Passing of the Whitewasher
A Few years ago one of the best paying
positions that a large number of colored men
were doing was that of whitewashing. A few
years ago it would not have been hard to see
colored men around Philadelphia, Washington,
and Boston, carrying whitewash tubs and
a long pole into somebody's house to whitewash
the walls. They very often not only
whitewashed the walls, but the carpets and
pictures as well. You go into the North
to-day and you will find a very few colored
men whitewashing. White men learned that
they could dignify that work, and so began to
study the work in schools. They became acquainted
with the chemistry composing the
various ingredients, learned decorating and
frescoing. Now they call themselves House
Decorators. Now that's gone to come no
more, perhaps. Now that these men have
elevated this work and added more intelligent
skill to it, do you suppose that any one is
going to allow some old man with a pole and
bucket to come into his house?
Future of the Negro.
