The Journal of Negro History, Volume 4, 1919

New Orleans, La., May 21, 1917.

Dear Sir: As it is my desire to leave the south for some portion of the north to make my future home I desided to write to you as one who is able to furnish proper information for such a move. I am a cook of plain meals and I have knowledge of industrial training. I recieved such training at Tuskegee Inst. some years ago and I have a letter from Mrs. Booker T. Washington bearing out such statement and letters from other responsible corporations and individuals and since I know that I can come up to such recommendations, I want to come north where it is said such individuals are wanted. Therefore will you please furnish me with names and addresses of railroad officials to whom I might write for such employment as it is my desire to work only for railroads, if possible. I have reference to officials who are over extra gangs, bridge gangs, paint gangs and pile drivers over any boarding department which takes in plain meals. I have 25 years experience in this line of work and understand the method of saving the company money.

You will please dig into this in every way that is necessary and whatever charges you want for your trouble make your bill to me, and I will mail same to you.

Wishing you much success in your papers throughout the country, especially in the south as it is the greatest help to the southern negro that has ever been read.

New Orleans, La., 5-20-17.

Dear Sir: I am sure your time is precious, for being as you an editor of a newspaper such as the race has never owned and for which it must proudly bost of as being the peer in the pereoidical world. am confident that yours is a force of busy men. I also feel sure that you will spare a small amount of your time to give some needed information to one who wishes to relieve himselfe of the burden of the south. I indeed wish very much to come north anywhere in Ill. will do since I am away from the Lynchman's noose and torchman's fire. Myself and a friend wish to come but not without information regarding work and general suroundings. Now hon sir if for any reason you are not in position to furnish us with the information desired. please do the act of kindness of placing us in tuch with the organization who's business it is I am told to furnish said information, we are firemen machinist helpers practical painters and general laborers. And most of all, ministers of the gospel who are not afraid of labor for it put us where we are. Please let me hear from you.

New Orleans, La., May 1, 1917.

Dear Sir: I am a reader of the Chicago Defender and while reading I seen where you are aiding those in search of work and I thought that I would drop you a few lines though I am far away but if there is any way that you could get a pass please try and do that much for us as we are a party of four good working men the southern white are trying very hard to keep us from the north but still they wont give us no work to do they dont pay us any thing and still dont want us to go. now please answer at your very earliest I am

Dapne, Ala., 4/20/17.

Sir: I am writing you to let you know that there is 15 or 20 familys wants to come up there at once but cant come on account of money to come with and we cant phone you here we will be killed they dont want us to leave here & say if we dont go to war and fight for our country they are going to kill us and wants to get away if we can if you send 20 passes there is no doubt that every one of us will com at once, we are not doing any thing here we cant get a living out of what we do now some of these people are farmers and som are cooks barbers and black smiths but the greater part are farmers & good worker & honest people & up to date the trash pile dont want to go no where. These are nice people and respectable find a place like that & send passes & we all will come at once we all wants to leave here out of this hard luck place if you cant use us find some place that does need this kind of people we are called Negroes here. I am a reader of the Defender and am delighted to know how times are there & was to glad to, know if we could get some one to pass us away from here to a better land. We work but cant get scarcely any thing for it & they dont want us to go away & there is not much of anything here to do & nothing for it. Please find some one that need this kind of a people & send at once for us. We dont want anything but our wareing and bed clothes & have not got no money to get away from here with & beging to get away before we are killed and hope to here from you at once. We cant talk to you over the phone here we are afraid to they dont want to hear one say that he or she wants to leave here if we do we are apt to be killed. They say if we dont go to war they are not going to let us stay here with their folks and it is not any thing that we have done to them. We are law abiding people want to treat every bordy right, these people wants to leave here but we cant we are here and have nothing to go with if you will send us some way to get away from here we will work till we pay it all if it takes that for us to go or get away. Now get busy for the south race. The conditions are horrible here with us. they wont give us anyhing to do & say that we wont need anything but something to eat & wont give us anything for what we do & wants us to stay here. Write me at once that you will do for us we want & opertunity that all we wants is to show you what we can do and will do if we can find some place, we wants to leave here for a north drive somewhere. We see starvation ahead of us here. We want to imigrate to the farmers who need our labor. We have not had no chance to have anything here thats why we plead to you for help to leave here to the North. We are humane but we are not treated such we are treated like brute by our whites here we dont have no privilige no where in the south. We must take anything they put on us. Its hard if its fair. We have not got no cotegous diseases here. We are looking to here from you soon.

