The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-02
SAlGBO IN NEW YORK.
Southern Disolving Views Of the Peculiar In.
stitution-The Aristocratic and the Luckless
Darkes-The United Sons and Daughters
Of Zion-Their Ball-Thompson Street
Private Theatricals- Happy
Man and the Cuban Slaves


Private Theatricals- Happy
Man and the Cuban Slaves.
The exodus OF the better part OF the negro pop
uaton OF the Southern States, especially Of Viz
ginia, northward, beginning to be ielt in those
States, for while misguided Communists.and men,
bers OF labor leagues are camOring here for work
and threatening force unless it is given them. the
farmers in Southern and tidewater Virginia are
compelled to give up nearly half their operations
for the want OF help. At the end OF the war
Samb0 was perfectly bewdered by the sudden
ness OF his freedom. and the better part OF his
tribe locked to the large cities, though but few
ventured north Of Baltimore, as the prejudice and
fear OF the yankee" had by contagion attacked
the darkies as well as their masters during the
dark period OF the rebellion. This how
ever has been gradually Outgrown. and
a demand for good cOlored house SER
wants having been sprung In New York. Phila-
delpha and even in Boston and Chicago the sight
and presence of the former buffers and house,
maids of F. F. v.'s Is by no means uncommon in
the dwellings Of the most arstocratc Of our citi-
zens and in the drawing and sitting rooms OF our
swell" clubs, and in the hall and dining rooms Of
some OF our best hotels. The query has come from
the South as to SambO's condition in New York. and
as to whether he is better situated than when he
occupied the position OF q salable piece OF prop
erty. The question Is one possessed OF 80 much
interest that HERALD reporter two days since, in
company with prominent Virginia gentleman,
went the rounds among the coored population OF
New York, from the highest to the lowest.
"A YARMOUTH DARKY."
The first subject encountered was rather a neshy
one, but as genuine specimen as IL was ever our
fortune to meet. His name he gave as Joseph
foIIax
REPoRTER-Well Joseph, it is said that you
people are not as well satisfied as you used to be
in the South How is thisP
JosEPH-Why look here, boss, never was in de
South. was born in Yarmouth. Pm free man
and free mason, and dat what's de matter wild
me. My farther was from Ferginny, but he runnd
away an Mr.. Wendrun Phillips and Mr. Horace
Greeley TOXIN holped him to git to Yarmouth. At
least likewise eff dey didn't de same society whar
dey belonged to did, and OATS all about it.
Finding Joseph an Improbable subject in our
line, we passed him by and went in search OF
THE ARIsrocRATIc AFRICAN
or these we found several in large and fashiona-
bic boarding houses, and a more DESTINATIONS set
OF domestics can hardly be conceived Of The
mode OF approaching them was In two cases the
advancement OF a small fee and an invitation to q
neignborlng barroom, where quiet ''confab"
could be held. The richest one OF these Is given
below. The subject was very pleasant looking
man, about fifty years old, with gray hair and
mustache and the airs and graces OF lord
REPORTER-We, old gentleman, trust you are
well pleased and satisfied here, ano do not long
for your old slave home in the SouthP
UNCLE IsRAEL-Moderikly So sir; m0derik1y So
You see, gentleman, thar is two sides to this pcter
Now, here is gittn' ell nigh $4,000 year by beln'
caterer, and above dat Pm free. Pm putty well
fixed, an my ole CONAN is dom wen as cook
| all so, but dar is vatmosphere Of distraction
| bout New York dat don't sound like home. De
place ia too big5 and a poor darby, even as cele-
| brated AZ / il IAN come from one OF de- bes'
iambly's in Ferginny|, is actually AFRAID to move
| REPoRTER-But, Uncle Israel, at your home the
colored man is q power in the land. Many darky
gotten into the Legislature and some OF them even
| into Congress.
UNCLE isRAEl-Now, look here, gentleman Pm a
butler an caterer, an' amt one OF desc TOOL
niggers; one OF desc dennis gods whar keep runnin'
for some ONCE Of yeer rs pc to-
what dey do for dey amt no quarantine for me to
REPoRTER-Well. them Uncle Israel, you don't
! seem to be much on poIiticss
! UNCLE lsRAEL-No, SIT; dat l amt. UNDER
| amt no money IN 'em, an don't want single
polite in mlne DE ngger ought never been lowed
| him. Ef had my way would q said like Mas
| Benjamin watkins Leigh-Let dem vote whar has a
| lntrust in de law. Ell man has a backabllity an
| property to perfect he ought to vote nOtwlth-
| standin' nevertheless. don't vote. don't want
| to vote, and desc fool nggers kin vote much
| Thanking Uncle Israel for his kindly calculation
| the reporter visited several hotels and obtained
| many views which summed up amount as FOL
| lows
The colored men who have come to New York,
well qualified by breeding and experience for wait
ers and door servants, can readily get employment
at good wages. They say that they are well salts
fed, though they long Tor their old homes and for
| mer associates. With but one exception they ex
pressed great attachment for their Old masters
| and their old households. In response to the
you BE was 70 t6e
| ave would, indeed boss ell dere want no slavery
nor no whlppin' post, Tor God knows eff we had bin
! Tree men ole times would a. bin almose too good
for dis world" Passing from these high-strung
African gentlemen we come to
| THE LUCKLESS DARKIES
| in Thompson street and South Fifth avenue, many
Of whom have made appeals to their Southern
homes for money to return home; In some IN
stances they have met with favorable replies, but
| IN the majority OF cases-sc they told us-the an
| swer has been, 1--WE have enough OF negro voters
Northern republican friends who win take care Of
you" This spirit has from the stories told us by
South: and as Sambo has been So completely ig.
made against him in the South (as instanced in
the recent election in Virginia, where the political
fight was made strictly and emphaticay on the
color line), his position just now seems
one would almost involuntarily incline to the
opinion OF Uncle Israel that those darkies
| who leave their proper domestic sphere and
| seek too much prominence are ''fool niggers''
| and do not understand ode prOsnanity OF
| politics." 1t seems strange, however. that some
effort Is not made to get these poor fellows in New
York. who are now out OF their element, back into
their native cornfeds, where they are so much
needed. The first visit OF your reporter among the
| "unlOrtunates" was to the rooms OF MIR. George
| washington Hamilton, in South Firth avenue. As
| cending three flights OF stairs, we found Mr.. Ham
iiton sitting on a large stool by the ghost of fire,
| while Mrs. Hamilton was ironing on table nard
| by, and singing in dulcet tones:-
| Long white robe in heaven for me:
| Don't you lef' me behind.
Mr.. Hamilton was rather reticent at first but
! unaer the influence OF suggestive imbbatOn,
! furnished by his vsitorsj soon became very COM
! municaJive. Said he:-"Gentiemen, do you see
dat sign ?" Throwin. our eyes in the direction OF
the pointing OF his index finger, we beheld sign,
''GeOrge Washington Hamilton.
| BACON AND GREEN'S
! and also Corn Bread and Buttermik. Ole Fer
| ginny never tiar." The above was painted in
dxsaiaS