The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-03-16
SOUTH CAROLINA RICE FIELDS.
Ono Spot in the United States Where the
Negro is Content With His Associate.
Helen Morris Lewis in the News an ! Courier.

~ SA1S 4SOWc InA SooliO4s
I ments and machinery used on rice
plantations have, through successful
invention, been brought to great per-
fection, but the negro and the rice
field muls remains as unimproved as
they were in the beginning.
On account Of the soft, spongy soil
only small mules are employed in till
ing and harvesting the fields. They
are exceedingly agile and cat-like in
movement. Great difficulty ia always
experienced in rigging them up for
daily work. Rawhide boots are at
tached to their small feet by thongs.
The negro, if he owns any boots,
leaves them behind, for his splay feet
spread out like sncw shoes and pre-
vent him from sinking in the muck.
The stable into which rice field
mules are indiscriminately hustled at
night is entered at daylight by negro,
who with cracking Of whip and wild
Indian war whoops, proceeds to fright
en- the animals out Of an open door,
where stand the riders and drivers
ready 20 lssso them as soon as they
show their noses. Even with the
greatest dexterity it not infrequently
happens that mule gets loose. This
is signal for the stable door to be
slammed and human ingenuity devised
to ciroumvent the mule. All who are
able mount steeds, the balance use
the two legs God gave them. Around
and around they 60 in the large stable
lot. It is perfectly aimless chase,
that depends upon accident for oil
max. Sometimes the mule seized by
O contemplative mood, halts suddenly
in the corner Of c fence in order to
study his next manoeuvre. The mem
bers of the chase Immediately close
upon him, with cries OF "Whoa, mule!
Whoa mulel Whoa, whoal Whoa-a-r'
The whoas are finally reduced to ths
softest dimuendo. To the outsider
they have appeared superauous, for the
mule as soon as he took to the corner
of the fence "whoaed'' in every mus
Gle, and remained as rigid as the
statue of Calhoun that adorns the
Citadel square. The only hint of the
devil beneath revealing itself in a
CLINT OF white eyeDaiis below tightly
backed ears. In the meanwhile the
pursuers in evident trepidation, came
closer and closer, their 'Whoa, mulel"
sinks into the coaxing tenderness Of
the cooling dove. The mule appears
thoroughly hypnotized. The most
skillful member Of the herders throws
his lasso. No explosions Of dynamite
could occasion greater soatterationl |
With buck, jump, never exceeded,
save by the COW in the celebrated
ditty Of eli, diddle, diddle," the
mule bounds over o six-foot fence and
is soon lost to view. Gone for days
rejoicing and feasting in the luscious
cane brakes, where he can have inter-
walls of leisure to contemplate with
satisfaction how he outwitted his two
legged companion.
1t must not be thought, however,
that the mule is always victor, for he
is often worsted in the fray. After
harvesting he is as SCARED and bat
cred and one-eyed as was ever Happy
Hooligan'' after his ceaseless encoun-
ters with policemen, while the negro,
who has been gorging on stolen rice
and 'possum, is sleek and hearty.
| The loveliness Of springtime on a
South Carolina rice plantation must
be seen to be appreciated. Il is then
that the vivid color Of the young rice
burns like green fame. It is then
that the flooded fields become dazzling
mirrors to reflect the superb forests
that border theml Beautiful forests,
where swaying Spanish moss forms a
background Of silver mist, against
which msgnolia blossoms CLEAN like
stars sinking into cloud land. The
silken rushes kiss che baby iris. who
opens her eyes where land and water
meet. The yellow.breasted terrapin
sums himself upon Cypress logs, that
i for centuries have been his piazza.
The birds sing dreamily. There is
melody in the little eddies that trill
and gurgls from open food gates.
!: The most inoongfuous objects
upon this scene Of beauty are the
negro and mule, and yet they are the
tools that have wrought this scene.
1. Their work has transformed che bale
| full gloora Of the swamp into terres-
trial picture Of the peace Of God that
passeth all understanding