The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-04-01
CAROLINA RICE FIELDS.
The One Spot in the United States
Where the Negro is Content
With His Associate.

ucat:on to attain social equality with
his superio-s. the South Carolina rice
tield negro jogS along contentedly
with the mule through the peaceful
boes OF malaria and ignorance.
Since the year 1874, on the tide
water platations OF our state. the ne
gro and the nule have been intimate
associates. For almost TWO centuries
they have grubbeG side by side in the
same soil: munched sweet potatoes
from the same straw. and kicked and
dev;i;ed each other at every favorable
opportunity. Il Is not surprising then
that they resemble each other in
many particulars.
As rule the low orders OF crea-
ton acquire the characteristics OF
human beings with whom they come
in contact. The negro and the mule.
failing to discover superiority on
either side, finally adopted those
moral delinquencieS most useful IN
helping them to circumvent the
world, the fesh-and each other.
The negro from this association has
lost much of his sunniness of temper
ament and displays the grumness and
obstinacy of his four-footed compan-
ion. Although tricky by nature, he has
cultivated the cunning and sly art
fulness of the mule, and like him has
become an adept in concealing emo
tions under an expressionless de-
meanor.
The mule has become even more
demoralized than his comrade. His
intelligence is clouded. His reverence
and affections annihilated. His alb
stemiousness is metamorphosed into
voracity. Negro aid mule vie with
each other in laziness and the desire
to see which can shirk the most work.
In an imminent degree they possess
the faculty of seeing "sperrets" and
will flee from any grave yard they
may butt into after nighttall.
They hate water. They love camp
meetings Both are contemplative by
nature. The negro before starting Tor
work ivariably leans against his hoe
or plow and remains transhNed for at
least ten minutes. If questioned as to
his purpose in doing so, he will reply:
rs studdin'", which interpreted
means. that he is studying the diff
culties that confront him. II the
movement OF his brain was analyzed
there would be found sluggish dread
of the task before him and hope
less, yearning to escape activity and
settle down into the peaceful Land of
Nod. If the mules countenance is an
index to his soul, his longings are
similar to those of his companion.
Although there is so much in COM
mon between these tillers of the
soil, and although perfectly contented
in each ether's society. they never
miss an occasion to antagnoize each
other.
About two centuries ago, when the
negro and the mule left their native
jungles and prairies to try their for
tunes in South Carolina. the rice
fields, so beautiful now, were black
and almost impenetrable swamps.
The physical labor OF clearing and
draining the land was performed by
their effort They tussled with the
tough, defiant cypress trees. They
grappicd ad dragged at the rugged,
knotted knees of those old swamp
monarchs; they tore and pulled at
the supple jack vines, that like levia-
thans coiied, iad twisted about tree
branches, binding them in vice
like grip-strong as cables Of steel.
They wrestled with the sword plant;
they uprooted the ibrous palmetto,
whose root burrows deep into the
;subsoil. The reeking. poisonous
stencil Of. decaying vegetable matter
allied their nostrils. Noisome rep
tiles and vicious insects spent their
venom upon them. They dug and
hauled the putrefying mud, and built
dikes that resisted the rivers en-
croachment. They excavated bitches