The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-05-31
THE NEGRO IN BUSINESS.
Number Engaged and Capital In
vested in the Various Amer
lean states.

Atlanta university, an institution for
the higher education Of the negro, has
published a pamphlet presenting the
results of recent Investigation to as
certain the part taken by freedmen in
the business life of the south. The
range of inquiry, says Public Opinion,
was not like that of census, but was
limited to localities that could be
reached promptly by letter. The term
business man" was interpreted to in
clude all men with stocks of goods to
sell and such others as had at least
$500 each in invested capital. 1t did not
include BARRIERS, except where there
was $500 or more invested in shop.
1t included blacksmiths and wheel
other goods on sale.
The report shows that there are
about 5000 negro. business men in the
United States. Definite reports, how
ever, were received from only 1906.
OF these 1876 are in Alabama, 1924 in
Georgia, 1873 in South Carolina, 131 in
Tennessee, 159 in Texas and 1O5 in Vir-
ginia. OF those engaged in business
432 are listed as grocers, 166 as general
merchandise dealers, 1862 as master bar
bers, 80 as greengrocers and dairymen,
"a as caterers, As as builders and con-
tractors, AZ as dealers in meat and 40
as merchant tailors. The 1872 BARRIERS
have 100000 capital invested. There
are 17,480 negro BARRIERS reported, most
of them working for wages or as pro-
prietors of small shops. Of the negro
merchants in the country sos are COW
cred in this report. They represent a
total investment of $1,S2S,243.
The 1,906 business men reported have
| $5691,137 invested. On these returns
it is estimated that the total capita in
vested by the American negro in bust
ness is $S,7S4,637. Seventy-nine per
cent. of the investment is in sums of
less than $4,000. Only ~ establishments
reach the sum of $4,000 or more. OF
the 1Sj educated negroes in business
30 started with borrowed capital, and
the others with money saved.
An interesting feature of this report
is the tracing of the different classes of
the old slaves into business. 1t is found
that of the 1906 negroes covered by
the report 462 came from the house
servant class, which took up naturally
| the work of BARRIERS, restaurant keep
ers, eXpressmen, butchers, caterers,
liverymen, bakers and milliners; 81,
from the field hand class, gravitating
to the work of market gardeners.
| greengrocers, dairymen, florists and
lumber mill owners; 176, from the plan
tation mechanic class, taking up the
work of builders, blacksmiths, brick
makers, jewelers., shoe dealers, ma
chinists, timers, paper hangers, and
painters; 695, from the trading class,
that is, from the old slaves who were
employed in way to bring out the bar
gaining or mercantile instinct The
compiler of the report reasons that
naturally business of all vocation
was far removed from slavery; even
the ante-helluIa plantation owner was
hardly good business man. and his
slaves were at best sharers in a mon
archical communism" Therefore. it is
commended, for a negro to 90 into bust
ness means much-hard labor. thrift
in saving, ability to learn q new voca-
ton and the comprehension of social
| movements