The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-12-06
ECHOES OF SLAVERY DAYS.

Many interesting entries are to be
found in the old inventory books and
other volumes of record of the New
Orleans Gaslight Company which
furnish hitherto unpublished history
of the second older gas company in
America during the cloudy and TEN.
pestuos days of the early sixties in
the south. These records tell of the
losses sustained by concerns doing
business in New Orleans during the
war and, for thut matter, give an idea
of the financial vicissitudes of incor.
porated companies IN the other old
slave states.
Bankson Taylor, manager Of the
New Orleans Lighting Company, af-
ter going over the looks of the New
Orleans Gaslight Company, says the
money losses sustained by the corpor-
alton through the emancipation proc
lamation of President Lincoln were
$54,65O. This amount represented
the value of 60 slaves owned by the
company at the time of the occupying
of New Orleans by the Federal
forces.
These slaves had been accumulated
by the company since 1885, or the year
of the organization of the New Orleans
Gaslight and Banking Compay. While
the company maintained few slavss
who were put to work about the sta
tion in 1866, the sweeping substitu-
tion of such labor for white labor was
not made until 1s4s, as the following
extracts from the minutes of the
monthly meeting, March 9Th of that
year, testify:
"A report from the superintendent
and engineer Of the company, made at
the suggestion Of the president, upon
the practicability of substituting slave
labor for white labor at the station
and on the street mains as we'll as light
ing the public lamps was received and
read. and after discussion the appar-
ent economy of slave labor, from the
estimate of the engineer, determined
the beard to authorize the engineer to
make the experiment, and on motion
it was resolved:
THAT the engineer of the company
be authorized to purchase from time
to time as in his judgement he may
deem advisable, with the sanction of
the president, such slaves as will an
swer the purpose contemplated, either
as stokers and laborers as we'll as the
necessary mechanics to supply the place
of white labor now OF necessity en-
ployed at so large an expenditure, and
that the treasurer be and he is hereby
authorized to accept the acts of sale of
such negroes and pay for their
COST"
From the time the order was issued
the gas company at various intervals
increased the number of its slaves to
60, when all were released by the pro-
clamation of the President in 1868.
The inventory Of the slave, the year
bought, present age, cost price and
present value. 1t is interesting to
note how the value of slave changed
from year to year.
For instance, young fellow, Nat,
was bought for 81 800, and his price
in five years was marked down to
$500 on account of some weakness he
had. Crawford and wife were brought
for $4,000 and in 1862 were valued at
5000. Both had grown too old to do
any appreciable amount of labor for
the company, but their investment was
not bad one. Crawford's wife bore
six children, who were given an
aggregate value of $4,000.
AS the slaves advanced in years, as,
for instance, Leonard, who cost his
owners 81 200 at the age Of 43, was
reckoned as being worth only $4OO IA
years after. Then, on the other hand,
the young slaves as they matured in
creased in value during the years
they rendered good service to tie
company. Henry Barnes when SO
years Of age was bought for $3.50 and
at the date of President Lincoln's pro-
clamation was valued at $l,0O0.-Ne~
Orleans Times Democrat.