The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-14
THB SOUTHERN NEGRO AT woRx
rsstimssy ~ 70 His Industry and Pideiit, 4.
the Lumber Ruslnesa.


To rHE EDITOR OF THE - S,r, Tn, IA
spatch In THE SrS Of April II, entitled 'Th,
Crime Of Employing Negroes. stating that mo.
lection had been asked Of the Governor Of Ma.
sissippi for negro workmen employed in a saw.
mill. would leave the impression that such en-.
ployment Of negroes was nav to that section.
Fifteen years ago ! spent some time in m.
milling section Of southeastern Texas and ve4,-
ern louisiana. and was rather surprised on en-
tering one Of these sawmills to find i manned
almost entirely by black men. ! found similar
employment Of colored labor In other mil.
white men and negroes working together with.
out apparent friction.
Upon inquiry Of the proprie,ors. who. by tho
way. were ex-Confederates who had sur.
rendered at Appomattox and had walked or
ridden on discarded war mulea all the way back
to their native State OF Texas and had there b.-
gun life all over again without n dollar ~ carl
tai. I lear ned that they were obliged 10 employ
negro help In order to keep their bushes, going
with any regularity.
On being reproached bv a white lahorcr COR
this seeming preference with the remark 'uh.
you don rare TO give a white man a chauro"
one Of these employers defended himself yigor.
onslv after this fashion You know very well
that | have given you many chances. but YOU
and your comrades can never no depended nj,
to be at work; you GO on a-ishing or a.hunt.
Ing when you feel like it and never So much A..
send me word that you are not going to be on
hand. You know I cannot run a mill that war
ence and never think Of EMPLOYING negroes II
you white fellows would only work.
II this plain talk had rome from n Northern
"ienderfoot" probably there would have been
trouble, but coming from an orthodox South
erner II had 10 go down.
was still more Interested In finding that tho
most responsible position in the mill. that q,
filler" was filled by a pure-hlooded negro. md
by observing hin closely ! could 500 th1t ha
understood his business, and kept the n~vc-and.
a-half- foot circular saw in perfect order win
smooth-cutting teeth in perfect alignment
asked the, proprietor how this negro
acquired 80 dinlcul, and valuable a trade liza
before, they had always had 10 send North for
flers. who would stay long enough 10 get home
sick or down with the fever, and resign. But
the last white man TO All that position took \
liking to this black man, and before his do.
| parture for home taught him the art of herpug
the circular Jaw in order, and he had been fler
ever since,
So here was one black man who had become
indispensable to the running Of the business II
he we're unreliable and went a-fshing Nftv
other men might 60 fishing also, for that mil
could not run. was informed. however. that
tho : fler and his black crew were always on
hand at six O'Clock every morning, and that they
worked SIX GAYS IN inc week
Inasmuch as accounts have. been received
| from other regions of the South charging The
black man with an indisposition TO work mora
than two or three days in the week, il Is a pleas.
| ure to be able to give this testimony from a Dis
interested source that the AmericRn-born negro
| can and does rise TO he conscientious discharge
Of a responsibility when placed upon him
My visit to the logging camps also exhibited
the black natives pursuing all the branches
OF numbering. cutting and skidding logs,
tramming them 10 the streams and driving the
| logs down stream TO the mills. rs efectuallv ma
/ had seen similar work done by the Maine
| woodsmpn and the French rOvnosurs.
may say that in view Of these experiences
the shameless avowal by Senator Tllman that
he and his fellow white men had deliberately
and ~fraudulently deprived the entire negro
! race OF South Carolina OF the gift Of the fran
chise. granted them by the Fifteenth Amend
| ment TO the United States Constitution, has
| rome with a peculiarly Earring effect. That is
| matter OF national import, and let IA one and
all be assured that IL Is bound 10 have a
| national settlement.
Let me have space enough more 70 invite
your renders to take n trip TO Fordham ard
Bedford Park and look at the two gangs Of Viz
ginia and North Carolina negroes who ara
there giving daily object lessons Of real work
They are stalwart, picturesque fellows. and
every one would recognize them as strancerstn
these parts: but for cheerful. overlooking.
downright hustling, these workers would take
he American Biscuit Company at one mouth
full. GEORGE ". DITHRlDGE.
Nxw YORK. May IL.