Greenville, Miss., May 29, 1917.

Dear Sir: this letter is from one of the defenders greatest frends. You will find stamp envelope for reply. Will you put me in tuch with some good firm so I can get a good job in your city or in Cleveland, Ohio or in Philadelphia, Pa. or in Detroyet, Michian in any of the above name states I would be glad to live in. I want to get my famely out of this cursed south land down here a negro man is not good as a white man's dog. I can learn anything any other man can. Not only I want to get out of the south but there are numbers of good hard working men here and do not know where they are going and what they are going to. Also I could get a good deal of men from here if I could get in tuch with some firms that would furnish me the money as passes. Now in conlution, I want to know what is the trouble? I cannot get anything more through the Defender. I have written to the Defender some 3 or 4 times and eather articel was never published. I recieves a free copy of the Defender every week and the people here are all ways after me to write some doings to the Defender and if I write anything it is never published.

Greenville, Miss., 5-20-17.

Dear Sir: I write you asking you some information as I am a reader of your paper I have been buying a paper every Sunday for 5 months I want to come to your city to live and every thing is so hard down here everything is so high and wages is low until we just can live I want to know what will it cost from St. Louis to Chicago. I can get from Greenville to St. Louis cheap by boat. I want to come up there the last of June. I ask you to assist me in getting a job I can do most any kind of hard work and have a common education. If you will look me up a good job it will be highly appreciated and your kindness will never be forgotten.

Selma, Ala., 4-15-17.

Dear Sir: If you no of any firm or corporation who need a good reliable man please notify me I want get out of the south. I cant live on the salary I am getting I am not so bent on coming to Chicago. But anywhere up that way where there is an opening for labor please attend to this matter at once. I can do any kind of common labor please let me hear from you at your earliest convenience. I take the Defender every week I see where southern people are being put on jobs when they reach the North please look for me a job or hand this to some one that will be inturested in it.

Moss Point, Miss., April 29, 1917.

Dear Sir: I read your advt in the Chicago Defender wanting laborers for foundry, ware house, and yard work with transportation paid. I'll come at once and lots of others here would also come if you will transport us there for we are anxs to get of southen soil.

Laurel, Miss., May 10, 1917.

Dear sir: i rite you i seen in Chicago paper that you aftiese for laborer ninety miles from Chicago and i am a experienced molder and i do truly hope you will give me a job for i am sick of the south and please send me a transportation i have a family and wife and three children my oldes child is 8 years old and i wont to bring my famiely with me so please send me a transportation at once for i am redy to come at once me and my family i will pay you for your trubel with all pleasure if i can get up there please send after us at once for i am redy to come at once and i have not got money to pay our train fair and if you will send after us i will sure pay you your money back so i will close from your truly ansure soon

Letters from South to Friends North and from North to Friends SouthMacon, Ga., May 27, 1917.

