Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-03-02


1888 in 1916 and to 1870 per thousand
children born during the first six
months Of 1917.
And again:
Georgia farmer who is making
$3.50 II day for twelve hours Of work
here brought over his wife and eight
children the oldest Of whom was thir
teen years Of age, to Il house which
he was fortunate to secure on Second
Avenue. Only Il few weeks after his
arrival all of the eight children were
taken sick, and two Of them, one elev
eli and the other six years old, died
OF pneumonia. Because of the conta
giOn Of some Of his children the man
was unable to leave his house for
eight weeks. His physician said that
the death OF the children was due to
the ovcr-crowded condition of tho
house. This man received no charity
md the money he had saved up was
spent to the last cent on doctor bills.
He says further:
Mrs. e. II. lives on Crawford Street
with her three children the oldest OF
whom is five years Of age. She occu-
pies small and damp room. Since
there is no gas in the house. a red
hot stove can always be found burn
ing in the room which is ut the same
time kitchen, dining room, bedroom
and Mushroom; for Mrs. HIS husband
is in Jail somewhere in Georgia. and
she does washing all day in order to
support her children. The water sup
ply OF the house is in the street and
the stairway leading to the upper
floors is in her room. All OF her chill
dren were sick; one had pneumonia.
She came here few months ngo as
everybody else was coming. Relatives
and charity are helping to support
her.
Mr.. T.. j. p. was born in Jamaica
Of wcll-to-do parents, tobacco planters
and was educnted in England as bot
aniSt. He works now as n common
lnborer in Pittsburgh for he cannot
secure work in his own field; he is
planning to so back TO England.
Mr.. J. ID. has had his wife here for
several months, but still has his only
chi d back in Florida as there is no
room for him in his present place.
hlcaars. e. and r.. Smith one living
on Penn Avenue. and the other on
Ross Street worked for Il steel plant
and construction company respective
ly. f.. mad an eye accident and was in
the hospital for four weeks, while r.
had two fingers cut off while at work.
The companies paid the tlroSpital bills
for both but neither one Of them ever
heard Or knew anything about com
pensation, and never claimed any.
j. G. halls from West Virginia. He
has been in town for two days and
has no room as yet. The lodging plac
es he went to asked seventyfive cen: S
night for dirty bed. He stayed up
expects to leave tho
city as soon rs he can.
Thc Case family have eight chill
dren. The oldest is gin of seven =
teen years of age who works in no
tel. The mother works every day in
the week; she leaves home at seven
III the morning and returns at five
O'Clock in the afternoon. A girl OF
fifteen takes care of the children in
the meantime.
Mr.. u. Roberts was Il prosperous
Negro in Florida. He WIS an expert
enccd concrete maker. earning accord
ing to his statement more than five
and six dollars a day at home. and
owning property in the South. When
the industrial boom began he thought
that the wages in his line we're much
higher here than in his own home
town, and that it would pay him to
come North. He came to Pittsburgh
together with his wife. five children
and an old invalid mother who was
confined to bed. When first visited,
MI. Roberts occupied two small
rooms each having one window. in q
rooming house where there were
about twenty-five male roomers. This
man could get no work here in his
own trade and was trying to save up
enough money from his $500 to $3.50
a day to go back to Florida. When
Roberts was visited again about six
weeks after the first visit, his old
mother had already passed away, his
vile had died Of pneumonia. while
his Oldest girl Of sixteen who had been
taking care Of the four little tots was
sick i'm bed, and the children were
playing On the streets. Roberts was
still trying to save from his $500 il
day snificient money to carry HIM
pack to Florida. which he still consid