of farm owners, partly of tenants, including a number who have come 

 into the county in recent years; economically the future belongs to this 

 class rather than to the other, as they are making rapid strides toward 

 prosperity. A third class is comi)osed largely of laborers, or of tenants 

 on the smaller places; their prospects economically are not very bright. 

 Socially there is little or no opportunity of passing from one class to 

 another. Here, and generally throughout the county, there are classes 

 among the negroes, also, usually on the basis of prosperity and industry. 

 Clarksburg, Barnesvillc and Poolesville. In these three districts, gen- 

 erally sjieaking, two standards are maintained; there is but little distinc- 

 tion between the farm owner and the renter; the lines are not closely 

 drawn. Throughout the upper end of the county a more democratic 

 spirit prevails. In the Poolesville District there is one instance of a 

 group, not different from those around them, either socially or economi- 

 cally, but nevertheless very homogeneous. This group, now the third 

 generation from the original settlers, are all of one stock; but they have 

 at the present time reached a condition which probably means the 

 ultimate breaking up of the community, as the young men are moving 

 out, partly owing to the fact that the farms have been divided as much 

 as is considered profitable. 



COLORED LODGE HALL 

 38 



