The Journal of Negro History, Volume 4, 1919

    Savannah, Ga., May 1, 1917.

Dear Sir: I write you to let you know that I am out of employment as jobs are very hard to find down here and I would like to have a job in your firm in N.Y. as I have relatives there I can pack tobacco and I would like very much to work in your firm in N.Y. or Conn. and I would like for you to send me a ticket as soon as possible.

    Little Rock, Ark., 5/2/17.

Der Sir: It affordes me much pleasure to write to you a few lines in regardes of a posision sir i were reared in the state of ill. your home state, but have been here for eight years working as a helper in a blacksmith shop and have been taking the Defender regular for a long time so i have decided to come back to my home state once more where i can get better pay so o will ask you to please help me in getting a good job. i wont to learn the molders trade or some good trade that i can make more than i am making here. i am a Christian and have been for 20 years. am a member of the first Baptist Church here an a member of the United Brethren of Odd Fellows and is in good standing. now please assist me just as soon as possible i am ready to come up just as soon as i get a hearing from you. Please look after it for me at once if you can not get me a job in your town, I will go anny place you send me.

    Jackson, Miss., April 20, 1917.

Sir: i wants to know do yo want somme famlis to move up their if you do rite and let me no at once and i will get yo some at once to come up their to work for you if you do rite an let me no at once and i will get them. now write an let me no at once send me work an i will try to bill your wont if you will aide me to get them up their i can get all that yo wont here to come up their and will come if they had any way to comt i wont to come but the times is so harde that i cant make the money to come on i want to move up their at once if i hade some way to come i wod come at once.

    Charleston, S.C., April 29, 1917.

dear sir: I found your address by Mr. – – kindness. I wrote him a letter concerning of a just a half of chance and any kind of a job will do just so I am out of this part of the country. Now here is my lines of work. I am a first class clothes cleaner and presser, can operate any kind of clothes pressing machine. I have got reference to show that I am good in that line from Mr. –, a member of our city. I am a waiter european or american, alicout or short order, and I am bell hop and knows the rules of a hotel. I am lawfully married and has no children. My wife and myself are both from Augusta, Ga. but I am working down here but I dont like it, I am just barely making a living and thats all. Now my wife can work too. She can cook, nurse and do house work, I simply make a distintion about my home being in Augusta Ga for this reason, some Charlestonians speaks such bad language. Now please do the best you can for me and let me hear from you as soon, as possible and let me know your terms. I am ready. Good-by.

    Hawkinsville, Ga., Apr. 16, 1917.

My dear friends: I writen you some time ago and never received any answer at all. I just was thinking why that I have not. I writen you for employ on a farm or any kind of work that you can give me to do I am willing to do most any thing that you want me to so dear friends if you just pleas send ticket for me I will come up thear just as soon as I receives it I want to come to the north so bad tell I really dont no what to do. I am a good worker a young boy age of 23. The reason why I want to come north is why that the people dont pay enough for the labor that a man can do down here so please let me no what can you do for me just as soon as you can I will pay you for the ticket and all so enything on your money that you put in the ticket for me, and send any kind of contrak that you send me.

    Houston, Tex., 4-29-17.

Dear Sir: I am a constant reader of the "Chicago Defender" and in your last issue I saw a want ad that appealed to me. I am a Negro, age 37, and am an all round foundry man. I am a cone maker by trade having had about 10 years experience at the buisness, and hold good references from several shops, in which I have been employed. I have worked at various shops and I have always been able to make good. It is hard for a black man to hold a job here, as prejudice is very strong. I have never been discharged on account of dissatisfaction with my work, but I have been "let out" on account of my color. I am a good brassmelter but i prefer core making as it is my trade. I have a family and am anxious to leave here, but have not the means, and as wages are not much here, it is very hard to save enough to get away with. If you know of any firms that are in need of a core maker and whom you think would send me transportation, I would be pleased to be put in touch with them and I assure you that effort would be appreciated. I am a core maker but I am willing to do any honest work. All I want is to get away from here. I am writing you and I believe you can and will help me. If any one will send transportation, I will arrange or agree to have it taken out of my salary untill full amount of fare is paid. I also know of several good fdry. men here who would leave in a minute, if there only was a way arranged for them to leave, and they are men whom I know personally to be experienced men. I hope that you will give this your immediate attention as I am anxious to get busy and be on my way. I am ready to start at any time, and would be pleased to hear something favorable.

