New-York tribune., 1904-08-14
NEGROES IN NEW YORK
Thsrs IRE $1,000 of T'hem-Hozc
They Get Along.

=. ,srts of this city than where they live
~. drawn attention anew to the fact that there
4. g preju6lce against the negro In this city.
r-, negro not only finds II difficult to rent
eat E-ners be may desire 10 live. but, according
- sone investigators. Il is becoming more and
-,o-e difficult for him to secure employment IN
-, higher grades OF unskiIled labor. Competi-
acr with foreign labor If is said. has worked
s,sdveutageousIy TO MIN, because OF the for
,sr,s greater degree Of persistence in seeking
ana keeping employment when once secured.
yzungarians and Bohenians and Italians are
,sdng the places Of negro walters and the Ital-
ssp has nearly driven the negro out OF the bar
hsr shop and from the streets as a bootblack-
qae negro does not form 8 large element IN
..a pcpulation OF this city. II is estimated
thst they DO not number more than fifty thou
sau6 They live chiefly In three four well
S.sned districts in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
IN Manhattan they have been crowded over
.oward the West Side into the fats along the
,ssrrh River. The chief colony Is in the
srn side OF the ''Tenderioin' region. It is
handed by seventh-ave. and Thirty-hfth and
ghirty-ninth SITS. Travellers on the Fifty
piuth-st crossUOwn electric line are familiar
,r4tb the location OF the second district Before
the dOorsteps and through the windows OF the
houses OF either side OF that street west OF the
circle can be seen the dark faces OF many ne
rross This street is the southern boundary OF
the negro quarter second fl size IN the city. The
northern boundary is Sixty-third-st- The COL
orsd population IN this region is constantly re-
cs.vfng additions. A small colony lives IN Cor
nslia-st In Brooklyn, Br1dge-st- is the centre
for the negroes.
The recent incorporation OF the Afro-Anleri-
-sn Realty Company with a capitalization OF
10000 revealed an effort en- the part OF a
number OF negroes OF the more intelligent and
vsslthier class 70 establish a colony IN a bet
tss neighborhood than that TO which the major
lty Of the uaskIled class have been relegated
By the landlords OF the city. According 10 VII
ford e Smith, the colored attorney OF the COM
gsny II wss evident that effort was being
rsde 70 force al negroes regardless OF their
calbre and character. into old buildings along
the North Etver. Those Of the more intellectual
clsss resented this and determined 10 hnd
vsv 70 get homes IN other parts Of the city.
Ten negroes formed a partnership year ago
and leased for a term Of i've years Nos. SO 20 90
wszt Northumberland thirty -fourth-st, and
sublet Il 10 colored families Then they leased
sor the same length OF tine the hathouses Nos.
i58 and I5s West Sinety-eighth-st and Nos-
go 70 83s West F1fty-ninth-st. and. after
making repairs. followed the same course there
This summer. he said, white persons tried to
-and-tlaarty-hfth-st The company was then
Incorporated ana It bought the hathouses Nos.
30 ans 30 West e-hundred-and-thirty fifth
a. and Nos 50 and 81 West one -hundred-and-
thirrv-fourth-st. then occupied by whites. with
she intention OF turning the houses into homes
for negroes. Re asserted that the prejudice
against es-Eoszld- Opers1s In favor OF ths
success OF its scheme. for the negroes, whatever
else might be said against them. paid their
rents well This was a necessity in their case.
for 70 be turned ont OF doors was a serious mat
Ter, because Of the difficulty OF securing shelter
elsewhere He thought the methods OF his
company would make the proximity OF the
homes OF negroes less obnoxious 70 the whites.
as. anong other things, it would not tolerate the
losfng Of negroes about The entrances OF its
hunsings The negroes" sd he. are not so
likely 70 take offence al an order Of that sort
nom another negro as they would from q white
landlord"
A visitor TO the Offices Of the Afro-American
Really Company, in the Boreel Building, No. 115
Broadway VIII md choice carpets. shining
mahogany furniture, walls with a green cover
.ng Of refreshing shade and pictures which give
tie Offices the appearance OF those OF firm Of
rich corporation lawyers. The only indication
O. the race OF the occupants, aside from them
saves. are two pictures. one On either side OF
siss, engraving OF slaves seeking refuge in the
Dismal Swamp and 2 portrait OF Booker T.
Washington These are intended TO symbolic
he posslllitv Of development Of the negro race
4 student OF local social conditions said the
othsr dav regarding the negro IN this city: "Op-
poTs1nites for the colored people are being re-
g1cted constantly. Practically the only en-
pigments for the better class now open are
those OF porters and operators Of elevators. The
aegro Is regarded as untrustworthy, the whites
being generally steadier The negro has not the
sane degree Of persistence anG is not capable OF
a. high grade work New-Yorks colored
population has been both small and thrifty
The colony tg no getting larger and less thrifty.
Colored Peep are not prone TO ask for charity
They ara obliged 70 pay from 10 10 Is per cent
higher rents than whites This Il due to the fact
liat they ere not as good tenants They are
not sanitary and allow the property which they
occupy % run down. For this reason tenement
houses are not opened to negro occupation until
hey have ceased 70 be profitable as homes for
EhiteE and have run down 70 such an extent
that K Il hardly worth while TO put them In
aApe again sor the whites"
TIE negro IN New-York Is limited IN his sf-
io-ts 70 secure z living almost TO the occupa-
aons n which are paid the smallest wages
1hs negro who would rise IN one Of the profess
-' al eALcCl 10 eiLE4Os '44SAAS --S--- -
bossesEors 0f capital. This accounts FOR the
i-al humber IN the professions. OF males ac-
~e1ing 20 the last census. there are only fO4
ne professions IN Nex-XOrk. OF these Zo1
~ actors and showmen. l3 are artists 30
-sEy1en Is elsc1 11cians. % dentists, civil
s'ginsers s1d surveyors, : journalists. 20 law
IN. Etera-y md scientific persons. 1872 mu-
telsns and ter cheers Of music. 8 government Of
-c24a. q pm siciHas and druggists. and 32
ie2oaers and professors in colleges. Those en-