The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-23


and merchant in Jamestown, Miss, and
worth according to his own account, 70
600. He told this story:
SUCCESSFUL MISSISSIPPI FARMER.
Il was born in Virginia. forty-fve years
ago. and when was boy moved with my
folks 10 North Carolina l had 10 start
to work in the fields as soon as was big
enough, and until ten years ago / stuck
to that kind of work. 1 didn't save any
money, and my wife and children didn
have anything except what they Just had
to have TO live on. i moved around from
place TO place but didn't seem 10 do bet
ter. Then / emigrated 10 Mississippi The
man / went to work for had paid my fare,
and L had to work IL out on his place
vict,' and make fun OF my children; be-
cause their daddy was convict Now,
them same negroes lift their hats when 1
come down the road, and says, Gooo
mawnin'. Mister Wingfeld, i hope L sees
you we'll
with the man l was farming with, | had
saved $500 Then / bought 100 acres of land
on credit, paid for il in three years. and
bought 217 acres more, paying cash for IL.
Next thing 1 done, / bought my home and
paid s.. go cash for IL. Then L bought a
business lot and built a store in town. Now
I own seven lots in town and plantation
of So acres, with 800 acres under cultiva-
ton. 1 made 13i bales of cotton last year
sell timber and barrel slaves
81 have never had a word OF trouble with
any white man; they have always helped
me, and L have never been Disseminated
against i'm my business. / couldn't have got
on in my business unless the white mer-
chants and bankers had helped me.
IL. T. Evans is an old negro who owns
mattress works i'm New Orleans. Not until
he was past middle age did he make any
attempt to better his fortunes or become
more than a mere day laborer. 1t is in this
ha
'I was born in 1917 in North Carolina,
he began" but moved to New Orleans four
teen years ago. 1 was a mattress maker
by trade and sometimes l had work and
again l didn't. / didn't save but little
money, and when / was out of work all
that L had put away would have TO go.
Nine years ago was thrown out of work,
when l had $50 saved up. L couldn't get a
job anywhere, and all of sudden thought
/ would go into business for myself.
leased a vacant lot for a year at SO
month Then I got some old lumber and
built a little shed TO work under. / made
my first mattress for myself there; L had
If il was only spool of thread. None of
the merchants knew me, and didn't have
any customers.
For the first two years / didn't keep any
accounts; what came in L put in my pocket
and paid out as it was needed In October,
1896, / made my first deposit in a bank: it
was $125. I doing a business of
about $4,000 a year. 1 can buy goods on
credit from any merchant in town, and my
bank will extend me any accommodations
they extend to any merchant or manufac-
turer. Over 90 per cent. of my customers
are white people. / owe my success en-
tirely to them. They were generous, and
gave me credit and time when first began.
and 1 couldn't have done anything without
their aid.'
OHIO NEGRO PROGRESS.
Prof. Charles Alexander, of Wilberforce
University, Wilberforce, O., representing
the Xenia Negro Commercial Association
said: There are upwards OF twenty-five
negro merchants in Xenia, o., with an av-
erage capital invested of $50; about ten
merchants who have invested upward of
1000 each. One of the most successful mer-
chants in Greene county is William s. An
derson, grocer, OF Wilberforce He does a
! business of about 5000 a year. Jordan
Robb, of Xenia does business of about
$4,000 year in purely negro settlement.
The best blacksmiths in the city, of which
there are four, are of the negro race. Three
of the finest barber shops in the city are
owned and conducted by negroes. We have
a most successful undertaking establish
ment and one fine drug store. owned by
negroes. There are two successful phySi-
clans who have all the practice they can
possibly attend. Some of the best printing
in Greene county is executed by young men
in the department of printing at Wilber-
The Rev c. H Parrish, d. D., of Louis
vile, KY, spoke for the business negroes
o.
1--WE nave in Louisville two drug stores,
| two millinery establishments, four caterers,
| five prinlIng offices, six feed stores, seven
grocers, five tailors. six undertakers, two
butchers, three insurance companies, three
! burial companies. two machine shops, two
gents furnishing stores, numerous eating
houses and saloons, and also scores of
| churches. We are striving to teach the
race in the right way, and i'm this work we
| are meeting with some success"
L. j. Young, of Charlotte, n. c., has
shown that it is possible for the negro 10
enter the insurance business and succeed
| that the members of his race believe i'm
| preparing for the members of their families
after death. In discussing the Insurance
Business Among Negroes he said:
| I'm making up reports for the People
Benevolent and Relief Association of Char
| lotte, n. c., for the last year. we find that
our society is under pledge TO pay at least
$37, 045.50. and has paid at least 81, 762 Is for
! sickness and several thousand dollars for
death.
/ I'm 1899 I was i'm the city of Augusta
Ga, for the purpose of establishing our
| work there, and in every church there
| were two or three burial societies, whose
names were Brothers and Sisters of Love
| the Tribe of Benjamin, whose object was
| to take care of the sick and bury the dead
! These twenty or thirty burial societies had
together deposited in banks. white, OF
| course, more than $4,000, and without in
| terest enough to establish bank for them
| selves. Why not deposit il in the Bank OF
the True Reformers?
l
1 twelve clerks and two office boys, making
| total of Isl persons. each receiving upon
! an average 81 day. making a grand tota
| paid out of $251S3 daily TO run our bust.
ness. We say now, and publish the same
| in literature. that II anybody in the
world has claim against us, present tbs
same. and. If legal. it will he settled or ad.
justed within twenty-four hours.
IN KENTUCKY AND ELSEWHERE.
DIR. w. III. Ballard, of Lexington, Ky, i,
a druggist. He said that he could purchas,
large bills of drugs from any wholesale
drug house in the world because of hi.
substantial rating i'm the mercantile agen
| cies. He said that only per cent. OF th'
| colored merchants are rated on commercial
agency books. This he said is one of tn
| reasons why the negroes have failed IL
| business i'm many instances. The biz
wholesale houses, he said, do not have con
| fidence ir the negro merchants who are no
| rated with commercial agencies. DIR. Bal
lard is the only negro member OF the Drug
gists's Association of Kentucky, He sais
| he means TO follow the white man in hi
business as far as possible In all that II
| right and to eschew him in all that Il
| wrong.
c. w. Keats, a real-estate dealer of Lit
tie Rock, Ark. speaking of the condition
| of the negroes in that State, said: lou
condition is good. We live in a negro Je
rusalem and are treated right so long a.
we treat ourselves right The white peopl
regardless of politics. treat us nicely. W
1 hox nj inf 70 he To