_Dear Sir:_ There are about 15 or 20 of us hard working mans seeking employment an we would be more than glad if you a.s.sis us in finding work i see here in the Chicago Defender laborers wanted i am a skill labor at most anything except molder but i am willing to learn the trade we are hard working mans no lofers neather c.r.a.p shooters work is what we want and can not get it without you a.s.sistant, if you will a.s.sis us with transportation please rite and let us no what way to came to you these white folks here having meeting trying to stop us from going off to seek work an noing they haven got work nor wagers for us here.
We have had jobs but loose it and have not the money to get away if you except my letter please give us some a.s.sistant to leave because is send you a letter Monday but i see afterward that it was send rong so i send you this one. have you got employment up there for female if so let us no please if you send me a speciel please dont put 15 or 20 men and i will under stand if you say 15 or 20 mans they will put me in jail. please answer just as soon can as i want to get away as soon as i can there nothing here to do. some industrious female want employment answer at once please.
MOBILE, ALA., April 21, 1917.
_Dear Sirs:_ We have a club of 108 good men wants work we are willing to go north or west but we are not abel to pay rail road fare now if you can help us get work and get to it please answer at once. Hope to hear from you.
MOBILE, ALA., May 11, 1917.
_Dear sir and brother:_ on last Sunday I addressed you a letter asking you for information and I have received no answer, but we would like to know could 300 or 500 men and women get employment?
and will the company or thoes that needs help send them a ticket or a pa.s.s and let them pay it back in weekly payments? We have men and women here in all lines of work we have organized a a.s.sociation to help them through you.
We are anxiously awaiting your reply.
ATLANTA, GA., April 29, 1917.
_Dear Sir:_ I was reading you advertis.e.m.e.nt in the Chicago Defender and it come intresting to me and I thought I would rite you to get information about it. There are 5 or six families of us wants to know would you send us a ticket if you would we would like to heare from you at once and we will explain our statement in my next letter. I am looking for reply soon.
JACKSON, MISS., May the first, 1917.
_sir:_ I was looking over the Chicago Defender and seen ad for labers both woman an men it is a great lots of us woud come at once if we was only abel but we is not abel to come but if you will send me a pas for 25 women and men I will send them north at once men an women
MOBILE, ALA., April 29, 1917.
_Dear Sir:_ In reading the defender I seen where you are acting as agent for some big concerns and that you are in need of men.
I am a married man and would like to get up there to work but it seems a hard proposition to get enough money to pay my fare and there are a lots more men around here that follow the very work that you want men for but cant get away upon that reason. but if you could plan to get us up there and let us pay after we got there we will be very thankful. At present I am employed as a boiler makers helper and all the men I speak of are boiler makers and machinists helpers and all are hard working men and have families but we want to come north. Let me hear from you please and I can get (12) twelve men at least that have reputation.
Looking for an early reply, I am, Your friend for betterment.
CHARLESTON, S. C., April 2, 1917.
_Dear Sir:_ I saw your want in the paper and I thought i would right you and find out about it and if you have work for me and my wife I will be glad to come and if you have no work for her you can send for me and I will be glad to come and bring along manny more if you want them. You can let me know at once and i will be glad to do so. so you can write me at once and I will know just what to do.
MOBILE, ALA., April 23, 1917.
_Dear Sirs:_ You will find my full name and address from which please give infermation about jobs and also tell me will you pay my fare up there and take it out of my work after geting to work and i can get a great many men and family if you want them. they wants to come but they cant get no work to do so they can get the money to come on. I can get men women and families so please answer and let me me no what you will do if you need them.
PASCAGOULA, MISS., May 3, 1917.
_Dear Sirs:_ Whilse reading over the want adv. of the Defender I find where you wants bench molders 20 not saying I am one but I am a labering man and verry apt to lern anything in a short while and desires to come and give it a trile or something else I can do eny thing in common labor hoping you will send me a transportation and give me a trile and I can all so bring you as meny men as you want if you dont want me to bring eny men send me a transportation for my self. hopeing to hear from you by return mail.
HATTIESBURG, MISS., April 13, 1917.
