The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-23
NO NEGROES PrRMErTED ON ONE
 PLANTATION
Old Anti-Beitium Plantation ia opened An Novel Scaie--Only white gre Employed--Bruce had Usual
 Trouble Wtsh Negroes.

William Taylor Thom. writing in the Mapufactuferis Record. of Baltimore. on "Ah Experiment in Virginia Framing" says:
 Probably one of the most interesting and successful experiments in farming in the history of Virginia has been in progress for several years on the we'll known Buce property, Staunton Hili, in Charlotte country, Va. This noble plantation of 5000 acres lies about forty miles south of Lynchburs, on the east bank of the Staunton river, oc- cupying the narrow valley of the river for between four and five miles and running back between lines roughly parallel for about two miles over the bluffs and into the wooded hill country. It is in the heart Of the Black Belt of 5. Vlrginia--the land of tobacco and corn and negroes. The estate had long been locally famous under the excel- lent management of It's late owner, Mir. Charles Bruse. of honored and fra- grant memory to his many friends, but it's significance under the present lessee his third son. Is far greater than that on the large pantation with it's beautiful home ana it's fine crops, for this significance lies in the, fact that 1t Is operated with splendid results entirely by white tenants and white labor, not a negro tenant nor a negro laborer being allowed on the place. except aSsfew house servants and few old negro pensioners cared for in their declining days after years of faithful service.
 After the death of Mir. Charles Bruce affairs on the plantation continued their customary course under the old manager for several years, though with rapidly diminishing eficiency of labor and with ecrrespondlngly smaller returns. Then the old manager re- signed. new manager was put in charge in 1901 by Mrs. Bruce. who now owned the estate and still lived in her stately home. The dissatisfae- ion among the numerous negroes on the place rapidly became acute. the house servants excepted. pissensions were frequent. The income fell to almost nothing. Then. a large barn was burned; then another large barn the na stable: then the managers kitchen: then it was reported that the negroes had about decided not to have any white manager at all on the place. Conditions had become ! in- tolerable.
 Charles Bruce was at this time paying his mother a visit, which her. evident need of help had caused him to prolong month after month, though he had come back to Virginia without any intention whatever of remaining per manentiy. Born and bred on the pfanta- tion, and knowing sll it's ways. Mir. Bruce after course in one of the excellent private high schools of, vtr- ginia. and several years of study and travel abroad. had gotten a good busf- ness training In the large Coles Ferry plantation store (tiien under the man. agement of his hfokher.) on the lower part of the estate, and bad continued this tralng during several years. of commercial life in Riehmond Va. Then like many another .yirginIan. he had gone West" to Arizona, late tn 1880, and for about twenty years had been successive mine prospector, cowboy. cAttleman, secretary of the Territory, acting governor and governor pro tempore under Cleveiand's second ad. ] ministration. and then private citizen again under the following republican adn5lnistration. Hence in 1901 no sa V things at his old home In Virginia with the eye of a Western man. He saw also that his mother must be cared for, and therefore, iu spite Of opportunities in the West, he proposed to feetto lease the property from a1er l for a money rent on condition that he have anabsoiutely free hand in It's management. The man and the occa- sion had come together and the man turned occasion into opportunity
 WASm AHs 1hWSS aWOA NA@EBes
 When MT. Bruce took charge of the plantation In March, 1902 there were on it in addition to the home buildings which have remained unchanged. forty houses available in some sort as dwellings for tenants, ten stables, I eleven cornhouses and thirty tobacco barns. A considerable number of ne- groes were used as tenants for this veal and also some, negroes worked for Mrs Bruce personally. and at the same