Richmond planet., 1907-12-28
Pearce, Arizona Territory.
December 13. 1907

December 10. 1907.
Dear Editor. Richmond PLANET:
Allow me to inform you of certain
facts. I nave written TO some lead
ing men OF our race I'm regards TO
millions of acres Of government lands
in this territory New Mexico and
Southern Gala. and some of them
answered very unfavorably and as to
DR.. Washington, ! got no reply
whatever. and I would like TO get
a reply from you in this matter.
There are two Of us who have
taken up claims OF n 1 co acres each
and there is enough land i'm our vi
cinity for about 2O0O families and
do hope between you, God and man
that you can make up a colony of col
orei people and send them this way
as the whites are talking of settling
around us on this land. This is my
last letter on this subject and am
sorry 20 say so. I have written TO
Georgia. Kentucky. Tennessee and
Alabama and not a person even came
out and looked at the land. I ask
YOU in the name of the Father and
the Son TO send one or two men as
inspectors TO look at this and make
a report 20 you of the facts.
We planted little of everything
50 we could write the truth. We
planted corn potatoes. onions and
all classes of garden stun and the
crop did we'll We had TO irrigate
some and we have 60 dig wells and
water our stun like the white peo-
pie do. We did not plant any
wheat or tobacco because we started
too late as we had TO do fencing Go
keep OF cattle and we had gotten
here too late in the spring 20 do
a.. s,i. else but fence.
/ vii tell you as / did DR.. Wash
fngton. Garden stun comes up In
two and half TO eight days corn
grows as tall as 15 feet. We ate
watermelons In hfty-two days after
planting and we have proof for what
we say We planted three crops OF
radishes, two Of lettuces and pump
kins grow as large as a half bushcl
measure. We gather three hundred
POUNDS OF tomatoes from eighteen
vines and YOU can raise all the chick
ems, turkeys, hogs, sheep, etc. you
want
Now. Mr. Editor. the colored peO-
pie must scatter out and do for them
selves as white people do and help
to improve the country. COlOred Ia
Dor is wanted here and very good
pay. could write you much
longer letter, but ] have gotten dis
couraged 10 see in every colored pa
per where there are so many colored
people packed and jammed In those
eastern cities and the bad wont let
the good ones prosper and they do
not seem to want to come west. We
want good people, men Of families,
etc. Bad men have no places here.
Sir, | wait for an early answer be-
Hrff O.
must not let the grass grow under
our feet or many good colored fam
lilies will be out of what they should
have by putting of to-day for to-
morrow.
Yours truly,
HATHOWAY PLEASANT.
p. S.-I will further say that / am
from Richmond and am under no
obligation To mislead any one from
that State or any other State.
have relatives I'm Richmond, the
Jaspers and would like to see them
be first on these lands If possible.
| am sure the entire race would be
better of in this territory and New
Mexico than they would be in any
part of the Southern States. There
are not so many whites in this ter
ritory and if we could get the lar
ger portion cOlOreu, We cOulu run
things nicely and be rree to vote with
out going through the red tape like
they have in the South and l ask
you again TO teach the colored peo-
pie to come west and take up land
and do for themselves, and If they .et
this chance slip they will not be able
to get a foot OF land around here
within twelve months for less than
a hundred dollars an acre and If the
grass grows under their feet they
will always regret it.
Yours &c,