Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-02-16
The New south.

HAwKINSVILLE, Ca, Feb, $40 the
Editor of The Bee: 1t strikes me that
some of your readers might be Interested
,r knowing something of the conditions
an the cotton country as seen by
"northerner." For the last four months
the writer has been In the cotton coun-
trv'' and has come in contact in busi-
ness way with the cotton growers, both
land owners and choppers trenters)
II Won will take a loon at the map OF
Georgia YOU will note that the state has
n network Of railroads. as we'll as many
good towns and large cities AS you cross
and recross the state you begin TO wonder
what on earth supports so many rail-
roads, and who builds the cities. OUTSIDE
of the city or village you seldom see a
painted house; all you see along the track
are little shacks. What little stock you
see is OF very poor quality as compared
with our Nebraska and Iowa stock. But
after you get down to the grass roots
and rub up against the tiller of the soil
the mystery unravels. To commence
with. Georgia was a pine forest, and, In
fact IL is still a pine forest with the
good pines cut down and the poor crop
pers" and "niggers" struggling for an
existence among the stumps and stones.
A "cropper" and mule can tend
about twenty acres OF cotton, which on
the average will produce about ten bales.
of which the owner OF the land gets one
third. The choppers" as a rule are
year behind in money matters and mort
gage their crops, either TO the land own
ers. the banks or the merchants for the
necessities of life. They grow nothing
but cotton-hence have. TO buy everything
they eat and wear, and even feed for
! the mule In addition 20 the above the
"cropper' has TO buy expensive fertilizer
| "a order TO grow n crop. Under normal
conditions he can exc out a pretty fair
existence. Choppers" are about fifty
fifty. white and black.
On the larger plantations where the
"cropper system is not used, they de-
| pend ON the negro for their help. A
negro is paid from SO to $40 per month
and furnished shack called cabin, TO
1 live In. After buying clothing and the
| necessities OF life for himself and family
/ the negro can spend the balance Of his
| salary 90 for "Kenesaw' thome distilled
whisky.
oven with the low price OF cotton the
| turns on their investment. but instead or
/ adding to the comfort OF their troopers
/ and to the beauty OF the country by dot
4 ting the fields with white houses and red
barns. the money u spent building cities.
That there are better days in store for
the south there can be no question. The
/ whites are now slaves az well as the
blacks The one-crop (cotton) system Is
much TO blame for the present condition
The war and low price OF cotton il going
TO bring about a change. and any change
will be for the better. Land owners are
beginning 20 realize that other crops wtii
have 10 be grown. and that the stock OF
the country win have to be improved and
added to- The press OF the state Is doing
\ splendid work in blazing the trail the
effects OF the rural route and better
schools are being felt. and the younger
Z generation VIII demand better things
There A. a something about the south
that you cannot help but admire. Whether