Dear Mary:—I just got in from B. Y. P. U. eat a little bite and got my writing together. Now May dear you mus pardon me for not answering promp I no you will when I tell you the cause We had a souls stiring revival this year I mis you so much We baptised 14 and after the Revival had closed up come George B– confesing Christ so we baptized the first sunday in May and the third Sunday in May George were baptise May I cant tell you how I feel I wrote Ella J– A– Ella said she cried as far as she is from here so she no I cut up but I diden I am just as quite as I can be Sam H– joined to. B os Jones Hattie J– boy Geo L– Mr. B– two boys Walice P– I dont know the others. Dear May I got a card from Mrs. Addie S– yesterday she is well and say Washington D.C. is a pretty place but wages is not good say it better forther on Cliford B– an his wife is back an give the North a bad name Old lady C– is in Cleavon an wonte to come home mighty bad so Cliford say. I got a hering from Vick C– tell me to come on she living better than she ever did in her life Charlie J– is in Detroit he got there last weak Hattie J– lef Friday Oh I can call all has left here Leala J– is speaking of leaving soon There were more people left last week then ever 2 hundred left at once the whites an colored people had a meeting Thursday an Friday telling the people if they stay here they will treat them better an pay better. Huney they are hurted but the haven stop yet. The colored people say they are too late now George B– is on his head to go to Detroit Mrs. Anna W– is just like you left her she is urgin everybody to go on an she not getting ready May you dont no how I mis you I hate to pass your house Everybody is well as far as I no Will J– is on the gang for that same thing hapen about the eggs on Houston road. His wife tried to get him to leave here but he woulden Isiah j– is going to send for Hattie. In short Charles S– wife quit him last week he aint doin no better May it is lonesome her it fills my heart with sadiness to write to my friends that gone we dont no weather we will ever see one or nother any more or not May if I dont come to Chgo I will go to Detroit I dont think we will be so far apart an we will get chance to see each other agin I got a heap to tell you but I feal so sad in hart my definder diden come yesterday I dont no why it company to me to read it May I received the paper you sent me an I see there or pleanty of work I can do I will let you no in my next lettr what I am going to do but I cant get my mind settle to save my life. Love to Mr. A–. May now is the time to leave here. The weather is getting better I wont to live out from town I would not like to live rite in town My health woulden be good 75 blocks burned in Atlanta. they had fire department from Macon, Augusta, in Savanah—well all of the largest cities in Georgia to help put out that fire the whites believe the Gurmons drop that fire down Now may I hope we will meet again so we can talk face to face just lik I once have. I will write to Mrs. V– soon we hurd Mr. L– is there I didn't tell the nabors, I was writing to you M. W– will write next weak to you

Now we no that we or to pray for each other by by.

FromMary B–

P. S. I will tell you this Ida gone out to about a farm and wants me to take one but I feal like I make more up there than I will fooling with a farm May if I stay here I will go crazy I am told there is no meeting up there like we have here now May tell me about the houses you can write me on a pos card of some of the building. May tell me about the place. Lilian D– come here last night an tore my mind al to peaces I got your paper an note so I will keep up corespond with you.

Nashville, Tenn., Aug. 14, 1917.

Dear Mrs. T–.: I received your card and was glad to hear from you pleas excsue me for not writing before now I have been sick and have got a tubl headacke write back to me and let me know how times is—I know you are getting fat of good boes—I wish it was here—T– sent love to you and said to get her a boe. You ought to send me a apron or waist one—J– said hody and write to him and tell him about the browns up there and tell R– I said hody. I see T– down to Mrs. S– G– and to tell Mrs. N– I said hody—how is the weigh up there—we can get all the beerret we want—You think of me in your prays and I will think of you in my prays

By ByFrom yourFriend.Atlanta, Ga., July 4, '17.

Hello Mr. M–: How are you at this time—I arrived here safe and all O. K. and I am well and hope you are the same. Mrs. M– told me that she reecived the money you sent to her and everybody sends love to you. I found my baby very sick when I come home but he is better now and I am going to try to come back up there in short time. How are times there now since my leaving there. I stopped in Cincinnati Ohio for 4 days then I left for G. but I will be with you some days I hope. Ask J– W– did he get my letter I wrote to him. Plenty work here but no money to it $1.50 to $2.00 a day that all I am telling you truly. Have you seen anything of W– W– he is there in Chicago If you do tell him to send me his address. I want to here from him I learn he is making $23.00 a week he lives on Federal St., in the 40 block some where. If I were there I would locate him.

Tell all the boys Hello. Tell them to write to me and tell me all the news.

Good ByeYour Friend.Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 25th, 1917.

Mrs. L– t–: my dear friend I receuve your card and was truly glad to hear from you—it found me not so well at this time present and when these few lines come to you I hope they will find you all well and doing well—I want you to write to me and tell me what ar you doing and what ar you making and where is your son w– and how do you think it would soot me up there. All of your friends said howdy and they would be glad to see you—I would love to see you and Mrs. B– I miss you so much.

