A Woman Rice Planter

by Elizabeth W. Allston Pringle

October 1.

A sparkling welcome to October—a perfect day with mercury only 65. I am sitting on Vareen bank watching the "toting"—such active, wonderful figures, I wish I had my kodak. The distance across the field is considerable and to see little Stella, just her feet to her knees visible, so huge is the bundle of rice on her head, coming across the field, stepping over the quarter drains from one boggy spot to another, is wonderful.

The hands have worked, splendidly to-day and my little refreshments have been much appreciated. Fortunately it was just high water at 3 o'clock when the last sheaf was put in the flat and so it could be poled up the river and put safely under the flat-house. I put Elihu in charge of her as watchman until Monday. I hope that, as the rice in the flat will make a comfortable resting-place, he will remain at his post. It was with a light heart I drove back to the pineland, for the clouds were darkening and it was pleasant to know that the rice is under shelter, and the blessed Day of Rest will be free from anxiety.

October 3.

The first day of threshing is always trying. The feed house is packed up to the very roof with the rice from P. D. Wragg, and I want to get it threshed out to allow Vareen to be brought out of the flat and stowed in the feed room. Of course the belts, etc., all have to be adjusted, and it took so long to get in good running order that when they got through threshing the rice in the mill they all declared it was too late to unload the flat. I insisted, however, on their working until sunset, as they had spent many hours idle while the bands were being adjusted. We got nearly all out of the flat, and it will be easy to finish early in the morning and have the flat empty and ready for Cicero, to whom I have promised it to-morrow, to load up his rice at Casa Bianca.

I rode down on my wheel this morning, a most inspiriting ride in the fresh morning air. On my way to the barn-yard I turned aside to see the field I have recently enclosed, and planted in cow-peas preparatory to alfalfa. There is a splendid growth of peas in full bearing, the pods quite green still. It is a beautiful and cheering sight. I opened the gate and went in, for the finest peas are not visible from the gate. What was my dismay to find ten fat, sleek oxen standing up to their bodies in the peas eating rapidly! They all belonged to the negroes on the place. I never saw a more perfect picture of satisfaction. I walked round the fence till I found the place where they had literally torn three panels to pieces—new American fence wire well stretched on fine cedar posts! I cannot understand it, unless they had help. The top wire had been broken just between two staples and that gave the slackness which enabled them to destroy it. I had just to leave them there, for even if I had not been afraid of them, I could not possibly have driven them out alone.

I had to go on to the barn-yard and not say a word about it until I found some one who could be spared from the threshing—there were just enough hands to run the mill—Jim had gone to Gregory for a load of boards. After a while, in a pause of the threshing, I took Marion, who was stowing back straw in the barn, and sent him with my little Imp to drive the cattle out. I gave him a pencil and piece of paper and told him to write down the number of cattle and the names of their owners, saying, "this is a position of trust, Marion." He answered, "Yes, ma'am," most pleasantly. He came back after a while with the names of the owners and the number of cattle very neatly written, but there were eight instead of ten. I asked Imp afterward how many oxen there were and without hesitation he said, "ten"; so I knew Marion had failed in his trust. Later I had the fence repaired as best I could and told all the men they must tie up their cattle for the night. Elihu, who had three splendid oxen in the field, expressed great regret and said, "I ploughed de lan' for dem pea, en day is tu fyne fer cattle 'stroy." He promised faithfully to shut his up.

October 4.

On my way to Cherokee this morning I stopped at the alfalfa field and there in the midst were fourteen head of cattle; only one man had shut up his. Elihu's three oxen were there and his cow and two pretty heifers besides, also a pair belonging to a man who lives on his own farm, two miles off in the woods, and only works here when it pleases him.

I went on quickly and sent Jim to take Imp and drive them out of the field and into my yard, where the owners can come and pay for them before they take them out. I charged 25 cents each for the first offence, and doubled it for the second. It certainly is a great trial after the heavy expense of such a fence to have professional fence breaking oxen tear it to pieces. I thought nothing could hurt it but tools in human hands.