PROBLEMS IN PACKING
HOUSE NEIGHBORHOOD
Paper Read by Mr*. M. L. Rhone
Before Nebraska Confer
ence of Social
Worker*.
The problems that we are attempt
ing to outline in this brief discussion
are not new. Probably every one en
gaged in social work knows that the
vast differences in the home condi
tions of the packing house neighbor
hood require various methods of ap
proach in dealing with the problems.
The point of view of this paper is
largely that of a brief review of a
few of these problems.
Close your eyes for a few mo
ments! Imagine a neighborhood in
which there are (quoting from Head
worker’s 1928 annual report) “with
in one-half mile radius of the Social
Settlement and its branch, the Ne
gro Cultural Center, the following:
Four packing plants employing a
minimum of 6,000 people, Union
Stock Yards, second largest in the
United States, small shops of various
kinds, 30 soft-drink parlors and pool
rooms, one public school, three paro
chial schools, five white churches,
eight Negro churches, one small ball
psrk. No public playground or gym
nasium, no adequate playground.
One night school (financed by wo
men’s organization), one citizenship
class at Armour’s (for packing house
foreigners), conducted by the Y. M.
C. A., 31 foreign nationalities, 2,500
Negroes—now you have a picture of
this neighborhood. The problems
presented herewith, chiefly concern
the 2,500 Negroes.”
Compared with other groups in the
community, it is interesting to note
that the percentage of Negro workers
in the four packing plants is as fol
lows:
In Armour’s, between 16 and 18
per cent of workers are Negroes.
In Swift's plant, 14% per cent of
the workers are Negroes.
In Cudahy's plant, 21 per cent of
the workers are Negroes.
In Dold’s plant, 8 to 10 per cent of
the workers are Negroes.
Homes
In most of these packing house
homes, the father is a common la
borer, and oftimes the mother must
necessarily work, in order to meet
the family budget. When there is
an older child, he stops school at the
earliest age legally permissable, and
begins his career as a wage earner;
thereby contributing to his own and
his family’s support.
Rent
In many cases the income is in
adequate to meet the high rent which
the Negro family is forced to pay.
Investigation shows that some of the
families are paying first class rent
for third class houses. His foreign
(white )neighbor leaves a third class
house, for which he paid third class
rent. The Negro family moves into
the same house, or similar kind of
dwelling, and pays first or second
class rent.
Sanitation
Sanitation is ®.t a low ebb among
the poorer Negro families. These
people must live somewhere. Do we
marvel at the existing unsanitary
conditions, and yet know that the
landlords willfully neglect to remedy
conditions, causing some of the ten
ants, saying that certain sanitary
houses are for rent, but not to Ne
groes?
Young people in the packing house
neighborhood have their own prob
lems. Like most communities, the
girl’s standard is higher than that of
the boy, who is forced to become a
wage earner, or who loses interest.
In some cases the boys argue lack of
opportunity for advancement, either
during high school or after its com
pletion, saying that there is no need
to complete a high school course to
become a packing house butcher.
Perhaps this incident will bring the
problem closer to us.
Two boys, James and John, were
joshing each other last Monday eve
ning during a checker game. Says
John: “I’m going to leave Omaha.”
“What for?” asked James. “To be
come a school teacher,” answered
John. “I don’t want to be a school
teacher,” said James. “Why?” asked
John. “Well—you see, I’m going to
stay in Omaha.” ,.
We find in some of these packing
house homes a lack of income, lack
of education, lack of physical and
mental health, a lack of vision and a
lack of hope. We are encouraged,
however, by the number who are am
bitious, who are seeking constructive
leisure hours, and who are making
more opportunities for themselves.
Few occupations other than that
of common labor are open even to
the skilled workers. Most of them,
therefore, seek jobs in the packing
houses, or become janitors, porters,
maids, cooks, etc.
The Cultural Center attempts to
meet some of these problems. The
Center Branch of Social Settlement,
is an organization for the practical
non-sectarian expression of Chris
tianity. Its business is to aid in
every way possible to the develop
ment of a fuller life among the Ne
groes; giving opportunities for a
broader expression of the cultural
values of the group.
The essence of the Center is that
it belongs to the people, to serve
them, not on special occasions, but
on all occasions. Its program is elas
tic, and changes to meet the changing
needs of the people.
Its organized activities include the
making of toys, handcraft, art class,
library, story-telling, group and table
games, playground sports, sewing,
dressmaking, cooking, folk-dancing,
glee club, music, dramatics, scouting,
Negro history, community gardens,
improvement club, and parent-teach
er association.
