The state journal., 1884-12-27
The Prejudices Against Color in
Our City. Where you Can be
Accommodated and where
You Cannot.

One would scarcely think that any |
amount of prejudice existed in city |
like Harrisburg but there is; it is
very thick in the atmosphere, and
can be felt and seen upon all sides.
1t is accounted for from the fact that
there are large number OF white
people in this city like millions OF
their brethren, who have not accepted
the divine truth, or the constitutional
doctrine, that every man is born free
and equal, and the same God that
created one man created another.
There is, of course, the usual amount
of inconsistency in the prejudice dis
played as in other places, and while
this is politically Republican strong
hold, and nearly all the large ihter-
ests of the city under control of men
with Republican proclivlties, the
demon is here in all of his accursed
and damnable forms. There is in this
city several large manufactures, the
Harrisburg Car Manufacturing Com
pany, foundries, iron mills, and at
Steelton, within three miles of the
city, is located the largest steel works
in the State. Colored men are en-
ployed at nearly all of these places,
but only as laborers, no skilled me-
chanics can find employment; and if
from years Of patient labor and close
study they obtain knowledge of the
various work at which they are en-
ployed, in place of being advanced
they are dismissed, We know of a
colored man, who to be taken by his
complexion, is as white as a man Geed
be, after working at the car works for
years, and becoming mechanic, was
discharged as soon as it was learned,
he had a drop Of African blood ia his
VEINS. The busi2ess men of this city
receive thousands of dollars year
| from the colored people, but there is
but two places 10 the city that give
anything like decent employment to
colored people; these being Ham
mersly's and Uhler's china stores,
which employ young colored men
who are entrusted as clerks. The
meat firm of Lawrence g Co, Court
avenue, employed a young colored
MIN, but discharged him with a re
commentator, upon which they state
that his color was bar to his con-
tinued employment. Not city paper,
a dry goods dealer, or shoe dealer
in this city, pay one dollar for en-
| ployment to colored clerks or appren-
tices. There are several places where
colored people cannot be accommo
| put up bar against color, but admit
most anything else human, or that
walks upright. There are several
restaurants which sell liquor over
their bar to colored men, but will moi
accommodate them at a table. Re
spectacle colored men have been re-
fused accommodation at Pat Russ
restaurant, Cheesy Russ Gross House
and James Russ Grand Hotel, also
at Donner's, in Walnut street, and
Giering's Concert Garden, on Chest
nut street. Some of our most respect
able colored citizens have been refused
table accommodation at the above
places. Exceptions have been made
but only when the proprietors were
appealed to. 1t is a standing rule,
however, and has not been entirely
wiped out. Nearly all of these places
are still patronized by colored people
as far as they can go, and they take
special pride in spending their money
with those who look upon them with
contempt. Think how many hun,
dreds of dollars are spent by the
5000 colored people of this city in
year. Think how much employment
We have outside of menials. Think
how much of this money is spent
among ourselves in what business
enterprises we have of our own, and
then think of the great big bars Of
prejudices existing against US because
of our color, then think whether we
had not better put our money where
it will do the most good, and demand
in common justice recognition as
men.
| ---@-ssS----4
Who will Enforce the Ordinance.
There is pending before the city
councils an ordinance compelling the
Pennsylvania railroad to shift all
I