The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-23
FREE MEN IN CHAINS.
Negro Laborers in the Turpentine Forests
Handcufed by Contractors.


road that runs out of the turpentine forests of
southern North Carolina, was filed with negros,
who were handcuffed. They did not wear striped
suits, however and there were excessively jolly.
white man, whose boctsiegs extended above
his knees, and whose hat brim tapped down 80
as to hide hisface and neck had them in charge,
and he was as jolly az they were. He addressed
them as ''boys." gave them bottle of whisky,
exchanged rude jokes with them, and a merrier
company you never saw.
''Oh, nav, they amt pen Doys," he said, with
great laugh, when I asked if they were Grim
mails. and the negroes themselves ratified the
chains on their hands with gleeful gestculations,
and laughed so loud that they drowned the noise
of the running cars.
''Well, boss, tink we done come ter dat?" said
one.
HE amt never seed aturpentine niger afors."
said another.
'.Jes gwine ter Gorgy ter make de Pine tree
yier," explained third.
By this time the man in the boots and the hat
had recovered his composure, and, after an apol-
ogy for laughing at me, said:
, 1t did seem GURUS, stranger, and folks afore
has asked the same question"
He then went on to explain. the negroes mean
while listening attentively.
ton are now mighty nigh skinned so high that
de law OF grabitation's got all she can do to
fetch the turptine down to the box-skinned
clean up outen de reach of de highest niger
to make war on de Gorgy pine. These boys
is old hands at the business, and they's gwine
out to Gorgy with me to work Use hired 'em."
Still that did not explain the handouts.
CUR EN-! Yes, sab. every time!"
Say, boss. you don't know er turptne mig
GER" one Of them exclaimed and they all
laughed boisterously again
This man had been into the partially ex-
haustcd turpentine region of North Carolina.
wherefrom many operators, as the turpentine
workers call themselves have of late years gone
to the fresher forests of Georgia, and had en-
pioyed these skilled negro laborers to 60 there
There he distributes them among the operators
who need hands. No negro Of course has
enough money to pay his fare from North Caro-
lima to Georgia. The contractor, therefore, after
ne 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
handouts them. Their wages for the first
month 60 to repay the contractor for advancing
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 fashion of the
old times. These negroes work a season in
Georgia, where they receive as much as 500 per
month, and then return to their old homes
Many of them leave their families in North Car.
DINA, and many, of course, have no families
Inc time OF their return is season of rich
harvest for the pinewoods groggeries. A negro
from Georgia who has 500, or perhaps even,$l00
in his pocket, comes back to his old home as a
capitalization few weeks at least. Riotous
living then period of the old poverty and hu-
mility, then another trip to Georgia-this is the
circle of their lives
Yet these turpentine negroes scorn the domes-
tlcated darky who works for $12 month on a
farm. They have noble savage scorn also for
such effeminate things as beds and crockery-of
anything, indeed, that hints of the tame monot-
ony Of civilization-but they can drink liquor
with any. civilized being in the world. They
work by the piece, and receive their pay weekly,
and, In consequence, have more cash than any
other negroes But they seldom work more
than five days week, and Saturday they spend
at a railroad station. The liquor is vigorous
and sometimes leads to tragedy When ne
gro in this remote region kills negro there is
no sentimentality or philanthropy conveniently
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 life he
enjoyed no clearly defined individuality, and so
who misses himg
During. the idle season Of the year. when there
is no boxing, or chipping or dipping to do in the
forest, many of these untamed laborers get en-
ployment on the ditching and wood trains of new
railroads. The boss of such train is regarded
as an extraordinary man, and, indeed, he is. He
Has ulCl OF uOre Oh GueSe men TO oversee ana
among every fifty there are likely to be few
who, In his opinion, need occasional reprimands
The same negro who will agree to a bargain
whereby ne is to be handcuffed may be pug
nacious fellow The boss Of the train therefore
emphasizes his authority by wearing a pistol
He seldom usues it, but he wears it, to gives his
own explanation, to prevent the necessity of
using it.
''The way do, an think manage the ras-
Gals purity WELL" said of these Bosses lis to
knock down bigger whenever git new lot
o hands. That gives the new uns good idee of
what sort OF boss they've got. My old uns
always stan up to me. and I've got the reputa-
ton of KNOWN how ter deal with EN-"
These railroad niggers sleep, cook, at twenty
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 sun
down till midnight with good cheer, and on
occasions 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, sometimes
there are two or three, sedate fellows who spend
their evening in solemn meditation over spell
ing-book. To hold their dignity and be guilty
of such an effeminate taste they must at fire.
1uent intervals throw, or fog, or outrun the best
man OF the car. Then they can again pursue
their studies in peace.
In every car, too, there is miser, who is the
money-lender. AS rule three days after the
monthly payday every negro except the miser
has spent all his money, and for twenty seven
days will not have cent. Most of it is sper for
liquor gingerbread, brass watches, musical
instruments, and other such things If there
is necessity before the next pay day to buy more
liquor, or jewelry, or musical instruments, the
money-lender is approached. He will lend So,
sometimes even ST. when the borrower gets the
consent of the boss to pay the capitalist S. out
of the borrowers wages at the next payday
cant a on,
trifing rate of interest when he has need of an
additional lingering or of new strings for his
banjol
Civilization, philanthropy, missionaries, school
human improvement have prodigious piece of
work to do before the turpentine negro becomes
domesticated or the railroad negro civilized
enough to fall within the range of Mr. Cables
and Mr.. Gradys discussion of whether the freed