Through these activities is sought
a wider range of interest, which shall
develop creative imagination, initia
tive, the joy of self-expression, of
group expression, and of new sym
pathies.
Better race relations have come
mainly through the improvement
club of the Settlement and Center.
These clubs working together have
secured more street lights, cleaner
alleys, in summer conducted Home
Improvement contests with prizes for
excellence of home premises. These
clubs met the board of education sev
eral times in an effort to improve
conditions of the Westside school.
The courageously lived, simple
lives, bring us who live and work in
this packing house neighborhood,
daily inspiration. It is only this per
sonal daily contact with life—with
the rough, and the smooth, that gives
understanding of the basic realities
of life.
When people of a neighborhood
can acquire the habit of not only go
ing to the Center for class, lecture,
or music, but of strolling there dur
ing leisure hours to enjoy anew, the
things that are familiar and dear.
When they can do this, and then,
come out to view the old familiar
commonplaces of their lives in the
glow of a new appreciation and un
derstanding of values, then and only
then are we solving some of the prob
lems of a packing house neighbor
hood.
A poem by a colored girl in clos
mg:
A PRAYER
Dear God,
Since time immemorial
There have been race prejudices;
And since time immemorial
We have heeded the dictates of ugly
conventions;
And we, the Youth of the world,
Have been in the background,
And now
We want to come forward
And think for ourselves,
And rule our own lives;
And we feel
That the happiness of the world j
Rests on the shoulders of Youth.
It’s up to us to sweep aside all race
prejudices
And to break down barriers every
where
Between color, race and creed;
And it's up to us to say,
“There shall be no more war.”
Dear God,
We believe this, our greatest fault
Is race prejudice,
For it holds more baseness and
cruelty
Than any other fault.
In the wide world.
If we, the Turks, had not nursed it,
There would have been no atrocities
Which horrified the world.
If we, the British, had not nursed it
There would be
No Indian situation.
If we, the Americans, did not nurse
the Negro problem,
No book such as “The Martyred
Race,”
Could be the best seller in India
today.
Dear God,
Help us to overcome these, our
faults.
Help us to forget our international
suspicions,
Our animosities and hates,
Help us, the Youth of the world,
To bring all nations together in
peace;
Help us to meet the world as
brothers;
Help us to walk joyously in the open
sunshine of world friendship.
CHINESE AND NEGRO
WOMAN CANNOT WED
Danville, Va.—(By the Associated
Negro Press)—L. W. Moon, a Chi
nese of Greensboro, N. C., is waiting
to hear from the attorney-general of
North Carolina, as to whether or not
he can marry his fiancee—a full
blooded Negro woman—of the same
place. The young woman accompan
ied Moon here ,and the two were kept
waiting for some time in the clerk’s
office nyhile the law was debated and
were finally told that they would
have to await the attorney-general’s
replies to a letter asking for his con
struction of the law.
«
DR. DU BOIS SPEAKS AT
ALLEN UNIVERSITY
Columbia, S. C.— (By the Associ
ated Negro Press)—Dr. W. E. B. Du
Bois, editor of The Crisis, and noted
writer, addressed a large audience
here Friday night in the chapel of
Allen university. The audience was
composed of students of the univer
| sity and citizens of both races who
listened with rapt attention to the
discourse.
Selecting as his subjects, “Achieve
ments of the Negro in the Literary
Field,” Dr. Du Bios reviewed the his
tory of the Negro race in literature,
singling out the outstanding accom
plishments in this field of endeavor,
emphasizing especially the work of
Phyllis Wheatley, Paul Cuffee, Wil
liam Nelson, Frederick Douglas,
Chestnut, Paul Laurence Dunbar,
Countee Cullen, and many others.
He urged the students to make a
special study of literature and to de
velop their talents in this direction.
“Publishers are anxious,” said the
speaker, “to use manuscripts from
young Negro writers, now more than
ever, and many of the young writers
are making names for themselves.
We want to live and interpret life.
In doing so, we must realize the fact
that we are not getting all out of
life that we may but if we do our
best we will serve well our race and
country in preserving records that
mean much to our history.”
RETURNS FROM PAVING
JOB IN BLACK HILLS
Mr. William H. Alexander, who
has been with a paving gang in South
Dakota, has returned to his Omaha
habitat. The Spearfish Mail pub
lished the following item concerning
this versatile and peripatetic—for he
has been a veritable globe trotter—
Omahan:
“During the process of paving
Sixth street many people noticed a
big black boy on the job. He was
known as ‘Bill.’ After the paving job
was finished he was employed to put
the final polish on the new Chevrolet
Garage. Now he states that he is on
his way to Omaha, to the Black
Broadway (North 24th street) where
he can see a parade of African
blondes and brunettes, roughed, mar
celled, water-waved, bob-curled; and
also hear Paul Whitman’s orchestra
at the Auditorium next Sunday night.
