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

for his own use, and farms the rest of the
place, or as much of II as he can, on
shares: and the extent of its cultivation
is usually governed by the character OF
the land and the character of the land
lord
To large extent the tenants to-day
are the same men and women who lived
upon the place as slaves; and they cult
vnte the same soil as freemen that they
did in bondage, some of them being the
better and others the worse. for the
change. And to remarkable degree the
same relations exist between the EN-
ployer and the employed-the pntriarchal
system of communism and dependence
which is often admirable, but sometimes
degrading and oppressive.
The uneducated negro Is thoroughly
domestic animal, and when he once forms
an attachment for place 1t is diiiicult
to drive him away. Sometimes the rest
less, wayward ones wander off from the
old plantation and are gone for years, but
they will invariably claim a residence
there and usually come back sooner or
later, and expect to be taken on and given
work again. This rule applies only to
those plantations where the people were
well treated in slave times and since, and
where the property has been retained by
the same owners. Often when place is
sold, If the negroes do not like the np-
pearance or the behavior of the purchas-
er, they will evacuate in n body and build
cabins upon the land of some kindlier
man in the neighborhood whom they
know, or who may be related to their old
master.
When the ties of personal attachment
are cut IL does not take them long to move.
A couple of men can build cabin in
three or four days with no tools but an
AK to hew and trim the wood and a trowel
TO handle the mortar in building the Chin
ney.
1t was also the rule for plantations up
on which there were hard masters to be
entirely abandoned during the war, and
when emancipation came, and many of
them have never been repopulatcd. There
are many farms in the South upon which
no negro is willing to work for any wages
or under any conditions. Those farms
were the scenes of cruelties during slav-
cry and are cursed-tabooed forever. And
there are certain men who can never
hire negro labor. If a negro should con-
sent to work for them he would be boy
cotted by his race he would be turned
| out VI tht Nhuith uhu ostiutincu III cNciy
way. The prejudices and the vindictive-
ness of the colored people are as deep
rooted as their attachments and their
loyalty.
But after emancipation n large ma.
jority of the slave population in the cotton
belt remained in the old cabins or built
new ones upon the old plantation. and
their children are now working the lands
their fathers and grandfathers titled, re-
ceiving share of the crop for their labor
or rather, in the way they are pleased to
consider it, paying share of their har'
vest to the landlord annually for ground
rent.
Some of the frugal and industrious ones
have purchased little farms from theii
old masters and are constantly adding tC
their real estate. Some have shown such
ability and sagacity that they now OWL
the property on which they worked as
slaves-the entire plantation-and now
and then you hear of an instance where
one of these fortunate freemen has giver
financial aid or home to his old master
or mistress or some member of their fam
lily who are not too proud to accept charity
from their former chattels.
have been told of colored planter II
the southern part of this State who main
tains his former master and mistress IL
their old mansion just as they lived, al