The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-10-09

.s0SosF aNlE Blulh buTehu OL
Negro Welfare and Statistics.
In 1870, prior to the begin
ming o. the development OF the
coal fields In the southern tier
o. counties, there were In West
Virginia 1880 negroes. .Jeffer-
4 son, kanawha, Berkeley, Green
brier, Hampshire, Monroe and
Hardy counties contained more
than tworthirds OF the entire me-
70 population Of the state and
lore than half Of the total was
found in Jefferson, Kanawha,
Greenbrter3 Berkeley and Hamp-
shire counties.
IN Slavery Days
$50 bulk Of the negro popula-
tion was IN the rich farming
eonnties Of the state, but the
farms were small In comparison
With the plantations Of Virginia
and other southern states, and
the crops were varied. Previous
20 the emancipation, the contact
between master and negro was
stant and kindly; the oyerseer
driver formed no important
part OF the labor system OF what
Is now West Virginia. The num-
Der Of laborers on each farm was
few and their work required in
flligence. For the most part, the
tsgroe lived the life about them;
their slavery was half freedom.
The census report. for 1860 shows
about one negro In every five
Within what Is now West Virginia
~ being free Many OF these as
i1gell as some OF the slaves could
I'd and write; SO the negro pop
llation came to its emancipation
filth intelligence and self.reliance
and ambition. They were so we'll
prepared for freedom that race
telations In West Virginin have
lever, been marked by the intense
irritation which characterized
race relations in the south. Thus.
Tie ground work was already laid
os the splendid relations OF har-
npny and goodwill which have
Tor the most part existed, between
hes races throughout the state 10
thts day.
The early negro population was
homoge leous, intelligent, not
markedly excluded from the gen
eeal life and engaged in occupa-
ttpns which made for thrift and a
spind SOCIAL order. Most OF this
Population and It's descendants
haze gone from this state to the
north and west, but some are still
)tonud In the farming communi-
ties cities and ttowns and the
k.pdly feeling between them and
tAeir white neighbors IS unchang-
ed but only occasionally In the
reat negro population over TWEEN
sthYe years OF age do sc see a
ltiSe.
Since 1870, or during the great
Industrial expansion, the negro
Population has changed In num-
hers, increasing at q very rapid
rate; disposition in the state has
changed, 1t has changed Its &C.
eupation, its relation 10 the gen
eral population and, to large OK
tent, its composition.
Increase in Population.
Iptthes decade from 1870 &c
1880 there was an increase in ne
gro population In West Vlrglnlan
Al per cent. in the decade
rom 1880 TO 1890 to 1900 an IN
rease Of SO per cent; from 1900
st 1910 an. increase OF 4S per
cent and from 1910 to 1920 an
fncrease otS35 per cent. While
the percentage OF increase from
1900 sto 1910 was greater than
from i910Sto 1920, the numeri-
cal Increase for the decade OF
1ei0 to 1920 was the greatest
Ia the history OF the state.
All of the figures relating TO
Population are based upon the
UNITED States census reports, be-
keanse they. arc official, but they
are said to- be glarIngly inaccur-
ate asi regards negroes In coal
mining camps. For example, on
lsixs coal mining operations in Nc
Dowslls County a representative OF
the Mcdowell Times, negro
newspaper, checked the negro
population behind tho census
enumefator In 1920 and found
i4S rnegTo men who were not
enumerated. This Is accounted for
by reason Of the fact that many
negroes working in and about the
mines "batch in shanties," that
Is; In mining parlance, one or
more! men live In company-owned
houses and do their own cooking.
When they leave tho house to
work, st Is locked and no one Is
there Until they return from
work. The census enumerator
passed while they were at work
and did not return. 1t Is estimat.
ed blythe Mcdowell Times, based
upon Its investigation in Nc
Duwell County alone, that ap-
lptoximately 1900 negroes were
not enumerated, and this condi-
ton prevailed throughout the coal
mining sections Of the state.
There are one or more negroes
in every county In the state, ex-
,cept one:4 yet the bulk of the
NEGRO population OF West Vir-
|gtnia IS, very compactly grouped
In a few great coal mining coun-
ties. While In 1870 more than
two-thirds ofithe negro population
was in Jefferson, Berkeley, Hamp-
shirei and Hardy counties in the
Eastern panhandle and Kanawha,
3feenbrier and Monroe counties
in the southern part Of the state
-allt great farming counties, to-
day 81 per cent of the entire ne
gro population Of the state lives
lin the great coal mining county