The sun., 1901-09-15
IN The TEXAS COTTON FIELDS.
CAY TIMES AMONG THE PTCkERS
WHEN THE FtIL CONES.
4 Heaithfui. Eas, OecupstIoo the Negro
Likes and ef which lie is Master
Long Evening" Win the Fiddle and
weekly Holiday that's q Delight.

HrTTo, Tex. Sept. ~ II II extremely
probable that II any boy In this COM
munity were asked the old question, What
h the chief end of MANI he would quickly
answer. Raising cotton So completely
- every hahli of the town adjusted TO tho
cotton business
When the cotton d, gins 10 open. tho
proyidcnt planter has tents and little shan
ties prepared Out IA the field. During
the fall in thi- delightful climate. pro-
lection from rain. which might acciden-
tally come. i alout all the hands need.
A pallet under a hig cotton wagon In ths
cool dry air will give any one healthy
sound nights shcp. without the least
danger Of taking cold. and hundreds OF
colorrd families flock from the towns and
cite- glad To camp out and pick cotton.
II IL q healthy. open air business that the
negro IL master 81 and it, social featues
have much II attraction for the oolored
people
II is one long autumn picnic The negroes
hire often al ~ much T-r pound of cotton
picke~i and their food This relieves them
Of every care All day they pick and sing.
laugh and jest with the workers In adjacent
cotton rows, then at might up and down tho
turn row where the camps are grouped, tho
fiddle begins ~ melody, and -Shoot the
Buffalo Fishing for Love. steal Part
ner~- and In NV lsadv's Garden, with
rullicking song and laughter, make the old
cotton field hum till midnight. Only on
saturday the cotton picker will not work.
Sat turday'- nigg-rS daN. they Iay.
Early every Saturday morning every
wagon and team IL hllcd and loaded with
Jolly pickeru From all the big farms thev
fiOCk to Huito I'LL ne" town looks like circus
day. With tie white element left out. From
90 To l $40 negroes come In 20 trade and
have "A goDd time Extra policemen are
callcd to duty and then th" town IL turned
over To the dusky cutton pickerr As rus
the crowd l. well behaved aud only bent on
goOd-natur,d fun and laughter Every
Thing l. arranged for the "n'ertainnIent of
the black visitors Hot coffee stands. pop
corn, peanuts. lCe cream and cake, and lem
Onaie spring up at every convenient corner.
and the Jolly black crowds swing into limo
for IerTimeEt good times and treats.
-urging a. impulse leads after CANDY. chew
ing gum. and the things that are Co them
good In life The odd daTkey and his fat
wife who remember well the slave days. and
talk lovingly of obi Mae and Mi-tus; the
lu-ty freedmen aud hi- family. the little
darkeys pulling along the younger ones
committed To- their care. the launty black
boy. -tufiing his gayly dressed swsetheart
with everything IN sight all make up an m
Iere-tiug crowd Availab!e boxes, barrels,
and the pick"r- laugh and talk, like a band
Of rchoolboys out fur holiday Tn.
crisp fall hr.-.z'.- fan their du-Ay brows.
and the southern sun shines lovingly Ou
their gli-tening fa's'.
Ahout u o'clock h. crowd makes rush
10 the harlpecu" stand t+hind ~" litil"
zltlau Herr every Saturday Ia an I'M
incu-e iron caldrun j. prepared what ne
negroes call hot gut. which mea -
.ati,tgr- sitined with stswed and highly
s.a-ofi,-d meat and bplod ~ rich gravy ~
this mou-t fpu- pot ,u' ~ plro,- about
a foot long they are handed uut with long
iron forks, hot and Juicy, to the hungry
negroes \ couple oi Crach"t- ana foot OF
-hot gut. or ~ We would ray. sausage,
,o-,s "a nickel and IL take i've or fiN quick
hand.4d men To fish out aud pas the steam
ing strings oI meat fast enough u might
not H., " -. to investigate what kindr ot
material q r. u-',d for ~" stuflug. hui the ne
groes Sav Dry amt muffin cooked l'rtter'n
hot gut
When evening comes th" S,Iuar" II lighted.
th. iddl. i-'gin- the dane opens on tho
green. IA" everlasting cake walk proceed-.
and only the coming ~ day and he approach
uf SUNDAY morning stous the festivities.
Then -hotIting In the starlight the picker~
bri-klN trpt back To heir tents On SUNDAY
they attend the nearest camp meeting. and
Monday morning finds them out with tho
dawn working checriy in the white rows
Of cotton