, in his opinion. need Oc-
casiOnal reprimands. The same negro
who will agree to a bargain whereby he
is 10 be handcuffed may be pugnacious
fellow. The boss of the train therefore
emphasizes his authority by wearing a
pistol. He seldom uses it, but he wears it,
to give his own explanation, TO prevent
the necessity Of using it.
1.-The way do, an think manage the
rascals purity WE'LL" said one of these
bosses, sis to knock down n Niger when
ever git new lot o. hands. That gives
the new uns a good idee Of what sort of a
boss they've got. MY old uns always
STAN up to me, and I'ye got the reputa-
ton Of KNOWN how ter deal with 'em."
These railroad negroes sleep, cook, eat,
twenty or more in one box car. Their
ratiOns consist of peck Of meal, four
pounds of bacon and quart Of mOlasses
a week. AT night the banjo, dance and
song fill at least the hours from shutdown
till midnight with good cheer, and on Oc-
casions Of unusual hilarity they indulge
in wrestling, boxing and running. These
sports follow twelve hours work with the
spade, often in mud ankle deep.
In every car cabin there Is one, some
times there are two or three, sedate fell
lows who spend their evenings in solemn
meditation over a spelling book. To hold
their dignity and be guilty Of such an ef-
Terminate taste they must at frequent in
terYals throw or fog or Outrun the best
man Of the car. Then they can again pur-
sue their studies in peace.
In every car, too, there is a miser, who
is the money lender. AS a rule three
days after the monthly pay day every
negro except the miser has spent all his
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