Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-12-08
THE CHICAGO NEGRO
coloReD RACE SAID TO be MAX.
ING BETTER PROGRESS IN CHI.
cAGC THAN IN ANY OTHER y
PART OF UNITED STATES.

1 PART OF UNITED Staten.
Many writer's have advanced theo'
RES and reasons for so-called race
question conditions. The subject has
been studied In every section OF Amer
lea 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 al.
ter all q human being, haE simply aD
sorbed such knowledge as has been
offered him in the different communi.
ties In which he happened to have his
being. For this reason Chicago and
the surrounding territory have shown
more advance than any other portion
Of the United States. Chicago's great
Industrial institutions needed labor.
During the period between 1870 and
| 1890 immigration from the south re-
sponded to the call. The negro VINO
came worked side by side with the
foreign-born laborer under supervl-
| sion of Yankee bosses. From the one
he learned by actual contact how to
work steadily, how to use his wages
thriftily, the beauties OF home, and
definite system of savings. From
the latter he acquired true knowl'
edge Of the word liberty. q proper dig.
nifty, and a manly bearing.
The Chicago stock yards have been
responsible for more negroes becom
ing taxpayers than any other institu'
ton in this land, excepting possibly.
the Pullman company.
Contrast the horizon OF these men
| with that of eastern negroes, nearly
always servants of hotels, clubs or
homes, where the nature Of their en-
ployment brought to their view moth
ing but ease, splendor Of garment, sur
roundings and extravaganza. The
eastern "boy" saw "Mr. George" dur
ing his hours of recreation and imi-
tated him. He saw the top Of socie-
TVS structure without knowing OF Its
foundation, as did the Chicago boy.
Without that influence and without the
paternalism of the southland the Chi
cago negro developed business abil-
ity based upon economy and willing
ness to work.
These seemed to be the foundations
upon which is built Chicago's black
citizenship.
Another primitive law prevails
there: That is birds of feather" etc.
Notwithstanding any restaurant IN
town will serve negro, none need
to, for In that territory between
Twelfth and Fiftieth streets, along
Wabash, State. Dearborn and Armour
can be duplicated any downtown res.
taurant's bill of fare. State street has
its Pekin theater, as well as several
smaller ones; its bank Of 100000
capitalization, real estate concerns, de-
partment stores, hotels, small shops,
even its own colony of artists, an In
corporated concern that does mail
order business, its lodges that own
their buildings, and its churches their
own edifices. A steam laundry Is
owned and operated by an individual.
AS purely Industrial matter, can
mention thirty-fiye saloons owned out
right by negroes and catering to their
own trade. And the whisky business
Is not out of proportion to the other
lines Of business. Dentists, physicians
and attorneys are plentiful and aver
age we'll.
As said before, this business and
professional structure rests upon a
~ oh rho1
paving gangs and railway construction
gangs send into Chicago to their fami-
lies $2,250,000 per year. The stock
yards concerns get blank receipts for
over 100000 annually. Railways out
Of Chicago send to the State street
merchants half million in hard
earned wages via negro employees.
The Illinois Trust company boosted to
your writer of having 900 negro de-
positors, with some accounts over
thirty years old, aggregating 100000.
To my definite knowledge the Jennings
Trust company holds savings for 270
negroes.
With such an industrial showing,
and paying taxes on 100000 worth
Of property, owning 100000 worth of
stock in close corporations Of their
own, 1T Is really no surprise that the
negro Is more in evidence In public
service in Chicago than elsewhere in
this country.
Tothose fearing that staff and line
officers in the National Guard might
be social embarrassment, let me
point to the Eighth Illinois and its
armory, the Uniformed Rank knights
Of Pythias, and their 100000 quarters
and the grandest negro business and
social club in America, excepting only
one. I refer to the Appamattox, on
Wabash avenue, where only negroes
hold forth. Yet were you to enter, from
the appointments and service you
would hardly have thought such to be
the case. The Elks, a beneficial order,
have a club with a membership of
1000.
It is, then, no wonder that Chicago's
colored citizens keep a member In the
legislature, have one of five county
commissioners, an assistant states at
torney, and are now trying for mem
Der on the school board and Judge.
These added to their fire company Of
proved efficiency, police sergeant, de-
tectives, and three score policemen,
meat inspectors. postal clerks, car
rters. bailiffs, deputy shenffs, messen.
gers. ETC., give to the Chicago
negro the best showing Of any Ameri.
can city because they have earned 1t.
~. A. J., in New York Globe. u
WHY THE ICE FORMED.