The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-12

the debt on the place and lifted the mort
gage. had never hoped for that In one
year. Ny renters also were jubilant they
made Handsomely and bought horses and
bugsies and oxen for the coming years
work. When had paid on everything
had not cent left In the bank to run on.
however. Washington was amazed and
very happy at the results. but when / said
something to him about preparing the
wages field for the coming crop he said very
solemniy: Miss. ef 20 weak en- you wrastie
wid strong man, en- de Lo'd gle you strenf
TO- trow UNI down once. don't you try UNI
GAIN I laughed, but, remembering that
would have TO borrow money TO plant tho
Geld this year, determined to take the old
mans advice and not attempt 1t. This was
moat fortunate for there was terrible storm
that autumn and I.would have been ruined.
Ny renters were most fortunate In getting
their rice In before the storm, 20 that they
did well again.
From that time have continued to plant
from 10 to 30 acres on wages and to rent from
100 to $50 acres. OF course. I have had my
ups and downs and many anxious moments.
Sometimes have been so unfortunate
as to take al renters those who were unfit
to stand. alone. and then I have suffered
serious loss; but, on the whole, have been
able to keep my head above water, and now
and then have a little money to invest. In
short, have done better than most Of my
neighbors.
Five years ago the head Of our family
passed away. and the Cherokee plantation,
which nv father had inherited from his
grandfather, had to be sold for a division Of
the estate. None Of my family was able to
buy IL, and a syndicate Of Jews seemed the
only likely purchasers, and they wanted to
get II for very little. So / determined
the best thing could do was to buy 1t in
myself and devote the rest Of my life to
keeping 1t In the family, and perhaps at my
death some OF the younger generation
would be able to take it. This would con-
denim me to-a very isolated existence, with
much hard work and anxiety; but, after ALL
work IL the greatest blessing, as I have
found. / have lived at Cherokee alone
ever since, two miles from any white personl
| With NV horses, my dogs, my books and
piano. nv life has been a very full one.
| There are always sick people TO be tended
and old people TO be helped, and have eI-
| cellent servants.
NV renters here, nearly all own their
FARMS and live on them. coming to their
work every day in their ox-wagons or their
huggies, for the first thing negro does when
he makes gooa crop ,n If I. sso os sSd tbs pe9t
| good crop he buys horse and buggy
g The purchase OF Cherokee does moro
credit to nv heart than head, and 1t IL very
doubtful II shall ever pay on the mort
freshet. and the land IL now under water
Tor the third time this winter. and. though
| I have rented 1875 acres, IL Ia very uncertain
II I can get the half Of that In; March is
the month when all the rice -feld ,'loughing
should be done. The earliest rice Ia planted
generally at the end Of March, then through
| Ipril and one week In May. Last season
| / only &c. in fifty acres Of rent rice and ten
| OF wages, for in the same way the freshet
was over the rice land all winter, and when
Il went OF there was only time to prepare that
much. The renters made very fine crops
| 10. 90 and IS bushels to the acre, while the
wages fields only madei7' Thisis complete
reversal of tine ordinary results, for ! have
| very rarely, In all thee years, made less
than 30 bushels to the acre on my fields,
and I was greatly discouraged and anxious
| 10 understand the reason OF thus sudden
failure in the wages rice at both plantations.
BY the merest chance l found out the
cause. Early in December was planting
oats in a six acre field. We broadcast winter
oats in this section and then plough 1t in
on fields which have been planted In peas
before. I was anxious to get the field
finished before freeze and had ak OF the
prevented my going out until they had
nearly finished, but Bonaparte had assured
me ii was being well done When went
into the field, II looked strange to me-the
rich brown earth did not lie In billowy
ridges as a plouehed, field generally does
Here and there a weed skeleton stood erect
| tried to pull up one or two Of these and
found they were firmly rooted In the soil
and had never been turned. | walked
over that field with my alpcnstock for
| haura anil found that syst eInnt icaIy the
ploughmen had left from eight TO ten inches
OF hard land between each furrow, cover
ing II sklfully with fresh earth. 10 that
each hand who, had been paid for an acres
ploughing had In reality, pioughed only
stood the failure OF all the wage rice!
L called Bonaparte, my head man, whom
trust fully. His grandfather belonged
to my grandfather. and his family hold
themselves - the ioolored aristocracy %