Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-05-17
R HUNDRED MORE
Scenes In Atchlson, Kansas---A Repub-
llcan Town Giving the Blacks
the Cold Shoulder.
Atchison Kansas Patriot.l

Atehison Kansas Patriot.l
The brief item in the Patriot las
evening that the steamer Joe Kinney
with three hundred specimens of tn,
present exodus had arrived at oul
Ievee, sent a delegation Of sight-seer.
in that direction with much celebrity.
and so miscellaneous was the delega.
ton that to do the members of the
exodus justice, we believe their mum.
bers were overeStimated owing to the
general mixing up that ensued among
the brethren. Our officials had been
appraised of the fact that the chief OF
police of Leavenworth had a posse OF
men at their levee to prevent them
from landing, aud the mayor of that
town gave the steamboat captain $50
to land them some place outside of
Leavenw0rth county, suggesting
Atchison as a suitable place. Inas-
much as the officials Of leavenworth
are pure and undefled Republicans,
the scurvy trick was very %unbecoming,
and il was very immOdest for the mem
bers of the exodus to leave Leaven-
worth and come to a community so
Democratic as Atehison.
Notwithstanding these incongruities
they are here, and that their con
dition may not be misrepresented, we
make the statement that three hum
dred more helpless or destitute-lO look
ing humans never gathered together.
In this party there were fourteen
able-bodied men. The rest were
women, old men, cripples and chill
dren, the latter largely predominant
ing. They we're located on the levee,
just below the bridge, and when they
we're hustled ashore, bag and bag
gage, the sight was enough to make
the flesh creep. As the citizens
gathered around and mingled with
them their child-lik simplicity was
most apparent in their modest impor-
tunings for a quarter, and if they
failed to reach this amount, they
would reply, Gimme a dime, den.
All that could talk piled their yoca-
ton industriously until the pumps
showed evidence of giving out.
The stories they told Of barbarous
cruelty were heart-rending in the ex-
IRENE. One man said that he counted
thirty-nine dead bodies of negroes
who had been shot down in the streets
of Vicksburg the day he left there.
and that the bulldozers refused to let
them be buried. Another one said
that able-bodied laborers couldn't
make Sl5 a mouth, work as hard as
they would. Another said that he
was nearly dead from the work he had
done on the boat the night before
that he had helped to carry ties off
the boat twice as large as any sycamore
log, aud when they lay on the ground
eight men with handspikes couldn't
move them. By these sad word-pic
lures they worked on the feelings of
the throngs.
One old darky woman was asked
what she worked at. Her reply was
"Gi me a quarter an I'll tell you"
After compromising on "a dime, her
retort was: Use a cotton-picker in
co'se.' We asked her what they were
paying cotton pickers, and she said
FIFTY cents a hundred. We asked her
how many pounds she could pick in a
day and she said 80. We asked her
if she expected to make more than
Sl.25 per day in Kansas. Her reply
was Deed | does, honey; you don't
ketch dis nigga workin' her ole soul
an, body out TO no dolla an a quartah
a day"
And it was that way among them
all. A few of them wanted work. but
a majority Of them were complaining
on account Of the delay in the banquet
that was promised them on the steam
boat. There were at least twenty of
them sick-down sick in bed with
blankets and old quilts thrown round
them. One bright looking young wo-
man had a three-days-old baby, and
was the saddest looking of all.
Late in the afternoon a relief com
mittee, with a number of prominent
colored citizens in the lead, was organ.
lied, and they were all supplied with
r%ations. Afterward they were moved
up TO the colored churches. and the
women and children put under shelter.
VIZ are uniformed as to what disposi-
ton is to be made of them. The
able-bodied men could find work
without trouble, but they compose
such a small percentage of the number
who must be helped, that but little
can be expected Of them. Seriously,
1t is a grave question which our hu-
name citizens will have to solve. This
is the first installment. We under.
stand that several more bOatloads are
on their way up, ard with the same
experience the joe Kinney has had.
they will assuredly reach Atehison.
Since writing the above, the follow.
ing interesting telegraphic CORE
sPondence has passed between Mayor
Tomlins6n and the mayor Of Leaven-
worth
LEAvENwoRTH, May ID, 1920 pm.
TO the Mayor of Atchison Can
you provide for more refugees? Have
some here and two boatloads expected
W. NJ. FoRTEscUE, Mayor.
ATcHIsON, May l3.-To the Hs7.
W. M. Fortesoue, Mayor No. W.
have all that the city can provide for
and | respectfully hereby notify you