In the Red (1922); In the Black (1923)

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

   THE NEW YORKER magazine has turned a profit.  It's throwing an "In the Black" party.  Black jelly beans are being served.  (O.T.:  I should be in the NEW YORKER!  I did "New Yorker"!  "In the Black"!  "Jelly Beans"!)
   ProQuest Historical newspapers has full text of both the NEW YORK TIMES and WALL STREET JOURNAL.  I searched for "in the black" & "profit" and "in the red" & "loss."
   The RHHDAS has "in the black" from the NEW YORK TIMES of March 11, 1928.  For "in the red," you're told to see the RHHDAS volume that has "RED."  (The RHHDAS stops at the letter "O.")


IN THE RED

   21 April 1922, WALL STREET JOURNAL, pg. 9:
   Automatically, gas department ceased operating "in the red."  Profits replaced losses and gas business again took up it proportionate burden of meeting divdend checks.

IN THE BLACK
   2 February 1923, WALL STREET JOURNAL, pg. 13:
   Carter, Macy is now making satisfactory profits.  Amsinck is operating in the black.  So is Pacific Mail which will probably show some $250,000 earned in 1922.

RED AND BLACK
   20 September 1924, WALL STREET JOURNAL, pg. 1:
      _RED AND BLACK_
   Naturally the cold months of the year show red ink figures for the American Ice Co.  It has been known in the history of the ice business that the company has been 10 months in the black and then again this has dwindled to six months.  This year, owing to its unseasonal qualities, has probably seen a larger period in the red, but it has been pointed out that once the demand for ice reached summer proportions, profits instantly became very large, and so it has been this year, although it is not likely, owing to an unseaonable summer, that the company's final earnings will be as high as they were last year, when $12.52 was earned on the common stock.