The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-17
A Plantation story.

OId-fashioned durkies on a plantation
get mighty lazy and tritling under an easy
master, says the New York Press. They
have so many little ailments. you know.
These are magnitied into great affairs, till
they actually disable the most able bodied
men and women. Old Mai Marshall was
the easiest master in all the world, and his
500 negro laborers became mere pensioners
They loafed around the plantation and did
nothing but steal watermelens and eat
persimmons. Probably fifty worked, or
pretended TO. When tho major died the
property fell into the hands of the eldest
son, VINO was just like his fatner-easy
going and Indifferent The darkcS
changed not a whit under his administra-
ton. They, in fact became lazier. Sud
denly this son died, and then the planta-
ton became the property OF Lieut. George
Marshall, u. S. n, a strict disciplinarian,
who resigned from the navy and started
an era of reform. He did everything that
a naval officer could do TO enliven things
and darkies, but It was a difficult task.
For a few weeks he toiled in vain, then
a notion struck him. Calling together the
whole force, well, sick, disabled, he an
nounced that everything worthless on the
plantation in the shape of plows, wagons,
harness, carts, etc, would be carried to
the, top of the high mountain back OF the
stables and be burned the next morning.
Such of the darkies as were not disabled
through their imaginations were accord
ingly set to work piling these things up
on the mountain, and great fire went
up to Heaven at the appointed hour. on
the afternoon of the next day the darkies
were again summoned before the young
master, who informed them that he want
ed all the worthless old horses and mules
and cows and hogs and animals of every
description on the farm carried to the
mountain top for sacrifice. And it was
done accordingly as he directed.
Such a destruction of cattle and hogs
had never been heard of. The darktes sat
awake all night talking of 1t. A supersti-
| tious horror took possession of them. on
| the third day the young man again sum-
moned the lame, the halt, the enfeebled
ana reminding them of the burning of the
| implements and the sacrifice of the cattle
| and hogs, said that he wanted all who
were not able to work to meet him on the
mountain top the next morning at day
break. Such as We're able must remain In
| the fields to pillow the crops. He did not
| want them. He wanted only those who
| could not do q days work.
When daybreak came he sat alone upon
| the mountain. The sun rose but not q
| darky appeared. An hour later he looked
| up and down the slopes. but not a figure
| hove in sight. At O'Clock he walked down
| TO the farm, looking through the quarters
| They were deserted. The lame. the dis
| the asthmatic the worthless of all sexes
| and ages had disappeared. Then he went
| to the fields and saw 500 negroes indus.
| triously working the corn and potatoes an6
| tobacco. Not a sick man or woman was
| on the list For months the mere mention
| of the noun tain top was sufficient to get
| the entire force out at midnight to hoe oil
| pillow Such a wholesale cure of incurable
| maladies was never before heard of in
| that county. And the lieutenant became
| a prosperous farmer.