Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-06-18
For the Ellsworth Americana
Sketches Of Life Among the Negroes Of the
South Carolina Black Belt.

Ii Is hard to conceive of human beings
anywhere living in more degraded or
miserable condition than do the negroes of
the Black Belt. Will the reader accom-
pany me In imagination to one of their
homes? There 1t stands In the midst of q
ture without windows. having door in
the middle of each side and clay chimney
at one end. As you approach you will no.
ticc number OF children, of scanty and
very dirty attire. playing about the door in
company with two or three dogs and as
many pigs. The dogs will bark at us, but
sitter the children have quieted them we
will enter. The door of rough pine boards
stands open all day long-swung back on
It's leather or wooden hinges. We shall
find the interior quite as uuattractiye. The
floor is bare, the room filthy, the rough
walls are decorated with newspaper cuts or
gaudy fashion plates. A place in one end
is destitute even of the old-tashioned crane.
About 1t are clustered several pots and
bake kettles, very sooty and containing
scraps of rice and bacon. remnants of the
last meal.
The furniture is entirely home made and
fashioned in rough manner from the
pine wood In which the country abounds,
1t consists only of a small table, low
bench or two. aud box in one corner
which answers the purpose of a cupboard
ana contains few cups, plates etc
\ thin board partition separates the lit
tie cabin into two parts the inner one be-
ing used for a bedroom This contains
two beds with just room for a narrow
walk between. The beds are filed with
the shucks of corn and covered With patch
work quilts very much soiled In this
windowless place not more than sxl2 feet
The parents aud their numerous family of
children sleep. have known as many as
nine children beside the two parents to be
cooped up in a little place OF this kind
me 10 be sure are better OF A few Of
the moie well-to-do have frame houses
containing four or i've rooms, chairs and
a few more dishes, yet destitute Of what
are to US the common comforts of life.
Bu; the above, as described. is the typical
negro cabin as have fonnd IT, | have
been IN some where there wa not even
bench for me to sit down on, but after
some scrambling box was produced for
that purpose
At their meals these families do not sit
about table As We do, but with their
plates OF rice and Slice Of bacon, squa,
down on u bench, roor, doorstep or whrr-
ever most convenient. In cooking rs in
most other things these negroes literally
take no thought for the morrow" but |
prepare for meal only what they think Is |
neoded for that, giving what is left. II any. |
to the pigs, Going into the kitchen one |
lay at my friend, Mrs. Is beheld a |
,oored girl who had but just come to as
'ist her, dumping the remnants of the din |
ler, including bread. meat, doughnuts, all |
olt TO the pigs. Seemingly they have |
10 idea of economy in either time. labor or
substance
Taken by force from barbarism and
brought here; living In these miserable
lighly civilized communities, their only
eaders being the preachers" who them
elves are often illiterate, always ignorant
.nd seldom entirely moral and upright in
haractcr, what wonder is 1t that the ne
.ro Of that section is himself in great
darkness he is himself well aware and
rom that whole country goes up ii prayer
he constantly reiterated cry, Lord, send
Is teachers