The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-06-04
THE CALIFORNIA TICKET PUNCHERS.
Some of the Queer Things They Saw
Down South.
Now York Tenement Houses as Incu-
bators-TOurists' Experience III
Shopping in Gotham.

Especial Correspondence of 'REcoRD-UNIoN. J
New York, May %, 1885, California
o. r. c.. Excusion).-T color line is one
thing that has been impressed upon our
travellers as they have come from South
| to North, and it has been among the feat
ures commented on, since they have here
had time TO think over incidents and les
sons taught by their swing around the
/ circle.
| The negro on his native heath--as ne IS
entitled to call the States OF the South-is
an interesting study, and no wonder the
| Governors of South Carolina and other
States worry over the problem the negro
| presents 1t was in Texas the color line
was first crossed, and when we saw sepa-
rate day coaches labeled "for Blacks" at
tached to all trains there came the first
expression of surprise After that we
| became used to the discrimination be-
tween races, and when at Atlanta, in the
| beautiful Grants Park, We saw separate
walks and paths for colored persons, no
one ex pressed comment.
Crossing Louisiana / caught glimpse
that reminded me of the changes war has
here wrought. In the rear of u tum ble-
down old house, once stately mansion,
a slender young white girl was welding
an ak on an obdurate log OF wood. 1t
was early morning, and evidently she
was seeking fuel with which TO cook
breakfast. On the dismantled fence be-
tore the house, out in the early sunshine,
four negro boys, healthy, ragged and
lazy, sat swinging their bare heels. La
ante bellum days where would they have
been?
Crossing Alabama and Georgia ON our
| flying trip we saw hundreds of negro
cabins as we sped along, all OF similar
pattern, evidently containing but one
room. and each having huge chimney
and fireplace at one end. Around them
usually is a garden patch, or small field
of cotton or potatoes, and occasionally
we caught sight of venerable mule and
its venerable master at work wrestling q
living from the soil.
In the cities the negroes are employed
chiefly for house servants, or as porters,
expressmen, etc. They are not en-
ployed on the electric street car lines, o.
which Chattanooga. Atlanta and other
progressive cities have now many miles,
nor are they able-owiEg to race preju-
dice and trades uniOns-tO do much In
any OF the trades by which white man
makes living. Poverty-inost abject
squalid poverty-there certainly is among
and city; but little Sutfices their wants
and there couldn't be a iollier lot il they
owned the country.
All the railroad men were much inter.
ested in an exhibition Of the Lone STAR
Automatic Coupler Company. The
coupler is a navel of ingenuity, and sew
eral of the Eastern roads are planning Il
equip their cars with the new invention
from Texas. The company, which was
organized in Houston, Tex. is repre-
sented in New York by Thomas H.
Wheless, Vice President. The other
officers Of the company who are pushing
Holt, the President; L. j. Boyies, Treas
urer, f. b. Goodrich, Secretary; j. ~.
Roosevelt, General Manager, and j. n.
Maher, General Sales Agent.
New York's attractions proved too
much for the party to cope with i'll three
days, and everyone was tired out at the
end of that time. "Slumming"-that
fashionable pastime-proved disap-
pointment. The Bowery is suffering from
the purincation resulting from the LeXoW
Committees work, and Hester street,
Mulberry Bend and other famous quar-
tiers of old New York are as quiet at night
as a Sunday-school picnic The number
of children seen in the streets in the
|
astounding. They are SO numerous
through Baxter, Houston and other
streets near, on warm days, that the sight
seer can with difficulty force his way
through. In one square or block in this
section the last census showed there are
over 1000 people-a small city-huddled
in great six and eight-story brick build
ings.
Down in the business section of New
York the general report was of improved
trade in all lines, and merchants pre-
dicted better times ahead. The coming
of our California party made good times
at Aiacy's and other big department
stores. Dry goods and clothing gener-
ally are marve!ously cheap, but as this
applied to the quality. as we'll as the
price, the sentiment is that San Francisco
or Sacramento are as satisfactory fCi
shopping counters as New York. Dust
ers and caps at % cents each were gath
cred in by the party, and one lady
scooped up bargain in love OF a sacque
that was too warm for New York, bui
just right for San Francisco climate. Fol
il she paid just - Al. Z. s. A.