The Lexington standard. [volume] (Lexington, Ky.) 1892-1912, 1911-12-16
CHICAGO NEGROES
Making Better Progress than
Those Elsewhere in the
Country.

Many writer's have advanced
theories and reasons for so-caIled
race question conditions. The sub
ject has been studied in every Sec
ton of America with but little
success, for the very reason that
humanity is not subject to rules.
but responds only to the primal
laws of nature.
The Negro, being after all a
human being, has simply ascribed
such knowledge as has been offer
ed him i'll the different communi-
ties in which he happened to have
his being. For this reason Chi.
cago and the surrounding terrific
ry have shown more advance than
any other portion of the United
States. Chicago's great indus
trial institutions needed labor.
During the period between 1870
and 1890 Immigration from the
South responded to the call. The
Negro who came worked side by
side with the foreign-born laborer
under supervision of Yankee boss.
es. From the one he learned by
actual contact how to work stead
lily, how to use his wages thriftily
the beauties of home, and a def
mite system of savings. From
the latter he acquired true know
ledge of the word liberty, prop
er dignity. and manly bearing.
The Chicago stock yards have
been responsible for more Negroes
becoming taxpayers than any 9th
er institution in this land, except
ing possibly the Pullman com
pany.
Contrast the horizon of these
len with that of Eastern Negroes,
nearly always servants at hotels.
clubs or homes, where the nature
of their employment brought to
their view nothing but ease. splen-
dor of garment, surroundings
and extravaganza. The Eastern
boy" saw Mr. George" during
his hours of recreation and i'm
itated him. He saw the top of
society's structure without know.
ing of its foundation, as did the
Chicago bov. Without that in
fuence and without the paternal-
Ism of the Southland, the Chicago
Negro developed a business abiI-
ity based upon economy and will
lingness to work.
These seemed to be the founda-
tions upon which is built Chica-
go's black citizenship.
Another primitive law prevails
there. That is Birds of feather. +"
etc. Notwithstanding any res.
taurant in town will serve a Ne
gro. none need to, for in that ter
ritory, between Twelfth and Fifth
eth Streets, along Wabash. State,
Dearborn and Armour, can be du-
plicaeed any downtown restau
rants bill of fare. State Street
has its Pekin Theater as we'll as
several smaller ones. its bank of
100000 capitalization, real estate.
concerns, department. stores, ho-
tells, small shops, even its own col
ony of artists an incorporated
concern that does a mail order
business, its lodges that own their
buildings and its churches tkeir
own edifices. A steam laundry is
owned and operated by an individ-
ual As a purely industrial matter
1 can mention IS saloons owned
outright by Negroes and catering
to their own trade. And the whis-
key business is not out of proper
ton to the other lines of business.
Dentists. physicians and attor-
neys are plentiful and average
well.
As I said before, this business
and professional structure rests
upon a solid foundation of labor.
paving gangs and railway
construction gangs send into Chi
cago to their families twenty-five
hundred and fifty million dollars
per year. The stock yards con-
Germs get blank receipts for over
six hundred dollars annually.
Railways out of Chicago send to
he State Street merchants a half
million in hard earned wages via
Negro employees.
With such an industrial show
ng and paying taxes on two mill
ion dollars worth of property,
,wning five hundred thousand
lollars worth of stock in these
of their own, it is
eally no surprise that the Negro
5 more in evidence in public ser
ice in Chicago than anywhere
.1se in This country.