aith because he has broken
his word,--and outsiders have fanned the flame, telling them that if
they did not work for Mr. Philbrick for what he chose to pay
them,--and that he was paying them nothing,--he would turn them out of
their homes, and more to the same effect. It was a most interesting
occasion, and it was pleasant to feel that there was a man of so much
sense in the Department. He tried to pacify the men, and then
privately told Mr. Soule that he should advise Mr. Philbrick to pay
the fifty cents.

The next day the gentlemen departed, Mr. Tomlinson going to
the smaller Philbrick plantations to make the newly-ordered
written contracts with the people. By the terms of a
circular issued April 1 by General Saxton, each
superintendent was ordered, before April 15, to make to his
general superintendent and to sign a statement of the
agreement existing between himself and his laborers. The
general superintendent was then ordered to visit the
plantation, explain the contract to the negroes, and affix
to it the names of all who agreed to the terms of it; any
laborer who objected to the terms was warned to leave his
employer or stay with him at his own risk. H. W. records the
reception given to Mr. Tomlinson by the Pine Grove people.

_April 22._ They were silenced, but not convinced, but agreed for this
year. Mr. Tomlinson had trouble with the people at Mr. Folsom's and
Mr. Harrison's both. He had meant to do the job here, but could not,
as C. was away. C. did not expect any difficulty, and I suspect that
he was right, for just after all had gone, two of our men, "Useless"
Monday, the stuttering cow-minder, and Hacklis, the sulkiest-looking
man on the place, came up and, with the brightest smiles and cheeriest
manner, began to ask me so earnestly how I was, that I felt as if I
were not honest if I did not mention that I had a slight headache.
"Mebbe de confusion make you sick, sorry for dat. Not one our people
come up yere. We bery sorry for dat,"--and much more of regret, and
assertion that "so long as Mass' Charlie on de place dey satisfy." Old
Monday wished to know if the milk satisfied me, and was very much
delighted when I told him that if he had not sent some up the night
before I should have had none for the gentlemen's breakfast, and kept
exclaiming, "I glad for dat," as if he had wished to express his
sympathy by deeds as well as words. Then Hacklis said,