The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-18


tlicre are four distinct races Of africans
represented il this region, ranging from
Il tall and angular people with faces
mach like Jews down to those ''stubby
and shovel faced fellows who sprung
from the Kroomen Of the Guinea coast,
that while the country negroes are grow
ing blacker-that IS, the lniscegene1
there are absorbed-the city negroes are
growing lighter, and between the two
there RACES a sullen feud which is the
underlying reason of many of those 9th
erwise unaccountable trays which are Of
nightly occurrence in the citys black
districts.
Negro Fcuds.
I'm wager thar if the fall truth
could be known, - says he, there are Il
thousand da1kies il this city carrying
razors or pistols fer some oUher darby,
and the only reason there is SO iittlo
killing is that they are on the lOOlzou3
for each other. AS it is, they seldom
have picnic or excursion without q
least one getting badly slashed, and hero
lately they have done q deal Of It a.
their camp meetings. These are the reg
ular low down uiggers' you hear about,
and the better class now draw the social
line on them very severely - When the
distinction between city and country
negro was pointed out to me, I Won
dered that ] had not noticed il before, it
is Sc marked. The work and good wagea
due 10 the exposition have drawn thou
sands here from all parts Of the state.
and even from the lower coast Of South
Carolina, where, as I take it, the least
developed branch of the race in this
country is to be found. These newcom-
ers generally get here IN rags and pen
niiess and viii take any Job they can
get at any price, and 50 in addition &c
the old feud there is i kind Of labor war
on. Comm 70 take de wick frum we
uns, - is high crime in the city dar-
ky's estimation. I note also that the
line is very closely drawn between
white and black labor. The dray driv-
eTs, the truck hand Tiers. the heavy Dor
ters-in short, allwho do hard and dirty
work IN the hot sun, are black, but /
cannot hear CT any colorea employee il
the cotton mills or any place where close
attention to machinery IS required.
1t won't do just YET, - IS the com.
mon testimony Of employers. There il
curious streak III the negro mind
which we have never been able tC over
come Even the snlartest and bast edu-
Gated have it. No matter how carefully
he Is instructed, or even how dangerous
the neglect is, his mind Will stray from.
his work at intervals, and they appear
to be tolerably regular intervals too. Il
the machine makes a sound that is nos
actually harsh, the negro win soon get
q,
III a solt Of time with it, and then. ii il
IS machine he Is feeding, he is apt
to lose finger CT part Of one. They
did put darkies on the little cutter for
splitting cane, and in a month or two
enough finger ends were nipped TO start
small hospital, and there were first
joint bones enough il stock 90 frame e.
baby. The women, also, are much
harder on sewing machines than white
women, and you Will see in the big
laundries that the smoothing rollers are
run by white girls
Confederate Veterans.
We took particular notice Of tha
Confederate veterans, Of whom thou
sands were here for a few DAYS, each
wearing the white badge of honor. and,
with rare exceptions, I think they were
rather superior to others Of their age
and class. They are en- the average con
slderably older than Federal veterans,
and, OF course, not SO well fixed, but
when we had decided that the poor
and ragged old Confederate was D
myth we ran upon one who completely
filed the bill He sat on the postoffice
steps, his back squeezed into the angle
formed by the portico and main vail
he was dining on crackers and cheese.
and from the crown Of his SLOUGH hat to
the open toes CT his boots he was the
perfect wreck of once splendid man
hood. He was Baalbee and PALMYRA and
tire ruins Of Carthage all in one. His
vest was held together in front with
nuekskin thongs in lieu of buttons. and
straps OF the same went over his boots
TO prevent the parting of sole and upper.
And his face was full of character too
HIS raven black hair, but slightly tinred
with gray, curled about a bold forehead
under which glowed two GLORIOUS black
ayes. and to these his large aouiIire