County:
HALE
State: AL
Town: Newbern
Date: April 7, 1917
Dear Sir:
I am in receipt of a letter from ____ of ____, ____, in regards to
placing
two young women of our community in positions in the North or West; as
he was
unable to give the above assistance he enclosed your address. We desire
to know
if you are in a position to put us in touch with any reliable form or
private
family that desire to employ two young women; one is a teacher in the
public
school of this county, and has been for the past six years; having
duties of a mother
and sister to care for she is forced to seek employment else where as
labor is
very cheap here. The other is a high school pupil, is capable of doing
the
pwork of a private family with much
credit.
Doubtless you have learned of the great exodus of our
poeple
to the north and west from this and other southern states. I wish to
say that
we are forced to go when one thinks of a grown man wages is only fifty
to
seventy five cents per day for
allg rades of work. He is compelled to go where there
is better wages ans
sociable conditions,
believe me.
When I say that many places here in
this state
the only think that the black man gets is a peck of meal and from three
to four
lbs. Of bacon per week, and he is treated as a slave. As leaders
we are
powerless for we dare not resent such or to show even the slightest
disapproval. Only a few days ago more than 1,000 people left here for
the North
and West. They cannot stay here. The white man is
saynig
that you must not go, but they are not doing anything by way of
assisting the
black man to stay. As a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church
(north) I am
on the verge of starvation simply because of the above
conditins.
I shall be glad to know if there is any possible way which I could be
of real
service to you as director of your society. Thanking you in advance for
an
early reply, and for any suggestions that you may be able to offer.
With best wishes for your success, I remain, very sincerely yours.
Source:
http://www.people.memphis.edu/~kenichls/WA4Letters.htm