The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-02
Mecca of the Negro,

BY the census OF 1890 Washington ac-
CURED the unique distinction OF being the
leading negro city I'm the United States.
although IL was fourteen from the top
In aggregate population.
In 1870 the census showed an aggre-
gate OF S72e colored people in Washing
ton and Georgetown In 1880 the num-
Der had Increased to 52,l35, gain of 49,
400 In the decade. IL then stood third in
ranking first and Baltimore second. In
1890, however, our negro population had
jumped TO 1872: a gain in ten years OF
fgS,dSn - putting WASHINGTON ahead Of both
third.
While the recent census did not displace
the capital city from its lofty position at
the top. IL at all events shed n glmmer
OF light on all this darkness besides dis
closing q most interesting tendency north
ward OF the colored population every
where, but particularly along the Atlantic
seaboard
Instead of leading all the other cities in
aggregate gains In s5lack inhabitants, as
previous returns had led statisticans to
expect, Washington fell To the seventh
place IN this regard. IL is evident that IL
Philadelphia maintains its present ratio
OF gains IL Will show heavier negro pop
ulation than Washington I'm 1920 IL not by
1910. Indeed. II now loks as II the third
rate city of Memphis will soon overtake
and pass Washington as a negro centre
According TO the official figures, even Chi
cago, up near the frozen zone. gained 4749
Decided aggregate gains are uniformly
SHOWN In the Northern and border state
cities. The figures showing the increase
I'm some of them are amazing The black
man Is pointing northward as he becomes
more and more hardened to the arctic
blasts of the higher regions.
The considerable increases I'm Baltimore
Louisville. Sc. Louis and Washington, i'm
the midst OF the large rural negro popu-
lation OF former slave states. are easily
shown nv IN oil
York, Philadelphia. Chicago. Pittsburg
Indianapolis and Atlantic City require ex-
planation.
Some special cause. aside from the mere
momentum accruing from locality, as we'll
as from size and consequent natural ac-
celeration of increase. must have been
ten years 10 Philadelphia than TO Wash
ington or Baltimore or New York, tho
latter three times its size, and both the
former much smaller What Is a.?
But the colored brother. I'm his percgri-
nations since the ''wah," is past finding
out. In Lowell Mass. p town OF $500
people, the last census shows there arc
only 1886 negroes. whereas in Lynn u
nearby town. with 5000 fewer people,
there are 7Si blacks.
The causes which operate to bring such
large numbers OF negroes To Washington
are not far to seek. The climate is con-
genial. and both black men and women
better wages than they command else
where. II Is the capital and they are at
the fountain head OF the government
which Is TO protect them in their new
found rights.
But perhaps the chief influence Is that
they have I'm Washington far more con-
and uniformly kind treatment
than Is probably shown them I'm any other
quarter OF the country. The Washington
negroes arc tho happiest people I'm the
world, although they have no vote And
here they are doubtless making moro
rapid progress I'm education and general
Intelligence than elsewhere.
San Francisco's negro population Is so |
meagcr as TO excite astonishment. but In !
their stead she shows the heaviest Chi |
nese contingent OF any city in the Union,
1884. But her Chinese population is also |
decrea sing Thorc arc more Japs I'm san |
Francisco than negroes.
Tho increase OF negroes in that small |
but interesting watering place on the |
New Jersey coast. Atlantic City. is some |
thing phenomenal. Most probably II the |
had been taken In tho win |
ter the aggregate Of Atlantic Cites black |
popula ton would have been much smaller |
In tho moro remote Northern cities the |
blacks are az yet infintcsimal IN NUM- |
bers. Vet their increase is everywhere |
marked. While the gain I'm Milwaukee. |
for instance, was only a mere bagatelle OF /
10. IL nevertheless nearly doubled Mil |
waukce's black population. The gain OF |
li66 negroes in frigid Boston, 2999 in CleVe- 4
and. 267S in Columbus. O.. aS7 in ST. Paul |
and SIS in Denver Is far more significant |
han the much greater increases in Wash
ngton and New Orleans The increases 4
In the later are falling or whereas they /
lrc gaining 10 the northward. Washing
on Star.