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NORTH BADIN, N. C.
27
THE CHILDREN OF THE SUN
ORTH BADIN has a history, brief and fascinating;
but its growth has been so rapid that its history is
seldom emphasized, except when our “oldest inhabi
tants” are making comparisons between the past
and the present. On the ruins of the “old camp” which has
but a hut or two to mark the last vestige of the “old days” of
freelovG and the “big stick”, a busy little city has been
reared, of two thousand people, from twenty States and
three foreign countries. One easily notes that NORTH BADIN
was built, and that it did not “grow up” as most cities do.
For no city—certainly no southern city—grows up without
its slums and alleys, its poorer quarters, unpainted houses,
bad unlighted streets, irregular business section, dives, re
treats, and unimproved conditions; and in these sections most
Negro workers live. But here, in NORTH BADIN, are well-
laid-off streets, with paving and concrete sidewalks begun,
trees set out and regularly nursed, painted cottages with
electric lights, running water and sewer, gardens and chick-
en-yards, lighted streets, high pressure fire plugs and hose
houses in every section of the town.
Yet, as commendable as are the efforts of the lallassee
Power Company in making a fine city for Negro woikers,
with all its economic and community advantages, the most
interesting thing about the town has not been mentioned.
The most interesting thing in all of BADIN is its simple-
hearted, good-natured Negro citizens.
’Way down in the plant, at the whistle’s blow, comes a
great yell of delight; and dusty men rush for their showei
baths, singing, laughing, jesting, rejoicing in youth and
strength. Behind them come the silent, thoughtful oldei
men, the sages and philosophers, yielding the race to the
swift. They tuck their work clothes into their lockeis, and
go about their several ways until another whistle catches
their returning shout. To them, a man who will not woik
has no backbone, and they call him a “pie-back. Iheie is
no telling what their talents are when they are punching
pots,” they are so much alike; but their lives, like so many
strings, lead to myriad endeavors.
The happy disposition of the Children of the Sun is fully
manifest in the daily life of NORTH BADIN. Ihe thumbing
of guitars and banjos, the eternal singing of the “weary
blues,” and the strains of unsung melodies which their cre
ative musical genius inspires, the band and orchestra mem
bers chording 'and dischording—all these are a part of the
life of the town; the external and more or less superficial
life that one who does not know will readily accept as the
most interesting. But far beneath these evidences of care
free and happy-go-lucky existence is the great struggle of
a people for self-mastery. They are overcoming a deep
skepticism of the kindly encouragement of their employers,
due to their never before having been treated so well. They
are rallying to the higher call to a clean manhood and an
honorable womanhood by those of their fellows possessed of
education and training and moral earnestness. They are
experiencing a new notion of the dignity of labor and of
the duties of citizenship. An honest striving is acconijjlish-
ing, in a remarkably short time, the results that their em
ployers knew would follow from exciting the best that is in
them.
About the town there are the professional and business
men and men of affairs—several in the employ of the Com
pany—who are the natuial leaders of the community. They
are leading the procession, and teaching by precept and ex
ample the way of progress and enlightenment. Whatever
has remained of doubt as to the Negro’s ability to develop
if given kindly encouragement and left unhindered, has
been more than overwhelmed by the most interesting ex
periment in the United States in the making of good Ameri
cans.
The Tallassee Power Company is not a philanthropic insti
tution, nor is it trying to solv0 the “race problem;” it is en
gaged in the business of making aluminum. It simply be
lieves that if the proper incentive is held out to workers,
good results will follow. It knows that it is good business
to develop healthy, intelligent, and satisfied workers; and
that if Negro workers are encouraged they will become satis
fied and reliable. In other words, it realizes that the human
element is the greatest consideration in the dealing of capi
tal with labor. The Tallassee Power Company is right.
INTERIOR BADIN COLORED POOL ROOM