‘Bill’ was much impressed with the
Hills. He said that if the Black Hills
is the Switzerland of America, that
Spearfish is Berne. In his 40 years
of globe trotting he has never seen
people moie kind or police. He is
leaving with no regrets and hopes to
be back in Spearfish next spring when
Paving District No. 2 will have been
arranged for.”
HARLEM FETES AFRICAN
MONARCH
New York City—(By the Associ
ated Negro Press)—King Amoah III,
ruler of some 76,000,000 subjects in
the African Gold Coast, Nigeria and
Sierre Leonne, who is visiting this
country, is getting a concrete idea of
just how Harlem entertains celebri
ties and notables. It has been just
one round of luncheons, dinners and
banquets ever since the African mon
arch arrived here.
While refusing to state his real
mission to this country, the 63-year
old ruler did divulge that he was
anxious to establish more amicable
relations between his subjects and
American Negroes and to interest
promoters in the development of his
country. The king is well educated |
and speaks with a distinct Oxford ac
cent.
He is accompanied by a retinue of
secretaries and expects one of his
sons to join him at an early date. He
has spent much time conferring with
prominent citizens and business men
here and will be one of the principal
speakers at the mass meeting to be
held December 10th, under the aus
pices of the Native African Union of
America, Inc., at which such leaders
as Dr. Raymond Leslie Buel, former
Harvard professor, and Dean William
Pickens, are scheduled to speak.
CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
PRES. TOURS JURISDICTION
Chicago, 111.— (By the Associated
Negro Press)—More than 6,000 miles
have been covered by Dr. R. A. Wil
liams, supreme president and found
er of the Royal Circle of Friends,
and a party of the supreme officers
of the order, who started out Octo
ber 16th at Washington, D. C., on
a tour of the order’s jurisdiction to
conduct state and district meetings.
These meetings were largely attended
and more than 600 Royal Friends
were elevated to the universal de
gree.
The reports of officers show that
in 19 years the organization has
grown from a membership of 20 to
160,000 with assets of nearly one
million dollars, and that during this
time it has paid out nearly three
million dollars in sick and death
claims, and charity.
GIRL JOURNALIST
GAINS RECOGNITION
Long Beach, Cal.—(By the Asso
ciated Negro Press)—Revealing such
exceptional talent and originality
that she has attracted the attention
of local literary critics, Miss Eleanor
Washington of this city has been of
fered an opportunity to do some fea
ture work on a local white daily.
She is a graduate of Polytechnic
High school, Los Angeles.
POST TROOPS AT ALABAMA
PRISON
Mobile, Ala. — (Crusader News
Service)—Three companies of the
Alabama National Guard, stationed
here, were on duty at the Mobile jail
tonight as a precaution against pos
sible mob attacks upon seven Negro
workers who are accused of murder
ing a white insurance man. Local
newspapers have been trying to work
up mob spirit against the accused
men.
BESS’ LAWYERS EXPRESS HOPE
Columbia, S. C.—(By the Associ
ated Negro Press)—The battery of
lawyers, headed by Attorney N. J.
Frederick, fighting for the freedom
of Ben Bess, expressed the opinion
that a favorable decision would be
handed down by the South Carolina
supreme court.
The case, which has attracted the
attention of the entire country, was
argued before the state supreme
court on November 12th, and since
that time the attorneys for Bess have
been hopeful that their client would
be freed.
Bess was convicted 13 years ago
on a charge of committing rape and
a few months ago through an affida
vit of his alleged victim was set free,
only to be reimprisoned when the
white woman denied that she had de
clared him innocent. He has been in
the state prison since that time, but
there is a strong sentiment here that
he is innocent of the crime for which
he is serving time.
SOUTH AFRICAN MINISTER
DENIES NEGRO CLAIMS
Cape Town, Africa—(Crusader
News Service)—Because his minis
ter of posts and telegraph, M. Mado
ley, received a deputation from the
South African Trades Union con
gress, General Hertzog, premier of
South Africa, resigned in order to be
able to reconstitute his cabinet.
Madoley is leader of the national
council of the labor party.
Madoley stated that he felt “bound
out of recognition of the principle of
collective bargaining, to consider the
natives’ claims.” At the same time
he took no definite action on these
claims.
Notice by Publication on Petition for
Settlement of Final Administration
Account.
IN THE COUNTY COURT OF
DOUGLAS COUNTY, NEB.
IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE
of JOHN Q. GREER, Deceased.
