The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-28
WHITE HELP IN
COLORED HOMES
New York Family Has an Experience
Decidedly Novel.

In the South of late there has been
more or less strenuous opposition to
colored people becoming public serv-
ants. In New York city there are
many white men and women who are
willing to become personal servants in
the homes of negroes. The contrast
is striking enough to be given without
comment.
white woman who was reared in
the South found it necessary to call
upon a cOlOred woman on a matter
of business the other day. She rang
the bell and an uncommonly good
looking white girl came to the door.
Il must have the wrong number"
said the caller. 81 wanted to see Mrs.
So-and-So, and she's a coIored wom-
an"
This is where she lives" said the
girl. Wont you come i'm
But how do you happen to be
here?"
I'm her maid" answered the girl.
But you are a white person, are
you not?"
"Of course; but what has that got
to do with it?"
The girl knew nothing of the color
line. She was the daughter Of Ger
man parents; she had to work. If a
colOred woman paid her good wages
and treated her we'll what possible
reason could there be for not keeping
the position?
After the first shock the white wom-
an was interested and she questioned
the cOlOred matron.
Il never have any but white serv-
ants" she said. 'I have no difficulty
in getting them to work for me, and,
treating them we'll, have little trou-
bic keeping them. They are better
than colOred girls, for this reason:
The colored people have been taught
to hate each other. That is, when
one gets up in the world, acquires a
little property and has enough of an
income to live comfortably, those of
our color who are ignorant and poorly
off try to put us down. A coIored girl
who will serve a white woman faith
fully becomes careless and impairment
the minute she enters a coIored home.
She feels herself an equal and cannot
recognize the necessary difference be-
tween mistress and maid.
You surely have a pretty home"
said the white woman, looking around
the drawing room. 1t was like the
room in the home of a white woman
of similar means, and in much better
taste than many.
1T is comfortable" admitted the
colored woman with some pride, "but
1t is no better than many other homes
presided over by colored women. We
are not all shiftless, you know, and
with half a chance a great many more
of us would have nice homes"
Mrs. Gilbert, who lives in a hand
some brick house at No. Is Douglass
street, Brooklyn, never has any but
white servants. There are plenty Of
white girls who are willing to work in
colored families she said yesterday
to Tribune reporter, land they make
most satisfactory servants. 1 pay no
more for my girls than do my white
neighbors. Why should -"
Her house is as neat as any on the
block and as comfortable. Among the
Brooklyn cOlored set-and there is a
set which draws its lines with extreme
clOseness-her dinners are highly
praised. Her husband owns consider
able property; more than the average
well-to-do white man in Brooklyn.
James E. Garner, who has offices at
No. 143 West Twenty sixth street,
New York, and who lives at 387 Gates
avenue, Brooklyn, is a colored man
who does not believe in hiring white
servants if colored ones can be Sc
cured
1--WE colored people have a hard
enough time, and should do all in our
power to help each other" he said
Il had young white woman in my
Office for several days as steuogra-
pher and bookkeeper. She performed
her work well and retained her posi-
ton until her family moved away. l
have filled her place with a colored
girl, and will continue to give prefer
ence to cOlored help.
1T has always seemed strange to
me how quickly aliens acquire a dis
like for colored people. They come
over here from Europe without any
race prejudices. Before they can speak
the language properly they learn to
dislike negroes, and none are more
eager to put slurs upon us. To show