Run

Early one morning last week, in front of the Postoffice Building at West Palm Beach, Fla., anxious and excited blackmen stood in uneasy groups, scratched woolly nobs, scuffed broken-toed shoes. The night before, Darktown had heard a rumor, caught it up, passed it on like the sweeping flame of a forest fire; the Government was "going broke!" In ten days, six banks had failed;* the Government had deposited postal receipts in banks; all thrifty blackmen had dollars in postal savings. Two hours later when the doors opened, thousands of blackmen shoved to get in line in front of the postal savings windows. In the line they sang, cursed, shouted: "What you want, black boy?" "Ah wants to hear mah money singin' in mah pants pocket."

Police, Negro pastors argued: "Look here, Sam, don't be foolish. The Government won't lose your money."

Blackmen swabbed the sweat off their faces, shook their heads: "No, suh! If a nigger kin lose money in banks, the Gov'mint kin lose money in them. An' los' money is los' money."

One black pastor argued with his thick-headed sheep for over an hour, lost faith in his own convictions and joined the surging line.

At closing time, more than $25,000 had been drawn out, mostly in small amounts; the line had dwindled to a straggling few. But postal officials saw no cause for alarm; their total deposits had amounted to over $960,000.

* In Palm Beach County only three banks out of eleven have survived the period of depression which followed the collapse of the real estate boom.