Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1902-04-03
The new SOUTH
Something About the Rapid Develop
ment of Some Southern
States.
Negroes are Aiding in the Work, Do
ing Nearly all the Heavy
Labor.

Methods Used to Obtain Best Re.
suits in Employment of Col.
0red Folks.
TeXarkana, Ark, March 25.-(Spe-
cial correspondence From Kansas
City, Mo-, the Port Arthur route to
the Gulf is comparatively new line.
| 1t runs ''StraIght as the crow flies"
and to northern tourists is full OF in
| terest as it is the product OF northern
capital and push while the towns
along the line are surprisingly mod
ern and progressive. The growth of
the towns and the country show the
effects Of labor backed by enterprise,
skill and money. New enterprise es
are constantly appearing and the
ISpirit that is making the ''neW
/ SOUTH is seen on every hand. The
-belum days are forgotten and
| the citizens OF the region through
which the road runs join hands with
! the men of the north in the work OF
| developing the great natural resources
OF the country. and in making money
in every channel Of business and
trade. The lazy conversational, indif-
ferent atmosphere OF the older parts
Of the south is lacking in this part
Time is not given over wholly, or al
most SO, to social side and to idleness.
While it is true that the heavy work,
the common labor, is done by the ne
gro yet the business enterprises and
trade are conducted by the white men
who are adopting northern ways, and
as far as the climate permits, pursue
lthem untiringly with general success.
Storekeeping is generally profitable,
and every town contains large num-
ber Of stores compared with the sup
porting population. There are nc
large department stores as in the
towns of the north. The stocks are
large but generally poorly arranged.
| The colored man spends all his money
and he earns it, to live. There is a
state law against begging and, SO out
SIDE of Hot Springs, Ark. the para
disc of street soliciting, There are met
no tramps asking for meals. Work
can be had at any point and this spoils
the tramp'S excuse. There are tramps
| however. the same as in the north,
| but they are rowing and apparently
self sustaining variety who do not
bother people by begging at least.
! The negro men and women do all
the hard work in field, on railroad,
lstreet and in the house. The sun OF
summer is too penetrating for white
labor to continue long on such jobs,
but it has no effect on the black man.
The pigment in his hide seems adapt
ed to dispose of the hot sunshine, to
absorb or shed the heat rays and to
get fat with a loss Of perspiration
that would soon make white nor.
therner as thin as rail.
| Negro labor is different from tie
white gang labor Of the north and it
has to be handled differently. The
sharp boss methods will not do. The
foreman who will not exercise patience
and kindness with negro labor crews,
soon finds the men leaving him. They
can get work anywhere and so, if an
unpopular boss attempts to rush them
or make them do things they are nat
urally averse to, they quit. But with
kindness and discrimination a great
deal Of work daily can be gotten from
a darkey crew.
The common wages on the railroads,
in track work are sl.25 a day. Negro
labor is building up the south. 1t is
making the roads, repairing the
tracks. laying the rails, planting cot
ton, building towns and cities and do.
ing in every way what the white or
foreign labor or the world is doing.
One man who runs a large lumber
camp, and farm in Arkansas, employ
ing from 250 to 300 negroes the year
around, recognizes the fact that the
men must have some amusement and
sources to spend the money they
earn. So on the place is provided a |
dance hall, with women, Il saloon and
large store, and the proprietor and en-
ployer gets the profits both ways. The
negroes are contented and stay month
after month instead of going to some
neighbering town and spending their
earningsin low dives and the idleness
Of protracted spree. Negroes, no
more than whites, can be cured of
vices by any short cut yet discovered,
and the wise employer modities the
temptations and does both the men