of
residence of proprietors of the several classes of enterprises is
given (p. 103).

Besides the birth-place of proprietors and the length of their
residence in New York City, their occupations previously to their
entering upon their present lines of business throw considerable light
upon the character of ownership. The natural expectation would be to
find connection between the previous occupation of the proprietor and
the present business in which he is engaged. In a number of cases this
cannot be clearly made out as is the case of 16 brokers and 11
undertakers. Very probably this expectation would not be fulfilled in
the cases of many Negroes, because domestic and personal service has
been largely the opportunity of employment and the source of savings
through which the prospective business venture could be launched. For
example, 11 proprietors have been waiters or waitresses; of these
one hotel and lodging-house proprietor, and one restaurant keeper were
in enterprises closely connected with their previous occupations;
there were three grocers and one coal, wood and ice dealer:
enterprises less closely connected. Two pool and billiard-room
proprietors, one conductor of a tailoring establishment, one
employment agent and one establishment in the miscellaneous class
completed the list of those formerly employed as waiters and
waitresses. This makes a striking comparison with three hotel and
lodging-house keepers and with five restaurant and lunch-room
proprietors who formerly were cooks. That many did follow such a
natural line of advance from employee to employer is shown in that 80
out of the 309 were previously connected with the same line of
business in which they were engaged in 1909 either on a smaller scale
or as an employed promoter. A few had tried one line of business
before and had changed to that in which they were found. Such was the
case with nine who had previously been restaurant keepers, and six who
had been in the grocery business. In no case did a proprietor report
that he had been an inheritor of independent means or a gentleman of
leisure, and had thus found the road which had led him into business.

TABLE XXI. LENGTH OF RESIDENCE IN NEW YORK CITY, BEFORE JANUARY, 1910,
OF PROPRIETORS OF 309 NEGRO BUSINESS ENTERPRISES, MANHATTAN, 1909.

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|Length of residence in New York City of