The Journal of Negro History
Chapter 202 : CHATTANOOGA, TENN., May 2, 1917._Dear Sir:_ I beg to call you tension of some employme

CHATTANOOGA, TENN., May 2, 1917.

_Dear Sir:_ I beg to call you tension of some employment in your country. I has been inform that you will give instruction an get work any wher in the northern stats. I have some of the best labor that is in south an some of the best molders if we can get employment in north we wil go.

a waiting your reply.

SAVANNAH, GA., March 16, 1917.

_Gentlemen:_ Having learned that you ar short of laborers, I respectfully offer myself as an applicant for a situation, and would be glad to get a hearing from you as soon as it would be convenient for you to reply. There are also many of my friends that would be glad to get a situation. I am willing to do most eny kind of earnest work. I am 36 years of age and can read and wright the english language. and have good experance in busness.

Any communication whitch you may be pleased to make addressed as above will receive prompt attention.

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA., May 1, 1917.

_Dear sir:_ I am in receipt of your letter of the 16th of April in reply to a letter I written to you. I will say at this junction that there are more than 250 men desire to come north but is not able to come if your manufacture men would like to have 75 men labores from the south why he can get them for the fair from here to New York is only 19.00 nineteen dollars and I do not think that is a high transportation cost to get good labor. Now there are men here that will work that can and have 10.00 ten dollars on there fair and for a little a.s.sistance they will come at once for the condis.h.i.+on there is terrible the low wage and high cost of living and bad treatment is causing all to want to come north. Now I have a family of 8 only, one boy that can work in the north for he is 18 years the others is school children and I would like to get them up there with me for I was raise in the eastern state Ma.s.sachusett Cambridge and pa.s.s as a master workman in Denver Colorader making brick. Now if there is any way to a.s.sist why do so now if you can only a.s.sist me why just do it as a brother & friend I have 5 to pay for but I have a little moeny but not enough to pay all way 3 full and 2 half fair so you can readily see just where Im at but I got my fare but rather bring my family with me.

ASHFORD, ALA., Dec. 8, 1916.

_Dear sir_: I take great pleasure in writing you and replying to your advertiser that you all wanted colored laborers and I want to come up north and could get you 75 more responsible hands if you want them so if you please send me 3 pa.s.ses are as manny as you like and I garontee you that I will fill them out with responsible hands and good ones so please let me here from you at once.

ORANGEBURG, S. C., June 14, 1917.

_Dear Sir_: your addess was gave to me this after noon by a young man by the name of Mr. ---- who is now in Conn. and I write him to see if he could get me a good job so he said to me on his card that he was listening for a vacan place to apply for but hesen found any thing not as yet but he said he wood do his very best for me. This time of the year most people are now goeing north so much I thought I wood come two so he told me to write you and see if I could get you to get me a good job and have the people to write me and advance me a transportation from Orangeburg to New York. He said you are the best man in New York to a.s.sist good fellow in to good paying jobs. I will look two here from you very soon.

GRAHAM, LA., May 18, 1917.

_Dear sir_: a word of infermation and a ancer from you please there are about 12 or 15 of us with our famlys leaving the south and we can hear of collored peples leaving the south but we are not luckey enough to leave hear. Dr. ---- clame to be an agent to sind peples off and we has bin to him so minnie times and has fail to get off untill we dont no what to do so if you will place us about 15 tickets or get some one else to do so we are honest enough to come at once and labor for you or the one that sind them untill we pay you if so requir. If we war able we wood sur leave this torminting place but the job we as got and what we get it we do well to feed our family so please let me here from you at once giveing full detale of my requess.

SAVANNAH, GA., May 3, 1917.

_Dare sier:_ I understand that you wont some mens and if you wood sen me transportation for ten mens wood bee turly glad and please write to me at wonce and lete me hir form you.

MEMPHIS, TENN., May 3, 1917.

_Dear Sir:_ Seeing you add in the Chicago definder that you are in need of labor I write you for full information at once hope you will please give me. I am willing to come & if you kneed any more labor I am sufficient to bring them.

Now my dear sir if you can give me a steady job please send me a pa.s.s hope you will write me at once.

SAVANNAH, GA., 4-30-17.

_Dear sir:_ in reply to the labor wanted I write you let you know I am a poor afflicted man can not do anything come to hand but am willing to work and do need something to make a support now will you please look up a job for me I could sweep or do any thing light like that could watch act as janitor if you will send me a transportation when I get there you see my willingness you would make me a job now if you will except I will get you some men and bring with me because I know numbers of men want to come and can get as many as you want. Just give me a trial.

JACKSONVILLE, FLA., May 2, 1917.

