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3  1833  00045  0129 

Gc  976.9  J632e 
Johnson*  W.  D. 
Biographical,  sketches  of 

prominent  Negro  men  and 

women  of  ky. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2010  with  funding  from 

Allen  County  Public  Library  Genealogy  Center 


http://www.archive.org/details/biographicalsketOOjohn 


giographical  Sketches 


PROMINENT  NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN 


KeNTucny 


With  Introductory  Memoir  of  the  Author,  and  Prefatory    Re- 
marks Showing  the  Difference  Between   American   and 
.    British  Slave  Holders;  Also  Opinions  of  Leading  Thinkers 
of  the  Race,  j»j*.»»jtj»>>jtjt.jiotjt0tj»jtjijt 


BY  W.  D.JOHNSON. 


Illustrated  with  Fifty  Portraits. 


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Lexixcjtos,  Kkxtickv. 


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THE  8TANDABD  PRINT, 

LEXINOTON,   KY. 

1897. 


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(ONTGNTS. 


Preface 1 

Introduction,  By  K.  C.  0.  Beujuiuiu 6 

CHAITER  I. 

Hon.  W.  O.  BRADLEY,  Governor  of  Kentucky 11 

CHAPTER  II. 

W.  H.  Ross 16 

CHAITER  III. 
Mary  E.  Britton 18 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Prof.  G.  P.  Russkll 20 

CHAITER  V. 
W.  A.  Taylor ' 21 

CHAITER  VI. 

C.  H.  Parrish,  A.  M.,D.  D 22 

CHAITER  VII. 

Rev.  Joseph  Couktkey,  D.  D 24 

CHAITER  VIII. 

Prof.  J.  M.  Maxwell,  A.  M 25 

CHAPTER  IX. 
;  Rev.  \V.  H.  Bowkn 26 

CHAITER  X. 

J  J.  J.  C.  M(  Kini.ky 27 

CHAITER  XI. 
o  J.  A.  Ciiii.ks,  LL.  B 28 

J                                            CHAITER  XII. 
?  _Rev.  W.  H.  Dickkrsox 20 

£  £  CH AFTER  XIII. 

»»EjJ.  F.  Gray 30 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A.  D.  Kellky,  M.  D 30 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Rev.  C.  C.  Vauohan 31 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
W.  T.  piSNWiDUiE,  I).  D.  S 32 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
J.  W.  jEwtrrr 33 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Prof.  F.  L.  Williams,  A.  B 35 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

J.  C.  Jackson 37 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Prok.  J.  S.  Hathaway,  A.  M 39 

CHAFrER  XXI. 
A.  L.  Paey 41 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
Benjamin  Eranklin 42 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
Rev.  S.  E.  Smith,  D.  D 43 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Rev.  S.  J.  W.  Si'URoeon 44 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
H.  A.  Tandy 46 

CHAPTER  XXVI 

Peter  SiMitsoN 47 

•  CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Katie  V.  Harden 48 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
CHARLES  HauoaRIJ 49 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
Prok.  W.  H.  Pkkhy,  A.  M 5q 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

A.  8.  White,  LL.  B 53 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 
W.  H.  Bau.ard,  Ph.  G 55 


CHAPTER  XXXn. 

('.  B.  Prewttt 56 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

Rev.  M.  A.  Johnson 68 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

Ki:v.  Robert  Mitchell,  A.  M 5!( 

CHAFFER  XXXV. 

J.  W.  Hillman : 60 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

K.  E.  Underwood,  M.  D 61 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

Prof.  J.  H.  Jackson,  A.  M 63 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

T.  K.  Robb 64 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

li  W.  Chexault 65 

CHAPTER  XL. 

I'rof.  T.  C.  Bukori),  A.  B 66 

CHAPTER  XLI. 

K.  Belle  Jackson 68 

CHAPTER  XLI  I. 

Carrie  V.  Robinson 69 

CHAFfER  XLIII. 

I'ltlsciLLA  R.  Lacev 70 

CHAPTER  XLIV. 

Mary  A.  .Smith 70 

CHAPTER  XLV. 

L  \V.  Taylor 71 

CHAPTER  XLVI. 

L.  (J.  P.  Todd 72 

CHAPTER  XLVI  I. 
•IrriTEK  Lewis 73 

CHAPTER  XLVIII. 

L.  (i.  Clark 74 

CHAPTER  XLIX. 
W.  A.  Gaines 76 


CHAPTER  L. 
Colored  A.  and  M.  Association 79 

CHAPTER  LI. 
Colored  Orphan  Industrial  Home 86 

CHAPTER  LII. 
Woman's  Improvement  Club 95 

CHAITER  LIII 
Opinions  Concerning  this  Book 98 

CHAPTER  LIV. 
Some  Editorial  CoNTiMrvER.su->! 107 

CHAPTER  LV. 

Editorials  on  the  Whitpino  Post 113 

CHAPTER  LVI. 

Queen  and  Crescent  Railway 120 

CHAPTER  LVII. 

