The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-10-18

IhS 10 lnrOW ~ away IN the grocer
business III Atlanta. 1t is the strauy
:" est thing what makes Il young man, ~
= soon as he has made little money OF
!. the farm, want to run to town to srcn,
it instead of investing il in the coun
r, try, where it would be safe and hrins
- good interest.
This young man was honest, goOG
worker, quick and intelligent, and if
could get enough like him might be
y willing to part with my negroes. But
not otherwise. Even then | shOult
: hate to do ii, for | am proud of m,
boys--as | call them. They alc very
ready and willing to do anything t(
please me always cheerful and un
complaining when asked to do little
extras or work over time. When W.
"Gct in tight'---as the old farmer
sald--thcy will rush like fighting fire
II necessary to get things IN shape
without thinking about their pay anC
measuring every little act to tit the
dollars and cents they may think them
worth. When you get white man
TO 40 this want to see him.
Your black man lives in cabin
near the house, where you can halloo
at hlm. When you want your horse
htchcd up sunday morning you call
out "IIcrc, Moses, catch up my
horse, will you,' and shortly the horse
comes around wcll-groomcd and shiny
with Moses holding him, hat in hand
and smiling as you come out. You
may give him Il cigar or toss him Il
nickel, you may not give hm anything
1t is all the same to him. The
''bOss' wants his horse, and that is
enough.
How different with your white man
II he is where you can get at him
you say "Mr. Johnson, will you be
kind enough to hitch the bay up to the
buggy ~ and Mr.. Johnson goes about
the task moodlly, muttcriny that he
wasn't hired to wait on people. But
when pay day comes, he expects all
these litUc extras to be settled for.
You may run Off your negroes if you
:: will but for me, | will keep mine for
Il while yet, for consider the negroes,
; on the whole, very much superior rs
: farm laborcrs to the class of white
men you will be able to hire.
We have negroes on our place who
, can do anything in our garden or farm
- from running Il seed sowcr or moving
:. machine 70 sctttny out plants and pre-
:. pairing vegetables for market, and do
! 1t as we'll rs | would myself. They
live III homes on the place and board
themselves. ! made up my mind
r when | married that my wife should
. never run Il negro boarding house, or
, white one, either, for that matter, and
| h.,, rj,.,.l ~:
;, wise.
Il We hire our mrn by the month and
- pay them cash. They like to have
their money I" spend rs they please.
:. 1t makes them feel !hat they are Act .
tin. something for their work, even if
they IT." throw il away rs fast as they
. make 1t: j, Is theirs to spend as they
= please. We find this very much more
, satisfactory than isSuln" ratiuns, or
giving orders on the store; for when
. you Il" this, the men are ant to feel
4 that they are being charged too much
:, and become dissatisfied.
. The farm labor question is really as
, much question of employer as Of
~ employee. What the South needs i.
Il men to put brains into the farm an,
''A'''''-N ~ 'iN' 'tiiO 'tIl'l HliiCtSSllI u
J. business, so rs lo make il pay. Thrl
i employ the mass of ignorant labor
q who are ai present trying to crop. but
! who are incapable Of managing any,
i thing successfully, and pay them cash
! The trouble down here is We have Ill
lowed these people to boss themselves
, until they are about to Starvc to death
and ruin us into the bargain. This is
The kind OF emigration the South needs.
, practical men who come here prepared
to purchase farms, and who are capa-
bic OF working them successfully when
acquired.
. "A large portion of our inhabitants
Will always be incapable Of managing
lhclr own affairs successfully. This
class must necessarily work for wages
and II is the duty Of the intelligent
Southern land owner to SO manage his
farm as not only to make money fo
himself, but TO furnish profitable en-
ploymcnt for the labor of his locality
1t may be easier to sit on the from
porch reading your paper while YOU
renters manage for themselves, hu
you neglect your duty to yourself an(
your nclghbors when you do it.
While | am on the subject Of land
lord or employer, | want to say a few
words TO those people who hire help
! 40 you ever have any trouble with
your hands ? II so, whose fault is it :
ours, or the hands? One of the best
, hands on our place is Il man who my
( next door ncighbor could not ge: along
, with. 1t ls not alway an easy matter
al l.. 4
place and to sec things from youl
l hands standpoint. But il has one
c great advantage. II helps him to sc,
f things from your standpoint. Did yo,
i ever think Of that? TO treat others
c rs you would like TO be treated your
sen, rs wonderfully good policy, my
is friends.
y had friend once who went into
ut 'hc dairy business near nlc. He was /;
ys very NICE fellow, but quick tempered