The Journal of Negro History
Chapter 219 : NEW ORLEANS, LA., 5/20/17._Dear Sirs:_ My silfe and a friend is after hearing from you

NEW ORLEANS, LA., 5/20/17.

_Dear Sirs:_ My silfe and a friend is after hearing from you contemplating the idea of coming north we have been told that yours is the business of informing those who are coming there of what is the very best way and about work, etc. Wish to say we need your information and are very anxious of being advised by you. We will want work as soon as were there and we are not perticular about Chiago. Anywhere north will do us and I suppose the worst place there is better than the best place here. Please inform us by return mail where we can get work and how in doing so you will be helping us wonderfully and we will more than appreciate your efforts, wis.h.i.+ng you much success and hoping to hear from you this week, I am, Yours with best wishes.

PALESTINE, TEX., 1/2/17.

_Dear Sir:_ I hereby enclose you a few lines to find out some few things if you will be so kind to word them to me. I am a southerner lad and has never ben in the north no further than Texas and I has heard so much talk about the north and how much better the colard people are treated up there than they are down here and I has ben striveing so hard in my coming up and now I see that I cannot get up there without the ade of some one and I wants to ask you Dear Sir to please direct me in your best manner the stept that I shall take to get there and if there are any way that you can help me to get there I am kindly asking you for your ade. And if you will ade me please notify me by return mail because I am sure ancious to make it in the north because these southern white people are so mean and they seems to be getting worse and I wants to get away and they wont pay enough for work for a man to save up enough to get away and live to. If you will not ade me in getting up there please give me some information how I can get there I would like to get there in the early spring, if I can get there if posible. Our southern white people are so cruel we collord people are almost afraid to walke the streets after night. So please let me hear from you by return mail. I will not say very much in this letter I will tell you more about it when I hear from you please ans. soon to Yours truly.

SAVANNAH, GA., May 16, 1917.

_Dear Sir:_ I written you a special letter on last week containing stamped envelope for early reply asking a favor of you, as I am in the south and are trying all that I can to get away as I told you in my letter that I have been here all my life, which is about 40 years and trying with all of my might all of that time to make an honest living and all of it seems to be a failure and now as I heard of better wages and better treatment you can receive acording to character and behavior. I am seeking to get there by the help of the good Lord and if it is any possible way of you securing work I and 2 daughters I will gladly try all I can to repay you for your trouble. I wont say any thing of my children as they are very honorable to me they have never slept one night from under my roof. Now dear friend I write you this as I have heard that you all are a friend to the needy and if there is any hope for me please let me know by return mail.

ATLANTA, GA., April 29, 1917.

_Kind friend:_ While reading the Chicago Definder i saw and advertis.e.m.e.nt for laborers wanted i am down in the south with my familey and wishes to become a northern citysin i have onley worked for two firms in my life and i am 35 years old. Worked in Augusta Ga for more than 20 years and only made 10 dolars a week fore years ago i moved to Atlanta went to weark for the ---- Cleaning Co of Atlanta, only making 10 a weak the wages is so small i cant harly feed by familey and i cant save enough money to get away i would like to get to Cleavland ohio i have some friends thear saying that the wages is good if it is eney way you can help me get up thear i will a.s.sure you i will be a wearthy citysin wis.h.i.+ng to hear from you soon. i am a man that wants to weark and by G.o.ds help i beleive i will concur some old day.

ATLANTA, GA., April 22, 1917.

_Gentlemen:_ I am an experienced packer having been regularly employed for quite a number of years for such work and I am now employed by one of Atlanta's largest firms as a packer. I desire to leave the south and would like for you to secure me a position or put me in touch with some firm that needs a colored packer, kindly advise me what your terms are for such work. I am not particular about living in Chicago. Thanking you in advance.

MOBILE, ALA., Jan. 8, 1917.

_Dear Sir:_ I am writing you to see if you can furnish me with any information in regards to colored men securing employment. I would like to know if you could put me in touch with some manufacturing company either some corporation that is employing or in of colored men. My reason is there are a number of young men in this city of good moral and can furnish good reference--that is anxious to leave this section of the country and go where conditions are better. I taken this matter up with Mr. ---- of Boston and he referred me to you. I myself is anxious to leave this part of the country and be where a negro man can appreshate beaing a man at the present time I am working as office man for a large corporation which position I have had for the past 11 years, having a very smart boy in his studies I wish to locate where he could recive a good education. I could at a few days notice place 200 good able bodied young men that is anxious to leave this city, these men I refer to is men of good morals and would prove a credit to the community. If you can furnish me with the desired information it will be gladly received, it makes little or no difference as to what state they can go to just so they cross the Mason and Dixie line, trusting you will furnish me with any information you have at hand at an early date, I await your reply.

HOUSTON, TEX., April 3, 1917.

_Dear Sir:_ I have read the Defender and I have put my mine on it and I wood lik to know mor abot it and if yo pleas send me a letter abot the noth I will thenk uo becaus we have so miney members of the race wont to come and live up thear and all they is waitin on is a chanch and that is all and they will say fair wel to this old world and thay all will come, some is rail road some is shop and anny thang thay can gets to do. With hold the name.

HOUSTON, TEX., May 16, 1917.

_Sir:_ I sincerely ask of you this very important favor I and my family consists of 4--husband, wife boy 14 years boy of 4 months also three others male of healthy and ambitious character also dependable to our race asking at any time, are you able to communicate with any firm or person needing such as are stated thereon. I sincerely ask you to refer such to said adress as we are only here asking the Lord to aid us out of this terrible state we are now in. We do any kind of work for an honest liveing.

JACKSONVILLE, FLA., July 1, 1917.

