The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-01-25
RAMBLINGTHRoUGH DIZZY.
Southern Hotel Charges And Accom-.
modatiors-The Negro Popula-
tion-The Planters Alliance.

and what he has to say.
inquired, "Do you have any more
trouble with the negroes down here in
regard to business transactions, settle.
ments etc., as you used to have soon
after they obtained their freedom?"
Oh, yes sir, once in great while we
find q cross niger, but they are scarce
now, very scarce here in Mississippi; q
niger don't last long when he gets
sassy and impertinent with us SIR"
"Well but don't the law handle the
destroyer or give one a great deal of
trouble for getting away with ne
gro?"
"Ha, ha, oh no sir. it only costs a
white man one dollar to Kill a negro"
"Well then what does it cost negro
to kill white man?u
at costs him his life sir, ha, ha."
'YOu are pretty hard on the negroes
down here sure"
''Oh, no sir, not when he behaves
himself"
"Had you planters not rather good
northern, energetic northern white
man on your lands to cultivate them
than these darkest"
To which he answered:
81 would not have white man on
my place.
And when l inquired why he simply
said "because a white man knows too
much"
But the whistle Is again heard, and
brakeman enters the car and cries
out "Greenville." We hustled out of
the Car and saw our trunks thrown
out, one of which changed ends about
three times after striking the platfor m
and then balanced itself up against
the side of the depot as il it expected
another turn. After these were gath
cred up and properly looked after I
turned around to see my better half
being almost showed into cab by two
burly black fellows, but seeing q street
car near by I loaned her a helping
hand and we were soon seated in the
conveyance and on our way to the
Capital Hotel, one and a half miles
distant. We found the acommodat lions
anything but first class. A very pleas
ant appearing landlord, young land
lady in full possession of her first kid
which received more attention from
both the parents than all the CUES Is
they had. But then we had to pay
the bill. And let me say right here
that these Southern hotels know no
limits to their charging. When in
quired our bill the next morning was
informed that it was only six dollars.
1 demonstrated and complained that
it was too much, when the clerk call
the grinning landlord to his assistance
who proceeded at once to inform me
that his charges were quite reasonable
and then took pains to pains to ex-
plain the convenience of every thing,
and among other things recommend
ed was the convenience of the saloon,
or barroom, as these hell-holes are
termed down South.
Greenville is town of some ten or
twelve thousand persons. 1t is stu.
sted on the Mississippi river $50 miles
south of Memphis, Tennessee, and in
the state of Mississippi. 1t is growing
vuite fast at present and promises to
be a city of importance some day,
being in the center of a great cotton
belt, and situated in IAN exceedingly
fertile and highly productive country.
Business of all kinds is here repre-
sented and her business men seem to
be wideawake and industrious fellows.
Here you can see people of all nation
alities, and with few exceptions 1
would just as lief go into a goose pen
and listen to the geese, 80 far as the
understanding part is concerned. ex-
cept when they talk for my special
benefit.
Here is where saw more darkies in
one crowd than 1 ever saw at one
time before in all my life. On Satur-
day the streets were blocked with
them in all directions. 1t was esti-
mated that there were 200 negroes in
that town on that day. Negroes of all
colors, all sizes and all sexes, in this
county, Washington, was informed
that there were twenty-six negroes to
one white man, That whole Misslss.
ippi country is swarming with darkies
and yet the planters are wishing for
more of them. They make their Ia
Dor very profitable in the cotton field.
That is all the crop that grows to any
extent. though their lands yield from
40 to 80 bushels of corn to the acre.
The farmers, or rather, the planters,
for they are not called farmers at all
in the South. But the planters are
thoroughly organized all over the
country into an order known as the
Planters Alliance. 1 attended an
open meeting, through invitation, of
this order while down there and gave
them short talk on the subject of
farmers organizations generally
throughout the land, and congratulate
ed them on their success in heading off
the monopoly that came SO near get.
ting corner on the cotton bagging or
lutte as it is termed. and many other