The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-03-27

| ~ oiiolG ucikJ uCIC, Willlc hltClllil
On the cars, gives us a view of tn
workers in the rock field; these arr
negro boys and men of all ages, rag
ged, insullicicntly clothed and surly il
manner. They dig in pits whose di
mensions are usually from six by six
teen to eighteen feet, with deptl
OF from four TO ten feet, according tC
the depth the strata of rock lies. Tho
mud and rock are dug out together
and hard work it is, desperately so, IN
cold and rainy weather. The men
stand in the boggy pits, often with a
foot Of water III The bottom. Two of
them usually work a pit together With
pick and shovel. This muddy rock is
| thrown in heaps near the mouth of the
pit, afterwards it is placed in wheel.
barrows, rolled Oh planks TO the rail-
road track, where it is dumped ready
to be pitched into the empty cars.
The negroes work only when they
please, and that is not often, unless
driven TO it by hunger or debt. In
very cold weather they make small
fires near the pits, as their scant cloth
ing docs not protect them from the
wintry blasts. Many Of these people
are coatlcss, hatless and shoclcss, but
even presents of these articles have
proved of no avail to help them, as
they are gamblcd away before the next
sun rises. Il white man is foreman for
each field and takes the time" for
each nogro's work. These rock dig
gers are even lower in the scale of hu-
manity than the worst Of the cX-slavcs; :;
they arc nearer akin TO the brutes in
habits and morals; all their idle time is
spent in gambling and thlcving from
each other, bo it their fowls or their
wives. Among themselves they are
lawlcss to degree, not stopping short
of murder, perhaps, for the possession
Of d few cents. They neglect their
sick, who have neither medical attcn-
dance nor medicine, unless furnished
by tho whites, SO they often die alone
like the animals. Their kind hearts
seem to have disappeared with slavery
and only the instincts of the savage
remain.
The exceptions to the above condi-
tions are the older people, former
slaves, who arc rather held in con-
tempt by the present generation for
being favorable to the white race. a
sorry picture Of things existent, but
true nevertheless, as all know who
have any dealings with this particular
class Of negroes.
a certain rich Northerner, "phos-
phate man." thought the Southerncrs
too inert and did not make sufficient
efforts to help these poor, thrifllcss
people. So he showed the sincerity of
his convictions by building comfort
able cottages, with glass window
sashcs, besides the shutters, neat
strong doors and steps. In each cot
tage he had beds or hunks made, and
in them he placed good mattresses,
besides other little convenicnccs; he
then gave them permission to use rs
much deadwood rs they pleased to
gather III his forests for their fuel and
his only prOviso was that they should
not touch the game in his preserves,
and to try and keep all neat and in
good condition against his return from
The North in the fall. lie then left,
feeling content that he had left these
" down-troddcn" people so much more
comfortable.
In November he returned from his
distant Northern home, anticipating
great satisfaction in bcholding the i'm
proved condition of his laborcrs. SO
his amazcmcnt knew no bounds when
he found they had shot his game free
ly, or at least when they got the op
lortunity, and rather than go after the
dead wood and tote it home they had
chopped doors, steps, shutters, AMI
even the hunks to feed their fires, had
torn up or carried off the ticking
covers of the mattresses, and other
wise ignored his generosity. be-
licvc the philanthropic views were
changed, at least no further efforts in
their behalf were manifest.
Query: Which is the better and
happier for this race, the hireling or
The slave? Are they the people who
can ever stand entirely alone? What
can be done for such an immoral and
irresponsible people, who will not help
themselves? The colorcd educators
claim they arc helping themselves and
are taking steps to prove 1t right here
in South Carolina. But what are the
cnOTlS Vi a. lcW HuhulC Gus against luc
rctroHression Of the millions? VIII
the little lcavcn lcaven the whole?
The Snowman brings his trained an
imals as evidences of their education,
but because Of these will The whole an
imal kingdom become revoutionizcd?
Exception may be taken at this com
parison, but none is intended; we
know the negro has soll and the ami
nal has none; at the same time all hu,
man life possesses characteristics per
tanning to their order and unchangc'
able as the creation. The Anglo
Slxop stands alone, relying only or
himself. viii the Afro American
ever be able to do the same? Pas
history says no-thc future alone car
decide.
Loudly summoned by The screaming
" hisllc Of the locomotive, we take on
seats and the heavy train of liftcci
loaded cars, with many jerks and VIC
lent putting from the engine, starts OF
its homcward journey. The strain i
immense at first and we hardly craw
. y lODp then thc sDpCl uuirl lpnS an