Word: pearls
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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There was not money enough in the Carolinas for all the Negro folk, so Benjamin and Pearl Mason drifted north to Philadelphia. Ben washed cars in a garage. They had a baby girl, and things were all right until 1931. Then Ben lost his job, looked in vain for another. Another baby was born, a boy this time. On relief, 42-year-old Ben drew $11.40 a week. Their house had no heat except the kitchen stove. "Wasn't fit for animals," observed Pearl wearily. "Every time it rained it rained right into the house." She made what...
...night Ben brought home a book of tickets for the Irish Hospitals Sweepstakes. He told Frances, his daughter, to pick one, and they scraped together $2.50 to pay for it, wrote on it, "Just Must Win." Plump, 40-year-old Pearl prayed to God that they might...
...house in the slums of South Philadelphia rushed well-wishers, curiosity-seekers, oil-well and gold-mine promoters. Police had to rope off their street. A man in Liberia wanted them to finance a bus line from Monrovia to the jungle. "All I ever wanted was my own home," Pearl shakily said...
...time the check arrived, Pearl had made some resolutions, had theadvice of long-armed Negro Lawyer Raymond Pace Alexander. They ducked well-wishers, salesmen, and returned $2,133.90 to the County Relief Board. They paid their debts, set aside $57,588 for income tax, redeemed the precious things they had pawned. Then they drew a deep breath and cautiously began to acquire a few of the things which, in their wildest moments, they had dreamed about. Pearl got her new home ($3,000) and furniture. Ben got a Packard; Frances, 10, the whole set of Wizard of Oz books...
Lawyer Alexander figured the project was an investment which would give the Masons 6% on their money. To Pearl it was a place where it wouldn't rain right in on Negroes huddled around a kitchen stove. They named it Frances Plaza, after their daughter. But Pearl was convinced that God, not Frances, really picked the ticket...