Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-21
Description of the characteristics of
Slightly Known Section.
SWINDLING OF THE COLORED PEOPLE
Scheme Being Worked by DeIud-
ing Them With Pension Promises,
T O B A Geo G RIO w N G


PINEY WOODS, Gadsden Co, Fla.
April H. 1899.
The individual who paints the town red
is not lin it, with the corporation which
has painted the country-at least this sec
tiOn-yeliow, blaZoning the way for trade
and fortune in the brilliant tint of the
orange, the golden hue of the golden eagle,
the pride of our escutcheon and our pock-
cts. All along the line from Charleston 20
Tampa and westward from Waycross to
Thomasvle Ga, this uncommon co.or for
architectural decoration greets the eye, the
railroad and express stations being painted
a brilliant orange. bearing legends of their
! use and purpose in heavy black lettering.
which gives the anxious traveller satisfac-
tory information as to where he is at"
The fashion thus set is generally fol-
lowed that one is surprised not to hear of
a corner in orange paint, the modest
cottage and wayside shanty vie with the
station in luridness.
Speaking of the golden eagle conjures up
its companion. the dollar of our daddies
which here skips the counter an
absolute parity with the more favored coin
The paper dollar and the golden eagle
its fractions are all curios. and when
broken in trade replaced by dimes,
quarters and a handful of brightly beau
tiful Bryanic legal tenders, which evoke the
query, Why all this hubbub, since are
equally happy with 't'other when other
dear charmers away
Dipping the Negroes.
Through southern Georgia the open
door is very much in evidence. Houses or
rather habitations minus windows are in
variabiy furnished with two doors adjoining
the facade. atfording separate entrances
tp he W irb Stjr ,Itfa I b.
sion, in each of which the picturesque jul
HenIle coon is generally engaged in airing
his mahogany -colored limbs. making one
long for the artists eye and brush to trans
form him to the line of the salon. The
African in this section is rather black
blOOded. the Caucasian blue does not appear
to temper his veins to any great extent,
and he is still possessed of the gullibility
with which he swallowed forty acres and
Il mule. This is particularly displayed in
the faith which they place in "a bogus pen
sion scheme now being exploited in this
and the adjoining counties, by which the
sharpers who originated the fraud induce
them to invest - cents in order to have
their names placed on the so-called pen
sion list and 10 cents a month for ten
months. to secure pension of 81 per
month. which they are told is to be allow
ed by the government in reimbursement of
the services they rendered their former
masters between the date of the emancpa-
ton proclamation and their actual en-
Reimbursement at the close of the war The
scheme was inaugurated by Il white man.
who charged 81 to enter any on the
| pension list. Now COlOTed minister of the
| arousing the enthusiasm of his deluded fol-
| lowers, who eagerly bite at this bait.
The Presidents Visit.
| ! told that the recent visit of the
| President to Tallahassee was enjoyed by
| the darkies a verItable jubilee and that
| they proudly pointed him out as Oats our
President, dat is sure.''
This county leads the state in the pro-
duction Of tobacco, the figures for 1897 as
given in the Christmas number of the Jack
sonvie Times-Union of that year being
2"p,ts) pounds, and if the return in ducats
equaled the expenditure of Drawn and
muscle in its cultivation a boom would be
| in order. The population OF this county is
| about l4po and of Quincy, the county
town about 800. Like Tallahassee, she is
| seated among the hills. browning one of
| the highest, and is noted for her broad and
| clean streets and salubrious atmosphere;
! the summers neat being tempered by the
| breezes which blow from the gulf from
| noon to midnight ! told that the sum
| mer nights invariably cool the. warm
est part Of the day being the forenoon. the
| afternoon rains and southern breezes
making the afternoons and evenings COM
| Portable.
| Backward Spring.
So far really warm weather has been
| felt. Leaving Washington two weeks ago in
| tHe expectation lndl the spring would adj
| vance to greet me, it was quite a disap-
| Dontment to find that the breath of the
| blizzard was still in evidence. From Guam
| tico to Richmond the harbngers of the
| opening season were sadly wanting; last
years burrows with their remnants of corn
| stalks greeted the eye, no soft flush of ten
| der green suffused the landscape only the
| rugged evergreen of the ubiquitous and
| continuous pine varied winters brown garb.
| Near Charleston the dOgwood blossom and
| the freshly plowed fields gave a promise of
| better things not realized when | reached
| my destination, as there We're two frosts
| and thin film of ice on the pools after my
| arrival here. and the bright blaze of the
| open fire was Il necessity well as d pleas
| ure.
\ MetamOrphOsis.
| 4 few warm days. however, have made
quite a change. Fruit trees are in full
| leaf but the fruit buds were all frozen so
| there will be few If any peaches, and no
plums pears Pear culture has been
quite an industry here for the past few
years, large orchards have been planted
| and good crops marketed. but this seasons
| experience is rather discourse ing Even
| the 1essamine vine, the pride of our south
| ern forests, has been utterly killed by the
| Icy breath of the blast. The fig trees are
| also dead. and the japonica and cape jessa-
| mine which here attain the dignity of trees
| are cruelty bhghted. Fortunately the
| planter does not depend on fruit in this
| section for his bread and butter His main
| reliance is cane, corn. cotton and tobacco,
| ana Tor home consumption, sweet potatoes
and pinders. the peanut, which affords
| prCvender for man and beast
| Tales About Tobacco