Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-16
RENTS HOUSE TO
NEGROES DESPITE
OTHERS PROTEST
Woman Sends Family Into
$500 Home Out of De-
sire to Uplift the Colored
Race.

desire on the part of the owner to
"p'iit ana advance the colored race, and
also to show neighbors that they cannot
dictate to her was given today as tho
reason why the house at 1878 West Ve-
mango street had been rented to a negro
iamlly In spite of the indignant protests
of neishbOrs and the fact that no otbcr
negroes live near by. The owner Of the
property, which Is valued at about $500.
Is Mrs, Herman Collier, 1911 North Cones
toga street.
MFs. Gollcr inherited the desire to help
the negro race, along with about $50. .0OC
from her father who made his money I'm
tobacco plantation In the South mainly
through the work of Africans. He died
last June, according to Herman Collier.
salesman with offices in the Real Es-
tate Trust building, who Is the husband
OF the woman who owns the house
The house is In an exceptionally good
residential district and is one OF row
of fine dwellings, Like the rest OF the
row it is of three stories and has a wide
expanso of green lawn in front. There
Is a broad porch and everything In the
dwelling is in accord with the most mod
"7n IDEAS OF home building Well-to-do
people live in the adjoining homes Many
OF them refused to believe that the prop
erty had been rented to negro until the
family started TO move in today
Among the wealthy residents of the
immediate neighborhood is Robert Barker
president of the Barker. Moore & Mein
Medicine Company, of 1893 Venango
street.
For more than a week the house at the
Venango street address has borne the fol-
lowing sign;
For sale or rent, to colored families
only"
Today another sign was put in the win
dow of the house, advertising the fact
that hair-dressng paror is to be opened
there. \ hit later a moving van loaded
with furniture halted before the door and
the driver sat down on the steps to await
the arrival OF the new tenant He said
that the man was colOred and that his
name was Bateman.
Neighhors who have been vigorously
protesting since they learned III was the
intention of the nwner Ia rent the plare
only To negroes, changed their tactics to-
day ana refused TO talk. They declared
That .hc best way to meet the condition
Is by silence and declined to express opin-
Ions. They left no doubt. however. that
the action OF the owner has highly in
censed them "
My wife is the owner Of the house" +"
MT, Collier told the Evening Ledger TO-DAY
-She inherited about Sf0W0 from her
lath"r last June. In his will he provided
that she must spend som" Of that money
IN tho eHort 10 help cOlured people Ac-
coFdiHg.y she got mo to buy up proDerty
TO see II there was rot some VA, we
could do good for the race
AFTER my wife got the proDerty m
West Nenaugo street the nelghbors he
came nasty They made no effort Ia
confer with her She knew nothing of
lhe neiShborhood and when she obtained
G"ntfol through her real estate agent. she |
had the Sign put on the house adyertis-
ING Il Tor rent to colored people only.
NOW II the neighbors had acted nro,- |
eIly she might have been willing Ia trsa+ /
win 'hsm, but as / said they got nasty +
ana sHe refused 10 stand for n. She
mas determined 10 show them that she
c'n have any kind of tenants she wants
IN heF own property. The colored oaoDI.
WIN stay IL Is "a pure business propo-
slion. My wife is 10 get $50 a n,o1tb
nom this family now moving in and tbat
the row." 's"' IN