Persons interested in said matter
are hereby notified that on the 15th
day of November, 1928, Rufus C.
Long filed a petition in said county
court, praying that his final admin
istration account filed herein be set
tled and allowed, and that he be dis
charged from his trust as administra
tor and that a hearing will be had on
said petition before said Court on
the 3rd day of December, 1928, and
that if you fail to appear before said
court on the said 3rd day of Decem
ber, 1928, at 9 o’clock, A. M., and
contest said petition, the court may
grant the prayer of said petition, en
ter a decree of heirship, and make
such other and further orders, allow
ances and decrees, as to this court
may seem proper, to the end that all
matters pertaining to said estate may
be finally settled and determined.
BRYCE CRAWFORD,
2T County Judge.
H. J. Pinkett, Attorney
PROBATE NOTICE
IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE
of MILFORD HALL, Deceased.
Notice is hereby given: That the
creditors of said deceased will meet
the administrator of said estate, be
fore me, county judge of Douglas
county, Nebraska, at the county court
room, in said county, on the 11th day
of January, 1929, and on the 11th
day of March, 1929, at 9 o’clock,
A. M., each day, for the purpose of
presenting their claims for examin
ation, adjustment and allowance.
Three months are allowed for the
creditors to present their claims from
the 8th day of December, 1928.
BRYCE CRAWFORD,
41-11-9-28 County Judge.
Maaical Namet Given
Land and Sea Windi
The various winds which sweet
land and sea, have, some of them a)
least, very musical names. The wind
that blows so strongly at times along
the coast of France and ruffles the
bine waters of the Mediterranean Is
called the Mistral. Another violent,
cold wind Is the Bora, which those
who have been much on the northern
shores of the Adriatic have experi
enced, greatly to their discomfort
Then there is the Simoom which Is as
scorchlngly hot as the Mistral and
Bora are cold. The Simoom, In fact
Is like a violent succession of gusts
from a hot oven. It has proved a ter
rific enemey to travelers In the Sa
hara. The Sirocco Is much the same
kind of scorching wind. Romantic
sounding enough Is the name Kham
sin, but those who have encountered
this hot dry wind on the Egyptian
plains do not have very pleasant mem
ories of It. The Harmattan Is simi
larly unpopular among the Inhabitants
of western Africa and those travelers
who have been unfortunate enough to
encounter this desert, dust-laden
wind. Fohn is the name of another
dry, hot wind, which bas an enervat
ing effect upon the valley dwellers on
the northern side of the Alps. The
name of the Pampero has a glamor
about It which belles It In reality.
This fearful combination of violent
wind, rain, thunder, and lightning Is
only too familiar to the residents of
the Argentine and Uruguay.
Drugs in Modern Use
Familiar to Ancients
Thirty per cent of the drugs used
by modern medicines were known In
remote antiquity, reveals Dr. Charles
Singer In his book “A Short History
of Medicine,” published by the Oxford
University Press.
The Egyptian medical papyri men
tion, among other drugs, he writes.
‘‘Aloes, caraway, castor oil, coriander,
dill, fennel. Juniper, mint, myrrh, and
turpentine Among Egyptian mineral
remedies still in use are salts of cop
per and lead. Assyrian medical tab
lets refer to most of the Egyptian
drugs as well as to a number of oth
ers, among which are almond oil, ani
seed, galbiitium and licorice. Among
Assyrian minernl remedies that are
used by us to this day are alum and
bitumen.” Early Indian medicinal
herbs are also still In use In scientific
medicine, according to Doctor Singer
Wind and Fish
It is reported that a singular cor
respondcnce exists between the pre
vailing direction of the wind on the
coast of New South Wales and the
average catch of fish.
It appears that the winds which In
fluence the ocean currents Influence,
In turn, the course of the fish. These
Influences have periods of three or
four years. Thus, In 1919, there was
a general scarcity of fish, but after
ward they became more and more
abundant np to the year 1922. In
1924, there was another scarcity of
fish, but the next year they returned
In lacreasing numbers.
The cause of these variations was
regarded as a mystery until the coin
cidence with the prevailing direction
of the coastal winds was noticed.
Now, It Is thought, by the study of
the winds, the prospects of the fisher
man may be predicted two or three
years In advance.
Made Harried Exit
A Podunk man who had been miss
ing meat from his smokehouse for sev
eral weeks and suspected one of his
neighbors, set a trap by killing an
old family dog and dressing the car
cass to resemble mutton. Sure enough.
It was stolen at night, and the next
day about breakfast time, dropping
in on the suspects, he found them de
vouring the "sheep.” Being Invited to
take “pot luck,” he declined, saying be
had just had breakfast, and then told
them of the joke he had played on
“somebody.” The family listened
without a smile and then suddenly
they all bolted for the back door.—
Pathfinder Magazine.
