Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-01-03
L~OG-ROLLING DAYS.
ORIGIN OF PHRASE COMMON TO
POLITICS.
On Southern Plantations in the Old
Times 1t Meant a Period of Hard
Work Followed by FroIic
and Merriment.

Everybody knows the meaning Of
'log-rolling'' in political parlance. In
plain language, it means: you tickle
me and I'll tickle you or you vote
for my bill and I'll vote for yours"
The original meaning may not be so
well known to city readers, says the
Lynchburg (Va.) correspondent OF the
Philadelphia Record. The word came
from the plantation. 1t is now almost
obsolete in this part of Virginia, be-
cause the thing it represents has
passed away. The memory OF the
writer runs back so years, when a
log-rolling was an annual affair on
every big plantation. The practice
then was to clear new ground every
year for tobacco. Telling the forest
trees and preparing the ground for
cultivation was no small undertaking.
First the underground was cleared
away and then the big trees We're at
tackled by the AK brigade, consisting,
on our plantation, of ten or twelve
men. I well remember the scene. 1t
impressed me in my bOyhOod as real
work and it was hard work. A dozen
X welded by strong arms, rang
continually, and ever and anon a great
tree. the growth of a century, fell to
the earth with a tremendous crash.
The new ground was about 20 acres
in extent, or, as it was usually spoken
of by planters, 100000 tobacco hills,
allowing 5000 hills to the acre. When
the trees were felled the work was
not half done. The branches had to
be cut off and prepared for fuel n
the great trunks had to be cut into
manageable lengths.
The l~og-rolling vas invested with
all the interest that attaches to an
athletic game and festival as well. A
big dinner was prepared for the oc-
casion, and plenty of whisky was pro-
vided. The latter was seldom sl1ghted
by any of the men. The hands from
the adjoining plantations were invited
and there was always friendly rivalry
between the crews of the several
plantations and between the men on
the same plantation. The big logs
luIulSuSu SACS4lChI L1SoLo u OSN+NS
the manhood Of the contestants IN a
trial which taxed their muscular pow
ers. Hand sticks were placed under
the log, and as many men were as
signed to the log as its weight re-
uuired. Couples were chosen nearly
crryal in strength. Then if a man out
lifted his faIlow at the other end OF
the stick and brought him to his
knees, or as the Phrase was, pulled
him down." he was proclaimed victor.
If, then, the same man pulled uo~n
all other contestants in succession,
he carried off the pennant, SO to
speak, for that occasion, and if equal
ly successful at other log-rollings that
season, was declared the champion
strong man of the neighborhood. The
contest was carried on with perfect
good humor and sometimes with great
hilarity, man. exchanges of wit and
sharp repartee.
It was a m~uch-coveted honor to
come out victor in a log-rolling con-
test. After the work of the day a
dance to the music of the banjo usual
Iy followed at night and the merry
making continued into the small hours
of the morning. The incidents of the
day furnished themes for discussion
and conversation for months.
Another great event on the planta-
ton was the constructing. The af-
fair is called in the north a "husking
bee" but in this part of the world it
is a 'corn-shucking." Here the enYe-
lope of the ear is called the shuck,
and the cob the husk. If you should
send a negro to bring you some husks,
he would bring you cobs. The corn
was hauled and thrown out in a long
pile, containing from 500 to 1000 or
more bushels of corn. Then a bright
moonlight night is selected and the
hands of the neighboring plantations
ire invited. They are not slow to
respond. Soon a big crowd is on the
ground and work and fun begin. A
leader is chosen who has a loud voice
and some skill in music. He takes
his place on top of and runs from end
to end of the pile, singing a couplet,
and all the assembly responds with
another couplet or joins in the re.
frain. The music is wild and weird,
but the effect is pleasing, especially
at a little distance. The leader does
not shuck much corn, but he is the
most important and most valuable
man in the party, because he enlivens
the crowd and keeps all awake and
in good humor. The work continues
till midnight and sometimes later. 1t
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