The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-05-29

the old plantation, and that he Is their
overseer or agent in charge.
Farms are not rented by acres and very
rarely for cnsh, and there Is seldom any
lease or contract or memorandum. Be
tween white and black men such papers
are unknown. The unwritten laws of
leasehold are the same all over this sec
ton, and have been unchanged since the
war; Business follows n universal Gus
tom and Is conducted entirely upon faith
and the knowledge of the habits of men.
There are one-mule farms and two-mule
farms and four-mule farms Aren Is not
measured by acres nor by the labor of
men, but by the number of mules employ
ed.
a negro rents from his old master or
his landlord as much land rs he can cult
yate with one mule, and the annual rental
Is one bale of cotton. If he has two mules
he takes as much land as he can cultivate
with them, and the rental is two bales of
cotton, and so on. A one-mule farm Is
usually about forty acres, and two
mule farm from eighty to hundred acres.
A man can cultivate more than twice os
much land with two mules as with one,
because he has two or three hands" TO
help him, and their combined effort can
independently. Men, women, boys aud
girls work In the fields together and they
| plow also with steers, cows and heifers;
but in estimating the rental nothing but
mule or n horse counts.
In addition TO the land the tenant re-
ceives credit from his landlord, or from
some supply store upon the latter's in
dorsement, to the extent of $4 n month,
or $4S n year, for every mule he works.
That buys his seed, his fertilizer, his
implements and tools and necessaries of
| life, such as sugar, tea, coffee and tobac
| co for his family. The rest of his food
he Is supposed TO raise himself, and he
wants little more than cornmeal, bacon,
eggs, chickens and the vegetables of his
garden.
At the end of the season all the crop Is
taken to the gin house-there Is one upon
almost every plantation-where, after the
cotton is ginned. the landlord first takes
out enough TO settle the store account and
his own bale or bales for rental. Then
the tenant has what Is left TO dispose of
as be pleases. 1t may be five bales or
two or half bale, or there may be moth
ing whatever coming to him for the whole
seasons labor. With good crop he
ought to harvest from six to ten bales on
a one-mule farm with an ordinary crop
from four TO six, but sometimes there is
n failure and he finds himself In debt both
to his landlord and at the store. But II
there is any cotton the landlord gets It.
A bale of cotton averages 500 pounds and
to cents pound.
Usually the colored tenant let's his cot
ton go with the rest, and receives his pay
when the landlord sells his own. 1t may
be in the winter, or perhaps in the spring
but 1t Is matter of faith. Sometimes
he sells out to his landlord at current
rates as soon as the cotton Is weighed
and sometimes he haus his bales to town
one after another and gets what he can
for them.
All the family usually go to town to-
gether when the cotton money Is due and
unite in the pleasure of its disbursement
They do not expect or intend to save any.
thing. They will not go home as long as
a penny remains. The old woman and
the girls want new dresses, shoes, hats
and bright ribbons The old man wants
cloth for some new shirts or n pair OF
shoes. He seldom buys n hat or n coat
He gets those garments from his old mas
ter or his landlord. and as they are worn
On Sundays and holidays only they las
for years.
When the necessaries are purchased
and they are very few, the esthetic fancie'
Of the family run riot. Confectionery ant
cologne are bought first. They may prop
erly be included with the necessaries o.
life. Then they invest in tinsel jewelr,
and bright-colorcd fans, photograph al
buns, for which they have no photo
graphs; books, with showy bindings
which they cannot read; clocks, from
which they cannot tell the time, and plas
ter images. pillow shams, embroidere,
counterpanes and fancy table cloths
brightcolored pictures in gilt or silve
frames and every variety of article tina
please the eye and the palate. Then
when the cotton money is expended. th
entire resources of the family are exhaust
ed, and the remainder of the year the.
live upon credit or upon little things the,
can sell. Perhaps the old man will Gu
load of wood and trade it for dry good
or groceries, or the old woman will saw
up her eggs and chickens and take then
to town, but such sources Of supply ar