Loi'ISVILLE  AND  NASHVILLE  RAILROAD 126 


Bullanl,  W.  H.,  55. 
Bowen,  W.  H.,  26. 
Bradley,  W.  O.,  11. 
Britton,  M,  E.,  18. 
Buford,  T.  C,  66. 
Chcnault,  E.  W.,65. 
Chile*.,  J.  A.,  28. 
Clnrk,  L.  G.,  74. 
Courtney,  Jon.,  24. 
Dickewon,  W.  H.,29. 
Dinwiddie,  W.T.,  32. 
Knmklin,  Beilj.,  42. 
GaiiiCH,  W.  A.,  7(i. 
Gray,  .1.  V.,  30. 
Hnjrjianl,  ('has.,  49. 
Harrlin,  K.  V.,  4«. 
liatlmwuv,  J.  S.  39. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 
Hillman,  J.  W.,  60. 
Jacksou,  E.  B. ,  68. 
Jackson,  J.  C,  37. 
Jackson,  J.  H.t  63. 
Jewett,  J.  W.,  33. 
Johnson,  M.  A.,  58. 
Kclley,  A.  D.,  30. 
Lacey,  P.  R.,  70. 
Lee,  Henry,  79. 
Lewis,  .J ii | lit cr,  73. 
Maxwell,  J.'M.  25. 
Mitchell,  Kol)t.,  59. 
McKinley,.I.J.C.,27. 
Pnrrish,  C.  II.,  22. 
Perry,  W.  H.,  50 
Prewitt,  ('.  B.,  50. 
Rolih,  T.  K.,  64. 


Robineon,  C.  V.,  69. 
Rose,  W.  H.,  15. 
Russell,  G.  P.,  20. 
Simpson,  Peter,  47. 
Smith,  M.  A.,  70. 
Smith,  S.  E.,  43. 
Spurgeon,  S.  J.  W. ,  44. 
Tandy,  H.  A.  46. 
Taylor,  L.  W.,  71. 
Taylor,  W.  A.,  21. 
Todd,  L.  G.  P.,  72. 
Underwood,  E.  E.,  61. 
Vaughn,  0.  C.  31. 
White,  A.  S.,  53. 
Williams,  F.  L.,  35. 

These  figures  refer  to 
sketch,  near  portrait. 


1 


ERRATA. 

Page  51,  twentieth  line  from  the  top,  for  "Odd  Fellows'  Home" 
read  "Old  Folks'  Home." 

Page  52,  third  line  of  the  second  paragraph,  for  "misery"  read 
"mission." 

Page  55,  fifteenth  line,  for  "Mattie  Seals"  read  "Sallie  Seals." 


"And  Ethiopia  shall  stretch  forth  her  hands  unto  God." 


«4&C  *  \ 


PREFACE}. 


WHILE  it  is  true  that  the  principal  object  of  the  writer  in  giving 
this  work  to  the  public  is  to  set  forth  the  achievements  of 
Kentucky's  prominent  Negro  men  and  to  be  distributed  at  the  Tennes- 
see Centennial  Exposition,  it  is  equally  true  that  a  work  of  this  char- 
acter should  be  written  so  as  to  be  of  interest  to  the  Negro  race  at 
large,  and  for  the  stimulation  of  generations  to  come.  Therefore,  the 
writer  finds  it  necessary  to  set  forth  this  Preface,  not  so  much  to  pre- 
sent the  profes-ional,  mechanical  and  business  ingenuity  of  the  Negro 
men  and  women  of  the  State  of  Kentucky — for  the  biographical 
sketches  herein  fully  present  this — but  to  6ay  something  of  this  part  of 
the  race  that  has  made  unparalleled  progress  since  the  abolition  of 
slavery,  which  is  only  thirty-three  years  ago,  and  to  compare  it  with 
the  advancement  and  opportunities  of  other  members  of  the  Negro 
family  not  residing  in  the  United  States.  It  is  sometimes  thought 
that  comparisons  are  odious,  but  it  is  only  so  when  there  is  a  misap- 
prehension from  the  cause  or  from  the  reason  of  the  comparison.  As 
the  subject  of  this  book  is  of  great  importance,  and  will  merit  ser- 
ious consideration,  as  the  matter  relates  not  only  to  a  race  no>v  exist- 
ing, but  will  be  far-reaching  to  coming  generations,  we  necessarily 
draw  a  comparison  between  the  results  of  emancipation  in  the  British 
Colonies  and  that  in  the  United  States,  ami  for  the  reason  that  we 
never,  to  our  recollection,  read  anything  to  draw  attention  to  the  dif- 
ferences existing,  or  to  the  effect  which  has  been  produced  upon  these 
two  sections  of  the  Negro  family,  and  anyone  who  reads  or  investigates 
will  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  time  lias  arrived  for  this  compar- 
ison. 

With  these  preliminary  remarks  we  will  attempt  to  show  that  the 
British  Parliament  gave  twenty  million  pounds  sterling  to  the  British 
slave-hollers  to  emancipate  their  slaves,  not  one  penny  of  which  did 
any  slave  receive.     That  was  sixty  years  ago.     Now,  what  we  wish  to 


