The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-27
THE SUNNY SOUTH
Rev. H. M. Pressly Writes Of His
Impressions in North
Carolina.
He Finds It a Good Country in
Which to Make
Home.
TO tho Editor Of Tho Journal.

10 Cno GolCor OF LILO SOufuaA,
When a citizen of these United States
changes his locality, it is usually consid-
cred the proper thing to inform his friends
and neighbors thru the press Of his where
aboutS, circumstances, impressions, etc.
This, we have failed to do not because
we left Minneapolis in the night, and did
not care to have all people know when and
where we went, but simply because we
have been enjoying our quiet, restful So
jOurn in Dixie.
!, We are in the south central portion Of
North Carolina in what is known as the
Piedmont section-the rolling table lands
between the level coast and the mountains,
country once heavily tinbered with
pine and hard wood, now about one-half
cleared with numerous creeks and small
rivers, which run with rapid current to
the sea, with many falls and mar
rows that furnish immense water power,
some of it "harnessed" and running
lumber, flour and cotton mills, much
of it waiting to serve man.
Formerly, the land was in the hands Of
rich planters, where extensive plantations
titled by slaves, produced vast quantities
Of cotton, corn and hogs. But the mis-
fortunes Of war changed all this and
now the plantations have been divided and
sadly run down, washed into gullies, or
overgrown with field pine COT little
value except for fuel.)
The small farmers, who used to tend"
a zone or two boss" farm, are moving
into the towns where men, women and
children can work in the cotton mills,
"a recent law prohibits the employment
Of children under IL in any mills after
Jan. 1, 19O4.)
The seeming advantages Of the change
from the farms to town are:
IS F'irst-They work under *tboss,'' no
ala Afsare y(A%xv r.
chine yourself. After all, this suits many
people better than to think and act for
themselves.
Second-Regular hours, On the farm
they work from "sun to SUM- Here they
have only ten to eleven hours OF labor.
K. Third-Ready money once week, or
once a month, as contrasted with the pos
sible but uncertain amount when crops
are sold
Fourth Social: Church and school life
Yet it is an open question whether these
people are really any better off, as many
Of them neglect the church and school
privileges offered them. Few Of them
learn more than one item Of the business
and rise and still fewer save any
money.
Modern improvements, railroads, hlm-
Der and cotton mills have changed not
only the face Of the country, but have
brought about almost crisis In social
and economic life. The labor problem has
reached a peculiar stage, especially in the
rural districts. White labor is not to be
had, for the reason above given and
others. The ''old-time'' negroes are fast
disappearing The young darl<ies do not
take kindly to the shovel and de hoe
and drift into the cities and towns, where
they live in thriftless, shiftless way,
doing odd jobs now and then and sub
sisting by ways that are dark and tricks
that are vain the rest OF the time.
Thoughtful people are anxiously ask
Ing what shall be done? In some COM
munities the problem has been solved by
companies. who have bought large tracts
OF old plantations cheap. divided them
into small farms ana induced colonies
generally from the north-to settle on
them and by modern methods and in
dustry transform the seemingly useless
lands into lovely and profitable orchards,
truck farms, etc. Vanderbilt at Biltmore.