New-York tribune., 1886-04-25
MANY MEN OF MANY MINDS.
HOW THEY TALK WHEN MET AT THE
HOTELS AND IN BROADWAY.

and pleasure talk freely and openly about the ante
beum days. But have not in long time had any one
discuss this subject with much feeling as 7. T. A.
Lyon of Mississippi lie is occasional guest at the
Fifth Avenue Hotel anl Is engaged believe In railroad
enterprses lie said to the other night: al owned
$50 900 worth OF negroes before the had put all
my accumuations for years into that sort OF property
Tho first thousand dollars saved invested In negro
hired him out where he cost nothing for keeping but
brought handsome profit every year and soon as
had another thousand dollars invested again. You
may think it strange hut II might have all that prop
erty back again In negroes Noud take Il II could
If the people OF the south could l Of every nogro
there would bo better OF ten tines than we are
would ask greater blessing the South than
to wake up morning and find evory swept ont
of the countryall gone Ny for saying this ia
that no country can bo prosperous without hardy,
thrifty ahorng class OF people. Tho negro is far from
being such class The blacks in tho South unthTfty
ard sitess to degree that is positively sckenne."
asked Mr. Lyon about the old condition OF the blacks
and he said: Things were much different. Before
the 1t cost Int little to keep negro You bought
him two suits OF summer and two suits OF winter clothes
each He had to have hats for each season.
and two three pairs of shoes This entire outfit used
to cost on an average S12 25 year. merchant
and speak by the card. have figured 1t over many
times. good master would distribute u quantity o.
-four Christmas time, ten barrels to hundred blacks
He would buy them o little pork through the year
Two barrels OF whskey would last them FOR the year
the they would raise their vegetables ana
chickens and catch their possums and coat nothing
for keeping They pretty well cared for because
they property and 1t the masters interest 10
have his property healthy and contented."
ut is mpch different now" continued Mr.. Lyon. when
inquired about present conditions There Is no one
who would think for moment OF asking the blacks 1"
accept ess than fifty cents day for their labor in ts
cotton fields. Figure that at $3.50 year 70, each man
IN ha haudyO
find that the OF cotton produced does not reach
In actual value Dugh to for the labor Tho Oakley
has somo money But he spends It, Lord he'p him,
I'm the foolish and extravagant manner and 1t does
not seem possible to educate him to do anything else
There are negroes In the South who spend less than
$25 year for whiskey. You understand from this
why the liquor question has suddenly assumed such I'm
portance with u.s. He Will spend Sl5 more for canned
goods such cherries alrcots, and so on nave seen
dakes who hadn't decent suit on their backs spend IS
ana "a for sarnes and canned salmon and canned beei
They never had anything OF that kind before the war
and 1t completely gets away with them now The worst
of It is nat every dollar paid to the negro night out
OF tho country. Wo figured II up one night at nome on
100000 paid blacks aud found that outside OF
the profits dealers not above $50 remained in the
South II could trade six ten darkeys for one
white all the South would DC great good 10
tho country can assure YOU"
General H. s. Huidekoper who as postmaster at Phlia-
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suspended to make room for hencnman of Samuel j.
Randall Ia vice president and general manager OF
the Metropolitan Telephone Company. met hlin at the
Fifth Avenue Hotel last night when he told me some
thing OF tho fight the company has on its hands. Two
years ago." he said. there law passed requiring
tie company to put its wires under ground When they
got ready comply the city author les refused to allow
them to tear up the Then the commission was
appointed which is still In existence, chargod with the
duty adopting plan for putting the wires underneath
the surface. The commission is engaged ID similar
contest with the city authorities and has done nothing
We stand ready 90 underground with our WIGS AT any
time when can do So 1t Will cost the company
great deal money and plant in the air Will he use
less We shall he Obliged to Issue bonds to raise the
money but probably in the end will be advantageous
to the company But meanwhile We are subjected to the
prospect passage of various laws that cripple oar
resources stop business We cannot 30 on put
ting in telephones because we DO not know at what
moment may DO called upon to put the wires under
ground 1t will not pay us to put up we at cost OF
q years subscription which we may have to take down
in a week at IA dead All is plant IN tho
air when come TO so underground IS the eoou WILL
The wires cannot be used again"
asked the General about tho profits on telephone
business and he said: We cannot operate IN New
York Oh less than $40 month. All We get over that Is
profit We charge 81 so. The service that Is gwen
for this is greater than In any city In tho conn
:ry iu proporion. We have ten excl anges here, each
OF them for instance than tho exchange In the
City of Utica yet subscriber for gets the benefit
OF all Tho trunk lines that connect the ten exchanges
are In constant There are nine oi them Tor
each exchange. making ninety wires from each ex-
change that are given up entirely to trunk business
The patrons OF telephone not apt to look at this
phase OF their when thoy discussing Its COST
Inject Colonel Frederick Grant frequently now He Is
getting heavier form and more solid In appearance
hoar. t1rnu III
come associated with the New York steam Company
as assistant general manager. The Steam conn any
capitalists have tho Cable road scheme on their hands
anc Mr. Andrews Is devotns much oil his time 10 that
ENTERPRISE He is OF medium size, with sandy
hair and small red side whskers and with cast OF coun
tenance sufficiently Hebrac to give the student OF phys
ognony belief that he l. money gettr iie Is ph
Ohio man, got his start in lie with Rockefeller ana
Flacler in the Standard OIL Company. His brother Is
the big iron master and wealthes citizen of Iouh9s-
town.
Captain Henry D. stanwoOd, nephew OF Mr.. Blaine,
is engaged with New ST. banking house. He comes
uptown occasionally but lives 10 BrooklyD, tall and
we'll OF perhaps forty with sandy whlskers
cut in fashionable English style, but with the hail fellow
well-met way of Westerner. He vas Deputy Collector
OF Customs here under Collector Robertson and told me
the other night that he the first deputy discharged
under the regime OF Collector Hcdlen | am proud OF
that distinction" he said to me. It showed that they
regarded me as offensive PARTISAN which was about
as true anything they could charge ine with. An
other nephew OF Mr.. Blaine, brother OF the captain
was formerly in stock brokerage business In wall
Street but was caught lamt, neeced and went over
to Boston to try his luck In the Hub.
Walker Blaine here during the week. He was
guest at the Union League. saw him on Thursday al
the Fifth Avenue Hotel His cheeks tled out with
the air OF Maine aud the good living at AUGUSTA He
looks more ko his father with this change and grow
ing to resemble him moro closely. asked abont his
father and received the reply: He Is In excellent
health His gavo him opportunity to secure
| l hnplf
WAS finished lie has been enjoying absolute rest His
trip to Bar HarbOr merely to look over Tue new
house there. Ho has gone ba:k to Augusta. The
family Will all go TO Augusta Ia June lie spent three
| m. itnra