The Somerset reporter., 1899-03-16
For the Reporter.
Some Glimpses of the Colored
Daonle
fArs.C V. Hanson.

Ever since have been In the south
land, the negro has been an increasing
source of interest rs we'll as of pity to
me. The intelligence of some, and the
thriftless, happy-go-lucky ways Of
| o hers, leave confusing Ideas in ones
mind as to their proper place in the scale
of advancement. Perhaps rs in other
matters we had better strike an average.
| When as a child | first earned that
there were people not IA white of skin
as myself, | associated these same black
people with the cotton field. 1t WAS
quite a delight 10 me, then, on my way
here, to see the cotton fields white for
picking, and the negroes OF both sexes
bending over the rows of cotton busy at
| their work. OF course Imagination
has its way in wondering II they were
now content at their task and all the
world beside WAS amoYe
| One does not have to go far below
Mason and Dixon's line to find that be-
tween the white and The black there is Il
great gulf fixed. At every station there
were two waiting rooms. Over one II
said Waiting Room for White People, :
over the other Waiting Room for
Colored People In some of the south
ern States he negroes are not allowed
to ride in the same cars with the whites,
and bill has been before the legislature
of this State this winter, to make law
here, but it has not yet been passed.
For some reasons the railroads in this
State do not take kindly to this proposed
Jim Crow car law.
As in the days of slavery, their homes
are still for the most part cabins, though
there Is an occasional ambitious excep-
ton, and we find house with windows,
and respondent with paint. Yet some
of these same cabins have an air of CON-
fort. Ny laundress was III and | went
to see her. The house had no windows,
only heavy wooden shutters, and | could
not see as | entered the room, but as my
eyes became accustomed to the dim
light, saw two neatly made beds, one
adorned with pillow shams, an oak
bureau, and cabinet organ, and every
thing very clean. This same good wo-
man is capable, quick, and energetic.
A lady said TO me one day that there
was no "mental process" going on ia a
nigger's head, or next to none. BY far
too many people think that they are like
the mules they drive. But what can be
expected of race which has only gem
erations of slavery and ignorance back
of it? Freedom of itself could not bring
education and thrift, and, for the most
part, where denominational schools have
not reached out their helpful hands, the
people have been left 10 grope in dark
ness. For my part ! think that many of
81, Ia., oil
,ss" going on. There is one bright boy
whom everyone calls Sam Patch, who
delivers goods from one of the grocery
stores here who can neither read nor
write When he starts they tell him
where The various parcels are to go, and
he has never been known to make a mis-
take. think that it must take quite a
"mental process" for him to do this.
Every negro speaks to you and expects
a salutation Ia return, and as go to the
store in the latter part of the afternoon,
the frequent "good evening has become
one of the pleasant features of my walk
and ore to which | look forward with
pleasure.
The price for labor is too low to admit
of their being very self helpful race.
A man gets seventy. five cents for saw
ing, splitting, and piling cord of wood,
and good servant girl five dollars Il
month. 1t is said that they would not
lay by anything il they had more, but it
seems as if it would be worth trying TO
give them wages enough to buy their
own clothes that they might not always
expect second hand ones. But they
dearly love the garments that have been
worn by white people, "there Is style to
Them The man who saws our wood
and does the chores is patiently waiting
| for us to go north that he may get
| Prince Albert coat which he very much
admires; and have made him fast by
promising him little white hood which
| wear, for his wife. This same Jim is
a character-a little deaf, and sometimes
considered not very bright, but we have
only noted these DEFICIENCIES when it was
convenient. Jim was doing some chores
for neighbours wife for thirty-iive cents
week. After the master of the house
returned he said to Jim "Y GU have been
80 kind to my wife, will give you fifty
cents tonight" On Monday following
Jim appeared and notified them that he
should not work for less than fifty cents
week. The colored men do not like
the snow and haven't any use for it, and
when we had fifteen inches lately, one
would have thought that every darkey
would have been abroad to earn some
money shovelling. Not he; he stad by
his fireside until it was good travelling.
The negroes do not live In Southern
Pines but by themselves In a village of
some fifty houses, called Jimtown.
| While the houses in this village are far
apart, often many live in one house. On
one night, recently, il was found that in
one of these houses of four rooms there
were thirty people sleeping. They pay
certain amount, perhaps twenty-five
cents week, for the privilege Of sleep
ing on the floor with their feet to the
| fire.
| A few Sundays since | attended ser
vice at the Methodist church in Jimtown.
A colored girl of thirteen years of age
was advertised to preach. believe that
this girl has been in the north address,
| ing audiences, but she must appear to
the best advantage in her native setting.
Her name WAS Cleretta Nora Avery, she
wore short clothes, and appeared as she
professed to be, about thirteen years of
age. She says that she was converted
when she was year and half old, and
distinctly remembers it. The meeting
house was an ordinary, square building,
the walls were plastered but there was
no finish, the seats were rude benches
without backs, but all was very neat
indeed. We were fortunate 10 getting a
back seat where we could lean against
the wall While the audience was as
sembling they sang the sold Ship of
rE