_Sir:_ Please oblige me in getting me a pa.s.s to Chicago to some firm that are in need of labors I have three in family besides myself I have four or five other men with me now want to know if you can secure that pa.s.s we will come at once this would be about eight pa.s.ses, my self and two in family and five men which will be eight pa.s.ses. these are able and good work man if you can arrange this & let the list of pa.s.ses bear each name so as to form a club. let hear from you soon.
DE RIDDER, LA., April 29, 1917.
_Dear Sir:_ there is lots of us southern mens wants transportation and we want to leave ratway as soon as you let us here from you some of us is married mens who need work we would like to bring our wife with us there is 20 head of good mens want transportation and if you need us let us no by return mail we all are redy only wants here from you there may be more all of our peoples wont to leave here and I want you to send as much as 20 tickets any way I will get you up plenty hands to do most any kind of work all you have to do is to send for them. looking to here from you. This is among us collerd.
PLAQUEMINE, LA., April 288, 1917.
_Der sir:_ only a few lines in regards you advertismen this week Chicago Defender and it verry intresting to me and other that why Im wrighten you because it my benifit me in the futur I know about twenty five young men would like to go north but accorden to present conditions in the south wont allow them to save enough to go if their a possible chance of you doing enything we all good worker and think if you will give us a chance will proof to you that we can work and if you give us transportation we will work and pay it back from the start. I will close hope you will kindly except our offer and give it your persinel intrest.
NEW ORLEANS, April 27, 1917.
_Dear Sirs:_ I have been engaged in the hotel business for eighteen years. And I am personally acquainted with at least fifty of our leading citizens of your city. And in my home I would refer you to Mr. ----, a.s.st. Depot Ticket agent of the ---- R. R. He told me that any corporation that was in need of Labor and placed pa.s.ses with them for the same, that they would haul the people. I could furnish you at least one thousand in the next sixty days. And you will not have sixty dead beats. I will furnish the names, and each pa.s.s should have the name of the user on it before leaving Chicago. The greater number that I know have families and do not wish to leave without them. Let me hear from you at once. I can give you the business and my people will go any where sent and do any kind of work, if the wages are right.
PATTERSON, LA., May 1, 1917.
_Dear Sir:_ I was reading one of the Chicago Defender papers and I seen a splendid opportunity to grasp a good job. Now if you could fowerd me a pa.s.s from New Orleans I would be very glad because I am a willing worker, write me a letter as soon as possible and let me know just what job you will put me to, of cours I dont know any trade but will be willing to learn a good trade. this aid I seen reads like this:
Laborers wanted for foundry, warehouse and yard work. Excellent opportunity for learning trades, paying good money start $2.50-$2.75 so I would like to learn a trade. I might can get you some more from here. I will close hope I will hear from you at once. Before sending the transportation write me a letter.
CHATTANOOGA, TENN., May 1, 1917.
_Dear Sur:_ will you send me a transportation i am a foundry man i want to come where i can get same pay for my work and you plese send me a transportation for 4 good hard labore man please send and i can get you some good mens here i am down here working hard and gett nothing for it so i hop you will ancer soon and let me here from you i have had 7 years exprense in foundry works i noes my jobe well i will expet to here from you rat way so good by.
MOBILE, ALA., April 30, 1917.
_Dear Sir:_ In answer to your Ad. which apeared in the Chicago Defender for laborer wanted to work in Foundry warehouse and yard work I can recruit 15 good honest men whom I believe would make good and can leave as soon as transportation for same is provided. Hopeing to hear from you soon I remain Yours truly.
NEW ORLEANS, LA., 4/30/17.
_Kind sir:_ only a few lines wanting to get some information concerning of work i want to find out when could you send transportations for fifteen men eight of them is molders and the balance of them is experienced warehouse men and experienced firemen if required i saw your ad in the CHicago Defender.
This is all at present hopeing to get an early reply.
CHATTANOGGA, TENN., 5-2-17.
_Dear sir:_ i only had the chance to see your ad to day at noon.
i was to glad to see it and hop that i am not to lat to full it i am fuly sattisfied i can get as many as 10 or 15 reddy by the 7 or 8 and we will be reddy by that time if you will tret us rite we will stand by you to the las