The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-01-08
THE lien Law
And the Negro as Seen by a
Northern Man
Who Has Been a Resident of the
County of Orangeburg for Near.

any located near Rowesville, and has
been living in South Carolina a little
less than one year. He seems to be
a close observer. Here is his letter
This is the time of the year wheI
the collector is abroad in this lane
and when the negroes are in hiding
in the woods to avoid meeting him
They have the lien law in force anc
system Of chattel mortgages that
means that the negro and the poor
white too can and does mortgage not
only what he has on hand in the shape
of property, but he mortgages the
future crop which is not yet Plant
ed.
Already negroes are coming into
the stores and buying fertilizers to
make the next years crop. When the
crops turn out well it is good year
for the business men, as they make
practice of selling under the liens
at an exorbitant profit, but when the
year is bad and that year is followed
by another bad year, then the mer-
chant is liable to fino himself IN a
hole and with a lot of nearly worth
less live stock on hand.
Under the lien law the man gives
a note and mortgage on the crop that
he is going to grow. and it is his bus.
mess to take the first bale of cotton
or the first sack of rice or the first OF
his corn crop and turn it over to mis-
creditor. This he must do before he
markets any Of the crop to an out
slider. As cotton is about the only
crop that is grown in this State for
the market it is the first bale or
bales Of cotton that he should turn
over, and the negro has more than
one way to get out-of doing this.
AS every negro who grows cotton
is well known to the ginners and to
the merchants as well, he does this
way to get around his obligation.
Instead of taking his cotton to the
ginnery he takes it in small quantl-
ties to a well-to-do negro who man
ages to keep out of debt and this ne
gro has it ginned as though it was
his own and gives them a part OF the
proceeds. Each ginnery keeps rec
ord of all men for whom they gin
cotton and thus there is no record
against the negro who has disposed
Of his cotton without first settling
with his creditor.
One fairly well-to-do negro who
lives little distance out of Rowes-
vile and who had about eight acres
of cotton this year which should have
furnished him with about four bales,
have already ginned l3 bales. The
negro who thus disposes Of his cot
ton leaves it at the home Of the man
who is to have it ginned before day
light and he is not seen by the man
who lives there and if he is question
ed he Can say that he did not see any
body leave it there.
For the last two weeks there have
been riding about the country around
Rowesville at least II collectors tol
as many different concerns. They
have been taking in live stock that
was sold last spring and IN many cas-
es have nailed up the doors OF corr
houses to hold the contents against
the owners. One collector for con
Germ in Bamberg, is miles away
which sells horses and mules has al
ready driven off at least 20 head thai
were sold last spring to negroes.
| In some cases the negro will give
mortgage on an OK, a horse or a mule
that he does not own. Of course thl
is perjury and when the collector
comes around and finds out what ha
been done then is the time for tht
negro to take to the woods and re
main there for the next two or three
months until the collector has go
tired Of looking for him.
Last spring a negro living nea
town mortgaged an OK to a concerl
in part payment of a mule and tn
collector started to drive away the o:
a few days ago. The negro told hin
that he mad better drive the Q:
through the streets Of Rowesvlll
and then he took to the woods. Whe:
the OK was in front Of the store OF }
F. Boone the latter went out an
asked the man where ne was goln
, with his OK.
Mr.. Boone rented the OK, cabi
!. and 40 acres Of land to the negr
four years ago for an annua. rents
of one bale Of cotton. Plenty
men in toyn knew Of the clrcun
stances and they satisfied the colleo
tor at once that he had no claim o
a the OK and it was turned into tn
ward back Of Mr.. Boone's store.
One negro. who is in hiding at tn
present time because he can not NEE
a claim of S63 for which he made
: FRAUDULENT mortgage, sent IN by
\ friend a night or two since 30 cen'
: to be rendered the collector IN pal
payment.
) Two negroes, who are we'll know
to the writer bought wagon Ia:
e spring and made a small paymer
S and gave lien on the wagon for tn
d balance of the payment. One
:, the men paid up his portion durln
e the year, but the other paid nothing
When it was time for the collectt
It to put in an appearance the ma
n who had paid up took front and
d rear wheel and the thills and tt
n wagon seat to his home and secrete
: it and left the other part to be le
5 led on. :,
AS the collector was about 20 mil
IS from home a wagon in the condltlt
rs that he found that was Of no use
d him and the parts were left. Lat
u they will be assembled and then II
ID negroes will have a wagon Il
another year.
For weeks past sewing machll
agents have been securing the cou
er try around Rowesville and the
n have been as many as 20 machln