2  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

emphasise  is,  that  this  enormous  sura  oi  money  was  paid,  we  repeat, 
to  slave-holders  who  were  maddened  on  account  of  the  emancipation 
of  their  slaves,  and  withdrew  to  England  after  abandoning  their 
plantations,  and  invested  their  money  in  England  without  ever  think- 
ing of  their  recently  emancipated  slaves.  In  short,  they  turned  their 
Lacks  entirely  upon  the  poor  creatures,  and  the  legislators  of  the 
country  hcing  ex-slave  holders,  or  their  agent*,  made  no  provisions 
for  the  education  and  relief  of  the  people.  It  was  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Church  of  England,  with  the  support  of  the  "Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel"  in  foreign  parts,  and  the  "Chris- 
tian Knowledge  Society,"  with  the  "Lady  Miko's  Trustees  Fund,'' 
that  the  education  was  begun  and  continued  until  the  cx-slavc  holders' 
madness  was  softened  down  before  any  legislative  enactment  was 
made  for  the  education  of  the  ex-slave.  Thank  God,  the  church  took 
up  the  matter,  assisted  by  the  philanthropic  societies  of  Eugland,  and 
blazed  the  way  for  the  educational  and  religious  development  of  the 
ex  slave.  The  British  Negroes  have  advanced,  but  look  at  the  dis- 
tance they  had  to  go;  look  at  the  obstacles  in  their  way;  look  at  their 
state  of  isolation.  Separated  from  each  other  without  the  means  of 
inter-communication,  and  at  the  mercy  of  unprincipled  agents  and 
others,  they  have  done  well  under  the  circumstances.  They  owe  a 
great  debt  of  gratitude  to  the  Church  of  England  and  the  various 
societies  for  what  they  did  in  initiating  the  work  of  education. 

Now,  what  we  wish  to  draw  particular  attention  to. is,  that  the  ex- 
slave  holders,  as  a  body,  retired  without  caring  a  jot  or  tittle  for  the 
religious  and  moral  education  of  the  people,  but  left  them  entirely  to 
themselves  and  to  benevolent  persons  to  undertake  the  work,  while  they 
pocketed  the  amount,  as  we  have  before  stated,  and  the  people,  for 
theru,  might  have  sunk  down  into  the  depths  of  barbarism  and  ignor- 
ance, worse  than  that  of  their  aucestors  in  darkest  Africa,  notwith- 
standing their  excuse  for  enslaving  the  Negroes  was  to  civilize  and 
Christianize   them. 

Now,  let  us  turn  the  other  side  of  the  picture  and  see  if  we  can 
discover  any  difference  between  them.  We  will  speak  of  the  emanci- 
pation of  the  Amcrcian  Negro  thirty-three  years  ago,  brought  about 
not  by  paying  money  to  the  slave  holder,  but  by  the  shedding  of  an 
ocean  of  blood.  We  remember  reading  the  speech  of  an  ex-slave 
bolder  at  a  great  muss  meeting    immediately   after   emancipation,    at 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  3 

New  Orleans,  iu  which  speech  he  said,  "we  have  emancipated  the 
slaves,  let  us  educate  them."  These  words  made  an  indelible  impres- 
sion upon  our  mind  and  gave  rise  to  a  series  of  reflections,  and  partic- 
ularly looking  at  the  action  of  the  British  slave  holders  thirty  years 
before  the  delivery  of  that  speech.  Now,  see  the  difference;  compare 
the  actions  of  the  ex-slave  holders,  and  give  your  candid  opinion  in 
the  matter.  But  the  reader  may  say  that  that  speech  was  not  carried 
out.  Let  us  see.  While  there  mty  be  a  criticism  on  the  part  of 
some  of  the  American  ex-slave  holders  for  not  doing  just  what  was 
expected  of  them,  etill  there  were  some  who  d'd  give  a  helping  hand, 
and  did  put  their  hands  iu  their  pockets,  as  many  are  now  doing,  to 
build  schools,  colleges  and  universities,  besides  liberally  educating  de- 
serving young  men  and  women  to  engage  in  the  work  of  education 
among  their  people. 

In  connection  with  these,  immediately  after  emancipation,  there 
were  philanthropists  and  benevolent  societies  who  took  up  the  ques- 
tion of  the  education,  moral  and  religious  improvement  of  the  ex- 
slaves  under  various  disadvantages,  local  and  otherwise.  These  are 
facts  that  cannot  be  denied;  that  there  were  men  and  women  who 
hazarded  their  lives  and  went  forth  to  teach  and  preach  to  the  eman- 
cipated slaves.  We  need  not  stop  to  name  these  institutions  of  learn- 
ing, because  they  are  as  household  words,  and  subserving  the  purpose 
for  which  the  benevolence  of  Christian  philanthropists  was  designed. 
Now,  truth  is  truth,  and  iu  making  a  comparison  for  the  purpose  of 
arriving  at  the  true  facts  in  the  case,  we  set  aside  our  National  pre- 
dilection, and  declare  emphatically  and  without  fear  of  contradiction, 
that  the  American  ex-slave  holders  did  foster  and  encourage  the  edu- 
cational training  of  the  ex-slaves,  and  consequently  did  not  abandon 
them.  They  were  not  thrust  out  into  the  ocean  without  the  means  of 
steering  their  course,  or  without  the  opportunity  of  helping  them- 
selves; they  were  not  left  to  the  tender  mercies  of  their  agents  and 
managers;  they  were  not  altogether  left  upon  their  own  resources,  as 
were  the  British  ex-slaves,  but  to  the  contrary,  as  already  stated,  they 
were  taken  up  and  cared  for.  This  shows  a  balance  in  favor  of  the 
Americans,  and  no  one  will  charge  us  with  unfairness  or  undue  par- 
tiality from  what  proceeds  from  the  comparison.  It  is  commonly  as- 
serted that  the  remarkable  progress  of  the  American  Necro  has  been 
made  in  the  very  teeth  of  hostile  and  opposing  forces;   but  the  British 


4  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

ex-slaves  had  a  greater  struggle,  had  more  unrelenting  oppouents,  had 
more  Be  Irish  ex-niasters  and  therefore  could  not  be  expected  to  have 
made  the  advancement  in  the  same  period  that  their  American  cousins 
did. 

