Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-25
LEAVING TENNESSEE.
A Large Number Of the Negroes Emigrstins
North and West

A Large Number Of the Negroes Emigrstins
North and West.
Public attention has been called 20 the larcs
number Of negroes who are leaving Tennessee
IN search OF work and homes in northern. and
particularly western, states. The railroads are
carrying away scores OF negroes. men, women
and children, every week, and il IL said on the
best authority that about 700 colored people have
left Chattanooga alone within the past month.
the major portion since election day. The frst
person to remark the extent Of this negro
exodus was Capt J. L. Price, well-known real
estate dealer IN Chattanooga, who, In the mat
ter Of rents. &C.. has constant dealings with
the colored population. II was struck. said
Capt Price, 'by the number Of negro cottages
which were being vacated, and began to make
inquiries. From all sides l get the same an
swer: We are going away because We can't live
here. We only Just keep from starving, but
out west they promise us good wages.
Pushing his investigation still further, Capt.
Price learned that Richard Cleag. who has been
. local post Office official under Harrison, but
now, apprehending removal. is at present in
Kansas making arrangements with the railroads
to bring out colony of negroes on terms
which will be mutually advantageous. Charles
Stanley who has been for yearp a sort OF patron
saint to the colored population o. Chattanooga
and who built up "Stanleytown," which Is the
negro quarter, is largely interested in this emf
grafton scheme and has hundreds of families
ready and eager to start as soon as they get the
word and the necessary tickets.
referring TO the causes and conditions which
lie at the bottom Of his movement out to Kan
sas and Colorado (for these are he states chiefly
under consideration, Capt. Price said: The
fact is, the business enterprises and the manu-
featuring concerns of Chattanooga have been
doing so badly during the past year that they
have been obliged to cut down their force Of
employees, or, in many cases. TO throw up al
together. This has thrown hundreds. l may
almost say Thousands, Of men out Of employ
The result has been that these poor fellows
have not been ablo TO pay their rents, and
scarcely to find food for their families
Here are some OF the works to which I re-
fer: Within few months the Lookout rolling
mill found itself unable to stand the depres-
sion and heavy taxes, and moved away from
Chattanooga altogether. That threw 800 men
out OF work. About a month ago the Roam iron
works, which employed 800 men. shut down.
and the city coal furnace also shut down TEN.
porarily. Several lumber companies have
failed recently, and an army of laborers were
thrown out Of employment not long ago when
the last of the $4,000 appropriation for city
improvements was spent. Facts like these tell
the whole story"
Another man in a position to speak with au.
thority on the subject is J. G. Burg, an ex-
justice Of the peace OF Chattanooga and one OF
the most intelligent colored men in the city.
Discussing the question of a negro exodus this
evening he said: you ask me IL there is going
to be negro exodus from here. answer.
without hesitation, yes; and will go step
further and tell you that there is going to be q
negro exodus from many parts Of the south.
Why do the colored people want to leave their
homes? For two reasons: First. because the
present business and industrial depression
makes the labor market SO overcrowded that
the negro workman has no chance of making
living here, whereas he can get plenty OF
work and good pay if he will go north or west.
II know hundreds of such cases not mile
away, and they are beginning to see the foolish
ness of trying to carry burden which is alto
gether too heavy when il is easy TO throw n
off. Then there is a second reason WHY the col
ored men are tending more and more TO move
their families away from the south, and that is
the fact that the farther north or west they get
the better and more fairly they are treated. Oh.
il won't be long before there will be ten negroes
going away where there is one now. 1 know
what 1 am talking about, and l tell you it ID
bound to come"