_Kind Sir:_ in reading your paper I see where you could get me and my family a job so if can I would be verry glad as it is my wish to leave the south, any kind of a job all rite with me. I will remane, Yours truly.

PENSACOLA, FLA., 5-19-17.

_Dear Editor:_ Would you please let me no what is the price of boarding and rooming of Chicago and where is the best place to get a job before the draft will work. I would rather join the army 1000 times up there than to join it once down here.

WARRINGTON, FLA., 4-24-17.

_Sir:_ i red the Chgo Deffedeer and i seen where yo was in the need of good men that wanted worke Sir I would like very much to leave the South and come north if I could get a imployment my trade is carpenter or seament finisher and I am willan to do any kind of worke that come before me I can do which I am not working at my trade now I am working in a store now and I can bring yo some good men all so bring my recommendashon with me Hopin yo will rite me at wonce and let me here from yo. My addres.

JACKSONVILLE, FLA., May 11, 1917.

_Dear Sir:_ given me. Although i am badly disapointed because i realy want to be among the northern folk and i have got the means to leave here with and by the way you have explain matter to me it would pay me best to have a transportation so I can be sure of having a job when I gets there.

PENSACOLA, FLA., 5-18-17.

_Dear Sir:_ Just a few lines to ask your ade en getting a job as waiter. I am a waiter of 10 or 12 years exsperience in the city of New Orleans, 4 years here in this city also. I can cook and serve as butler, I am verry anxious to get up there becaus I have a family and I desire a study job en a more better city than this. If you know of any one will send a transportation for a good man please send for me. I am willing to pay my transportation back in monthly payments. I will appreciate any favor you can do for me along these lines as I am in need of a good job just now. Can furnish best of refrience.

MOBILE, ALA., May 3, 1917.

_Dear Sir:_ Alowe me to congralate you on your wonderful paper it is a help to a lot of the people of our race it shows us the difference between north and south. We are doing fine in our way but would like to do better a lots of us would like to come up there but are not able and dare not ask some one to help us to go for the law will have us. I like your paper and would like to see more of Mobile news in it. Who is your agent in Mobile. There is lots of idle men in Mobile lots have trades but they are not supplied with work and can't get anything to go off with. Several men were arrested on being labor agents. Would like to correspond with you if you could help our pepel eny. You may let me no threw your paper.

NEW BERN, N.C., May 5, 1917.

_Dear sire:_ I seen you ade in the Chicago Defender for different occpatisions and I in close you for and transportation for ten men as I has them menny reddy now and wood be glad to leave at the earliest date and I can get as menny as you wont and all so I wont a job for my self because we ar in a bad condition in this country and wish to in press a pon your mind the condition of we poor colored people how we are geting a long in the south and I want to show you how we ar treated by the white of the south by sending you this strip to read for you self so I will close I wish to here from you in the return mail at wonce. Please

ALEXANDRIA, LA., May 5, 1917.

_Dear Sir:_ I read your ad in the Chicago Defender paper where are in need of 20 bench molder witch mean machinery men who under stand the manufacture work and I am one who will be willing to learn the trade at small wage about $2.25 a day and I also have five more here who will come with me if you only send me six of your transportation soon as can and I also wish that you will not turn me down. I am looking for your letter promptly and will be deeply glad to get it as I trust in the Lord that you will send me six of your transportation as I am willing to come in work. we will come at once when you send them to me send me a special delivery letters with them in it and I will pay you when we are there.

ATLANTA, GA., May 2, 1917.

_Dear Sir:_ I am a reader of the Chicago Defender and is verry proud of it and by reading the Chicago Defender I saw your adv.

and I want to consult with about a position in a Chicago firm. I would like verry much to get a position there or eny where above the Mason Dixon line. I am a competet chauffer or butler. I am married no children. My wife is a cook nea.r.s.e or maid, and if you cannot supply me with some position within about 10 days will you please put me in tutch with some other employment and if you can supply me with eather of those posetins please write me. I am also a first cla.s.s laundry man. I hold reference as good s.h.i.+rt ironer, coller ironer or extractor man in the wash room. Please let me here from you. the peoples is leaving here by the thousands.

NEW ORLEANS, LA., May 1, 1917.

_Sur:_ in reding the defender i saw they advurtise that you sen transportation at advanced from Chicago now dear sur please let me know i am a maride man an hav a famly off 5 now if you cant sen for all send 2 one for me and my brother he live with me he is 18 yers old then i can arang for the rest after i get out there now pleas tri and do sumthing for me i am working her for nothing i will bee to glad to get a way from here so pleas sen me a pas for me an my brother and we will sen for the res of the famly after i get there ancer this letter soon as you get it try to get us work in the ware house or yard work i am a cook an utly man have to cook serv drink and short ordes an work al nite.

MEMPHIS, TENN., April 29, 1917.

_Sir:_ Seeing the wonderful opportunity that is being offered the colored man of the south by the northern industries and the aid in which your organization is giveing them it aroused within me the ambition that prompts every man to long for liberty. What I want to say is I am coming north and seeing your call for me thought I would write you and list a few things I can do and see if you can find a place for me any where north of the Mason and Dixon line and I will present myself in person at your office as soon as I hear from you. I am now employed in the R. R. shop in Memphis. I am a engine watchman, hostler, red cup man, pipe fitter, oil house man, s.h.i.+pping clerk, telephone lineman, freight caller, an expert soaking vat man that is one who make dope for packing hot boxes on engines. I am a capable of giving satisfaction in either of the above name positions. I bought a Chicago Defender and after reading it and seeing the golden opportunity I have decided to leave this place at once.

NEW ORLEANS, LA., April 29, 1917.