New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-06
BEHIND THE TIMES IN TEXAS.

DEf1lND IL lINIip' IA'
sHIFTLEssNESs AS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION
INDUSTRY AMONG THE NEGROES DISCOURAGED
BY BAREFAcED RoBBERY-THE cOLoR-LINE
STRICTLY DRAWN - SNUFF-DIPPlNG
PREFERRED tt READING.
FROM Az OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIbuSE'i
pusx Tex. March 25.-If Rip Van Wrinkle had found
himself on awakening from his long sleep, IN this
village 10 uncomfortable sense OF change III ulc
course Of his last twenty years need have troubled
him. Even age which left him with bent frame anu
stigcnod limbs would have touched him gently in
naco whore none of the faculties, physical or mental
are overstrained BY much Rusk, tho county
seat of Cherokee County, Tex, Is queer om Village
with some odd customs that were obsolete IN othcr
parts Of the United states fifty years ago. 1t Is sAd
10 he over ninety wears old. and generation after
generation have spent their lives here untouched by
tbo ,umuIt and changes which have taken place out
side their wide-cncircng strip OF forest-untouchcd
save by the m>fortunes which the 'iNll war brought
upon them. There is continual reference Oh all u'
troubles OF their lethargc poverty to the "wah.'
crhc eighteenth letter Of the alphabet IS ignored Win
necuIar persstencvD 1t is considered "A sufficient cX
crowded 10 sunoca'o0 with young pines for the break
neck roads which are never repaired, for the awkward
grOtesquely inconvcniont houses, even for the sur
prsing fact that there Is not field OF clover OF
Of hay TO be found in the limits OF the county wien
the galnt economically constructed cattle ana horses
cannot make ont to exist upon the natural forage,
little hay is shipped in from the North. but for the
most part the cattle expected, IN lVcy western
narlance to rustic their living" not always an
easy thing to do in a wooded country, even in
climate as kindly this
There are a great many old people here. Life drones
on I'm such placid. sasnant, unevenful current that
neither worry time seems TO as>all community
which cannot be said to grow but 70 continue to
exist As a wandering Jew. who. by some strange
caprice Of fortune find, himself stranded here with
a stack Of chnawarc. wrathfuly says Il comes here
from shucago. What n fool. These peoples don't
want mine coots These peoples belongs to the
seventeenth century Wooden pattcrs and pewter
spoons is what they wants" Perhaps his pccuniary
disappointment has led him 70 place them fcw years
too far back in the past, yet ono Is tempted 10 feel
that his estimate is right
There is not pump I'm the place. The water
supply is from wells. and the connecting link a
clumsy and cumbrous affair OF ropes and pullcy,
which scrcccl unmu~ical protest against being Dis,
turbcd. II is quite study in tones 10 hear the
various and varying shrcks OF the wcllropc' IN the
early morning. \ quaint custom. which have seen
in the churches. The men file solcmnly in on one
side the women on the other. Even at the com
munlOn table and on the nourncr,' bench
the rule Is observed. Man and wife
separate at the church door. but growing spirit of
liberation sanctions their walking home together.
The misfortune which the war brought upon this
particular section. remote As il Is from the scene If
conflict. that il freed the slaves. and the cotton
field, left implanted. for. It is Claimed the free
niger will not work. Neher will the white man
speak Of this section exclusively be seen doing
nigccr,' work. Whatever may be said abom the
matter. the fact remains that the iuxtaposiiion Of the
two races here is actual curse. The white LAID
SAYS that II j, useless to 20 10 the expense of
opening up the old fields, since he cannot command To-
liable labor a, no contract can be made binding enough
to hold the lab0rer. who can neither Doe shamed or
forced into keeping his promise II perfectly true
that the uccrocs are not reliable or satisfactory when
required TO follow any steady manual employment.
They hang about the town. living in rude little cabin,
the outskirts. waiting for light job. something
II short duration which the white man may require
Of them.
The negro population is far in excess Of the white
and they all poor. They land. or very
little. Yet the country Is b prolific that they con
tinuc in exist. The negro who lies baslS
ing In the sun. warm and happy, though his scanty
would shame -clf respecting scarccrow, will refuse
steady job from his white neiglbor long thele
remain, him few pini~ OF meal or pounds Of
bacon. IN return ne i, damned lazy parasite
and the land remain, uncuyatcd. Perlap, the Idle
vaeahond. dreaming IN the sun. soaoe, himself with
the thought that poor he is. he i, free. while the
working negro. the one who puts in his time faith
fally for the white landlord. {, just a. much slave
today i'm All essential respects lie ever There
j., It'll. iuduecment for the colored to worh at
farming except the mere lovc.of existence The land
lord furnishes seeds and Implements" usually a
n.-scr~ hoe small plough whose motive power is
single mule. an old widet:ack lynchpin wagon. food
f,s the family and quarters" In most ease, these
consist If a one roomed cabin. The negro receive,
one third Of the crop Family supplies are obtained
ON the andlorl', credit. and whether the crop j, de
va-tatrd bv the cotton worm. parchcd by drouth or
,nanipcd b, rain. he must Doe paid 1t j., in the con
tract that hi, pound If flesh to be rcchoucd up at the
appointed time. Noi only this, bat the tenant l, not
permitted 10 procur, his supple, At the ruling market
pricc- II /, understood between the landlord and
merchant that tho tenant is to be charged per
cent a, the landlord, discretion. account Of the
~r,h7 80 true /, this. that the maturing crop j.
closely Inspected and If the tenant Is liable to have
anything left from the proceeds Of his one third after
hi. debt, ar, paid the per cent j. increased >ui-
necnlv 10 keep him. riah licep would express II.
under my thumb ono Of the icw rich men here
own, large cotton plantations the Bra1o, River lie
ais, OWNS a bank and >tore. lie readily lends
money! AT the highest legal interest - tie deserving
negro and give, him credit at hi, store. one of hi.
tenant, came orc day and asked for few pounds
of haeon \, it wa, being weighed he vcntuIcd To
INQUIRE How much is Il pound. blsS '' Fifteen
ccnt,~ Al Che other stoa, 3, ,cllin bacon 10 nine
cent-~ re -ad i'm tone of mild remembrance. 900
TO ilc other stores. them W., thc answer, rs the
bacon wa, tossed back oa ia, shelf No. sab.
IA, TO take ii. | amt GOT no money That /, the
keynote of the whole situation lie "ain' got mo-
money!" and hence this incident. which /, given a,
simply Illustrative Of universal practice
10. a,ffII .t, Id
understands very well how To- ADJUST the balance
To secure the maximum Of Labor for the minimum al
wage Nearly all the private residence, Of any
prctcn,ion whatever have. back among The stable oi
on the further edge ol the -aidcn pot, niger
cabin a. II j., technically termed. This cabin. con
-tructcd Of the toughest materials. and almost IN.
v,riably containing but room, i, rented out 30
some h,rmle~- negrc,, or nc-ro family. The amount
to Ice paid /, seldom -tplatcd, since the J. not
great in hu-nc., matters. hut IL is understood that u