Los Angeles herald., 1890-04-13
VICTORIA SINGLETON.
She Too, Lost Her Place Because She
Was Not Caucasian.

Investigation of the revolt of the plate
printers against the appointment of
Frances Flood as an assistant has
brought to light another case of SINH
lar nature in the same bureau which
had its inception about three months
ago, and. like the case of the Flood girl
seems now as far from satisfactory set
tlement as ever.
Victoria Singleton is not merely
pretty; she is looked upon as beautiful.
ANY man in the bureau of engraving
and printing will tell you that. Even
some of the women admit it. But that
fatal beauty, though no fault of hers,
has pursued her like an avenging spirit
and stood across her pathway at every
turn like an impregnable barrier of ada
mant.
For there flows in the poor girl 8
blood fatal trace-a mere shadow of
African blood, which has blighted her
hopes, broken her spirit, removed her
from places of luxury and refinement,
and consigned her to menial employ
ment in position surrounded by snares
and pitfalls.
Born twenty years ago in her beloved
sunny Southland, the history of her
Young. life reads like a romance. Her
mother, too, was handsome woman
and the favorite house servant of a
wealthy gentleman of South Carolina
The war deprived her master of most of
his fortune, but after regaining her free
dom the faithful former slave and favor
ite refused to leave his family. She
lived but few years to enjoy her free
dom and show her gratitude and love to
those who had ever befriended her, and
shortly after Victoria's birth she was
suddenly called away.
The infant was, OF course, taken care
of, and during childhood was reared as
carefully and enjoyed the same advan-
tages of education as did the children of
her masters household. She was never
required to do menial labor, and was al
lowed to occupy the position of play
mate, companion and equal Of the other
children in all their pastimes and
studies. 1t is said that she was not
even permitted to know that her veins
were tainted with drop of negro blood,
and that up to short time before her
arrival in this city the, to her, terrible
fact was undreamed of.
Her complexion is not even creamy;
it is simply white. Her profusion of
beautiful hair, black and glossy as a
ravens wing, and straight as an In
dams, toys with her broad, low fore
head, and is loosely tied in single knot
at the back. Her large full eyes, which
the poet would call gloriously soft and
melting, are veiled with rich silken
lashes, which rim them with fringe of
jet. Her nose is small and straight and
her nostrils delicate and seemingly SEN
sitive as child's. Her lips are thin
80 ,+nlx IL, l. Il.
turned, while her hands and feet are
small and shapely. And yet these very
attractions banished her from her home,
and sent her adrift to battle with the
world terribly handicapped. Her beauty
attracted the attention of the only son Of
the proud Southerner, who became
SO enamored of his fair playmate
that the concealment of his passion
was no longer possible. His father at
first regarded it as a youthful escapade,
and was disposed to chide his son gently
and dismiss the subject. Finding this
means Intellectual, he applied to the gen.
erosity OF the girl, and was dismayed to
find that the affection between them was
mutual and genuine. He demonstrated
with his son in vigorous terms, and told
him the girls history for the first time
III Ills HE, llle ueldllS vi WulCL de- llltv
fell from the fathers lips, burst upon the
astonished ears OF the young man like
soaring blasts of whitening flame.
In short time the boy disappeared
and was seen only few weeks later in
Seattle, having joined the army stationed |
there. 1t is said that this SO enraged
the father that ne made arrangements
to drive the girl out of his house, but,
hnr f,,, har 70 ha Oh ha
procured an asylum for her through
She came to this city, passed civil
service examination, and was assigned
to duty in the numbering division
of the bureau OF engraving and print
ing. Instantly her extraordinary physi-
cal and mental attractions arrested the
attention, if not the suspicion, of the
women and admiration of the men. 1t
was ascertained from whence she came,
and investigation made by young man
of the bureau-who to this day acknow-
ledges that he is deeply in love with her
disclosed the story detailed above, and
which the Critic gives its readers for
what it is worth.
The balance of Victoria Singleton's
history is soon told. When it became
known that she had African blood in her
veins the women of the division made
such ong-continuedan andyigorous protests
that she was removed to the less desira-
BILE position of plate-printer's assistant,
but there she met with even more CON
certed and effective opposition, and was
again removed to the position of messen-
ger, where those sufficiently interested
in her history to hunt her up will find
her seated on wooden bench wait
ing her superiors' bidding patient and
accomplishing, but apparently hope
less and broken-h hearted. Il Washington