    Charleston, S. C., April 29, 1917.

Kind Sir: Read your adv. in the Chicago Defender. I would like very much to have you take me in consideration. I am strong and ambitious. Would work under any conditions to get away from this place for I am working and throwing away my valuable time for nothing. Kindly let me hear from you at your earliest.

    New Orleans, La., June 10, 1917.

Kind Sir: I read and hear daly of the great chance that a colored parson has in Chicago of making a living with all the priveleg that the whites have and it mak me the most ankious to want to go where I may be able to make a liveing for my self. When you read this you will think it bery strange that being only my self to support that it is so hard, but it is so. everything is gone up but the poor colerd peple wages. I have made sevle afford to leave and come to Chicago where I hear that times is good for us but owing to femail wekness has made it a perfect failure. I am a widow for 9 years. I have very pore learning altho it would not make much diffrent if I would be throughly edacated for I could not get any better work to do, such as house work, washing and ironing and all such work that are injering to a woman with femail wekness and they pay so little for so hard work that it is just enough to pay room rent and a little some thing to eat. I have found a very good remady that I really feeling to belive would cure me if I only could make enough money to keep up my madison and I dont think that I will ever be able to do that down hear for the time is getting worse evry day. I am going to ask if you peple hear could aid me in geting over her in Chicago and seeking out a position of some kind. I can also do plain sewing. Please good peple dont refuse to help me out in my trouble for I am in gret need of help God will bless you. I am going to do my very best after I get over here if God spair me to get work I will pay the expance back. Do try to do the best you can for me, with many thanks for so doing I will remain as ever,

Yours truly.

    Mccoy, La., April 16, 1917.

Dear Editor: I have been takeing your wonderful paper and I have saved from the first I have received and my heart is upset night and day. I am praying every day to see some one that I may get a pass for me, my child and husband I have a daughter 17 who can work well and myself. please sir direct me to the place where I may be able to see the parties that I and my family whom have read the defender so much until they are anxious to come dear editor we are working people but we cant hardly live here I would say more but we are back in the jungles and we have to lie low but please sir answer and I pray you give me a homeward consilation as we havent money enough to pay our fairs.

    Hernando, Miss., April 30, 1917.

Dear Sir: I have heard so much about the demand for negro labor and the high price paid for it in the northern part of this country (the U. S.). I've decided to investigate the rumor from the most reliable source. And as it generally known that newspaper men are the best informed, therefore have thought to request of you for the particulars of the matter. Will you furnish me the desired information or point out such party, or parties that can and will do so. (Personal.)

    Pensacola, Fla., April 30, 1917.

Dear Sir: Please send me at once a transportation at once I will sure come if I live send it as soon as possible because these white people are getting so they put every one in prison who are not working I can not get any I can do any kind of common labor. I am a brick layer also a painter I want to go to Cleveland and I have good health and will do my best to improve. They are two family my mother want to come she is a good cook house clean, so all she want is information. I am not going to bring my family when I come I am gong to send back for it. Dont fail to send my Fla. transportation by return mail if you want I can get them as many as you want.

    Jacksonville, Fla., April 29, 1917.

Dear sir: reading the Chicago Defender seeing thair are still plenty work in the north I am an automobile repaire and wishes position at once as I am out of employmen and are a man of family and a working man indeed. Hoping to receive ticket by Return Mail or anser

    Fullerton, La., April 30, 1917.

Dear Sir: I was looking over a news paper and seen your address and has been wanting to go some where in you country where i can get better wedges and i would like to come up there of corse i dont know anything about that work but i can learn it in a short while. and if you can give me a job i would like to know and i want to know weather you will send me a pass or not i has a wife an i would like to know will you send me a pass for i and my wife if you will i want you to write me and let me know as soon as you can and tell we what you can do about the matter so this all

    Houston, Tex., April 29, 1917.

