The Booker T. Washington Papers, Vol.6, page 81, Mar. 1901, U. of Illinois Press

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MARCH · 1901 reports as doing a small business, and others as engaged in the business only a part of the year, being otherwise employed the rest of the time. The business of catering by negroes in Philadelphia has always been remarkable for the ability and success with which it has been conducted. Several men of the race in that city have been famous for their work in this line. Dr. Du Bois, in writing of the caterer, reports ''about ten who do a business of from $~.ooo to $s,ooo a year.'' ~ Or %~ In addition to these there were at the same time in other parts of the city, among the negro business establishments, 49 barber shops, 8 grocery stores, ~7 restaurants, 8 coal and wood dealers. There was a successful florist, a large crockery store, and successful real-estate dealers. From the reports of other studies of Dr. Du Bois, in the South, I make some extracts. I do not quote his lists in full, but give only a few of the leading enterprises reported: Birmingham, Ala. - 8 grocers, 6 barbers, 4 druggists, 4 tailors. Montgomery, Ala. - 6 grocers, ~ undertakers, 2 drug-store keepers, ~ butcher. Vicksburg, Miss. ~ jewelers, ~ tailors, ~ drug-store keepers, 2 newspapers, ~ dry-goods dealers, ~ undertaker. Nashville, Tenn. g contractors, 6 grocers, ~ undertakers, ~ saloon keepers, 2 drug stores. Houston, Tex. ~ ~ grocers, lo real-estate dealers, 5 contractors, 6 barbers. Richmond, Va.- ~ banking and insurance men, 2 undertakers, ~ fish dealers. Tallahassee, Fla. - 3 groceries, ~ meat markets. Americus, Ga. ~2 groceries, ~ drug store, ~ wood yard. Seattle, Wash. ~ real-estate dealer, ~ barbers, ~ restaurants. I do not have available a list of enterprises in the city of Pensacola, Fla., but there are at least two groceries there, conducted by colored men, doing a business of $~o,ooo a year each, and successfuT restaurants, contractors, drug-store keepers, shoe-makers and tailors. Much has been said and written about the fitness of the negro for work in cotton factories. Until the negro is given a fair trial under encouraging conditions I shall be slow to believe that he is not fitted for profitable work in factories. For years the colored man has been the main operative in the tobacco factories of the South, and, aside from this, he operates in very large measure all the cotton-seed oil mills in the South and is engaged in every avenue of mechanical work. I think those who hold to the theory that the 81