Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1886-03-04
sooron Slaves.


The Awful Way In Which the faborcrs of
scetinnd Have 10 Live.
My father is an agricultural laborer,
and was earning when ] was ushercd
into the world about ten shilllngs per
week. His house consisted Of but one
room, with one window in front and
what may call hole at the back.
There was no ceiling, and the roof con-
sisted of thatch laid on unhewn. timber,
rs black with the smoke Of years as II
IL had been stepped in the Stygian
stream. The whole of the furniture
consisted of two beds, one table,
corner cupboard, exist to hold the
oatmeal and few chairs Of most prim-
tive workmanship. Underneath the
beds was generally stored the winter 8
provision of potatoes, as there was no.
where else to keep them. Behind the
door in kind Of porch the few black
/ Spanish fowls which we were allowed
to keep roasted at night, and laid their
eggs mostly in a corner Of the bed
where their owner had slept few hours
before. Such was the place into which
your humble correspondent was
brought on frosty December morn
ing, while yet the guns thundered
around Sebastopol. / managed to
live, even in an atmosphere which
believe would have stiiled a London
fireman, and before | was ready for the
operations of the dominic three more
had been added TO the family, making
in all ten souls, and two beds to sleep
onl That is very fair sample OF wha'
the houses of the married laborers ar,
in the country districts of Scotland. Al
ter living few years under the "domi
ME-" ], like the great majority Of my
fellow slaves, was marched off to thu
fair to be hired for the six months, fol
tbs Scotch farmers only engage thei
servants for six months-that is, thos,
who live in and about the farmstead
who are mostly single men and women
was not long in the market squar
when was accostcd by a respectable
looking man. who asked II | was ~
hire to which l replied | was, an,
after n few preliminaries and visit Z
the ''yill house, IL was settled that
WAS engaged for the six months 70
three pounds. and receiving my shilling
"earlesn / left my future master, feel
ing that had made good start in tn
race of life in which l was engaged
and il was nearing St. Andrews day
as, with my whole stock of clothing Il
a bundle, / started off some ten mile
or more to a farmhouse. Arrivin
there, was met by the master an
shown into the "bothy." / had no
had many comforts in my father
house, but when | saw the sleeping al
rangements of the bothy my heart san
within me. II was over the stable an
Just under the slated roof, and with N
covering whatever but what the slate
3 afforded from the elements; they wer
not even pointed with lime.' III
! bedstead consisted of four woode
posts fastened to the wooden floor an
to the beams at the top. Cross piece
/ were laid to keep the straw, which wa
: the only mattress, from falling on th
/ floor. The bed was made of piece Z
coarse canvas filled with oak chat, a
lumpy as II il had contained tin ladies
When l got out of my kennel about 81
= o'clock in the morning ] found wha
few clothes were ON the bed supple
mented by a sheet of snow which ha
drifted in between the states. Sue
was my first night in farm service. \
for the food, il consisted chiefly Of oai
meal, morning and night at least. Dir
ner generally consisted of broth. SeV
eral other places where | was engage
for time | found much the same,
b trust now that public attention ha
been drawn to the subject, that som'
, thing will be done by Parliament
compel the great owners of the soil
build such houses as are fit for huma
beings to live in-where Il man ca
Q bring up his children properly, an
/ | where the common rules of decenC
, can be observed. | trust, also, tn;
, the men themselves will do somcthin
, by letting the world know the wrong
, they have suffered, and urging the fe
representatives they have in Parli
O mcnt TO push to the front some LEI
. islative work on their behalf, and ther
y by help forward the great cause Of Sc
B cial reform in which you have take
Q such prominent part. In conclusion
y let me say every word ! have write
is from my own personal cxperienc
0 and | have not written one-tenth
D what | could.-PdH Mall Budget.
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