The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-06

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Sorkn IN these ieIloWs np BAR and ssi them ' nj
powders 50 they can turn themselves white
But they can't do it. told him. go you
-, MOI, ed3gctly that, he replied; scratching
ing their mon ey on on the stun from the shops
that don't do them no good either You see
they're t% all dead crazy Ky to turn themselves
most Of them. and had better teeth. they
what they meant at iirst, but soon. found out.
and then It kinder Cured TO me 1 might az
well turn an honest penny out oft. So told 'em
u turn!n Themselves white by washn' with n
certain powder. that, was very expensive.
me Tor my own use. Same, way with tho tho
teeth: II was NIL on account Of tho tooth pow.
sTs SS sSr Si s s2s or SH s a9g as
say another word They bother the lifo out OF
me to sell them my powders at eight ,shilin'
der You gave mo ! sold for ten shillin'. Since
then I'VE had I? mako the ,tooth, powder my
self ont OF chalk colOred with red ochre
What Is the bleaching nowder YOU sell
themy' / asked.
Its SOAP rowlor,, eah!' he. answered; the
bought elk papers OF II foc three shillin'. and
I've sold oyer four pounds worth q / so lar.
put il in blue an white papers an tell 'em TO
scientiiicnl like, | might as we'll have dere
money M de shop Keepers. sah.'
not lair for him 10 tas Q advantage OF the iRno-
rance OF his companions in this way. but he
any impression upon him. and as he was n fe!-
low countrynan did not care 10 expose him.
as %sa hs,G Tine coed Il
ing himself white with his powders, and they
would have continued to buy them in spite OF
anything l could have said After that Bob
took pains to call my attention whenever no
lOHnd one OF the negroes trying to whiten him
warranted 10 remove The color and girls with
their hair tied up painfully tight in rags and
that was probably bandoline disguised. The
wool!y-headed women | found, never went to
heads to natten the ha If down. All tho women men
on the pnce. Old and young. made q daily
practice Of c1mhing each others hair. hoping
isfled that there was not n coorcd man or wo-
man on til" place but was taxing some meas
nres either to hlnnch the skin Or straiGhten
This was interesting" the. contractor went
naturally regard the white mans fair SIX in ana
straight hair ~ marks OF superiority That
said to myself. but our rolored folks in Amer
lea could no, be dmred IN IN such way; they
precisely similar thin. III this city In look
ing over my raper one morning found an nc
count Of II cOlored girl who WAS arrhi- ned In
the Tombs Police Court Tor som" offence. aud
in the report was this curious sentence:
sor hy yi thnt sho er inee sho
preparation for bleaching the skin. She ex.
rected TO be entirely white in II few DAYS
tinuei determined to follow ~ this clue.
With some difficulty made my way into the
rqmbf prison ana visited the IiFI, She Ger;
that she was turning white. She was natural
Iy very dark. hut there were several large
spots and n numb oil small ones on her face
that were nearly AZ white rs my avn skin,
though they had an unhealthy. unnatural
a;n was poeIns of, Disclosing The The" wh Iter
skin beneath. 1t did not need Professional
eye to see That she was using some chemical
ually. thus making herself. for II few days.
much lighter, wherever the dark outer skin
place the dark skin that was removed. Tho
ening her hair and found that it was useless
could turn herself white. She told me with
out hesitation whore she had bought the prep
the west side OF the city. up town.
My next step was 70 visit this place aud
talk with the proprietor: who proved t. be a
between her md my man Bob |
struck me at once. She told me seriously that
her complexion by tho use OF her preparations. |
There was no doubt whatever. she said. about |
the efficacy OF her medicines. She had cured |
hem perfectly white. the word cured was |
invariably used in speaking Of the alleged
Der nf Recommendations coming from all /
}, err the Union, but principally from the |
xoolly hair: for 81 she would sell a single bot
lie OF the preparation for bleaching the skin
number Of customers came In while
was there. and there was every in
licatior OF large business. In the
circulars the woman gave me. noticed a Pc
'uliRrity that had struck me in all tho similar
,reparatio in the West Indies that nothing
vas said about these oint ments being intended
or colorei people. All the illustrations were
II colored lasses. hut there was not Il word in
he text about race differences
1T was no part OF my plan the contractor
concluded. g. to push the inquiry further. had
cen the West India negroes making every
Mort to turn themselves white. and wished
o know whether any OF our American colored
olks have the same desire. found thaS some
/ them have. right here in New York. and that
here are people shrewd enough to cater to
his desire"