Their  benevolent  friends  lived  id  the  same  country  and  almost 
■within  hearing  distance,  and  therefore  had  the  greater  facilities  to 
move  onward,  to  press  forward,  backed  as  they  were  on  the  spot  by  so 
great  munificence  and  sympathy  in  the  cause  of  their  uplifting  and 
upbuilding.  Whereas,  their  British  cousins  had  two  thousand  and 
more  miles  of  ocean  between  them  and  their  ex-masters,  and  had  no 
means  of  communicating  with  England  by  reason  of  ignorance  and 
■want  of  facilities.  They  had  not  even  intercourse  personally  with  the 
agents  or  managers  of  the  plantations  where  they  resided.  And  those 
who  received  the  purchase  money  betook  themselves  to  England,  but 
never  took  a  boy  or  girl  to  their  educational  institutions  in  England 
to  have  them  educated  and  return  to  their  people  to  help  in  the  work 
of  education.  How  different  it  is  when  we  look  at  the  American 
side  of  the  picture.  There  seemed  to  be  uo  reserved,  no  hypocritical 
pretentions,  no  serpentine  approaches  in  order  to  get  money  out  of  the 
benevolent  for  the  education  of  the  Negroes,  to  be  spent  for  other 
purposes,  or  to  be  spent  upon  themselves.  Now  then,  here  is  the  dif- 
ference in  the  comparison  most  marked:  The  money  is  received  for 
the  charitable  and  benevolent  education  of  the  Negro,  that  money  is 
expended  for  that  object.  Here  is  a  school,  there  is  a  college,  yonder 
a  university,  here  is  a  normal  school,  there  a  theological  school.  Here 
is  a  Negro  president  of  this  college,  there  is  a  Negro  professor,  a  Negro 
warden.  All  that  constitute  the  institutions  are  before  us  to  substan- 
tiate that  the  Americans  have  the  best  of  the  comparison.  Is  it  to  l»e 
wondered  at,  then,  that  there  should  be  exhibited  to  an  admiring 
world  the  magnificent  exhibition  ot  u  people  in  the  first  rank  of  all 
the  professions  and  in  commerce  and  agriculture,  within  the  short 
period  of  thirty-three  years?  And  no  myth,  but  real  fact,  to  be  seen, 
observed  and   read  of  all! 

No  man  but  with  an  intolerable  and  prejudiced  mind  will  deny 
the  truth  of  the  conclusion  arrived  at  by  the  comparison  of  the  two 
periods  of  emancipation.  This  comparison  is  drawn  with  a  desire  to 
aid  in  the  promulgation  of  truth  and  to  do  an  act  of  simple  justice  to 
a  people  whom  the  outside  world  knows  nothing  of,  and  much  less    ig 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  5 

known  of  the  immense  amount  of  charity,  benevolence   and   financial 

support  giveu  by  the  white  people  for  the  susteutation  of  institutions, 
solely  lor  the  education  of  the  Negro  citizens  of  the  United  States  of 
America.  In  this  comparison  between  the  two  periods  we  have  con- 
cealed nothing;  we  have  blurred  nothing  over,  but  have  stated  real 
facts  which  we  hope  will  receive  the  full  appreciation  of  the    people. 

By  a  careful  reading  of  the  sketches  herein  presented,  it  will  be 
Feen  I  hat  there  are  great  things  in  the  future  for  the  Negro,  and  that 
the  nearer  he  approaches  to  a  comprehension  and  appreciation  of  the 
responsibilities  of  citizenship,  to  that  extent  will  he  enjoy  the  beuefits 
of  society  and  good  government.  And  now  wc-  submit  the  book  to  ao 
indulgcut  public.  We  have  endeavored  to  condense  a  great  deal  into 
as  little  space  as  possible,  and  while  the  book  omits  very  many  things 
and  sketches  of  persons  we  would  like  to  embrace  in  it,  yet  we  believe 
it  will  serve  to  a  great  extent  the  purpose  for  which  it  is  intended. 

W.  D.  Johnson. 

April  12,   1897. 


INTRODUCTION- 


§N  invitation  of  ray  esteemed  friend,  W.  D.  Johnson,  I  submit 
this  introduction,  confident  that  when  the  trials,  triumphs  and 
progress  of  the  men  whose  lives  he  delineates  with  such  super-excel- 
ence  are  studied,  yea,  wheu  the  book  is  read  from  title  page  to  finish, 
the  reader  will  be  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  it  is  not  only  of  in- 
trinsic value  to  the  present,  but  will  be  of  benefit  to  future  genera- 
tions. 

