Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-04-27
NEGRO LABOR IN THE SOUTH.
How the Colored Wo-singman Tolls
Lives, Loves and Is Happy.

How the Colored wo-singman Tolls,
Lives, Loves and Is Happy.
Now. look at the south with its negro
labor Except in Texas there are no strikes
here, Eor are there likely to be. When you
study the negro and see how cheapiy he can
live, you can understand why. With one
days work be can get q whole weeks
rations, viz: One md Of corn meal,
three pounds of ba :. and a quart Of mo-
lasses, costing in all 55 cents cash II he
raises sweet potatoes on a little patch Of
ground the size of a city lot, the luscious
Georgia yam makes his menu sumptuous
II he now and then picks up" he never
steals a chicken, or some eggs, no kinsley
diner enjoys his repast half so well, and If
to all this ne adds scrub COW, costing s.,
his fare is simply princely. If he marries
there are positively no old maids among
the blacks, the woman takes in washing,
goes out s>rubbing, etc, and more than
earns her own living, % that the pickanin
mics can go to the colored school, il there
is one near them. II he Goes not like to
work by the day, it does not take him long
to earn a mule and pillow. Then lie can
lease land and cultivate thirty acres OF
cotton, paying two bales worth now about
$40 each for ground rent In such a case
he generally runs in debt for his supplies
while he is making his crop, and pays two
prices for them, too, but when the cotton is
sold, if he has nothing left over or even
comes out in debt, he doesn't go and shoot
himself Debt is one of tie luxuries OF
civilization. He has had the satisfaction of
being lis own master, anyhow.
Some few get ahead in the world, own
their own farms, and live like white folks,
but the mass live as l have described them
a ro.licking, happy go lucky race, spending
as they go. Give them enough to eat, So
cial enjoyments, q chance to sing and shout
at camp-meeting or @hoedown dance"
and they are the jolliest people imaginable.
But you say nothing Of the cost to them
Of fuel, shelter and clothing"
No, the genial climate here makes these
things hardly worth mentioning. Outside
the large cities fuel is every where, the land
lord furnishes them board shanty, or a
log cabin free, and they wear the cast-off
clothing of their betters If their raiment
becomes an intricate thing Of shreads and
patches" what do they carel They ara
Just as happy. There is, you see, nothing
OF the conspirator about the negro laborer
He has no such fierce desire for work as to
wish to kill those who want to do it He
can hang over a fence a half day and see
others work and even cheer them on by his
iokes and outlaws with infinite relish. IL
you dismiss him you don't hurt his feelings
In the least He is liable to quit work for
you any day, unless personally attached to
you, and so is even with you. As long as
he can live by working one-sixth of his
time he has no fear of being oppressed by
capital
Left 10 himself, however, he Is aptto be lazy.
Solitary labor to him is something dread
ful. But let him work in a gang-give him
the enthusiasm OF numbers-ani with proper
superintendencs and discipline he becomes
the most efficient laborer, in proportion to
his needs, that is to he found either in Eur
ope or America.-Chicago Journal Inter
zig