The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-23
SIGN Oh THE NAILED DOOR.


TIN Debts Are Paid-Littis Tragedies Of
the R~lantation-A Dissraco Felt Deeply.
Just at this, time OF year down South men
acting apparently in q strange and erratic
manner are seen about the country lanes and
IN. out-of-the-way plantation premises. Some
times It r. only one man thus encountered
an alert-looklng person. securing the prospect
with eyes that lot nothing escape. Sometimes
there. are two OF more men toRether lowering
on the outskirts OF cornfeld or cotton patch.
scanning things with o wide-awake, compre-
henslve gaze. They are plainly not farmers
nor backwoodsmen. nor yet mere travellers
stopping over to get acquainted with the coun-
try. for the buggy or road cart which brought
them to, the spot and 10 hitched nearby in the
woods or to q fence somewhere. bears no
marks OF having come an over-lonG way. or OF
the occupants having cRmped out over night.
They can't DO peddlers or hunters. for they
have nothing to sell and nothing to shoot with.
Indeed. so intent are these folks In their
work that the most interesting and intimate
OF country happenings could 20 on right un-
der their noses and they never see or know.
Things that the gunsmAn and naturalist and
nature lover would dote on--for people can.
love nature without regard TO science or dis
sectionTare discounted In their care for what,
sitter all. seems a very humdrum quarry when
found. q nero inanimate piece Of board
or staging. which some carpenter over
looked when he worked In that spot. and
which the strangers ounce on and appropri-
ate as though IL were the one thing above
others worth having.
What are they going to do with that piece
OF board2" asks some one not versed In har-
vest-tlme annals.
Shut up some negroes courthouse with Il"
comes the answer. see. there's the place.
through those trees to. the right. What are
they going to do that for? Oh. because the
negro hasn't paid out, and this Is the only
time Of year when he would be likely to have
anything to nay out with. Those men are
the Sherin's deputies. He has them out all
over the county now. They will take that
board and nail It across the door OF the corn
house. the fodder house or cotton bin. or
whatever ia levied on. and. slight as It seems.
that board represents the seal Of the Law.
just now. lying on the ground. It was merely
a discarded weather-beaten piece Of scantlinR.
but once put up across the door and ham,
mered in place It has a vital m saning.
How long will It stay there2 Until the
owner OF the corn or cotton shows a DISPOSE
ton to pay the debt or makes some arrange
ment in regard to 1t. Maybe It will be taken
down in two or, three days. maybe not for as
many months or weeks. 1t depends on cir
cumstances. But however much need or de-
sire the owner may have to get into his barn or
how far out Of the way he may live from the
Sheriff. he won't dare to lay a finger on the
board. It's a penitentiary offence to tamper
with It and even the most ignorant negro ten
ant understands that. There is tragedy and
somedy. too. abroad in the country at this time
OF year. Maybe it's only q begEarlV SIS or 30
that somebody wants to collect and takes this
ummary means Of collecting-the balance Of
1900 -
piece Of furniture or frippery bought perhaps
q year ago. and whI,h these simple folks in
their inability TO keep q reckoning may have
thought was paid for. Perhaps IN reality #
vas paid for and they are being cheated and
"Sonetlmes it Is 2 grave matter that shuts
mule or a MANS farm snsiiR lands d. 'nf Il p ma9 5e fha {
on by stealth somewhere else to sell. in place
nished supplies and orop-making gear during
the year. For whatever omission or desert,
the SheriiSs visit with awe and feel t6emse1iVes
b6isG = and oHtlawed when the
0"%sss sam ' Harley 70 Sa sae shut a0 1p two years hand
luminous seSSshake and suessstfiv Sss tone st'n And nd
Sam Harley loses caste in society until he docs
something to make up, for the experience.
o,n,, Zok Happy,s a god square farmer There
who. either through misfortune or duplicity.
IT ain been nowheres no more than To- the
e issd. ssiHsse Is Ssea nut up %qlssy. q SsIS
yeil-disposed woman. who. ,to9etRer With her
thlck-headed husband. makes . pretty fair
! Of Il Without IAN an o verses eVe I t aisSs af hSd DC
heart n to look %E people m.h in de face since lSs dat hap
And such q oSbeEncwnst thing sI as trap u.s. US.
rockers to Il what we buy from de selli1' man
dey was buEnin' up ole aeT pine out cen. front
de- house. Gittin' ready, for corn %plantin', and
peach tree trunk to keep OF de worm. Ali our
bestest peaches las year was eat out wild
'em. It was that very time de 81 man me- come ai SSHS
WAGON and set in de chair and like de feel Of It;
more @tT say sSvi nj since %sS c fs sSsss ana and S M. BIZ f9S
he git a dollar and half on days work fer de
chair next mornin' after he had stay ali night
wid us; The bargain stand that every time
We S %Ss = p sTiie oat' T Ds S%o lie g Eas to coB Dsy Sou smi
regular after that. and we had give him every
bit Oh ehange what we could raise and a paper
ike de trial Justice would Ak II. and den Mr..
derneath. Every month de !eoilsctor come
regular or ,a Something's nado e. he you'd be- de game
he 1SV wo1ld b 'Q 9s last as i tSo q ro1n dsq he so oom %s
never had nothin' to, give him, cause Mr..
Colonel hAd give out de word as there wasn't
no more credit to his store for nobody.
Please. marster. here the other day list
as l was kin de ,rumplus pullet nest gettin''
ready to set her-I amt b'lieve much In settln'
a young, pullet; dey's apt to be uneasy and
change dere mind bout, settin' and addle de
eggs: but she had run about cluckin' 80 long
and seemed SO bound in the notion that ]
thought TO make q 'gception Of her-I hadn't
more than put in some clean straw and gone
cen de house for de eggs. when here comes q
couple Of white men rialn' up In a buggy, fine
Buckra and II I had buy a headrus' Tockln'
S ShSiT last SSd FeSS srs x o hY;Ss' had sd sure buy de
SPOKEN. Won't you Rentlemens Tight and
walk In and set DOWN" And dust on dat
ways had since We. marry. .Dey never answer
h hSr tel IL me nothin, but Just Jump put and
for he gnaw de palm and bite on pieces. Of de
Yirsinny ereeper in spots--and come In de
OF 'em went over to de rice mortar and peep
r. and ID III up Ro de Hssssle and put Il dowp. and
round in, de outside bin whore de cotton was