_Deer sir:_ i reed in the Chicago Defender that you wanted some molder in your city i dont no wheather you mene lumber are iron moulder but i am 4 years experence in lumber but if you mene iron molder i dont think i will be many days learning the trade if it is any chance that i can get a good job eith you i would like to hear from you at once i am maried and would like to get 2 transportation if i can and if you want some hard working mens let me no and i will do all that i can for you and bring them on with me if you will make same range ment to get them there i mean that i will get you some good men hard working mens like myself so let me here from you at once Please

JACKSONVILLE, FLA., 5/21/17.

_Dear sir_: i am today righting you a few lines asking you to please give me some information and that is this if you know of any one that wants help of any kind men or women and one that would send a few tickets would you please give me they address i was told to right to you for information please lead me in the light as i could get five familys and 8 or 9 good men for any firm that wanted help, so I am awaiting your promp reply.

PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, 5/5th/17.

_Dear Sir_: Permitt me to inform you that I have had the pleasure of reading the Defender for the first time in my life as I never dreamed that there was such a race paper published and I must say that its _some_ paper.

However I can unhesitatingly say that it is extraordinarily interesting and had I know that there was such a paper in my town or such being handled in my vicinity I would have been a subscriber years ago.

Nevertheless I read every s.p.a.ce of the paper dated April 28th which is my first and only paper at present. Although I am greatfully antic.i.p.ating the pleasure of receiving my next Defender as I now consider myself a full fledged defender fan and I have also requested the representative of said paper to deliver my Defender weekly.

In reading the Defenders want ad I notice that there is lots of work to be had and if I havent miscomprehended I think I also understand that the transportation is advanced to able bodied working men who is out of work and desire work. Am I not right?

with the understanding that those who have been advanced transportation same will be deducted from their salary after they have begun work. Now then if this is they proposition I have about 10 or 15 good working men who is out of work and are dying to leave the south and I a.s.sure you that they are working men and will be too glad to come north east or west, any where but the south.

Now then if this is the proposition kindly let me know by return mail. However I a.s.sure you that it shall be my pleasure to furnish you with further or all information that you may undertake to ask or all information necessary concerning this communication.

Thanking you in advance for the courtesy of a prompt reply with much interest, I am

COLUMBUS, GA., April 29, 1917.

_Dear sir_: I seen your adds in the paper & after reading I saw where I could do some business for you & if you will write & let me know promply what you will allow me for heads & let me know right away I can get you as many as thirty at once & I know that you do not want nothing but able bodied men if you will as soon as you get this mail let me know by wireing me & I can get the men ready by Thursday wire me as soon as your early convenence.

will also send you my recamendation that I am a true and reliable negro if you take the notion to send the ticket send me money emough to feed them until we get there you can estamate about how much it will take to feed thirty all of them is anxious to go & will go at the word from you please return the recamendation back.

MOBILE, ALA., April 21, 1917.

_Gentlemen_: Please have the kindness to let me know if you can handle any labor as I wish to come north but would like to know just who I am going to work for before starting so as to not be there on expences and in the main time I have other friends that would like to have a steady imployment while they are unable to raise the money for transportation. Let me know what disposition you could make in regards to the same.

MOBILE, ALA., May 15, 1917.

_Dear Sir and Brother_: I am in the information of your labores league and while in this city I have been asked about the conditions of work in the north and at the same time we have about 300 men here in this city of different trades. Some are farmers, mail men iron and stell workers, mechanics and of all cla.s.ses of work. They ask me in their union to find out just the conditions of the afair. They wants to know if they can go to work in one or two days after they get there? if so some of them can pay all of their fair some half and some wants to come on conditions. will the company send them a pa.s.s and let them pay them back weekly? if so I can send 500 more or less in order that you may know who I am I will send you some of my papers that you may know what I stand for and what I have been taking along, please let me hear from you at once and what you think about it.

LETTERS ABOUT LABOR AGENTS

MOBILE, ALA., 4-26-17.

_Dear Sir Bro._: I take great pane in droping you a few lines hopeing that this will find you enjoying the best of health as it leave me at this time present. Dear sir I seen in the Defender where you was helping us a long in securing a posission as brickmason plaster cementers stone mason. I am writing to you for advice about comeing north. I am a brickmason an I can do cement work an stone work. I written to a firm in Birmingham an they sent me a blank stateing $2.00 would get me a ticket an pay 10 per ct of my salary for the 1st month and $24.92c would be paid after I reach Detorit and went to work where they sent me to work. I had to stay there until I pay them the sum of $24.92c so I want to leave Mobile for there, if there nothing there for me to make a support for my self and family. My wife is seamstress.

We want to get away the 15 or 20 of May so please give this matter your earnest consideration an let me hear from you by return mail as my bro. in law want to get away to. He is a carpenter by trade. so please help us as we are in need of your help as we wanted to go to Detroit but if you says no we go where ever you sends us until we can get to Detroit. We expect to do whatever you says. There is nothing here for the colored man but a hard time wich these southern crackers gives us. We has not had any work to do in 4 wks. and every thing is high to the colored man so please let me hear from you by return mail. Please do this for your brother.