Those that don' own the
land lease it on a share basis known as the metayer system, but more'n
more o' them are owners every year."
"I hadn't really thought of the negroes as owning land at all," said
Hamilton thoughtfully.
"A stretch o' land three times as big as the British Isles, or equal to
the New England States is owned by the colored race," was the reply,
"makin' in the United States a negro country larger than plenty o'
kingdoms."
"And is that land worth much?"
"Oveh half a billion dollahs, sah, Ah was told at the last census, an'
it's worth a lot mo' now."
"But," said Hamilton, "the negro doesn't seem able to make use of it.
Even if he does own the land and is making money, he still goes on
living in a shiftless way. One would hardly believe the kind of shacks
I've seen in the last couple of days."
"Ah'm ashamed to say you're right, sah," the old negro answered, "Ah
reckon one-third of all the negroes in the South still live in
one-roomed cabins, cookin', eatin', and sleepin' in the same room, men,
women, an' children all together. But they're improvin' right along."
"They ought," said the boy, "if they're working on cotton, because, I've
been told, that is always a cash crop.
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