From ‘The Provincial Freeman: Devoted to Anti-Slavery, Temperance, and General Literature’, June 24, 1854, Toronto, published and edited by Mary Ann Shadd Cary, credited as edited by co-founder Samuel R. Ward
Correspondence
For the Provincial Freeman
A few days ago, I left Lewiston, U.S., for Toronto, on the steamer Peerless. I took cabin passage without the least objection being made to negroes sitting amongst white folks. So away we went, swiftly and smoothly, down the great lake.
After leaving Niagara, the Company was summoned, as I understood, by the ringing of a bell to dinner, which call was quickly obeyed by nearly every passenger aft, and I, too, having desire to gratify the inner man, took up the line of march, and soon found myself seated at the table in company with others. In a short time, Mr. Hurly, the steward — a stinted pattern of a man — came along collecting the money, 2s. 6d. for the dinner — when he got to a friend of mine and myself, this would-be good little man, if the devil would let him alone, whispered that he would see us after “a little bit.”
Of course we were at a loss to tell why we should be thus specially favored. However, we were not allowed to cogitate long respecting it; for this very efficient and indispensable little man of the Peerless came to us for the pay for our dinners, and with a special message, as he informed us, from head quarters; he prefaced his message by telling us that we had violated the rules; that Captain Dick did not allow colored passengers to eat at the first table. After informing him that we would consent to eat at no other, he then told us that Capt. Dick was indomitable.
Now you will understand, as I do, by this remark, that Capt. Dick and his steward are both completely under the control of Yankee influences and prejudices, and like the northern white slaves of the States, yield to the worse than barbarous custom of excluding colored persons from what they are pleased to call the first table. I understand that there are other boats running on this lake where the same outrage is perpetrated. I hope that colored people will stop patronizing these second tables; every man who eats at one of them is guilty of consenting to his own degradation.
ELEVATOR.
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