The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-25
NEGROES, CLOCKS, TOMBsTONEy,
A Profitable Trade Furnished in the South
by the Combination or the Three.

Nv u somptnntIon OF the Three.
JAMESON, $. c., Nov. ol.-The profits OF deal
ers In clocks and tombstones among the plan.
tation negroes and backwoods people In tho
South Is much larger than would be thought
possible by one who took into consideration the
extreme poverty Of the buyers. OF money these
people have very little. but they make astonish-
Ing sacrifices To possess these articles, with
which they could SO readily dispense.
The dealers send agents around In the spring
exhibiting their wares, and urging as an induce
ment to buy that there is no hurry about the
money. In the autumn, when the cotton Is
gathered. the articles can be paid for, they say.
The agent draws up a paper mortgagfng tho
mule, cow, or Dig of the buyer, the same to be
turned over to him or his employer in case Of
failure to pay for the article bought in SO mnny
months. 10 this paper the buyer Ankles his
signature. or his mark II unable to write.
81. but are sold on time at from SIa to si4. TSs
cashier OF a bank in an interior town OF South
passed through his hands in n very short time
for one OF these dealers. who employs many
agents to sell his clocks and COMMISSIONERS. The
dealer furnishes each agent with a horse and
ROAD cart and sends his men into the most Sc
f the %e an ar. r sea9 70 e9 DeW ssr Lanes and 6yxsys.
mons are 70 be made. 40 that they know
tss s., OF .I the sirSamstanos, commented with
pers and enforce payment Bedsteads, mat
Stresses ssssses; ned clothes even common teacups and
the contents OF the corn and fodder bonses
every 5ushel OF which is needed to feed the fam.
The purchasers of these snowy timepiece, can
Judge the hour far more accurately by the sun
OF thei- house than by their clocks. When the
pattE Of sunlight reaches a certain uneven place,
know that !, Is IL o'cioeeE Ian anS 81 $. sE On. n0 Manu- sRe S
them do not know the signincanceof the letters
ments or the meaning OF he little sIee ~ b orns,
soIng ronha ana round; but the clocks have one
Of their owIsrs-they can strike with eItraordi.
LAY narshness and abandon-and when this
two bare 'G Poo%s = 81 ef Sis 6 SesSSn shs :hrOss9 IN. II:
'nst ne csn mas 2 new claim 70 resDeetabilty.
one old aanty in defence Of zen her ae s nisaS;" ssts
when soliciting her landlords assistance in pay.
NJ, tne cloekman. to whom abe had given the
bed and all the quilts she possessed, besides her
y pfssi1 'Ss glass pitcher and photograph album,
In ,he o91ly nnspes OF hsr ministers ebon family
II the clock seller meets with one OF the rare
Dorp enough % do him" or cotton suficisnt e
RAT q any Of The family nfS i ssee%s f II. and iu : ass:
ISr summoned, there would be no timepiecs In
at the proper Intervals. This sreSr
hent proves unAnswerable. The clock buyes
aeusehold, or remember the difnculty he has
men IL docs come In inducing a physician 70
.ician's chance OF collecting his fee. So he BB1ayTs
me fancy clock which he has been persuaded 70
Every negroes house, no matter il the only
hiek -bottomed chair, cooking utensils. and
ions for sleeping. boasts one OF these snowy
on the rude shelf over the clumsy
9ng as new and ornamented with a little cheap
ilt. A COW which had p~lopghed the entire
ime given milk as nourishment for the family
"a once saerlnced In order to possess this
{ which would be apparently 70 remind it,
how long it was since they had had
The tombstonss sold are little cheap anairS
ettered In striking BLACK characters. which seem
estic pines When the dead are at resSN TSs a.
roes are peculisrin this respect. They viii pay
~ one OF these slabs. the thin s6its
2ating Of which will peel IN belors The
GyeT gets through paying Tor II They vii
Of food and clothing. They do nos
has DereAycd them, IL when tLs
rent CONES round, they can think OF any one
light put aP s.00s they do 20 feeling . GER
IN sense OF tmportAnos upon realizing that
'ound; They always want their own NAMES
~ ~ tPs sian no mater the name Of their
oef ie he ms sss ainsrSnL In snoIhsT re-
liane, A eeuAln "niecc" Of an aunt long since
c o1rn iRRs~fsd one SSTniPs iHS full sui Of
she had been anxious 20 ~mourp-
Z her sunty bot ever time abe went 20 ths
a ehseEs and sSySooISSsd Sisas sHSsd 's sS
stly that She So1ld boy tbs3, and sAs 0O1ii
shs had always Aimed o mourn
sts l. of SS.e: sS sse s sss' t sssts ssss, 49,. g =:
sat ne sppsS1Ance Of hes AEens on ths
s sassS 90 SSI .aty no. ia. 1any = SOS1SS 2
0ah - dsVOtsd6 IA 1Slas-lG@