The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1906-01-03

out OF mere. IhlS is no place for
EN-, was the quick retort.
Mr. Mountaincer was in carnest.
lie did not care who heard him swear.
He was talking to tbe team of mules
and if any fellow was so unfortunate
as to hear he had to grin and bear it.
There was healthy glow in tho young
mans face and he looked like stall
wart son Of the soil.
These mount1in folk arc making
from $3.50 to $3.50 day aud they do
not care what happens. Many Of
them will never return to their old
work, that CT O ple;a tiller of noun
tain sides, but will drift out into tho
busy world to become mechanics, ar
tisans and all sorts Of skilled work
men. Some will become railroad con-
tractors, and Others foremen and gu.
perinteudents. They have in them
the making Of frst-olass workmeu and
the taste Of money.making and the
knowledge Of what is going on in the
outside world will set them afire.
Hundreds of these fellows have gath
cred from the ooves and the valleys
and are@ making sturdy, valuable
laborers. They are lusty, muscular
and willing.
The Italian is quite different man.
He works like clock, and is bossed
BY o padroue, who says when to work
or quit. They make fne laborers 80
long as they are satisfied. Like silent
steers they 60 from morning till night,
toilins on and saying nothing. They
are well.knit in body and dark Of
complexion. Every time ono sends
down his pick he cuts q hole in the
ground; his efforts bring forth good
results. These short, stooky fellows
labor as does the ant. They strive to
make the almighty dollar.
Oio Cufie, the black man, is tho
best laborer when he will work. He
can bs driven like the mule, sud niue
days out Of ten bis heart is full Of Joy,
and he gives vent to bis good feelings
by singing or holleriug aloud. Good
farmers claim that they fear negroes
who do not sing when they toll. The
5oug Of darkey is ample assurance
that he IL moving. Therefore it is
not strange THAT most overseers in the
South prefer the negro.
While / was at Camp i, the other
night, the policeman Of the place
came in with a handful of pistols,
some short, but others long and
daDgerous.looking.
""hat arc you going to do with
those?' some one asked.
Il have to take shooting irons away
from the negroes to keep down trou.
blo,' said the ,ofioer, who had quelled
a little disturbance few days be-
fore.
One Of the old guns looked as an.
cient as the sword Of Brutus. =.
Captain, captain, captain, I'm
givin' you all my time," shouted q
negro, as we passed along the works,
Tuesday morning. Those, were his
only words, but he kept repeating
them, putting tune into them some
how or other until it sounded fairly
we'll.
It is with these three classes of men
that the South and Western Railway
Company is cutting its way through
the Blue Ridge Mountains from
Sprucepine to Marion, Rutherfordton
and spartauburg. Something like
$500 Of them will be at work after
the Christmas holidays. The number
now has been reduced to about $500.
Asa rule the mountaineers s. the I.al.
ians and tho negroes are not worked
together, but at different camps.
Most OF the Italians are at Camps 2
and 3, while the negroes are on this
side Of the mountain aud the natives
beyond the ridge. -. l.
After the South aud Western Road
is flushed from sprucepine to Marion
many hotels will be built in MoDow.
ell, Mitchell and Yauoey counties, and
many summer visitors will 60 there
for rcst and health. Bold springs Of
cold water are to be seen on every
mountain. There are many beautiful
hotel sites on Washburn's Ridge and
.in the neighborhood of MoKinney's
Gap, where the altitude is something
like 1900 feet. The prettiest grove
Of mountain laurel that I ever saw is
near tho top Of the Blue Ridge, close
to where the south end Of "Ths
Long tTnnnel' will be-. The entire
side Of a smsl. mountain is covered
with the popular Towering plant,
4 81