The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1919-03-01

the minute. The stewardess viii
close their contest. Collection
$14S.68.
PRESIDENT GRAY OF FIT. WORTH
n. 4. 4. L. Z. PROTESTS AGA,NoI
PRESENT STREET RAILWAY
ACCOMMODATIONS. &C.,.
Fl. Worth, Texas. Feb, IA, 1918.
Mr.. G. II. Clifford, w
General Manager N. T. 4. Co.,
City.
Dear Sir.
On behalf Of the Fort Worth Branch
of the National Association Tor the
Advancement of Colored feople,
which has in this country member
ship OF nearly fifty thousand, / ask
you to take steps to improve con-
ditions that are rapidly becoming
unbearable to the Negro patrons Oh
the street railway and interurban
systems in Fort Worth.
The treatment Of our children, who
attend the Colored high school, is
nothing less than a disgrace. Boys
and girls alike and in some instances
teachers, when they protest on be-
half Of their scholars are cursed
abused and is threatened by your
trainmen who seem to think that they
are employed to humiliate Negroes
upon every occasion. Coarse jokes,
at the expense of our girls, made
by conductors, If resented bring on
curses and abuse.
Personally l have been forced to
stand behind the screen time and
again on the Evans avenue line
when not a single seat in the car
had more than one white passenger
on it and an appeal to the conductor
met refusal to give me a seat.
Some months ago l had occasion
to use the interurban to Dallas.
There were two cars. | got on at
Third and Main streets. Fort Worth,
/ took seat behind the screen in
the front car. Before the train
moved the conductor came in and
told me was not allowed to ride
in the front car. rode to Dallas
in the rear of the smoking end of
the trailer. Returning from Dallas,
really had to impl2re the conduct
or to allow me seat in the rear
Of the smoking end of the trailer.
Before we got out CT Dallas a party
of eight Negro women and children
boarded the train and the entire par
ty had to content themselves for sew
eral miles crowded on the two long
and during the whole time those wo-
men and children were on that car
there sat, some Of them each with a
whole scat, white gentlemen who
smoked in the faces of those black
women and children. I recall this
case because the pastor of Negro
church in this city told of an exper-
fence he had on the Dallas interur-
ban that Tailed with mine in every
thing except the number of Negro
women who were forced to inhale
the smoke that was exhaled by the
white gentlemen, who sat in front
of them in the smoking end of the
trailer.
l try to keep informed of the enact
mcnt Of laws that discriminate
against me and my race and l have
seen nothing OF the passage of law
that will allow Negroes to ride only
in the rear of the smoking end OF
an interurban train that carries
more than enc car. 1t may be that
this injustice exists without your APP
proval.
While the patronage of Negroes,
18th Oh the street railway system and
ne .interur. IN is ncglible, / am sure
yea will agree that 1t does not swell
the receipts CT the Northern TexaS
Traction Co., whenever, a Negro re-
fuses to ride on account of needless
insults. And, business man that you
are, | am sure you will agree that ii
does not add anything to Fl. Worth's
greatness when hardworking Negroes
go to other parts Of the country on
account or injusticos contributed to
in No small degree by the employees
of your company.
me fact thlr there are two or
three men in charge of cars, who
try to consider the feelings Of Col
ored patrons, only accontuates the
we receive at the hands
Of that element of your employ ecs,
who seem to think the Company is
kept alive TO give them a chance to
lord it over Negroes.
II you are unable to give us the
relief we ask, shall take the matter
up with every Colored preacher in
the city and ask that they take steps
90 teach their constituencies to walk
whenever it is possible to do so. In
addition, ] shall ask our National
President, Hon. Moorfeld Storey of
Boston to take the matter zip with
the officials of the Stone and Web
ster Syndicate with Wow to giving
you power to grant US such relief
as the Jim crow laws will allow.
] am very respectfully,
(Signed) G. MT. GRAY,
President Fl. Worth Branch Nation
al Association for the Advancement
of Colored People
COPY.
Northern Texas Traction COMPANY,
Ft. Worth, Texas, Feb. 10. 1919.
Mr.. G. N, T. Gray,
925 e. Rosedale St.,
Fl. Worth. Texas.
Dear Sir:
This will acknowledge your letter
Of February 18th with reference to
treatment of your raca by this Com
pany and It's employees. We have
at times had complaints from both
the white and Colored race of the
kind and character Of service rend-
cred by this Company and the at
'itude of its employees. In each case
where a specific complaint is made
Z is thoroughly investigated and
stops taken to remedy the trouble,
regardless of the race affected.
We have recently had a complaint
rom Prof. Bundy of the Colored
nigh school, which has been investi-
gatod and We nrnnnse To gee Tint ni,,.