Franklin's paper the statesman., 1911-07-15

Man Who Has Worked His Way Up
From tho Bottom to Commanding
Position In the Manufacturing eusi-
ness In tho Buckeye State.
Greenfield, Ozone of the most con-
crete examples of the ability of Afro
Americans to make good in fields of
business calling for technical skill and
acumen In competition as we'll as be-
ing past master in the paths Of high
finance is fully demonstrated in the
career of Fred D. Patterson Of this
place, the executive and administra-
tive head Of the firm of G. R. Patter-
son. buggy and carriage manufactur-
ers. Although Mr.. Patterson is a fire.
Quent visitor to the National Negro
Business league and is in many ways
party to the councils of the
mighty" one does not get that impress
sion of him that is given along such
broad and generous lines by frequent
speakers at league meetings.
One can read Of Tusk egee frequently,
one can hear every important public
utterance of the Tuskegee wizard as
well as read his most important con-
tributons in the public prints and yet
be amazed by the extent of Tuskegee's
greatness when beheld for the first
time.
So with Patterson's plant the first
time seen in Greenfield. With charac-
teristic filial respect akin to the veri-
est patriotism he has always paid trib-
ute to that father who. with his Drawn
and mechanical skill. laid the founda-
ton for him. That young Patterson
succeeded where others failed certain
ly cannot be attributed to luck. True.
he has applied certain common sense
| business principles. but common sense
business principles sometimes go
wrong. He has not wholly conquered
| blind race prejudice. yet he has met
It on its own ground.
Now. G. K Patterson & Sons repre-
| sent the best effort of colored men in
| n purely commercial field. Their plant
is the largest. most representative eff
fort in manufacture and sound busi-
ness yet presented among the colored
| psope. Mr.. Patterson has not work
| tI Jul LIS SuCCeSS LII u
| where race prejudice assumes its SO
cial and well described limits nor in
line like confections. funeral supplies
or necessities which our people are
forced In many cases to buy from one
of their own kind or go without. He
has met success in the manufacture
and sale of articles not catalogued as
necessities.
Be 1t said to their everlasting credit
that large number of colored profes-
sional men in the south who must
have buggies and other vehicles pur-
| chase them from Patterson.
Here the Afro American goes into a
field well represented by a class of
people who have ties II not distinctly
helping them are certainly not against
| them: into field well occupied by
firms Of long standing and with un-
limited means at their disposal. Mr..
Patterson can now point back to a rec
ord of fifty years of honest dealing
| and honest goods and in this day of
grace perpetuates that record. He has
been honest to give his father credit
and to enlarge upon that fathers good
| record.
Ii must be borne in mind that Fred
Patterson makes no capital out of the
fact that he Is a colored man. He
| has never attempted to commercialize
his racial instincts and proclivities.
He Is not in business as black man.
He has never sold black mans bug
gy. 1t is doubtful ii in his talks to
professional men in the south he has
H<af 70 ha 20 ,. D.,
black man in order to make sale
That would be poor argument to a
Nashville physician unless this black
mans buggy would equal in quality
and price any buggy that the physi-
clan could get on the Nashville mar
ket.
visit to Greenfield. noting the es-
teen In which this young man is held.
the mammoth plant he has erected. fili-
ing orders in New York. Kentucky,
Alabama. Mississipp. and Tennessee
and competing for business in the
Ohio market as well. prompts one to
inquire. How has he done it?
While he did not go into business as
n black man and does not bear the
trademark of the color line. he has
uN' oSSh SuoiS eHouSu 10 get away
from the "reproach of Egypt" He
finds himself frequently face to face
with the limita tions cast around the
black man. 1t has been pointed out
that ne was not In line of business
where black men had to patronize him.
Neither did white men. and in order
10 get them to do SO he has had to de-
liver the goods He Is confronted by
that peculiar yet equally forceful
northern brand OF race prejudice-the
labor problem. He could not work all