The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-21
WAS Upton IN SAVANNAH.
s0id TO Have Dug Rice Field bitches
for Capt. Huger.

Tor Capt. HuGer.
Did Sir Thomas Upton ever work on a
rice plantation in the neighborhood of sa-
vannah as a common laborer and did he
come 10 town with the gang Saturday
nights and blow in his money in Yama-
craw? is a question which a good many
people in Savannah are asking just now
1t is known that Sir Thomas experienced
some hard lines in this part of the South
in his early manhood. 1t has been several
times stated that he worked on a rice
plantation near Charleston. The story has
somehow gained circulation here that Sir
Thomas was one Of a gang of Irish ditch
ers who came South for three winters in
succession and worked on Clydesdale plan
tation for Mr.. Joseph Huger and thai he
was no whit different from the rest of his
fellows. all of whom came to town as soon
after payday as possible and blew in their
money. The latter part Of the story seems
somewhat doubtful in view of what is
now known of Sir Lipton's career.
Mr.. Huger, when seen yes erday, said
that he had heard this story and that he
had been trying 70 trace Upton, but SO
far without success.
IF Upton is one Of the men who worked
for me-" said Mr. HugeT 1T must have
been In the early seventies. / was living
at that time at the Murray Hin place, adj
Joining Clydesdale, and was cultivating
both plantations The rice industry was
quite hourishing then. il being the period
of high prices succeeding the war. There
was scarcity OF labor many of the able
bodied negroes having been drawn TO Sa-
vannah by the prospect of higher wages
for work along the wharves and elsewhere
in the city. The inability to secure suf-
ficient negro labor made it necessary for
us TO employ white labor and consider
abe number OF white laborers would come
down from the North every fall TO work
through the winter. They came for the
most part from the brickyards along the
Hudson river, the majority being Irish
with some Scotch and English. As every
thing was frozen up at the North during
the winter they came South because, as
they explaired their expenses during the
winter would run them so far in debt that
1t would take all they made during the
summer to pay out"
Il worked several gangs each winter"
said Mr.. Huger. a gang consisted of five
or six men with one man as the header,
with whom the contracts were made and
to whom the money was paid. know the
names of the headers, as ] paid them the
money and gave them Instructions for
their work The other men / did not
know except sometimes their Christian
names. usually Mike, or Jack, or Tom.
This is what makes il difficult for me to
place Upton Had he been a header 7
would probably have been able to recall
him. 1t is possible that he may have
worked with some of the gangs lie might
even have been a header. AS the stubs
of my check books were burned in the fire
which destroyed my house a Murray Hill
al sin ] hay No dc nv
which / can trace the names. I scan re-
call a number, but Upton is not among
them"
Mr. Huger said that if Upton was one
of the men who formerly dug bitches for
him at hurry Hall or Clydesdale he was
heartily glad to hear Of his success in life,
and might have wished him better luck
in his contest with the Columbia. had he
known this to be the case.
The Irish ditchers were an improvident
lot, Mr.. Huger said. They were paid by
the piece and worked faithfully until they
had completed their task. After receiving
their money they were careful to pay what
what they owed for rent and rations md
then with what was left they would come
TO the city and squander in a few days
what had cost them weeks of labor. When
the money was entirely gone they would
drift back to the plantation, usually in
badly bunged up condition, and resume
again Frequently at the end of the sea-
son the men would not have enough money
to pay their passage north and The store
keepers with whom they traded would adj
vance them the necessary amounts. This
they always paid back religiously.
If Sir Thomas Upton was indeed one of
the men who worked for laborer's wages
on the rice plantations near Savannah over
a quarter of a century ago should he
choose to visit Savannah now, 1t would be
under vastly different circumstances. In
stead of an unknown laborer carousing
in Yamacraw. he might dine and wine at
the clubs, and would be regarded as al
most as big man as Dewey. The transit
ton from the rice field laborer of thirty
years ago TO the multi-miliOnaire of to-
day, is as strange as a story from the
Arabian Nights. but it was pluck and
brains that won wealth and position and
not luck