It  is,  therefore,  most  fitting  that  one  know  something  of  the 
author.  To  every  great  man  a  peculiar  mission  is  given,  to  one  as 
lawgiver,  to  another  as  warrior,  to  a  third  as  teacher,  to  a  fourth  as 
organizer  and  administrator,  and  these  careers  in  their  illimitable 
variety  constitute  history.  The  mission  of  W.  D.  Johnson  is  that  of 
Pioneer  of  Negro  Independence,  indeed,  his  zeal  for  the  permanent 
establishment  of  the  inalienable  rights  of  the  American  Negro,  "life, 
liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness,"  places  him  on  the  first  page  of 
Negro  history,  to  be  seen  and  read,  even  studied  by  those  who  aspire 
to  become  prominent  actors  in  the  espouscmeut  of  laudable  causes,  for 

"Lives  of  Kreut  men  nil  remind   us 

We  can  make  our  lives  sublime, 
And  departing,  leave  behind  us 

Footprints  on  the  sands  (if  time." 

Mr.  Johnson  was  not  born  on  American  soil,  but  in  Old  Eng- 
land in  the  yenr  1800.  His  father,  an  Englishman,  is  at  present  a 
wholesale  druggist  at  Manchester;  his  mother  is  a  native  of  Bengal, 
India.  The  European  and  Asialic  blood  blended  in  Johnson  is  a 
good  mixture  for  this  country,  which  is  an  aggregate  of  the  nations 
of  all  the  earth.  But  if  he  is  not  an  American  by  birth  he  is  an 
American  in  his  belief  of  a  government  of  the  people,  by  the  people 
and  for  the  people;  and  as  a  naturalized  American  his  sympathies 
are  with  those  of  his  brethren  of  American  birth  in  their  struggle  to 
maintain  their  independence  of  opinion  and  freedom  of  thought. 


r 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  7 

Before  coming  to  this  country  Mr.  Johnson  traveled  extensively 
throughout  Europe,  Asia  and  parts  of  Africa.  This  brought  him  in 
contact  with  the  leading  minds  and  institutions  of  those  countries,  and 
has  given  to  him  an  intellectual  finish  that  very  few  members  of  his 
race  can  boast.  He  speaks  fluently  many  of  the  modern  languages. 
His  experience  as  a  traveler,  his  knowledge  of  men  and  his  abundant 
linguistic  acquirements  make  him  a  powerful  leader. 

In  April,  1893,  Mr.  Johnson  was  married  to  Miss  Martha  Jessie, 
•laughter  of  C.  B.  and  Harriet  Prewett,  one  of  the  most  prosperous 
farmers  of  Scott  county,  Ky.  Mrs.  Johnson  takes  an  active  part 
in  the  business  interests  of  her  husband,  and  she  is  his  constant  com- 
panion. Upon  his  hearthstone  the  fire  of  domestic  happiness  burns 
brightly.  It  is  here  where  peace,  love  and  happiness  are  enthroned, 
Mr.  Johnson  finds  an  incentive  to  his  ambition  and  rest  from  his 
exciting  public  labors. 

Within  this  brief  personal  sketch  I  shall  enumerate  the  services 
of  Mr.  Johnson  to  his  race,  alluding  first  to  his  career  as  an  editor, 
for  it  is  in  this  capacity  that  the  people  know  him  best. 

The  Negro  press,  notwithstanding  the  disadvantages  under  which 
it  has  labored,  has  been  decidedly  successful,  and  no  man  has  done 
more  to  bring  this  about  than  Editor  W.  D.  Johnson.  It  the  Negro 
press  means  anything,  it  means  not  only  the  setting  forth  of  all  phases 
of  the  race's  progress  and  promotion  of  good,  but  in  this  land  where 
the  constitutional  rights  of  the  Negroes  are  written  but  not  enforced; 
where  his  civil  prerogatives  are  recognized  but  not  allowed,  the  Negro 
press  must  assail  vigorously  the  enemies  of  our  liberty.  There  must 
be  no  wavering,  no  faltering,  no  equivocation,  no  compromise.  The 
Negro  editor  must  see  to  it  that  the  rights  of  the  race  are  not  abridged. 
circumscribed  or  abrogated;  he  must  not  be  derelict  in  regard  to  duty, 
but  as  the  spokesman  of  tie  race,  the  guardian  of  its  best  interests, 
the  Negro  editor  must  speak  out  regardless  of  consequences. 

Such  an  editor  is  W.  D.  Johnson,  of  The  Standard.  He  is  per- 
fectly fearless,  a  terse  and  vig' rous  writer,  uncompromising  and 
hold.  His  opinions  bring  him  into  many  controversies,  but  he  invar- 
iably comes  out  the  victor.  Among  the  most  memorable  debates  in 
which  he  has  been  engaged  was  one  with  Mr.  II.  H.  Oral/.,  editor  of 
the  Gazette,  a  rabid  Democratic  newspaper  published  in  Lexington, 
Ky.  Mr.  Johnson's  editorials  were  so  very  Jorccful  and  keen  that 
the  citizens  of  Lexington  expected    a    difficulty.     Excerpts   of  these 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


editorials  are  printed  ill  another'  port  of  tins  book  to  which  I  respect- 
fully refer  the  public.  Certainly  whatever  else  may  be  said  of  W. 
I).  Johnson,  he  is  not  cowardly.  His  ability  and  fearlessness  win 
him  admiration  and  make  him  a  power  in  the  maintenance   of  right. 

Under  Mr.  Johnson's  management  The  Standard  has  thrived 
and  has  become  n  force  in  Kentucky  and  the  South.  It  is  unques- 
tionably the  most  original,  and  among  the  first  of  Negro  journals, 
standing  firmly  for  the  race,  lifting  it  up  to  a  higher  aud  nobler  real- 
ization of  its  possibilities.  And  in  this  connection  I  take  pleasure  in 
calling  attention  to  the  fact  that  The  Standard  has  never  suspended  a 
single  issue  from  the  time  it  made  its  initial  bow  before  the  public. 

