The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-06-29
WHAT A WH0PPER

The New York Herald has fallen
for a story from one of the canton
ments in the north that should not
have been accepted by the smallest
country weekly in the northwest,
when the apportionment of troops
from each state has been so widely
published.
The story was from Camp Dix, and
was a special" to the Herald. II
said:
Scamp Dix, Wrightstcwn, n j.,
Sunday-"For the Lords sake, give
US those oyercoats." said about TWEEN
ty-five thousand negro troops from
Florida when they reached Camp Dix
this afternoon. Nearly all of them
were clad only in overalls which they
had been wearing in the fields when
they answered the draft call. When
they left Florida, they said, the
weather was decidedly warm. Sol
diers, clad in overcoats and their win
ter hats were near when the negroes
stepped from their trains. The shiver-
SOAIAlEIASIS WC1S 1I10LAlGu L4Cy
probably would be here for some days
before appointed. They marched to
barracks at one of the depot bri-
gades and had hot coffee and hot
meal, and many of them got under
the blankets and remained there"
What is the cause for the story =?
Who could have sent it I? The idea of
| %, 900 negro soldiers being sent up
from Florida in one entrainment!
And the idea of their going dressed
in overalls" because that was all they
We're wearing in the fields when they
answered the draft. 1t is ridiculous
that the story could have passed the
news editor" of the Herald.
The Florida negro when he went
/ from his home state, went dressed as
a respected and well-to-do citizen
wearing the clothing that he wears
on Sundays and holidays. He was
dressed for the occasion, and ''believe
US" the occasion was the biggest
event of his life!
| Then besides Florida has not sent
out that many soldiers, white ano
colored, together; and it will be many
a day before $4,000 negro soldiers
will be setn out from Florida.
| However, we are glad to see thai
they got 'hot coffee and hot meals
and were allowed to "get under blan
kets! Tampa Tribune.
The immense ignorance of the av.
Ferage northern man about southern
conditions is generally evident wher
he breaks into print.
We have seen hundreds of Negro
selects, some going from here ant
fsome passing thru, and not one wa
l'clad only in his overalls. The gov
eminent notifies all these men, ant
white men, too. that they should weal
only their old clothes, consequent.
some may have worn overalls, bu
they no doubt had plenty under them
The colored selected men of Florid;
belong to a class that has been abb
to obtain plenty of work at higl
wages for the past several years, S,
there is no more reason for their go
ling to the camps Ill clad than for tn
same number of whites. AS is wei
remembered, the colored people o
Marion county saw to it that the frs
party of selects, who went to Cam
Devens early in April, had plenty o
comfortable Undertaking, and w
think it is pretty safe bet that
any colored boy who goes to a north
ern camp can't obtain sufficient cloth
ing any other way, his "white folks
will supply him.
1t is not out of place to say her
that our janitor. James Strange,
among the Florida colored selects q
Camp Dix. We have received lette
and card from him since he wen
, away. He says he is well and we
treated, and likes Camp Dix, his OF
! ficers and his work.
! The trouble with the average north
ern writer is that he persists in thinl
ing of southern colored selects as
lot of dependents and semi-pauper
!. The truth of it is that they are a
capable workmen and generally sell
!. respecting men, and don't need nc
| expect anybody to take care of then