METHODS OF CULTURE lAT THE SOUTH. 169 



and emphatic gestures, there was life and movement. Thus 

 we learned that although there might be 1,500 people in 

 the fields, there was no hap-hazard picking. Each one 

 would be assigned a row, which could not be left until all 

 the ripe berries on it were gathered. 



Passing to and fro across the fields are the two chief over- 

 seers of the farm, Harrison and Peters, both apparently 

 full-blooded negroes, but, in the vernacular of the South, 

 "right smart men." They have been with Mr. Young 

 eight or ten years, and were promoted and maintain their 

 position solely on the ground of ability and faithfulness. 

 They go rapidly from one to another, noting whether they 

 are picking the rows clean. They also take from each tray 

 a basket at random, and empty it into another, thus discov- 

 ering who are gathering green or imperfect berries. If the 

 fruit falls much below the accepted standard, the baskets are 

 confiscated and no tickets given for them, and if the picker 

 continues careless he is sent out of the field. 



Mr. Young says that he has never found any white over- 

 seers who could equal these men; and through the long 

 year they drive on the v/ork with tireless energy. 



Indeed, Peters often has much ado to keep his energy 

 under control. A powerful engine cannot always be safe, 

 and Peters slipped his bands one day to his cost. A 

 woman would not obey him, and he threatened her with 

 a pistol. Instead of obeying, she started to run. He fired 

 and wounded her twice, and then tried to get off on the 

 lame excuse that he did not know the pistol was loaded. 

 The trouble was that he was overloaded. But his offence 

 resulted more from these characteristics than from innate 

 ugliness of temper. To make the business of the huge farm 

 go has becom.e his controlling passion ; and he chafes at 

 an obstacle like an obstructed torrent. 



