New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-10
A VICTIM OF SHARPERS
THE NEGRO BUYS ALL MANNER or ,,su
LESS THINGS AT HIGH PRICES
MoRTGAGTNG THE MULE FOR a FANCY CLOCK

A MARKET FOR ToMBSToNEs- MOURN.
ING" At CONVENIENCE
A clock seems to the average American c,,,,..
commonplace, everyday affair an institution ina,
he would miss certainly II deprived OF its warn,n,
signals but which 1t would never occur to him "a
make sacrifices 10 obtain. To the plantation back.
woods darky, who has been wont for long yean
to tell the time pretty accurately by the sun a,
his father did before him. clock Is regarded asa
sort OF idol priceless possession. 10 obtain which
he would mortgage the very bed which he sleeos
or the upon which he depends for sustenancs
Certain astute and enterprslng clock dealers hays
discovered this fad. this foble OF the backwocds
darby. have taken advantage OF their discover
and have made lot OF money out OF H.
II Is a regular business One man is placed
in charge Of a large territory. say three or four
counties He hires number OF sUbordina tes fur.
nshes each with buggy or road cart. and sends
them into the country 10 traverse remote nina
woods lanes and ''neighborhood" roads in the most
sequostercd regions in search OF The So
| lici;ing agents go round in the spring when the
| seed is being put into the ground. when the world
locks its best and when the financial outlook Seems
most promising TO the improvidant negro, who has
wiped all his last years debts from sheer in.
ability TO pay them) and has begun afresh
! These clocks are large, tall. imposing; there IL q
| great deal OF newness and shininess about them
and gi''. Those who krow calculate that
negroes for sl2 or N4. to be paid for in the fall
when the crop is gathered but before they are set
up the clumsy shelf the big fireplace IN
+, the dinsy cabin the buyer must sign his name (or
| his cross mark II he cannot wrlte) 10 a certain
paper which the agent draws up for the negroes
| approval and his own advantage. The agent takes
| inventory Of the buyers possessions II he
owns a mule unmortgaged - the owner Of the
land M is planting. or to the storekeeper who has
agreed supply him with groceries during the sum-
groceries in this instance being largely inter
! preted bacon. -four, sugar and molasses), the
clock will take "A mortgage the mule: or.
| II the buyer possesses hog, ne Will take
mortgage the hog: but, failing these
/ large and easily traced possessions. the agent 10
! quite willing TO accent bedsteads and MATTRESSES
feather beds hide-bottomed chairs, pitchers, even
tea cups and saucers OF the commorest variety. 40
security He drives away pleased a. having made
a sale. leaving his customer overcome with delight
at his possession. which is the observed Of all
| observers when neishbors come In. and is con-
| slant ticking and ability 10 strike with loedness
and abandon is a source OF oft-recurrng pleasure
on OF these pa pers which the clock dealer he'd
| and which was bought by a Landowner IN order
to prevent worthy coiored woman on his place
! from having give UP all her scanty store OF
| worldly possessions. the writer among the
| articles enumerated 'one rocking chair. with the
| arm OF given 10 me by Miss Anna Davis:
| glass pitcher bought from Mrs. Warren Heed: .
fea Their bed and two quilts. log-cabin pattern
! and the other odd pieces: photograph album.
one Plymouth Rock rooster" and had the Landlord
no, paid the so yet due her elaborate clock.
the good woman would have her domestic
vauables sold 10 soma more fortunate farmers
wife for a little cotton corn and been LETT with
nothing 10 comfort her during the dreary winter
nights. when chill blew through the chinks
and knothoes % her cabin and 10 keep the ta"dry.
! glass-raced clock up against the clay chimney. In
| lpgt n CO. which had plOtghef
| NJ the same time furnished milk for the family
| was sacrificed for n clock. The owners ~ tness
| snowy time-pieces can Judge the hour accurately
By the sun mark they are accustomed 20 notice %
| the floor Of their house. When the patch OF sun
| light reaches a certain uneven place or perhaps
2 notch in a plank OF the floor. they know that 10
| is 70 o'clock and They 90 pot know ihs
| significance OF the letters on the white face OF
| their p~zed ornament. the meaning o. the
| little slender hands going round ard round, out
| these clocks have one superlative charm IN mo
| ewes or rather the ears. OF their owners they can
| strike with extraordinary harshness and oidnesA
| and when this startling sound Is heard resoun'ns
| through the TWO bare rooms OF his house, the
listener feels that he has new claim 70 respecta-
bllity. 1t was this charming attribute OF the tau
| clock which induced the worthy "auntie' 10 mort
gage all her comforts and necessities for It's posses
| sion.
The average plantation darky makes between
and - day during the months that ne WORKS
His wife. II she ia and Industrious can earn
| ths amount also part - the time During the coz
! completing season they make 70 cents Jay
! and Outlines more. As rule they have s'eN.
| many children. who work in the side crop pih'e~
near the house bu: who are unable 70 add much %
the income Q: the family II Is plain. men ""
they have llt,e II any money to spend Tor any
thing that is strictly necessity. ye' nv
agents ana pcdlers who persecute them % Guy
the!r wares % "A fairly good business among tneh'
hstlf ,ka
o. bank In an interior southern town commen'ea
on the thousands Of dollars passing through "'
hands for one OF these clock dealers. and down '"
tie isolated plan. atoms near the coast, wheie IN
negroes cut OF from much commune Al'n Via" rv
M. mainland AMI where no white families are w.,
ing these clock agents ana tombstone iea'eis, r. an
we sellers and even book agents. have feangI AZ
abundant harvest II Il negro has any money 90
All IN his pocket II he imagine ne can pa! mr..
STs s,,rronndinrs the investment may be Thoss
WHO have not more than Two or three ir esS I'd
1850 ampovrnenf in me noiis nrcvents their hav-
ing any tina FOR sewing. viii invest IN sewing ni
! Gaines the instalment pan ihe macc ,hsv
ing in their homes Tor months perhaps, before ,nes
| have learned how 10 them even 10 run az ppnd
seam Those who never had a Pno.ysss,sssps biS
meyer exPsc 70 hays one H P'TTh They do nss
know bow TO read, perhaps only can SHINES Spin Of
Biblical lore Of historical interes anything G-. aa:
and pillow shams the peders And no dn,I myuss
no mi over 3 PATCHWORK dut and the pho" .ss1
, have 10 be laid over the commonest o. 20 all The
H. indeed. the pillows boast any ctses ally dresses
darkies nave ever been known TO Dup Ear pctureA
Wien In want 81 necessary clothing To some 10.
gayly co.ored ana exaggerated iiusran,ns OF which
they DO no, in the least undersiinn plantation
per:ec; mania. and one cannot peasr, hishy col
negro better than h. giving him SOM ,,,s,v that
ored print Tomos:ones are another ne last few
rival clocks In their estimation ana ~ sI,,g hack
wears little cheap slabs lettered In s,rns IN long
nc thin white coating OF which W.T. for them have
before the buyers get through paying io ther
been set up IN the little country g.",ockery con-
glarng self-assertiveness seeming mes beneath
| trasted with The sombre majestlc p not alwsys
which the dead resting. tney @Sc,on has ~
! procure tombstone when recent an. rouni they