Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-01-12

OF these houses are in reality run by
Whites, who keep u co.ored janitor or
manager in the House. Several of
the big rooming houses on lower Wy
lie Avenue, for instance. are conduct
Cd Tor local white merchant who
Keeps Il colorcd janitor in each OF
them, and only visits them to check
the books and collect the rents. In
many instances, however. houses are
operated by colorcd people. who
either run or lea @ tlcm. Most of
these lcS&ccs or owners arc Pitts
burghcrs. but a few are newcomers,
who, having brought a bit of capital
with them have opened rooming
houses as Investments. Some OF
there people have become the prey OF
cunning landlords. In one case in
tho down town section, q colorcd mi
grant rented an cd and dilapidatcd
shack, paying fifty dollars month,
and was unaware that tho contract
signed by him specified that he pay
for his own repairs. The Negro
claims that as the house is very old
ana In such bad condition. 1t would
cost him an additional fifty dollars
each month to keep it habitable.
He gives more interesting informa-
ton. Here it Is:
or the 157 families investigated.
soVenty-seVen or 40 per cent live in
one room each. Thirty-three or 81
per cent live in tworoom apartments,
and only forty.sevcn families or 80
per cent live IN apartments of three
or moro rooms each.
Of these forty-seven families. thirty
eight kept roomcrs or boarders. total
ling one hundred and thirty-one. or
an average OF 3.5 roomers per family.
ElEhty-onc Of the total Of one hundred
una th1rty-nine houses inspected. had
water inside the house. while fifty
eight houses secured water from ward
or street hydrants or from neighbors.
Only thirty-four OF tho total we're
equipped with interior toilet facili-
ties; the rest had outside toilets, or
the latter. fortytwo had no sewerage
connections, and used filthy, unsani-
tary vaults.
The sections formerly DESIGNATED
as Negro quarters, have been long
since congested beyond capacity by
the influx OF newcomers, and q score
OF new colonies have sprung up in
hoiiows and ravines, on mill slopes
anu along river banks, by railroad
cracks ana In mill.yards. In many
instances the dwellings are those
when have been abandoned by for
oisn white people since the beginnin.
vi INC present war. In some cases
they are structures once condemned
ny the city Bureau Of Sanitation, but
opened again only to accommodate
ene influx from tire South. Very few
Oh lhcsc houses are equipped with
gas. Coal and wood are used both
ior cooking and heating. During tho
not days OF July, the visitor found
III several instances n red hot stove
IN room which was being Used ga
k1toaen, dining room. parlor and bed
room. This, however, did not seem
20 pother the newcomers, as many Ut
.he women, being unaccustomed TO
inc use or gas, and fearful of It, pre-
lerIoa he more accustomed method of
cooking.
We shall continue this recital from
time to time. Colored folks who an
tic1pate going North or to Pittsbureh
would do we'll to ship ahead or carry
a ready-made' house with them.
Inc wages paid are certainly not so
much greater than those paid in y1r.
s'nla as to cause a sensible colored
person to want to 60 there to draw
them.