Say T– do you think that I could get a job up there if I would come up there where you are—if so write me word and let me no are you keeping house now to your self—if so write to me and let me no—write soon tu me

Yours truley.Chicago, Illinois.

My dear Sister: I was agreeably surprised to hear from you and to hear from home. I am well and thankful to say I am doing well. The weather and everything else was a surprise to me when I came. I got here in time to attend one of the greatest revivals in the history of my life—over 500 people joined the church. We had a Holy Ghost shower. You know I like to have run wild. It was snowing some nights and if you didn't hurry you could not get standing room. Please remember me kindly to any who ask of me. The people are rushing here by the thousands and I know if you come and rent a big house you can get all the roomers you want. You write me exactly when you are coming. I am not keeping house yet I am living with my brother and his wife. My sone is in California but will be home soon. He spends his winter in California. I can get a nice place for you to stop until you can look around and see what you want. I am quite busy. I work in Swifts packing Co. in the sausage department. My daughter and I work for the same company—We get $1.50 a day and we pack so many sausages we dont have much time to play but it is a matter of a dollar with me and I feel that God made the path and I am walking therein.

Tell your husband work is plentiful here and he wont have to loaf if he want to work. I know unless old man A– changed it was awful with his sould and G– also.

Well I am always glad to hear from my friends and if I can do anything to assist any of them to better their condition, please remember me to Mr. C– and his family I will write them all as soon as I can. Well I guess I have said about enough. I will be delighted to look into your face once more in life. Pray for me for I am heaven bound. I have made too many rounds to slip now. I know you will pray for prayer is the life of any sensible man or woman. Well goodbye from your sister in Christ

P. S. My brother moved the week after I came. When you fully decide to come write me and let me know what day you expect to leave and over what road and if I dont meet you I will have some one ther to meet you and look after you. I will send you a paper as soon as one come along they send out extras two and three times a day.

Chicago, Ill.

Dear Partner: You received a few days ago and I was indeed glad to hear from you and know that you was well. How is the old burg and all of the boys. Say partner is it true that T– M– was shot by a Negro Mon. It is all over the city among the people of H'burg if so let know at once so I tell the boys it true. Well so much for that. I wish you could have been here to have been here to those games. I saw them and beleve me they was worth the money I pay to see them. T. S. and I went out to see Sunday game witch was 7 to 2 White Sox and I saw Satday game 2 to 1 White Sox. Please tell J– write that he will never see nothing as long as he stay down there behind the sun there some thing to see up here all the time, (tell old E– B– to go to (H–) Tell B– he dont hafter answer my cards. How is friend Wilson Wrote him a letter in August. Tell him that all right I will see him in the funny paper. Well Partner I guess you hear a meny funey thing about Chicago. Half you hear is not true. I know B– C– hav tole a meny lie Whenever you here see them Pardie tell them to write to this a dress Say Pardie old H– is moping up in his Barber shop. Guess I will come to you Boy Xmas. I must go to bed. Just in from a hard days work.

Your life long friend.Dixon, Ill., Sept.-25-17.

Dear Sir: Time affords of writting you people now as we have raised to wages to three dollars a day for ten hours—eleven hrs. a day $3.19 We work two wks day and two wks night—for night work $3.90 This is steady work a year round We have been running ten years without stopping only for ten days repair. I wish you would write me at once.

Chicago, Illinois, 11/13/17.

Mr. H–

Hattiesburg, Miss.

Dear M–: Yours received sometime ago and found all well and doing well, hope you and family are well.

I got my things alright the other day and they were in good condition. I am all fixed now and living well. I certainly appreciate what you done for us and I will remember you in the near future.

M–, old boy, I was promoted on the first of the month I was made first assistant to the head carpenter when he is out of the place I take everything in charge and was raised to $95. a month. You know I know my stuff.

Whats the news generally around H'burg? I should have been here 20 years ago. I just begin to feel like a man. It's a great deal of pleasure in knowing that you have got some privilege My children are going to the same school with the whites and I dont have to umble to no one. I have registered—Will vote the next election and there isnt any 'yes sir' and 'no sir'—its all yes and no and Sam and Bill.

