The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-02-06
other States. He was the C. ndidate of
the Liberty Pai ty .advocating the nt,oli.


81 ef.. Black Republicans, Abolition
is's, &c, finally all II erging in'" the
Republican Party That elected Abra-
ham Lincoln ms President in 1860.
TO me, at that date, slavery was an
interesting study producing in my
mind many serious reflections. At
that period, 1t was generally consid-
cred that sugar md cotton could not
he successfully cultivated without the
aid Of slaves, and soon felt Inclined
To adept the same belief myself.
Had | liau other opinions should
have kept them closely enveloped in
the ini4eimost r-cessrs ot my own
mlnd, rs anyone advocating abolition
ism on Bayou Lafonrche would have
found his situation IL very unpleasant
Di,e
As general usage slaves had to
work steadily and often had to under
g toll and exposure that, to me, seem
ed nard and oppressive. But when
they had good masters, they were
gwen plenty To eat of substantial food
clothed ptoperl.., and in case OF sick
ness well cared for and protected. 1t
| remember correctly they were gem
orally allowed six pounds OF pork. one
peek OF earn meal, and one quart of
nolassts as weekly ration, whilst
some planters raised cabbage, turnips,
lettuce, &c. for them III addition.
The planters generally had good
building known as hospital, III tut
charge Of one or more old women, into
which every slave was ordered, when
too unueH tn work. A physician EN-
plosed By the year was required to
"ist the hospital every day, and often
eit, If necessary, to attend tn the sick,
and pre- scribe the proper medicines,
whicti the nurses had to administer
pntctually.
Some planters had The food cooked
for thrif slaves, especially during the
sugar making season, and sent to them
in the fields where they wele at work.
But this was the exception tn the usual
method, wlict. was simply TO issue
rations. and let them cook them ut
night after their days work was com-
pleted. and carry them to the fields in
buckets, as they went to their daily
toll.
Tie work of the slave was harder
and heavier than is that of the laborer
10 tile field to-day.
They had TO chop and haul, the fuel
necessary to make the sugar when the
time arrived, which is superseded by
the use OF stonecoal except to q limit
ed extent. The pluwman bad to plow
amid stumps, and roots in laud newly
cleared every year. and the bitches
were all ding and cleaned by the ordi-
nary hands, except the main canals.
that were cut under contract by Irish
men. s
Instead of digging the stubble cane
and scraping the plant with mules and
suitable agricultural tools as Il is now
done. that work. was accomplished by
the use of the hoe in the Iauds of the
slaves. In short. to-day ten men will
do about as much work rs 20 men did
fifty years ago, and do it both better
and with less fatigue. There has yet
been no improvements nlade in the
cutting Of the cane for the mill, but
the work of handling it after cutting
is diminished fifty per cent OH all large
plantations. =.--~..-s
There we're no half holidays on Sat
urdays. In fact some masters requit-
ed their slaves to labor on Sunday
until noon.
In Sugar rolling there were no Sun
DAYS for rest. Work continued right
along from the hour, the first sugar
cane was cut until the last one liad
been boiled into Sugar. Tie hands
all were required to take watch at
night. The forces were barely large
| enough in many cases, TO furnish two
! watches, aud but few outsiders were
employed for field work, AS there were
| not many laborers to be had Ia those
days among the white people.
| Owing to this scarcity of labor, the
mills did not run, except Oh large
!: plantations, for mole thar four O. five
/, days per week. The Caue could not
/. be cut and hauled to the mills fast
!. enough to demand constant grinding.
All hands would be sent to the fields,
| to cut aud haul large lot of cane that
would he piled up at night around the
icalriers. before the MIL would he
| stalte d, which wuHla then he ,.ept go
ING until the sheds were en,rty when
the same process waald bt repeated
The cane juice was enoled In bate
/ ries Of four or five lrou kettles, with
an occasional one of six kettles on !,
| very large place.
In 1916 steam engines were coming
generally into use t" turn tie rollets
and grind the cane, but there were
still many of the old style mills turn
ed BY horse power. These mills had
upright rollers, and one man picked
up the cane stalks and placed them
between the rollers. What would