New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-27
COLORED MEN As TENANTS.
AN INTERESTING INVESTIGATION.
THEY ARE ON THE WHOLE DESIRABLE CLASS

THEY ARE ON THE WHOLE A DESIRABLE O''Ao'
SOME OPINIONS OF REAL ESTATE MEN
In the current ISSUE Of The Record and Guide' is
rrh,sbod an Interesting article about the colored
populaton of the city of Now.York The inyesugauon
by the paper was made with view 10 hnaing OUT
what kind Of citizens and tenants THIS Grass Vi
makes This line OF Investigation Is NC" on.'
apparently and the result Of the inquiry Is eAceeu-
lnqlv favorable 10 these citizens. In this arncie
Captain Reilly of the Nineteenth Precinct Where 'no
colored population is large says: "They nave .aAon
IN evorv street from Twenty fourth to Thirtythiru'
between Sixth and seventh ayes, with the e%oopuoh
OF Twenty eighth and Twenty-nnth sts' Inc hoIe"
side of Twenty -fourth-st,, and both SIDES Oh
hfth Twenty sixth and Twenty-seventh sts' ooswoon
these avenues, literally crowded WIN mem Lee
arc very few in Thirtythird-st. They arc siso
getting In west of seventh-ave on the Same inc.
We have 10 40 voters in precinct, but "o nS'o
no figures showing how many Of these arc 0oio o
should think at least one third OF tnem aro' my
arc less trouble to us than the white popunS'On'
and as a whole, are a quiet ana orocriy 0,s''
OCCUPANTS OF "THE ToMBs'"
Shaking about the Florida Flats, at NO. III west
Thirty-second-st., the article goes on
rba renorter had tho card Of well-known agent 70
Jan,tor Williams sergeant in the late war The jani'
tors rooms are specimen Of the apartments occupied oy
the respectable colored tenants Two canses
On cage and aower-pots containing geranuns and other
rans were spread In front Of the windows Pictures OF
Frederick Douglass Mrs Cleveland and Grant hung rom
the wallis well as certificate showing the lahtors
membership in the Sons OF New-Xork numbering sone
5eo all Of whom were in tho city, county and state
of New.York The sergeant is past senior yiee-com
rander Of Farrell stevens Post No. 2S5. New-York ana
is an honest type OF the coored janitor He said; Il
took charge Of fats nearly eight years ago FOUND
rough lot tenants in possession and always used 70
carry revolver 1 started number the apartments
put lights in the courtyard, improved the PLUMBING ana
put out old tenants by till got decent poo
pie Out OF $50 people in the building not one
sick at this moment
The Florida is undoubtedly veritable "Tomos% IL Is
situated in the rear OF the lot entered from alley
way Its only safety from sanitary point OF view is IN
the ventilation which obtains from the courtyard run
ming through and the space running nearly
all around The western wall is practically barricadeo
from the light with tho exception of small windows SUI
ncent to give air TO seepngroos The mont rooms
In the courts are pitch dark Yet with all this
the class OF people whom the visitor met when tho antof
showed through very respectable-n dress oe
meanor, and In appearance Of their homes.
The opinions of several real estate men are quotoa
10 show the favorable light in which these tenants
are regarded. One of these, W. J. Roome, says;
consider our colored tenants very good There Is
prejudice among buyers Of property against purchasing
tenemens and dwellings occupied by them bus there IL no
reason why this should be Such properties should
be as salable as any others Instead anything, they
should better. for higher net return on the invest
Inent made Of houses occupied oy negrOA
trv n get I'm az cheap ngures then hold until some
one comes along to give them profit The properly Is
the most difficult any dispose or and any one VINO
buys It must make up his mind to the possbhiy Oh
having TO keep investment for many years Ihe
class Of buildings inhabited By them Is Oh shA' Ana '
few others 10 occupy
COMPARISON OF RENTALS.
Mr. Rooms by referring to his books showed that
under white tenants a certain house had produced
IN rents s127 a month, while the same property
when occupied by colored people bad yielded Sl44
a month an increase in rental Of S204 year, or an
advance of 10 IL per cent on the gross rental An.
other real estate agent on tho other haha' aeciarou
that he considered them his worst tenants Ia many
respects He complained Of their careiessness and
their fondness for moving. He admitted, however
that his experience had confined TO the ordinary
rather than the better class sun another
firm said that tho better class
of colored tenants were good pay. They thought.
however, that they did not take as good care OF
pre- perty as whiS people. On tho whole. they were
satisfied with their Solored tenants
From tho opinions of those quoted In tho article IL
to be clear that agents prefer these 20 nc
grades s, OF S %so Ddop have to eonend would
seem TO be the prejudice against them. Ibey are
forced to take undesirable rna ba,,sr houses 10
them Hero is a fair opinion, that expresses IN
great part the sentiment Of nearly all those who were
asked about this class
We have colored man who rents house nom US at
81 200 per annum and pays quarterly in advance
an unparalleled case with white people in similar loea
ton This tenant steward OF q club. Our coored
tenants include valet 10 welknown hotel proprietor
number Of cooks Iaandrymen and kaisominers, an EN-
ployo OF the United States Government clerk In tho
the Standard OIL Company, etc. We md that the
lower OF negroes win frequently but the better
Will stay II IS in sort OF repair We
perfectly satisfied with them and arc glad 70 nave
them willing TO rent
DncpertY o them.