New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-03

crown svo PIP $50 The Macmillan Company.
1t is of the rural South that Mr.. Johnson dis
courses in this volume-the South of the farmer
and the little crossroads shopkeeper, of the
lazy poor white" and the crowding company
of the darby cabin He takes into a world of
beauty, of soft airs and golden fruit. and n
world, also. of piteous ignorance and futile en-
deavor. For the South of romance and of
dramatic episode he warns us that we must
look elsewhere. If the reader at first feels de-
frauded-as when for example, the author tells
him that Florida. the land OF lowers has a
soil too poor to spontaneously produce many
blossoms-he soon becomes reconciled to vol
ume which romance and sentiment apart, is full
of interest ard amusement.
There is a curious account here of the Florida
Indians the Seminoles, who when they come
into town from their hidden corn patches in the
Everglades. come for uproarious drunkenness
of the party always staying reasonably
sober. to guard their interests. Those who argue
that drunkenness involves all moral laxity will
lie surprised to read that these Indians abb
solutely trustworthy. Mr.. Johnsons Miami
landlord said to him: Sometimes an Injun will
into the hotel here. and he says Me
hungry. Money, me no got i'm: and he wants
a dinner. and promises to pay in a certain num-
Der of moons. may forget all about it, but the
Injun don't When the time comes he pays
that stole two hens from another Injun and
snapped EN- for liquor; but he was found out
and he had to be the slave of the one he stole
from for about half wear" The very dogs are
a honest as their wildwood masters. The au-
thor recounts touching story told him by his
rough guide of an Indians dog left by the river
bank guard his masters things while the
man was indulging in a two DAYS riot Of drunk
in town. The poor dog was half starved when
his owner returned TO him. but he had not
touched the meat and crackers which he was
taking care Of One odd taste of these Semi
noles is for railway conductors caps They or
der them from the shOpkeepers with injunctions
to make sure of the gilt bands and the word
Conductor in front
Florida. the author says. has never recovered
from the killing frost of 1885. Orange raising,
which had inspired so many enthusiasts with
dreams of opulence, has not yet been generally
resumed. The infant orchards on the Indian
River are only now beginning to give good
crops. Flordans ready to swear by their
climate though some would add that the State
could boast of nothing else, and often they ex-
pressed surprise that any one should be tempted
to come from other regions TO settle and try to
make living In all parts of the South trav
ersed by the author the native efforts ito make
a living" seemed to be half hearted and inef-
fectual. The Suwanee district. for instance, is
chiefly remarkable for dilapdated homes and
indolent people. Most dwellings had little
stove for cooking, but rough frepaces provided
all the heat needed AS for masculine occupa-
tions, they were largely that of a certain Mr..
Perky who would spend the major part Of
day his pooh with entire ease of conscience.
For q change he might go to the store and sit
on the pooh there hour or TO the rail-
way station to see train come in and depart"
nr foi4a loici ~
| the author says:
The opinion na as s from 6f the
that work belongs TO the ringers" The situation
| hustle after the dollar the way you Yankees do
The Southern man with enough money hey IN his
this month and with fair prospects Of more for
cause Of possible Contingencies in the future
! The most delightful trait Of the southerner
as revealed in this chronicle, is his unbounded
hospitallty-a hospitality far more genuine than
| that of Spain and offered with cordial courtesy
| Even the poverty stricken Georgia Cracker"
who has little enough for himself profers that
! little with real kindness. We can understand
that he has ample reward in the stir Of interest
which comes into lonely region with trav-
elling acquaintance chance stranger.
A chapter on John Browns Town''-Harper's
Ferry-is full of entertaining detail. The author
j regards this as the most picturesque village he
has seen in America, and he has a great
many. 1t is built the slopes of abrupt
hill, and much OF the architecture is quaint and
! of an Old World aspect. Everybody in the town
| knows all about the John Brown raid Nobody
expected 1t; old citizen said to the author:
I'VE were as much surprised you would be If
! l was to pick up that tea kettle there the
stove and throw it at your head" OF the race
| for whom Brown made that desperate attempt
| Mr. johnson has much that is suggestive to
say. He declares that. whatever antipathies the
South has with regard to the negro it still wants
him as a worker and will permit organized
movement Of the race out of that part of the
country. He has this to say in its praise
To the credit of the negroes II be said that.
considering their poverty and lack of thrift. few
avoid the poorhouse. and can usually supply their
| scanty needs to the very end. or course, few
have habits OF saving, buy their places, and hide
away a gradually growing accumulation of silver.
| II this sum amounts To- as much as $780, the lucky
| capitalist Is regarded by his fellows million
| aire. In the towns many little stores owned
by negroes the majority, perhaps. with only about
| a WheelbarroW load of stock, but others that, In
| size and equipment, all that could be asked.
| The better often patrCnzed by whites as
| well blacks
HUMOR AFTER H PATTERN