s and pile drivers over
any boarding department which takes in plain meals. I have 25
years experience in this line of work and understand the method
of saving the company money.

You will please dig into this in every way that is necessary and
whatever charges you want for your trouble make your bill to me,
and I will mail same to you.

Wishing you much success in your papers throughout the country,
especially in the south as it is the greatest help to the
southern negro that has ever been read.

NEW ORLEANS, LA., 5-20-17.

_Dear Sir:_ I am sure your time is precious, for being as you an
editor of a newspaper such as the race has never owned and for
which it must proudly bost of as being the peer in the
pereoidical world. am confident that yours is a force of busy
men. I also feel sure that you will spare a small amount of your
time to give some needed information to one who wishes to relieve
himselfe of the burden of the south. I indeed wish very much to
come north anywhere in Ill. will do since I am away from the
Lynchman's noose and torchman's fire. Myself and a friend wish to
come but not without information regarding work and general
suroundings. Now hon sir if for any reason you are not in
position to furnish us with the information desired. please do
the act of kindness of placing us in tuch with the organization
who's business it is I am told to furnish said information, we
are firemen machinist helpers practical painters and general
laborers. And most of all, ministers of the gospel who are not
afraid of labor for it put us where we are. Please let me hear
from you.

NEW ORLEANS, LA., May 1, 1917.

_Dear Sir:_ I am a reader of the Chicago Defender and while
reading I seen where you are aiding those in search of work and I
thought that I would drop you a few lines though I am far away
but if there is any way that you could get a pass please try and
do that much for us as we are a party of four good working men
the southern white are trying very hard to keep us from the north
but still they wont give us no work to do they dont pay us any
thing and still dont want us to go. now please answer at your
very earliest I am