The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-10-05

veterans meeG Io8et0er anu nave EoCu
time, but if I was them I wouldent brag.
I'd sing low, if I sang at all, and I
wouldent sing at all if there was an old
Confederate about. BILL ARP.
Colored Labor In Cotton Factories.
The Concord Standard of recent date
says that Concord will be the first town
in the State that employs in cotton
factory colored labor alone. This is not
exactly correct, though 1t has been 30
many years since such labor was tried, that
it has passed out of mind and comes bs-
fore the North Oarolinian as new fact.
But ii is not new, though the experiment
tried long ago vas an utter failure, and
has not since been renewed, until now to
be tried in Concord. About the year
1924, the Donaldson cotton mill for the
making of yarns was established at Fay
etteville. It was the second cotton mill
built in the State, the Battle mills at
Rock Mount being the first. No expe-
rience had therefore been gained on the
subject Of qualified labor, and it was rea.
sonsbly assumed that slave labor which
was applied to every other branch Of in
dustry would be sufficient to do the sim.
pie work of spinning mill after being
properly instructed in the management
of the machinery The Doualdsons
therefore proceeded to hire slaves of
sufficient age and tractsbility and went
to work with their mill. After few
months operation it was closed dismal
failure, and remained idle twelve years
or more; and it was then opened by W.
G. Benthow with white labor, valuable
experience in the meantime having been
acquired through the steady increase of
manufacturing establishments.
Recently the question Of the difference
between white aud colored labor in Coz.
ton mills came up. and then probable
solution was given as to the failure Of the
Donaldson mills. Travelling with 3
gentleman, large tobacco manufac-
turer, and employing colored labor ex-
clusively, the question was asked why
the same system would not apply ss we'll
10 cotton mills? The answer WAS given
by the narrative of a recent incident in
his own observation. He had recently
travelled on railroad leading into New
Orleans. Passengers we're few aud be
readily engaged in conversation with a
gentleman who seemed as lonely as him.
self. This gentleman proved to be the
superintendent of cotton factory not
long since established in New Orleans.
In reply to the question of labor supply,
and its character, he said he had come
South from New England State, with
the usual erroneous notions about South
ern character, and especially Of negro
character. Struck with the number of
idle young negroes everywhere around
him, he was inclined to rebuke the
whites for their disregard Of the mine Of
labor wealth that lay before them, and
resolved upon revolution which would
open the public eye with sstonishment
and envy. The factory was built, and
colored labor engaged to the exclusion of
all whites, except superintendeDts ard
certain subordinate leaders of work in
gangs. For while be claimed victo-
ry; everything worked along smoothly.
But the novelty was soon exhausted, /,
work was done languidly and inefficient
ly, the threads broke in the whirling
spindles, and were suffered to stay broke !;
and half the employees were found nod
ding at their posts. Like the Fat Boy
Pickwick they could not be kept awake
even amid the clatter of machinery. At
any Southern table in old times could be
seen every day the nodding or sleeping
boy standing erect and mechanically
moving up and down the customary old
fly brush, and starting into spasmodic
wakefuluess when stormed at by his
master. So it was with the factory.
The operatives were lulled to repose by
the monotonors hum of the machinery
and were only aroused 10 wakefulness
by the voice or blow Of their superinten
dent. The systcm was inconsistent with
SUCCESS or profit, and white labor WAS
substituted, and the factory il now pay
ing regular dividends.
We asked our informant what secret it
was that made colored labor in tobacco
factories 40 useful and preferable. He
replied that it WAS physiological one,
the love of music and the adaptation OF
negro sentiment to the movement of
rythm. Without songs work in tobacco
factory would be as dull and monotonous
as in cotton factory. With songs every
interest is awakened, every emotion
inspirited and when song is pitched
in lively time every movement Of the
body is in unison, and work goes on al a
brisk methodical rate. Therefore in the
tobacco factories good music is heard be-.
cause it is encouraged as matter of
good policy.-Asheville Citizen,
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