Sweepstakes

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 she could from odd jobs. Ben salvaged junk, pawned his coat and whatever else they could do without.

One 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.

They won $150,000.

The world changed color and shape for the stupefied Masons. To their 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.

By the 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, Ben Jr., 6, new clothes. When they wanted fried chicken, they had fried chicken. But no diamond rings, no champagne, no bottle-busting, neck-breaking carnival for the Masons. Pearl had a better idea. "I always wanted to help out people of my color," said she.

For $40,000 the Masons bought a block of tenements in South Philadelphia. With another $40,000 and Negro labor they will transform the block into a low-cost housing project for Negroes, with 1-2-3 room, air-conditioned apartments built around a central fresh air court. This community centre is to have a gymnasium, bowling alley, chapel, a social worker in charge. Work was scheduled to start this week.

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.

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