Florine says hello and would like very much to see you.

All joins me in sending love to you and family. How is times there now? Answer soon, from your friend and bro.

Pittsburg, Pa., May 11, 1917.

My dear Pastor and wife: It affords me great pleasure to write you this leave me well & O. K. I hope you & sis Hayes are well & no you think I have forgotten you all but I never will how is ever body & how is the church getting along well I am in this great city & you no it cool here right now the trees are just peeping out. fruit trees are now in full bloom but its cool yet we set by big fire over night. I like the money O. K. but I like the South betterm for my Pleasure this city is too fast for me they give you big money for what you do but they charge you big things for what you get and the people are coming by cal Loads every day its just pack out the people are Begging for some whears to sta If you have a family of children & come here you can buy a house easier than you cant rent one if you rent one you have to sign up for 6 months or 12 month so you see if you dont like it you have to stay you no they pass that law becaus the People move about so much I am at a real nice place and stay right in the house of a Rve.– and family his wife is a state worker I mean a missionary she is some class own a plenty rel estate & personal Property they has a 4 story home on the mountain, Piano in the parlor, organ in the sewing room, 1 daughter and 2 sons but you no I have to pay $2.00 per week just to sleep and pay it in advance & get meals whear I work so I think I shall get me a place whear I work next week the lady said she would rather we stay in the house with them & give me a room up stairs than to pay so much for sleeping so she pays me eight Dols per week to feed now she says she will room me so if I dont take that offer I cant save very much I go to church some time plenty churches in this plase all kinds they have some real colored churches I have been on the Allegany Mts twice seem like I was on Baal Tower. Lisen Hayes I am here & I am going to stay ontell fall if I dont get sick its largest city I ever saw 45 miles long & equal in breath & a smoky city so many mines of all kind some places look like torment or how they say it look & some places look like Paradise in this great city my sister in law goes too far I stop here I will visit her this summer if I get a pass I cant spend no more money going further from Home I am 26 miles from my son Be sweet Excuse me for writeing on both sides I have so much to say I want to save ever line with a word and that aint the half but I have told you real facts what I have said I keps well so far & I am praying to contenure & I hope you & your dear sweet wife will pray for me & all of my sisters & Bros & give Mrs. C. my love & sis Jennie & all the rest & except a barrel ful for you and Hayes Pleas send me a letter of recommendation tell Dr., to sign & Mr. Oliver. I remain your friend.

Cleveland, Ohio, Aug. 28, 1917.

hollow Dr. my old friend how are you to day i am well and is doing fine plenty to eat and drink and is making good money in fact i am not in the best of health i have not had good health sence i ben here, i thought once i would hefter be operrated on But i dont no. i were indeed glad to recieve that paper from Union Springs, i saw in this a peas swhare I wrote to ellesfore a 2 horse farm, i have seval nochants of coming back, yet i am doing well no trouble what ever except i can not raise my children here like they should be this is one of the worst places in principle you ever look on in your life but it is a fine place to make money all nattions is here, and let me tell you this place is crowded with the lowest negroes you ever meet, when i first come here i cold hardly ever see a Negro but no this is as meny here is they is thir all kinds of loffers. gamblers pockit pickers you are not safe here to walk on the streets at night you are libble to get kill at eny time thir have ben men kill her jest because he want allow stragglers in his family, yet i have not had no trouble no way. and we are making good money here, i have made as hight at 7.50 per day and my wife $4 Sundays my sun 7.50 and my 2 oldes girls 1.25 but my regler wegers is 3.60 fore 8 hours work. me and my family makes one hundred three darlers and 60 cents every ten days. it don cost no more to live here than it do thir, except house rent i pay 12 a month fore rent sence i have rote you everything look closely and tell me what you think is best. i am able to farm without asking any man fore enything on a credit i can not in joy this place let me tell you this is a large place Say Jef thornton, and William Penn taken dinner with us last Sunday and we taken a car ride over the city in the evening we taken the town in and all so the great Jake era. they left Sunday night for Akron. Allso Juf griear spent the day with me few days ago give my love to all the Surounding friends