The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-11

A study Of His Progress by DIR. Lee. Of
The Johns Hopkins Iniversfty.
Eighty per cent. Of Young People
Worthless LOafers
Baltimore SUM-

| In view of the existing race conten-
lions in various sections of the south,
particularly in North Carolina, some
| recent Investigations and deductions
Of DR.. Guy Carleton Lee, of the Johns
| Hopkins university. a recognized au-
thority on the negro race, VIII prove
| of interest.
Those who demaEI equality for the
negro assert that his environment has
been against him. They claim that re-
moval to a northern section, or the in
fusion of northern methods into south
ern localities, would cause such an ele-
walton of the race a. TO break down
the bound set by the present civiliZa-
| ton. DR.. Lees study was to ascer-
tain the truth of the claim that the
negro, in a northern environment, IS
the equal of the white.
In speaking on the subject DR.. Lee
said:
Some little time since 1 was engag-
, ed upon the line of research mention
ed, 1 studied the negro in several
northern cities and towns and publish
ed papers on the subject. l think |
cannot do better than to review a
study of the negro in Pennsylvania,
based upon a paper contributed by me
to a leading magazine.
I'm the study of the negro we have,
as a rule, sought knowledge of the
southern type; the negro in the north
has received little critical attention.
Yet to Judge most accurately of the ca
liabilities of the cOlOred man, as shown
by his use of the One-third of a CEN
fury of freedom, which has followed
the three centuries Of his slavery, we
must consider his race in its northern
environment To obtain the best re-
suits from such a consideration it is
necessary to select a point Of research
offering both urban and rural condi-
tions, where the prejudice against the
negro was slight, if existent, at the
time Of his settlement, and where the
present negro population is composed
almost entirely of eX-slaves or their
children.
STUDY OF A COMMUNITY.
ut is believed that Carlisle, Pa, pre-
sents such a base of investigation. The
people of Carlisle are rich and pros
porous; they are educated and Cod
fearing: they have large hearts and
generous hands. Standing aside from
prejudice filled with the most ele-
waited sentiments. they have striven to
dc their utmost for the stranger with
in their gates The negro had, there
fore, in his town exceptional opportu-
mites for growth. There is, perhaps,
no fairer country in the United States.
Il lld I LaIlhS ~ NAAN
telligent people.
prior to 1860, IT'S to 200 slaves pass
Z ed through Carlisle each year in their
northward flight. The early colored
population was recruited from the free
negroes of Pennsylvania. In 1864,
however, the town added over 500 fugi-
tive slaves to it's permanent innabi-
tants, and this settlement of Virginia
and North Carolina refugees furnished
the base of the present colored p
| latiOn. Since 1865 the cOlored people
have added steadily to their numbers,
but their rate of increase is less than
that of the whites. In 1895 the flee
| negro has almost disappeared and
| his successors are of the following
| stocks: 1925 per cent, Virginian; $50
| per cent, North CarOlinian; $50 per
| cept., from unknown sources; 3.95 Per
cent. free negro During the last cen
fury the number of cOIored people has
from a total of III in 1875 reached the
maximum of 1,456 in 1895. Or this num-
Der S54 are females, 602 are males. We
may subdivide them into 31.25 per cent.
pure negro, 44.64 per cent. mixed blood
of in~determinate quantity, 1915 per
cent. mulattO. 21S per cent. QuadroOn
and rs per cent. OctOroOn.
PREFERS TO KEEP HOUSE.
THE negro prefers TO keep house
rather thar to board This is due to
tIIllCI IIol \
sens. His h~ousekeeper, be she wife
or leman, in 20 per cent. Of the homes,
provides roof and fool fer him.. The
negro of tSt6-1S76 had an ambition ID
own a home; he bought generally in
the alleys and d Nnit, as in the south
ern states, at the back of the WEite
mans property. AS the alley locations
filled up he was attracted by the
~cheapness Of land in a certain section
of the skirts of the town. and there
bought lots. Today these purchases
have, through the growth of the city,
trebled in value. The home of the
renter, as we'll as that of the owner,
varies from the three room cottage to
the ten room house, but not a negro
in the town occupies a house fitted
with water closets, sewer connections
or working gas fixtures. but one house
is heated by a urnac The cost of
these dwellings varies from $500 to
$500; the majority cost less than $500
each. The ordinary negro renter pays
So to IS per month for his house. The
proportion of. individuals to each
dwelling is % per cent. greater than
with the whites, and the number of
rooms to each house is 50 per cent.
less.
THE furniture of the negro is neat
and often Of good style. The house, at
least in the living rooms is neatly |
kept and in order. In 100 homes visited
81 per cent. showed no OnClOlneSS out /
side of the bedrooms, though in seven |
two cases the woman of the house was
in constant service away from home |
from 1870 a. m. to $50 p. m. In thirty |
seven houses were musical instru-
ments; in f%Orty-One pictures tastefuily |
displayed; ninety-two homes had cur |
tains; ninety were carpeted in the 1iv- /
ing ROOM; in fourteen books were to /
be seen in quantity, n in twenty |
three the Bible had visible place. |
THE COST OF LIVING.
1.-THE average annual cash experdf-
ture for clothing and snoes in thirty |
seven widely different cases was SIS. Is. |
Housekeeping is done upon a surpris- |
ingly limited scale; the average in I
come or proportion of receipts to each |
m of the household rarely eX- |
ceeds 80 cents a week. The supply of 1
fuel ordinarily needed is W. ions for |
winter n half a tor for summer. |
The staple food is bread end molaSSes. |