The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-06-29

Example
OF NEGRO'S BUSINESS ABILITY
ARE GREENFIELD CARII-
AGE MANUFACTURER
Patterson and Son
represent Best Efforts of The Race
In Purely Commercial Field, Hav-
Ing Largest Plant Yet Represent
ed Among COlOred People.
Especial to The Advocate. J.

\opeCldl 10 Inc AQVOCdCe.)
Greenfield, Ohio, June 27-One
OF the most concrete examples Of the
ability OF the Negro to make good
In fields Of business calling for tech
nical skill and acumen in compe-
t1t1on, as we'll as being a past mast
er IN the paths of high finance, is
fully demonstrated in the career of
Fred d. Patterson of this place, the
executive and administrative head Of
the firm Of G.. r. Patterson & Sons,
buggy and carriage manufacturers
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 i'm
preston Of him that Is given along
such broad and generous lines by
ings.
Mr.. Patterson is modest to a
fault. He has a quick, snappy way
in conversation, an almost metho
dical turn of mind, yet not laggard;
and a readiness Of expression, CIV
ing invariably an Inference Of quick
decisive action when necessary to
cope with a difficult situation
One can read Of Tuskegee freq
uently, one can hear every impor-
tant public uttrance Of the Tuskegee
Wizard, as we'll as read his most
important contributions in the pub
lie prints, and yet be amazed by
the extent Of Tuskegee's greatness
beheld for the first time.
SO with Patterson's plant the
first time seen in Greenfield. In his
been Gone. With characteristic
filial respect, akin to the veriest pat
riotism, he has always at the League
and elsewhere paid tribute to that
father, who with his Drawn ana
mechanical skill laid the foundation
for young Patterson's work, and yet
who, through a force of circumstan-
ces, not under his control, was never
able to successfully compete with
certain agencies that prevented his
gaining competence.
That young Patterson succeeded
where others failed certainly can
not he attributed to luck. True, he
has applied certain common sense,
business principales, but common
sense business principle sometimes
go wrong. He has not wholly con-
quered a blind race prejudice, yet
he has met it on it's own ground; he
he's met the inexorable market, the
call Of the trade world, and has
made good.
Now. G. r. Patterson and Sons
represent the best effort Of Negroes
in a purely commercial field, their
plant is the largest, most represent
tative effort in manufacture and
sound business yet presented among
the folored people. Young Patter-
son has not worked out his success
in 8 community where race preju,
dice Assumes its social and we'll des-
crib8d limits; nor in line like con-
fecti6ns, funeral supplies or neces-
stiles which Negroes are forced in
many cases TO buy from black man
or go without. He has met success
in the manufacture and sale OF ar
ticles not catalogued as necessities;
articles that are more or less con-
sidered luxuries, and manufacture
ing them, he sells them.
Be it said to their everlasting 6
credit, that large number Of Ne
gro professional men in the South
who must have buggies and other
vehicles, purchase them from Pat
terson, but as matter Of course,
Negro purchasers represent but a
small proportion of the sales his
concern must make in order to
make good.
Here a Negro goes into field
well represented by class Of Deo-
pie who have ties, if not distinctly
helping them, are certainly not
against them; into a field well oC-
cmpied by firms Of long standing, and
with unlimited means at his dispo-
sal. He is able now, to point back
to record Of fifty years Of honest
dealing and honest goods, and in
this day Of grace perpetuate that
record. He has been honest to give
his father credit, and to enlarge up
on that fathers good record.
1T 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 CONNER
cialize his racial instincts and procli-
vites. He is not in business as a
BLACK man. He has never sold q
black mans buggy. I doubt if in
his talks to Negro professional men
in the South, he has ever referred
to the fact that he is a black man
in order to make a sale.
That would be a poor argument
to a Nashville physician, unless this
; black man buggy would equal in
quality and price anwBuggy that the
physician could get on the Nashville