Letters From Mississippians, 1916-1918
Greenville Miss., May 29, 1917
Dear Sir: this letter is from one of the defenders greatest frends. You will find stamp envelope for reply. Will you put me in tuch with some good firm so I can get a good job in your city or in Cleveland, Ohio or in Philadelphia, Pa. Or in Detroyet, Michian in any of the above name states I would be glad to live in. I want to get my famely out of this cursed south land down here a negro man is not good as a white man's dog. I can learn anything any other man can. Not only I want to get out of the south but there are numbers of good hard working men here and do not know where they are going and what they are going to. Also I could get a good deal of men from here if I could get in tuch with some firms that would furnish me the money as passes. Now in conlution, I want to know what is the trouble? I cannot get anything more through the Defender. I have written to the Defender
Greenville, Miss., May 20, 1917
Dear Sir: I write you asking you some information as I am a reader of your paper I have been buying a paper every Sunday for 5 months I want to come to your city to live and every thing is so hard down here everything is so high and wages is low until we just can live I want to know what will it cost from St. Louis to Chicago. I can get from Greenville to St. Louis cheap by boat I want to come up there the last of June. I ask you to assist me in getting a job I can do most any kind of hard work and have a common education. If you will look me up a good job it will be highly appreciated and your kindness will never be forgotten.
Moss Point, Miss., April 29, 1917
Dear Sir: I read your advt in the Chicago Defender wanting laborers for foundry, ware house, and yard work with transporation paid. I'll come at once and lots of others here would also come if you will transport us there for we are anxs to get of southern soil.
Laurel, Miss., May 10, 1917
Dear sir: i rite you i seen in chicago paper that you aftiese for laborer ninety mile from chicago and i am a experienced molder and i do truly hope you will give me a job for i am sick of the south and please send me a transportation i have a family and wife and three children my oldes child is 8 years old and i wont to bring them to the north.
(Collected under the direction of Emmett J. Scott, and excerpted with permission from The Journal of Negro History, Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia.)
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