The National tribune., 1901-07-11
ECHOES OF SLAVERY DAYS.
Human Assets of a Gas Company and Thstx
Changing Values.
(New Orleans Times-Democrat.)


Many interesting entries are to b
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unpublished history OF the second oldest
gas company in America during the
| cloudy and tempestuous days of the early
COS in the South. These records tell Of
the losses sustained by concerns doing
business in New Orleans during the war,
and, for that matter, give an idea of the
financial yicissitudes of incorporated COM
panies in the other old slave States.
Bankson Taylor, manager of the New
! Orleans Lighting Company, after going
over the books of the New Orleans Gas
| light Company, says the money losses sus
tanned by the corporation through tht
Emancipation Proclamation of President
Lincoln were S54, $50. This amount rep
| resented the value OF sixty-two 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 BGnking Company. While the COM
pany maintained a few slaves who were
put to work about the station in 1885, the
sweeping substitution of such labor for
white labor was not made until 1S4S, as
the following extract from the minutes of
the monthly meeting, March 6, of that
year., testify:
a report from the superintendent and
engineer of the company, made at the sug-
gestion of the President, upon the practi-
cability of substituting slave labor for
white labor at the station and on the
street mains as well as lighting the public
lamps, was received and read, and after
discussion the apparent economy of slave
labor, from the estimate of the engineer,
determined the board 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 judgment he may deem advisable,
with the sanction of the President, such
slaves as will answer the purpose con-
templated, either as stokers and laborerS,
as well as the necessary mechanics to sup
ply the place of white labor now of ne
ceSsity employed at so large an expendi-
ture 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, in
creased the number of its slaves to G2
when all were released by the proclama-
ton of the President in 1868.
The inventory of these slaves gave
name of the slave, the year bought, pres
ent age, cost price and present value. 1t
is interesting to note how the value of
slave changed from year to year. For in
stance. n young fellow, Nat was bought
for 81 800. and his price in five years was
marked down to 5000 on account of some
weakness he had. Crawford and wife
were bought in 1896 for $500, and in
1862 were valued at 5000. Both had
grown too old to do any appreciab1e
amount of labor for the company, but
their investment was not Il bad one.
Crawford's wife bore six children, who
were given an aggregate value of $500.
AS the slaves advanced in years they
were gradually marked down in value, as,
for instance, Leonard, who cost his owners
81 200 at the age of 43, was reckoned as
being worth only S400 fourteen years
after. Then, on the other hand, the young
slaves as they matured increased in value
during the years they rendered good ser
vice 10 the company. Henry Barnes, when
% years of age, was bought for $3.50, and
at the date of President Lincoln's plocla-
nation Of emancipation was valued at
ST 900