The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1916-11-17
Men Leave Plantations TO Work in
Plants and o. Farms Of
The North.
HOPE TO BETTER THEIR LOT
Shortage in Crops Il. low Potomac. Free
transportation and Alluring Prom
ises TO Negroes Perturb south
ern Empl ,y-rs.

A great migration OF Negroes from a..
>outh 70 the North has taken lac. with
IN tho last few months. Since the tr.,
4 April lls,tsp members Of the colored
race hove moved into Pennsylvan:a. New
York, New Jersey, ,hio. Indianr. Mn,
souri,. lllinois Mh higan and Connert,
ut. They went to take ,hs vacated by
the usands Of unskillrd foreign lshorrr.
who returned 20 Europe after the out.
break OF the war. aud to I'LL new jni :
created by the growth Of manufacturing
This Negro migration has re~ently A.
sumed such gigantics proportions that u
threstened the very exi-teuce G. some oi
he leading industries "f Grorgi., Flor
ida, Alshams and repne-s e. WHICH hsv.
borne the burden Of the ex du, Lur~c
~ the promise Of high wage, free tran.
p >rtztlon and Improved working condi
tions, farm hands left ih.ir employers
teams IN the streets and canght outgoin,
trains. Saw-mills that had full corp
Of lsborers when they stDppd for th
noon hour, were deserted witiInut nutics.
Hundreds OF colored workers suddenly
northern agent appeared among III o.
With his glowing descriptions Of the laud
4 promise above the Mason and ID no
inc.
LURED By MANY ATTRACTIONS.
Many Of the cOlond workers Wei
North u g-t free ride and seq the coun
Try, but others had a more serious reason
some OF them sought ~ tetter their con
dition by freer Use Of srh ols som.
were sctusted bv a desire u escaIe th.
persecution of thOughtle-s white Ieotl
Who mistrest them. Othrrs. Who AT.
-,ducated, wanted ~ go where they could
b I'd better cisl c DndItion- for their rae.
sod take part in running the govern
ment. But the dominant reason for ia.
migration Was more money.
Great excitement prevails in she ertr
cDtton belt Crops there have been short.
and many Negroes will be idle until
spring unless they leave tle cOtlon plan
tat'ons. This crop shortage has left hun
ireds OF Negro families pennies. This
- Why the call tor labor in the North hs-
net with such . ready re-pon-e
The following fgurrs, showing the
nunber Of NegrOss lesving the various
southern states. indicate the extent s,f
the transfer Of lsl,cr from the Syuth L
'ther -estIOns Of the cDnntry. From Ala
Dsms, 1l.OO; from Tenne---e, 2z.oO.
from Florida. iz,Oc; from ,ieorgls, 10.
80, from Vrginis, sos. form North
Car lima, 2,0o; from, Kentucky, sos;
from SOuth Csrolins, :. .p,D. from Arksn.
-A-, 2,"'. from Mi-l--ippi. 2.Dr.
It - estimated tnst - yer cent. of the
Negroes ~bJ have eff the south IN thi-
movements are men. The demand l. for
isborrrs for freight ard -~rtion-hsnd
~Ork on railroads, miners Ior coal and
iron STATE. and unskilleJ xorkmen f,r
gsnersl outside work st industrial Isnt-.
RAILKO ADs STARTED EXODUS.
Let sprInz, when the bu-in--- a the
70 roads aud mines b~ysn T. proper - u
hsd not done In years. the demand for
unskil II lsi'Or increased RAPIDLY. The
ireisbt eOnge-t,On ma and slOut New
YORK and ,tber large ei,ie- csu-ed q
pressing demand i"r truck hand. In
10 mer yesrs the railroads. had - ls-i on
Europe and Asia for estrs supyli,,-, bot
th'- year, ~hen they conld MT x.t men
from the var zone, they turned 70 the
; Juth.
Many Of the first Neg oes N mlgrsr
have written beck and tDld u tbe ZION
ous land into which they have come.
The hishe' ~se. Of the North. East and
Wet are being sdvertisei in . most ever
Negro home IN the south. Negro preach
ers and Nero women have teen paid 70
urge the men 10 70 North and get letter
psy and treatment
fes many Of The blsck men, carried
oos of Ne Sooth. have fonnd shss th~