Dear Sir: I thought I would write you a few lines of importance I ask you to help me that much the lord will help you I am a christians I try to make a honest living a man ought to help another when he try to help his self. this is only one I will do any kind of work if any company pass in up their I can pay half of my fare. I am motherless and fatherless I dont care when I go I am gone trust in the lord if you yill help me the Lord will pay you I am with donfident I am not a loafer If my fare is advance up their it a written contract that I will work it out.

May God bless you. Answer soon

    New Orleans, La., April 30, 1917.

Dear Sir: I write you a few lines asking you if there is a chance please let me know I can do most any kind of work labor or helper packer willing to learn a trade I see where they sends transportation well I would be willing if one of the firms would send me a pass then when I start to work for them they could take it out of my wages every week untill it was paid for. All I ask is give me a chance and I will make good. Hopeing that my letter will meet with your Apporval and if there is a firm that is willing to send me a pass to come to work up there Please show them my letter and they can deduck out of my wages for the pass. Hopeing that you will hear of one of the firms that wants laborers and Helpers and that they will let me know when writing adress is to

    G– A–, – – Ave. New Orleans, La.

Please write and let me know if theres a chance. I remain yours

    Pensacola, Fla., 4/29/17.

Dear Sir: in reading the Chicago Defender I saw yore wants add for foundry ware house and yard men I do truly ask you to pleas give me some instruction How I can get there I am a working man I am not sport or a gamble or class with them if I kno it But I am study evry day working man of family wife and one child 9 years old but this is hard time in the south now and I have not the means to come. But if you can get me up there I will give you good service in yore ware house and yard work. My daily work has been in a ware house for the past 6 years and i kno one more good man that want to come too with family and would be glad to get up there as soon as I can. I will garntee you good and reglar service from Both of us.

Hopeing to here from you soon

    Pensacola, Fla., April 30, 1917.

Dear Sir: Im a reader of the Defender, and I saw in this weeks issue where you stated that three cities were in need of moulders and helpers. And as I have once worked in a foundry, as a helper I have some experience of the work and would like very much to know under what conditions could you put me in touch with a firm in a small size town, where it would send me a transportation.

I would leave tomorrow, if I had such opportunity. I am married, have a wife and two small children, and cant support them in this place properly.

Hoping to receive some kind of reply.

    Savannah, Ga., April 29, 1918.

Dear Sir: I were reading your advertisement in the Chicago Defender where you were in need for men at the – –. I am a hard working man in the south and get nothing for it I would like to recive a hearing from you in return mail in rgard of seeking a transportation for me and my nephew if you will send for me and my nephew I will come at once and I garantee you that you wont regret it. We are hard workers of the south please oblige.

Answer at once return mail I will be at your call.

    Mobile, Ala., April 30, 1917

Dear Sir: I was reading in the Chicago defender where They wanted so many men to work. I am very anxious to work. I can do most any kind of work I have been out of a job ever since January. will you please try and get me in Chicago, so that I can be able to get one of those jobs. please get me a job. I have a wife and we can hardly live in this place. I am a machinist by trade. I am a Schauffer also. I can repair an auto to. please send for me at once, as I am in need of work.

My age is 25 years and my wife is 21 years. My name is –

    Savannah, Ga., April 24, 1917.

Gentlemen: As I my self intend to go north or some place where I can get good wages so as to better my condition and aim to go in a few days if I can get off right. I would have been gone before now but I could not save enough money out of small wages and high cost of living to get away, since I saw a piece in the Chicago Defender about you I am eager to get in touch with you at once as I understand you are in the employment business if so please let me hear from you by return mail as I must leave in a few days if can get away the right way. So if you have some good jobs open in some small towns or cities that will pay good wages please let me hear from you this week if can do so. Write me the kind of work and wages paid and where at so I can choose the kind I like, also let me know if I can get a ticket sent me to come on with a garntee to pay for it out of my first wages a part each pay day until paid. Please let me hear from you at once.

    Atlanta, Ga., April 30, 1917.