The record-union., 1894-02-09
RICH PEOPLE OF COLOR.
Some of Them Are Now Very
Wealthy.
The Progress of the Negro Shown by
His Improved Education and Busi-
ness Ability Not at All Rare-Taking
Care of Himself.

For twenty-five years the white people
ofthe South have been taxing themselves
doubly to maintain schools. Not only do
they pay school tax greater by one
third than was ever levied in any North
ern State for their own children, but they
have 20 pay for the education OF the negro
besides. This, says the Washington Post,
has been done without complaint or
faultfinding. It has been a part OF the
Situation that the Southern whites
have accepted and made the best OF since
the peace at Appomattox. Meantime,
with the help of his white neighbor, IN
the shape of material aid as well as adj
vice, the negro has steadily advanced IN
intelligence and fortune to degree that
is amazing to Southerners themselves,
who have been familiar with each step OF
his progress. In Louisiana, and espe-
cially in New Orleans, there are thirty
two negroes who have fortunes rated at
from $50, 900 to 100000. Nobody knows
the capacity the negro has for becoming a
money saver, and even a mlser, except
the Southern man. When Francois De-
lacroix died few years ago he was found
TO be worth 81, 100000. His history IS IN
teresting as showing the peculiar methods
by which fortune may be made.
Francois DelacroiX was the chattel OF
lie Chevalier Z. De la Croix, an old-tlme
Creole gentleman, well known III New
Orleans. The Chevalier had been SOL
dier in his youth, and believed in the
Bourbon lilies. So when the Prince
President Louis Napoleon became ruler
of the second Republic of France, in
1S49, NJ. De la CroiX left his beloved land
and came back to Louisiana, where he
had distinguished number OF klnsmen
among the leading CreoleS OF the State.
One of them dying soon after his return,
the Chevalier became possessed OF some
valuable slaves. One, named Francois,
who had taken his masters name OF De
Ia Croix, was particularly valuable. He
was an expert tailor, and shortly after he
became the property of his new owner he
was permitted to purchase his freedom
for -, 600. Soon after this he established
tailoring establishment of his own. II
was famous for two things, the first being
that it was the most expensive place OF
the sort in the city, ana as the New Or
leans dandy of that day followed the
fashions Of Paris rather than London.
willy Francois always had on hand the
finest French fabrics and the most skill
ful cOuturiers to make them.
FIRST OF THE NEGRO 4IILLIoNARIES.
But lucrative as the tailoring feature of
W
tifties, dress suit from DelacroiX's, as he
took to spelling has name, cost $50 or 5lOO,
when the most expensive tailor IN New
\ York or Boston charged only 500 or SEQ
there was another part of 1t which pald
still more enormous profits. 1t soon be-
came rumored about town that any young
gentleman of family and posi- bic fortune
could be accommodated with a loan on no
security at all if be stood well with Della
croiX. He knew the general character
and reputation OF every young 'blood'
OF New Orleans, as well as those on the
great baronial sugar and cotton estates
above the city and below. DelacroiX took
no notes. The gentleman simply gave
his word of honor to pay at given
time. DelacroiX did not lose l per cent.
of his loans made in this way To besure,
the interest was enormous; but what
would you? No one borrowed large sums
for very long time, and after heavy
night" at faro it was very convenient for
the young gentleman who did not want
TO tap the paternal pocket too heavily to
be able to promptly ''settle up'' by going
to Delacroix, even if ''the old scoundrep
did charge per cent. per month.
1t was just as well in those days, too,
for person in the business of DeIacroix
TO have an owner. So Francois paid the
chevalter for himself nearly all the s., 900
agreed upon. He let enough OF it stand
OF the Bourbon armies should his aid be
needful. tHa! dat nigre Of mine, he
heap richalr dan hees MASTER" the old
man used to say. Though the slave
could have liquidated the balance neces-
sary to make him free man any hour In
the day. he did not want to be entirely
free. If he was he would have to pay
taxes and all that sort of thing, and the
police might ask inconvenient questions,
Tor sometimes the play in his snug par
lors upstairs was very high. 1t was
much better as it was. And SO the two
went on, maintaining the most amicable
relations long after the war ended. Fran
co.'s was very kind to his old master un-
I'll the chevalier died, which was about
1869. His slave soon followed him and
then it was that the immense fortune he
had became known.
MONEY MADE IN POLITICS.
Deslonde, a pure negro, Secretary of
State in Governor Kellogg's last term,
left office a wealthy man, having made
most of it sin politics. since the war.
Antoine Dubuclet, KeIlogg's Treasurer of
State, a mulatto, was also rich. The
wealthiest negro in Louisiana is Aristide
Mary. He owns all those valuable build
ings Just opposite the New Orleans Gus
tom-house and Postoffice. His fortune is
estimated at 500, 600. He is a dark mu-
latto and was the son of woman who
was rich in her own right. He was edu-
Gated in Paris and possesses one OF the
finest libraries of the French, Spanish
and Italian classics in the State of Louisi-
ana. The only time Mr.. Mary every tried
to assert his rights as citizen under the
law occurred some years ago when the
management of the French Opera-house
refused to sell him box. He would even
have taken baignoire-a box with lat
licework in front that can be raise or low
cred as the occupant may desire. But no,
the management dared not to do it. So
the cultured mulatto had TO go down be-
low with the others OF his race if he
wished to hear the opera at all. The Jou-
berts. Dumasis, Macartes and many
others, colored men, are well educated
and rich, all having had their schooling
IN Paris.
The creole negroes of New Orleans are
the best types of their race. There is
physician among them who is as skilled
as any of his white cOnfrereS, and is
notable surgeon. But if he had not a for
tune of his own he would starve. The
negroes will not employ doctor or
lawyer of their own race, and, OF course,
the whites do not, so the professional
man among them never gets the business
of the most intelligent and the richest OF
his own people. 1t is difficult TO say just
how much Ex-Governor Pinchback is
worth. His fortune is placed at from
$780, to S250,000, but he keeps his busi-
ness matters so close that no one except
himself really knows what his fortune
is. There are a number OF very thrifty
and well-to-do negro planters all over
Louisiana, and they have thriven WON
derfully.
In Mississippi the negro population ex-
ceeds the white by very dangerous ma
jority. Hence the Constitution adopted
three years ago was political necessity.
Last year the State OF Mississippi made
ahont 00a GOO haIas of cntfnn rrnd;rrr