Year: 1867

The negroes upon the plantation where
| am now stopping, are like most ignorant
people, highly conservative. Though
freedmen, they still are attached to many
of the old ways and works of their plant.
alton life


The work is principally conducted by
the foreman of the plantation, q shrewd,
middle-aged Virginia ncgro,named Nose.
Nose knows the capability of every hand,
aud just where to put each. He forms
Ifhen into gangs, and sets the leaders over
eachsgang.,. We should thluk our New
England mo'teaof rising early and eating q
I good breakfast before going to the field,
to be the proper way of managing days
labor. Not so our friends. They have
always beeh In the way of getting up in
the dim gray of dawn aud working two
hours. and then coming home and cooking
their breakfast and eating it, and so they
insist on going now, and their employers
wisely let them do their work In their
own way.


Moses horn awakcns US while It is yet
quite dark and every hand mustcrs at
once. We hear no complaint of skulkers,
and no shamming of sickness The sim.
pie idea that days work belongs to the
laborer, and that if he loses it be loses the
pay for it, has stol ptd all trouble of that
kind. The rate of wages is about as good
as that paid to northern laborers consider
ing the habits and necessities of life here
The average rate of good fell hand is
twelve dollars q month. o house and ra-
tions, which, in fact, amoant to tie same
thing as board, fuel and lights, both being
thrown in by The grant of the ever plenty
light wood. Exceptional hands of more
skill and capacity than the common run of
laborers, command sixteen, eighteen. and
even twenty dollars per month Thy are
reckoned by employers who have worked
northern laborers, to be. with good. care
full overseeing, just about as efficient IS
the average run of white laborers that can

be hired at the North. and they are, prob
ably for this climate and these surround
iDgs, far better.


On this plantation every hand has the
right to work an acre of land for himself
or herself and many do it to considerable
purpose, and their crops, whatever they
may be, are cared for and accounted in the
sales made by their employers.


Some of the best field laborers are
women. They harness the mules, and
drive plow with quite as much skill and
energy as the men. Many of them have
never done any other than field work all
their lives, and have the bodily look. the
stride. the appearance of men. so that one
often has to look some time, when one sees
dark creature. approaching with heavy
tramp, and mans hat and boots on, to
discern that one of the softer sex is con.
cealed urder that exterior.


The regularly raised field hands are
fond of the fields, and pine if put to
housework. They NOPE, and are clumsy,
aud seem to feel themselves overworked by
the most moderate share Of housework,
when they will deem it no hardship to 60
into the field at five o'clock in the morn
ing and work there till night. with the
exception of their breakfast aud noon re-.
cess.


The housekceper's prospects in the
southern states appear less brilliant than
those of the farmer. House hands. in
general, are the most clumsy. unskilled,
unframed. delaying, deferribg. Sinking
tribe that can be imagined. The idea of
doing anything at the same hour and time
for two consecutive days, of keeping any
regular lines and department of labor,
and going on Systematically as in north
ern household. seems never yet to have
dswned on their minds, any more than the
kindred idea of washing dishes at regular
seasons when you have done using them
Instead of letting them all stand in jolly
confusion till they are wanted again.


There are some old families here who
are excellent housekeepers, aud who have
managed to retain under the new regime
their old house servants and such proceed
without trouble But the generality OF
professed house servants are ford Of con-
gregating in cities. ask extravagant wages
for coming out on plantations, and would
be considered, as to any Of our northern
standards of housekeeping, good for very
little. A woman with ordiua,y strength
and pair Of hands would much prefer
cooking her own dinner, sweeping her own
parlor. and making her own bed. TO allow.
ing that jubilee Of dirt and confusion
which results from the combined efforts Of
Judy, Lissy, sOphy, viry, and any hall