THE SWEATY FACES of THE CROPPERS byjojobrooksshifflett

I  remember the sweaty faces of the tobacco croppers. The men would begin croppin' as soon as the sun provided the dimmist of morning light.

Copper were always THE strongest men, from 20 through 65 years old. The elders both cropped and trained the younger men. All men were related by immediate family, through marriage or distant cousins. And with few older Indian farmers having one  truck or car, the majority of choppers lived within the same 5 mile radius of community. CROPPERS were the highest paid of the multi layered Teamof labor required to "Put in Tobacco" when it was fully grown and green. 

  So up as soon as the first dark blue of night began to grow bright, every Tobacco cropper was already  making their way to the field. 

Any longer would have made the job impossible as the Carolina Sun takes no prisoners, only victims.

byjojobrooksshifflett