Paper From Com
As early as 1705 a German, Jacob
Schaeffer, called attention to Indian
corn as a possible source of paper.
The first American patent on paper
to be made from corn was taken out
In 1802 by B. Allison and J. Hawkins
for a process of making paper out of
corn husks. Twenty years ago the
Department of Agriculture conducted
extensive experiments on paper mak
Ing with cornstalks and carried the
work Into actual mill operation.
Sound Effects
A lady motorist whose car had
swerved across a street and crashed
through a plateglass window was be
ing questioned by the local police ser
geant after the accident.
"Surely on such a wide street as
this,” said the Interrogator, “you could
have done something to prevent this
accident 7”
“1 did,” the delinquent assured him
quite earnestly; “I screamed as loud
as I could I”
Copies Red Cross Work
The American Blue Cross society is
an organization to do for animals what
the Red Cross doea for humanity. A
blue cross Is the emblem, (t was
founded In Springfield, Mass. It prp
motes animal protection on a scien
tific as well as humane basis.
Classified
FOR RENT—Neatly furnished room.
Modern home. With kitchen priv
ilege. Call Web. 6498. —tf.
NICELY famished rooms. All mod
ern. WE. 8960.
FOR RENT—Ont three-room apart
ment. Neatly furnished. Webster
6018. 2614 N. 81st street.
FOR RENT—Three and six room
apartments at 1201 So. Eleventh
street. Call Webster 6618. N. W.
Ware.
FOR RENT—Five room house, 80th
and Pinkney streets; modem ex
cept furnace; newly decorated
throughout; $20. Web. 6172.
FOR RENT—Two light housekeep
ing rooms, furnished or unfurnish
ed. 2216 N. 27th Ave.
FOR RENT — Furnished rooms in
modem home. 2302 N. 29th St.
Web. 2608. Sit
FOR RENT—Two modem houses,
one five and on seven rooms, in
good condition. 947 and 949 No.
27th St. tf
FOR RENT—Modern room for man
and wife. Web. 2180. 2616 Pat
rick Ave.
FOR RENT—Furnished rooms. Web.
2089. 2610 Lake St. Mrs. Phelps.
FOR RENT—Modern, nicely fur
nished rooms. Twenty-second and
Grant. Phone Webster 3946. Call
evenings after 6 o’clock.
FOR RENT—Two furnished light
housekeeping rooms. Married cou
ple preferred. Reasonable rent.
Webster 1826. Call after 6:00
p. m. 2t
SHOE REPAIRING
BENJAMIN & THOMAS always give
satisfaction. Best material, reason
able prices. All work guaranteed.
1416 North 24th St., Webster 6666.
C. H. HALL, stand, 1403 Ne. 24th.
Baggage and express hauilng to all
parts of the city. Phones, stand,
WE. 7100; Res., WE. 1066.
~ BEAUTY PARLORS
MADAM Z. C. SNOWDEN. Scientific
scalp treatment. Hair dressing and
manufacturing. 1154 No. 20th St
WEbster 6194.
UNDERTAKERS
JONES & COMPANY, Undertakers
24th and Grant Sts. WEbster 110O.
Satisfactory service always.
DRUGSTORES
ROSS DRUG STORE, 2806 North 24tb
Street. Two phones, WEbster 2770
and 2771. Well equipped to supply
your needs. Prompt service.
HOTELS
PATTON HOTEL, 1014, 1016, 10H
South 11th St Known from coast
to coast. Terms reasonable. N. P.
Patton, proprietor.
The only authorized advertising
solicitors for The Monitor are
DUDLEY WRICHT
and
GEORGE H. W. BULLOCK
Free Proctological Clinic
FOR
Piles and Rectal Ailments
Treatment painless and does
not interfere with work.
Monday Evenings
Phone for Engagement*
Jackson 1085
312 Paxton Block
Ralph B. Conkling
Osteopath
»♦»♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦»♦♦»♦»♦♦♦»» >
% Have You INSURANCE? 1:
If Not, See HICKS
;; 434-37-39 Keeline Building !!
i, ATlantic 8623
> Res. 3012 Miami Street ’
% WEbster 6426 I ;
C. P. WESIN
Grocery Company
Now one of the < >
Red and White
Chain Stores
Seme Prompt mi
Courteous Service <
Better Prices.
2001 Cuming Ja. 1248 ::
...
Sam and Joe Say, If You Lite
Our Store Say “Lincoln."
Lincoln Market
1406 No. 24th We. 1411
