Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-08
NEW ORLEANS SLAVE MART.
"reminiscences Of the Days When
Negroes Were Sold at Auction.
leans Times-Democrat.

From the New Orleans Times Democrat.
Talking about the old ST Charles" said
an old-timer. at was one of the best-known
slave marts in the olden days. There were
two stands erected. one for males and one
for females. at each end Of the bar There
the auction took place every Saturday
Sometimes there were only a few to be
sold. and sometimes there were a great
many. Anyway. they brought fancy prices
in those days, between 1857 and 1850. The
Importation Of slaves had practically stop
ped then. and the prices We're good. Be
sides. the war cloud had not come SO close
that men really believed there was going
to be gigantic struggle. Planters from
all along the river, from Natchez and
Vicksburg and all places between, used to
conRregate in New Orleans and come
around for the purpose of buying likely
looking man or likely looking woman
The men always brought the best prices
OF course. because they could do the most
WORK Sometimes the price went as high
as 81 200. and sometimes 1t was as low as
$500 II all depended on whether the fellow
who was selling had to sell or not Things
were then very much they are now in
that regard. and men were as apt as ever
TO take advantage Of the misfortunes of
their brethren.
IF the slave was a man and warranted
In good health, the first bid was somewhere
w the uelkHDOTHOOQ OIL SJOo-that Is, II the
owner did not have to sell him to pay his
debts. That being the case, the first bid
was liable to be In the region Of $500. Then
the contest started. and the auctioneer
after the manner Of his kind prated on the
value OF the man he was selling and what
the productive capacity Of the average man
was when he got to the field and was in
charge OF hoe or had the direction Of the
energies of mule. The bidding would 90
along until 1T reached 81 900, and then there
would be some hesitation until those who
really liked the man for his general ap-
pearance could have time to adjust them
selves TO the situation. Finally some man
would timidly bid 81 200 and there would
be pause unless the slave on the block
was an unusually good man.
II was all cash in those days and eyery-
body had the money. To me- fresh from
the boys OF Ireland 1t was a revelation. 1
never saw so much money in my life, and
have not seen such times since then
though l have seen men who had more
money than any of the sugar planters of
those days In those times all Of the peo-
pie seemed TO have money. If you did not
have any yourself all you had to do was
10 ask the next man for 1t and you got t.
The wealth was evenly distributed / was
amazed. for 1 had come from q country
which was Door then, and Is poor even vet
and l had not been used to velvet and those
things which go for luxury. 1 had run
away from ship down near the barracks
and l thought for awhile / had landed In
some place where they grew the money.
The selling of slaves continued there
every Saturday until the outbreak of tho
war. or course. when the people saw the
war was coming, the number of slaves sold
Ieii on for the reason that there were few
buyers. but the business was kept up TIL
the call for troops was made and then ali
the buyers were under arms and the busi-
ness died Of itself"