The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-07-19
THE GEORGIA CRACKERS
PLENTY TO EAT AND DROP IN THE
JUG, But LITTLE CHEER
silent, Ignorant md Unwnshcd. the
Cracker Hates the Negro and Sus-
poets the Strange White Man.
Correspondence New York Sun.

OF any of the other extreme Southern
States makes little difference, for he is
all alike, except that in the mountainous
regions he is little more rugged. a little
quicker with his rife. Even the Virginia
cracker belongs to the same extensive fam
lily. When the cracker goes into town with
a dollar in his pocket and sees a choice cut
or meat that he can get for 50 cents, he
buys 1t as readily as if he was real sport
returning flush from the race track. He
VIII mortgage his cotton crop or his mule
to buy the old woman young Georgy
a bright red dress. He never goes hungry,
but If he were thirsty, which is worse, he
would Indignantly resent any offer of small
coin from stranger. He is as independ-
ent as a millionaire. and as much strang-
er to razor and soap as a tramp a City
Hall Park bench.
Some Southerners say that the crackers
are descended from the same stock as their
more fortunate neighbors; that they were
originally the neer-do-wells of their famil-
les. who went from bad to worse and in
few generations lost their ambition and
most other good points. and fell to living
as nearly in state of nature as any white
man can IN this country. But his claim
10 what the Southerners call blue blood is
never set up by the cracker himself; it
would be too much trouble for him to think
OUT such a problem He may bear the
same name as the Governor of his State
or some OF the big planters, but he does not
KNOW VINO the Governor is nor whether
tnere IS any Governor. He knows that the
war Is over because he hears no more
shooting and because his enemy, the mig
ger, Is Il charged man. but there his
knowledge or political history begins and
enuS. III a man could grow on a tree like
an apple and be picked when ripe and set
GOWN IN little cotton patch in the midst
OF the Forest, he would know much of
the world and the times as the average.
cracker But this man who could not tell
a.; ;ne name me OF single newspaper published
In the United States. nor that of any book
that ever was printed except the Bible
WIZ put himself 10 great discomfort to live
In part OF some abandoned rookery so that
separate room for eating in and that a
big one, is his highest notion of elegance
ana ,l the one most rarely accomplished.
Inc cracker is one of the hardest peo-
ple IN tne world for stranger to become
acquainted with. If a stranger drives up
10 his cabin he scents danger at once or
bother, which is worse in his ewes than
DANGER Experience has taught him that
Ine stranger who comes wants something
taxes or the census or with sending his
chiidren to school, a survey for a new
railroad. railroad through his place
might make ii worth something but would
mat pay man for the bother of it? He
mas no desire TO talk except with his fell
low-crackers, and his grunted answers
company is undesirable He is not to be be
Drlped into condolences with smooth words
or cigars, or compliments For the
stranger he has Only the marble heart and
the icy hand.
So when the Judge far out in the woods
OF worth county. a few miles fra Z -
tlement bearing the fragrant name of Gin
town, nodded his head toward a man lean
ing over the snake fence and said: You
wanted TO talk TO a cracker; there is one"
| reception. o'
| podied cracker happened to be leaning
| against the fence were peculiar-almost as
pe 9su lag as the physical and moral atti-
half mile down the road having been
out in the cotton field cultivating with a
| mule mule Buggies do not pass on that road
| 10 the front to see what ii all meant taxi
| ing the Characteristic cracker attitude
against the front fence. elbows leaning
upon 1T. one bare foot supported by the
second rail. There he stood like statue.
II you can imagine statue with immov-
over the Georgia soil.
A SILENT OBSERVER.
| This was a common enough thing for a
| cracker TO do, and there would have been
nothing strange in his standing there like
| a stick without saying word or lifting
his hands If the buggy had not broken
| down before his eyes, and broken down so
| badly through contact with a big stone
| in the road that there was no hope of re-
| pairing it without professional assistance
Its occupants climbed out and unhitched
| the horse and examined the break and
shook their heads sadly, but not word
| came from the cracker. He continued TO
| lean against the fence and TO chew. but
| made no offer of assistance. The inevita-
| bic coiored boy came along the road and
| was captured and sent on the horse 10
Gintown to bring the blacksmith and his
| tools. and through all the excitement the
! cracker remained statuesque. without
| change of expression or a word of advice
| or sympathy. Mrs. Cracker otherwise
| the old woman. came to the cabin door
and stood there a moment chewing short
her and went back. little girl washing
| something In tin basin on bench by
the side. of the cabin looked up for a mo-
| ment. chewing another short. dirty stick,
| and Immediately went on with her work.
Such an unusual thing as a breakdown be-
! fore the house excited no more interest in
| the family than ii might If buggies had
been breaking down there every hour of
| the day.
Possibly even so old Georgian as the
| Judge was piqued at the mans utter in
! difference and led by 1t TO make his abrupt
| remarks about the cracker. AT any rate,
1t was an embarrassing form of introduce
| ton.
Are you a cracker" the Sun man asked
for want of anything better to say
- Reckon j are. said the man. with an
other squirt. but without any change of
| expression or position.
| 1T was not so rash question to ask
| a Northerner might think IL, for a cracker
| makes no bones about calling himself a
| cracker or being so called by others. He is
| rather proud of the title and would defend
his position against any one who said he
! was not cracker. But the term must be
| used i'm the right way and in a Proper tone.
| implying no disrespect. 1t is very much
| Ike the decent Georgia use of the word
| Niger. which becomes a term Of conf
| dence. almost of familiarity. a man will
| say 10 his favorite colOred boy. Are you
| a good niger. George?' and George will
smile all over his face and reply. Reckon
| l are. Mawsr: but The same man would
| not use the word to colored boy whom he
cared nothing about.
| The place in front of which the buggy
| broke down was characteristic cracker
nome, just like thousands of others to be
| found all over the South. The variations
| IN these cracker cabins are simply between
| one room and two. between a frame COW
| cred with implanted boards and one made
| wholly of logs. and light and rickety
porch in front or no porch. This one was
| built OF logs contained one room and had
| no porch. There were openings for WIN
| dows. with no glass but wooden shutters
ali standing open at many angels a wab-
| bly, stone answered for doorstep. The
cabin was perhaps twenty feet square. and
| Its most conspicuous feature was the big
! chimney at one end. No cracker cabin is
complete without the chimney OF sticks and
mud. ana as IL Is not attached in any way
| TO the house. beyond leaning against the
| and inclines outward or sideways. and is
| m vi oil -bo or,a in IL