The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-09-18
TIMELY ADVICE.

The picture of big wages and un-
limited employment in the North
painted in glowing terms to the
Southern negro during the last year
or so, and responsible to material
extent for the heavy exodus OF
Southern negroes northward are not
hear so aHuring in reality as they
seemed in the extravagant Language
of the labor agent.
Many of the negroes who left their
Southern homes to seek the great
advantages they were lead to believe
the North held out to them are COM
ing to realize this more and more as
the heavy demand for labor IN the
North Stacks up. They find that the
negro is always the first to be laid
off, and they find, too, that the crob-
lem of making both ends meet, de-
spite the high wages when there IS
work, is more serious among peo-
pie who seem totally unable to I'M
derstand or appreciate them than 1t
ever could be in the South.
MANY are the cotored men, and
women too, who went North seek
ing the fortunes they. were told
awaited them, that realize now it
would have been much better to
remain in the South among those
who understand them and where
they fit into the general scheme Of
things. And many are the letters to
this effect being received by their
relatives and friends which tell sad
ly of the SCATTERING of the fine illu-
&ions which lured them from their
homes. Here is one letter, typical of
many others, printed recently in the
Vicksburg Herald:
champaign, H., Aug. 81, 1920
"Dear Mother and Father:
"Yeurs received SOme days ago.
Mother, you said come home, because
you all want to see me so bad. Now
listen Mother, the reason / don't
write to you, was, / have been so
worried. I lost my job and have been
in some bad luck for the last three
weeks. OF course, I ought not ask
you for any money to come home
on, but it is mighty cold for a Mis-
sissippi colored man up here, and l
want to come home about the last
of this month or the first of next
month. / have been thinking about
home, but the train fare is $26-23.
have little, money, but not much,
30 IT, you anL Paps can help me do
IL Things are so high up here; my
board and room costs me sig a week
! have SO, but can't save any more.
Every time I turn around it takes
money, and the people up here are
not like they are in the South, they
don't care thing for colored peo-
pie, and they won't be friendly with
you and they give you nothing
and If they lay any hands off it is
always the eolored man they let out
at the factories and other works, as4
the boss is afriad of the white unions.
1t is getting cold here and ] can't
do anything-so please send } our son
some money to help me get home. II
is cold up here. and priced some
winter undersu;ts and they cost So
a suit. So do the right thing By me,
as amt making that kind of money.
Send me some money to get away
from here right away, if you pos
sibly can-if YOU must get it from
your Boss, / know he viii help us.
can pay you back and win do so
quick. am ready to come now. |
From your son."
The Boss Of course, advanced |
the money, and the wanderer is now
safely back.
After all, there's no place like
home, and the South is home to the
negro.--N. @. Times Picayune.