The San Francisco call., 1904-09-04
NEGROES MAKE
BIG PROFITS
Litigation Is Only Business
of a Number of Members
of GOtham'S COlOred Colony
WHITE CONFEDERATES
Work Their Game in Seeking
Accommodations at Resorts
Exclusively for the Whites

A lawyer was speaking OF the incl
dent at Oyster Bay. President Roose-
velt's home, the other day, in which
the white barber declined to shave the
colored preacher.
'It may not be generally known"
said the lawyer, that there is a con-
siderable class OF professional Htigants
among the colored people OF New York.
They make business OF suing rail-
proads and sleeping car companies and
proprietors Of hotels, restaurants. bar
rooms. ice cream parlors and soda wa
ter fountains for refusing to grant
them the rights and privileges which
are freely accorded white persons.
'"The professional black litigants
have many ways Of meeting and beat
ing the scheme Of the white purveyors
Of commodities and accommodations
who desire only white patronage. The
professional black litigant, for exam
pie, walks into a barroom that he
knows is a drinking place exclusively
for white men and calls for a milk
punch.
milk punch costs 81 to-day" says
the barkeep, thinking that the black
will Immediately go out and take the
air.
"'All right" says the professional
black litigant, and II the bartender puts
up no further excuse and serves the
drink the colored man drinks It, pays
his dollar and walks out
HAVE WHITE ALLIES.
He has case in law for extortion.
under the civil rights clause. He
clinches his case-I speak now OF a
case that actually happened IN New
York not long ago-by sending into
the barroom. after he himself leaves
1t. a white confederate-many Of the
professional black litigants have these
white working partners.
"The white partner calls for a milk
punch, gets 1t, drinks 1t and pays the
regular market price for milk punches.
That's the finishing touch to the pro-
fessional black litigant's case.
COR. suppOsing the bartender. finding
that his black customer is willing to
pay the dollar demanded for a milk
punch, says:
I've got no milk
There are several bottles OF milk
on ice in that case behind the bar re-
plies the black man. having the lay Of
the land all fixed before setting about
to build up his case. and I am speak
ing again of a case that actually hap
pened.
THAT milk soured during the thun-
derstorm this morning, "Osays the bar
keep.
80. it did,? says the black man, and
he walks out.
"He Immediately sends his white con-
federate into the barrOom. The white
confederate gets a milk punch manu-
factured out of sweet milk from one Of
the bottles that the colored man has
previously pointed out to the side-step-
ping bartender-and there's the case.
Games like these are worked time and
again by the professional black liti-
gants and they get by with them in
New York courts more often than they
lose out.
AT FIRST CLASS HOTELS.
1.-THE professional black Htigant walks
into a first-clasS hotel in a city where
he knows the civil rights clause is still
a living affair and begins to write his
name on the register.
:" Not a room left in the house. re-
marks the clerk, knowing about half
the rooms to be vacant.
That SOP says the colored man
Are you absolutely certain Of that7'
'Certainest thing you eyer heard
replies the clerk.
"The colored man strolIs out and two
minutes later his white side worker,
an impressive looking man, steps OF
a car or out Of carriage in front OF
the hotel, walks IN, registers, Is re-
ceived effusively by the clerk, and gets
his pick of a whole lot or rooms-and
there's another case for the profession
al black litigant.
ON SLEEPING CARS.
'HTraveling through a State where he
knows the law favors him the pro-
fessional black litigant. while he Is
seated In the smoking car Just about
the time the sleeper berths are being
prepared, hands his sleeping car cou-
pom to the sleeper conductor.
Sorry says the sleeping car con-
ductor, If he is under instructions from
his company thus to act, but this car
has got a fiat wheel and Is going to be
taken off the train at the next sta
tion'-this while the porter is going
right ahead with the work Of getting
the berths ready.
Nothing suits the professional black
litigant better than this. His white
confederate sleeps in the car that Is to
be taken off because 1t has a fiat
wheel and upon the presentation OF
this evidence in the States where the
conditions are favorabls the black
wins his suit against the sleeping car
company more often than not wash
ington Post