Mr.  Johnson  is  not  only  a  journalist,  but  he  is  well  versed  in  his- 
tory and  the  humanities,  aud  his  books  show  that  his  literary  and 
scholastic  ability  is  broad,  dee])  aud  varied;  they  are  full  of  learning 
ami  written  with  the  intention  to  refute  the  oft  repeated  assertion  that 
the  Negto  is  incapable  of  becoming  a  li'erateur.  Among  the  most 
prominent  of  his  works  are  ''Multum  in  Parvo,"  ''Black  Cat  on  the 
Rocks.''  His  symposium  on  "Which  Are  We,  Colored,  Afro-Amer- 
ican or  Negro?"  is  one  of  the  most  logical  arguments  on  that  perplex- 
ing question  extant.  In  this  work,  ani"ng  many  forcible  truths  I 
find  the  followiug  which  I  extract  and  append: 

The  word  "Negro"  is  the  most  sublime  word  of  all  words  that  should  be 
used  in  discriminating  from  another  race,  and  it  must  be  home  in  mind  that 
the  Negro  is  a  descendant  of  the  black  man  of  Africa,  therefore  the  term  "Negro" 
is  well  applied,  and  should  l>c  readily  taken,  even  though  his  skin  he  bright  and 
clear,  his  flaxy  hair  and  hazel  eves,  which  marks  the  difference  from  the  African 
in  odor,  is  nothing  more  than  a  Negro.  It  must  be  remembered  ihut  there  are 
five  different  races  of  the  human  family  to  he  found  on  this  terraqueous 
globe, and  it  cats  he  truly  said  that  there  are  so  many  branches  from  the  five 
races  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  me  at  this  writing  to  give  an  account  of 
them.     However,  I  will  confine  myself  to  the  word  "Negro." 

As  I  have  said  before,  there  are  live  races  as  follows:  The  Indian,  or  the 
American;  the  Malay,  tawny  or  dark  brown;  the  .Mongolian,  or  Chinaman;  the 
African,  or  Negro,  and  the  Caucasian,  or  while  man.  So,  you  see,  the  words 
"African"  and  '.Negro"  are  synonymous,  and  as  we  are  uwav  from  Africa  we 
should  confine  ourselves  to  the  next  best  thing— not  "colored,  not  "Afro-Ameri- 
enn,"  not  "darkey"  or  "coon,"  as  wc  have  often  been  called,  but  the  word  that 
in  written  with  that  large  "N"  thus  -"Negro." 

Many  arc  probably  under  tile  impression  that  because  their  skins  are  light 
complex  ioucd  they  arc  not  Negroes,  but  ought  to  bespoken  of  as  colored  men 
and  Women.  This  is  a  grave  mistake,  ami  I  sincerely  hope  that  each  and  every 
individual  will  consider  anil  look  Into  die  HTa Iter  more  carefully  and  see 
whether  or  not  a  Negro  can  lie  culled  a  colored  man.  1'leasc  do  not  misunder- 
stand rue.      What   I  mean  lo  say  is  thai  a  colored  mall  is  not  a  Negro,   neither  is 

a  Negro  v  colored  man  or  woman,  as  the  ease  v  be.      What  ill the  variety 

of  (he  human  familv  inhabiting  liorneo,  .lava.  I'hillipinc  Islands,  New  /calami, 
the  I'olypoucsian  Islands  and  a  part  of  Madagascar? 


wn.i.i  am  ovoxnki-l  m;.\i>i.i:v.    \'w  n. 

I  iovi-niur  uf  Kriihirkv. 


WILLIAM   IIKNKY    KUSS.—  I w  \: 


MISS  MAKY  i:.  BKITTOX.— Page  18. 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN. 


9 


Suppose  the  Malays  were  living  in  this  country,  having  tawny  or  dark 
brown  skins,  coarse  black  hair,  large  mouths,  broad,  short  noses,  project inic 
teeth,  what  would  you  call  them,  colored  or  Negroes? 

It  is  needless  to  speak  of  amalgamation— the  blending  together  of  (he 
Negro  and  the  white  races.  It  is  one  of  the  mosi  repugnant,  unreasonable,  irra- 
tional, as  well  as  degrading  thoughts  that  ever  occurred  to  the  whites  during 
the  time  that  the  Negroes  were  kept  in  bondage.  It  is  a  well  known  fact  that 
the  first  Guinea  ship  of  Africans  that  was  brought  to  this  country  were  all 
Negroes,  and  there  were  no  colored  persons  on  hoard. 

Had  it  not  been  for  the  |iernicious  habit,  and  of  the  manner  of  deception 
and  wickedness  carried  on,  one  against  the  other,  when  nations  became  scattered 
and  despotic  governments  were  formed,  when  jealousy,  prejudice,  hatred  and  the 

•I inocring  propensity  of  man  held  sway,  in  his  wickedness  ami  desire  to    rule 

over  creation,  came  the  baneful  word  "colored."  For  this  and  many  other  rea- 
sons, I  suggest  that  all  persons  of  African  descent  use  the  word  "Negro." 

