Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-11-30
PROSPERITY OF THE
 SOUTHERN NEGRO IN
 CONTRAST TO NORTH
Purchase Valuable Lands While Brothers Farther North
 Riot With Whites.

Memphis, Tenn, Nov, 24.--A strik- ing commentary on the negro rlots in Chicago, Washington, Omaha and " other cities in the north, is carried in an announcement from Humps- reys county, Miss, where 25 ne- groes, all farmers, have just paid $225,0OO for a plantation of 5000 acres.
 The plantation taken over by the negroes is the Barr and Miller place, near Isola, in Mississippi's recently formed county. The tract has been subdivided into l00-acre farms ani some of the negroes took several of these. The deal has been under war for several months, and the price oI $75 an acre is considered much be- low the present value.
 The tract produces long staple cot ton, which has been bringing a prem ium on all markets of the country. Nitrate of soda has been used as a fertilizer, with the result that an early crop is produced, thus escaping danger of the boil weevil. The ne- groes who have been farming the place got 5l cents pound for their cotton this year, and produced an average of nearly q bale to the acre, each bale weighing 500 pounds, thus giving crop that more than pays for the land.
 A. B. Reese, cashier of the First National bank of Itta Bella, Miss, en- gineered the deal He previously sold 1900 acres near Iverness, Sunflower county, Miss, to nine negro farm CTS. "t
 Intelligent and Thrifty.
 "The negroes who bought the Barr and Miller place." said Reese, "are an intelligent and thrifty lot. In ad- dition to equipping themselves prop erly, they have set aside 20 acres for the site of modern gin, which they will operate on their own account. The negroes in our community Humphreys, Le Fibre and Sunflower counties-have proved themselves good workers, and some of them have been there a long time, and are wealthy. A factor in spreading the home-owning idea among them is the Rev. c. w. Evans, negro Metho- dist preacher and farmer, whose pos sessions Is years ago amounted to scarcely nothing, while his wealth now is $50,O00 or more. Another ne gro had few mules 15 years ago and he now owns 1,600 acres, worth fully $100,00O. White men are en- couraging the negroes in the proper ty-owning idead. For one thing, it seems the best method of solving the 0nk al tO keep the negro communities pros porous"
 Negroes rapidly are becoming land owners in Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana, and those who bought land a few years ago are now veal thy through the increase in price of land alone.
 In Cleveland county, Ark, J. An drew Patterson, negro. has tract of 43,O00 acres surrounding the town formerly known as Clio, Ark, but re- gently changed to Peace" Ark. Pat terson, with the assistance of K. C. Elliott of Rison, Ark, is subdividinG His big tract, which is rich bottom land, and is marketing it to negroes only. He sells places to them oI small payments, and already has col onized big acreage. A much smii- lar undertaking is under way on a 35,OOO-acre tract in Lonoke county Ark.
 Report by Commission.
 During the summer following the Chicago race troubles a committee of three men, two negroes and white man, were delegated by the Chicago Association of Commerce, the labor interests and other civic bodies to make an inquiry in Mississippi con corning conditions that proper steps might be taken for encouraging ne groes to return to the south if re- ported improvement in negro condi- tions were found to be true. The port, commenting especially upon the success negro farmers are meeting with as land owners in Mississippi.
 we found several negroes who be- gan work in this section (near Clarksdale. Miss.) under the tenant system, who now own their own plantations and are themselves em- ployers of labor and are worth from $1O,OOO to $175,OOO. We were told by J. H. Murray, negro land owner that he had lived 30 years in the county, that he owns POO acres of land which could be sold for $60,000 Robert Harris of the same neighbor- hood, another negro land owner, 20 years a resident, owns 800 acres of land, and is worth $175,000. Thess facts we secured from the negroes themselves. These men own their own. automobiles, and we had the privilege of riding with them and SUI veying their farms for our selves.'
 Commenting on the conditions that have been materially benefited by land ownership, the committee went