ss. His
experience and achievement are typical in illustrating the trends and
the probabilities.

Mr. J. A. Benson--at this present time forty-six years of age--was
born a slave three miles from the great plantation which he now owns.
When his owner's estate was divided he was a part of the property
which fell to an heir in Talladega, Alabama. There as property he was
sent, and there he worked as a slave until emancipation came. At the
age of nineteen years, with a hundred dollars saved from his earnings
as a free man he returned to his birthplace and purchased on credit
160 acres of land. His first year of crops gave him a handsome profit
and soon he was able to pay for this land. Again he bought land, and
again more year by year. Now I found him with his new house of twelve
rooms nearly completed on the site of his old one, the construction of
which was under the direction of a Negro contractor whose leading
workman was a white man; a native of that same community. The mason
who did the masonry was also a Southern white man. While engaged on
this "job" both white men ate at the same table with the owner. In the
"Merchant of Venice" we read of one who said, "I will buy with you,
sell with you, talk with you, walk with you and so following, but I
will not eat with you." Nevertheless there are times when "Necessity
knows no law" and this was one of the times. It was the common
opinion, however, that the excellent mason was much more expeditious
than is common about his job, though he was working by the day. His
work was completed in about one-half the usual time allowed for it. He
stayed, not upon the order of his going. Doubtless a second experience
would come with less self conquest than the first.

Mr. Benson began his independent life with his unpaid farm of 160
acres. Now he owns 3,000 acres of land paid for and without
encumbrance, with the virtual ownership of a fine stream, at some
points 500 feet wide, which for five miles runs through his extensive
plantations. On this stream he has a brick yard, a saw mill, a grist
mill and a cotton gin and compressing mill combined in one and
operated by the water of this stream. The farm is worked on shares
chiefly, the owner furnishing the land and the stock, the laborers
dividing the products half and half.

[Illustration: KOWALIGA CREEK--THROUGH MR. BENSON'S PLANTATIONS.]

The leases are taken by a dozen responsible and experienced farmers,
who sub-contract with the