Mr.  Johnson  1ms  attained  great  eminence  in  another  sphere  in 
which  few  Negroes  have  succeeded.  In  it  he  has  no  superiors  and 
few  equals  in  America.  On  arriving  in  this  country  he  entered  the 
Phonographic  Institute  at  Cincinnati,  0.,  the  oldest  school  of  short- 
hand in  America,  and  60on  became  a  certificated  teacher,  and  is  to- 
day the  only  Negro  holding  a  diploma  of  theBenn  Pitman  System  of 
Phonography  from  the  Phonographic  Institute,  Cincinnati,  0. 

During  the  great  political  debate  between  Col.  W.  C.  P.  Breck- 
inridge and  Hon.  W.  C.  Owens  in  1894,  Mr.  Johnson  was  employed 
as  official  stenographer  bv  leading  papers  of  the  country.  Following 
is  a  testimonial  of  the  success  of  Mr.  Johnson's  school,  from  the  W. 
H.  Ferguson  Co.,  Book  makers,  Publishers  and  Importers,  Cincin- 
nati, O.: 

"It  gives  us  pleasure  lo  say  that  Mr.  Johnson  is  a  thorough  and  practical 
instructor  and  capable  of  teaching  valuable  business  principles  as  well  as  short- 
band  and  typewriting.  We  have  had  one  of  his  pupils  in  our  employ  for 
nearly  a  year,  which  is  the  strongest  testimony  we  could  offer." 

Mr.  Johuson  is  reserved;  and  whatever  one  knows  of  him  must 
be  gained  by  association.  Indeed,  one  does  not  know  the  best  men 
except  by  close  contact  and  study.  It  has  been  my  pleasure  to  be 
associated  with  him  in  journalism  and  other  btisines,  and  therefore 
have  had  this  opportunity  of  observing  his  character.  A  man  may 
be  a  renowned  statesman,  he  may  be  a  distinguished  general,  he 
may  have  commanded  armies  and  countless  triumphs;  he  may  be 
great  as  a  philosopher,  he  may  be  great  in  many  and  varied  pur- 
suits; but  if  he  does  not  unite  goodness  with  it  he  falls  short.  I*  is 
the  helpful  man  who  is  indeed  true  and  great,  and  those  who  know 
\V.  D.  Johnson  will  join  with  me  in  asserting  that  he  is  big-hearted, 
generous  and  faithful  in  every  relation  of  life.     Even  those  who  may 


10 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


differ  with  him  in  public  nfl'airs  cannot  deny  his  labors  in  behalf  of 
his  race.  Knowing  him  sis  I  do,  his  charity,  his  unfailing  kindness, 
helpfulness  his  intelligence  and  public  usefulness,  I  heartily  com- 
mend him  to  you.  With  such  men  as  pioneers  of  the  American. 
Negro  the  future  of  the  race  is  assured. 

R.  C.  O.  Eesjamin. 


CHAPTER  I. 
William  O'Connell  Bradley. 

[The  preface  of  this  book  having  anounced  that  its  pages  would 
he  devoted  exclusively  to  biographical  sketches  of  Negro  men — 
men  who  have  stood  forth  from  the  nameless  crowd  and  challenged 
the  respect  and  admiration  of  their  fellowmen — it  might  appear  to 
those  who  have  not  studied  men  closely,  nor  watched  the  course  of 
the  political  history  of  Kentucky,  necessary  to  explain  why  an  excep- 
tion should  be  made  in  the  case  of  Governor  William  O.  Bradley,  and 
why  a  sketch  of  him  should  appear  herein. 

But  to  those  who  know  his  career;  his  years  of  untiring  labor 
in  the  cause  of  the  party  whose  success  has  been  inseperably  inter- 
woven with  the  well-being  of  the  Negro;  to  those  who  have  watched 
his  brilliant  leadership,  culminating  at  last  in  an  unprecedented  and 
t';ir-reaching  victory,  such  explanation  would  be  unnecessary. 

No  sketch  of  the  Negro  race  in  Kentucky  would  be  complete 
without  that  of  their  greatest  benefactor,  counsellor  and  protector. — 
W.  D.  J.] 

William  O'Connell  Bradley,  the  present  Governor  of  Kentucky,  was  bom 
March  IS,  1847,  near  Lancaster,  Ky.;  and  shortly  thereafter  liis  parents  removed 
to  Somerset,  where  he  spent  his  boyhood  days  and  to  which  he  is  warmly  at- 
tached. 

His  father,  Hon.  Robert  M.  Bradley,  was  a  most  distinguished  lawyer  anil 
was  acknowledged  to  be  the  ablest  land  lawyer  that  ever  lived  in  the  Slate.  His 
mother  was  Miss  Kllen  Tot  ten,  the  daughter  of  a  sturdy,  intelligent  farmer  of 
<  iarrnrd  county.  About  the  breaking  out  of  the,  civil  war  the  elder  Bradley 
became  seriously  involved  financially,  and  the  son's  education  was  necessarily 
cut  short  at  this  period,  lie  being  unable  to  attend  school   after   having   reached 


,         - 


I 


12 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


the  age  of  fourteen.  Twice  lie  ran  away  from  lioine  and  joined  the  Federal 
army,  but  his  father  on  ImiiIi  occasions  secured  his  release  and  returned  him 
home.  lie  was  a  page  in  the  Kentucky  House,  session  1861-62,  and  a  member 
of  the  Refugee  (Union)  Guards  in  Louisville,  where  the  Legislature  was  removed 
in  the  latter  year. 

At  an  early  age  he  manifested  a  strong  disposition  to  heroine  a  lawyer,  and 
that  he  read  law  with  no  listless  mind  or  idle  fancy  is  evidenced  by  the  fact 
that  the  General  Assembly  of  I860  passed  a  special  act  authorizing  any  two 
circuit  judges  of  the  State  to  license  him  if  he,  in  their  opinion,  was  qualified, 
as  the  statute  at  that  time  forehade  any  person  under  twenty-one  to  he  licensed 
to  practice  law.  He  was  critically  examined  by  Judges  \V.  C.  Goodloe  and 
Hon.T.  Fox,  who  found  him  fully  qualified  and  readily  granted  him  a  license 
though  he  was  hut  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  was,  perhaps,  the  youngest  law- 
yer ever  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  State  of  Kentucky.  Since  that  time  he  has 
l>een  actively  engaged  in  practice,  and  has  built  up  a  large  legal  business  and 
accumulated  an  independence.  He  stands  in  the  front  rank  of  the  profession, 
being  recognized  both  at  home  and  abroad  as  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  elo- 
quent lawyers  in  the  country.  He  was  selected  by  President  Artliur  in  1884,  to 
prosecute  the  Star  Route  thieves,  but  the  Attorney  General  refusing  to  allow  a 
fair  and  impartial  prosecution,  he  retired  from  the  case. 

Col.  Urndley  is  as  clever  and  affable  a  man  as  one  can  find  in  the  journey 
of  a  day,  though  plain  and  unassuming.  He  is  an  indefatigable,  methodical 
worker  and  spares  no  pains  in  the  projier  and  complete  performance  of  his 
duties  He  is  kind-hearted,  sympathetic  and  very  liberal.  Here  is  what  one  of 
his  fellow-townsmen  says  of  him:  "No  man  in  Kentucky  has  been  kinder  to 
the  |>oor,  or  more  willing  to  help  those  who  have  to  labor  hard  for  what  they 
receive  than  he  has,  in  proportion  to  his  means,  and  no  deserving  person  ever 
appealed  to  Hilly  Bradley's  heart  in  vain.  He  came  up  through  poverty  him- 
self and  knows  the  want  and  Buffering  of  the  poor.  No  man  was  ever  more  de- 
voted to  his  friends,  and  no  man  ever  had  more  friends.  He  has  taken  especial 
interest  in  the  welfare  and  good  citizenship  of  the  Negro  race  and  has  done 
everything  possible  for  him  to  do  to  aid  in  their  betterment." 

Kentucky  has  produced  few  orators,  if  any,  superior  in  brilliancy  and  at- 
tractiveness to  Col.  Bradley.  He  is  a  close,  logical  and  powerful  speaker,  and 
the  smoothness  and  beauty  of  his  eloquence  has  gained  for  him  the  appellation 
of  "the  Hluegniss  Silver  Tongue"  throughout  the  United  States. 

Col.  Bradley  first  entered  politics  in  1869  and  has  taken  an  active  interest 
in  every  canvass  since  that  time,  except  when  he  was  confined  in  a  Louisville 
hospital  by  a  dangerous  spell  of  illncsss,  and  has  delivered  speeches  in  the 
Stales  of  Indiana,  Ohio,  Illinois,  West  Virginia,  Tennessee,  Minnesota  and  Ken- 
tucky, where  he  has  been  received  with  great  attention,  and  has  rendered  incal- 
culable aid  to  those  whose  cause  he  advocated,  lie  has  always  been  a  liberal 
contributor  to  bis  party,  and  has  spent  a  small  fortune  in  this  way. 

He  made  his  first  race  for  office  in  1870,  defeating  W.  I).  Hopper,  a  man  of 
fine  legal  attainments  and  great  personal  popularity,  for  county  attorney  of  Gar" 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  13 

ml  county,  by  a  small  majority.  Judge  (ieorge  Penny,  ran  on  the  same  ticket 
.r  county  judge,  and  it  is  still  conceded  to  have  been  the  hottest,  fiercest  polit- 
:il  fight  ever  in  that  coi  nty. 

In  1872  he  was  chosen  elector  for  the  Eighth  Congressional  Pistriet,  but 
iter  on  he  was  nominated  for  Congress  and  run  against  Hon.  Milton  J.  Dur- 
ham, who  was  then  in  his  prime,  very  popular  and  a  forcible  debater.  He  was 
ilef ell  ted  by  600  votes,  greatly  reducing  the  former  Democratic  majority.  In 
I S74  lie  was  again  tendered  the  nomination,  but- declined.  In  1876  he  was 
again  nominated  and  again  made  the  race  against  Purlinni,  being  again  de- 
feated by  an  increased  majority,  which,  however,  was  due  to  the  large  foreign 
vote  on  the  line  of  ihe  Cincinnati  Southern  Railway,  then  being  constructed 
lb  rough  four  counties  of  the  Pistriet.  His  party  in  that  year  gave  him  the 
complimentary  nomination  for  United  States  Senator,  although  he  was  ineli- 
gible for  non-age. 

In  1870  he  was  chosen  temporary  chairman  of  the  State  Convention  at 
Luiinville  and  accepted  in  a  ringing  speech  that  captured  the  entire  assembly. 
So  great  was  the  enthusiasm  that  he  was  unanimously  nominated  for  Attorney 
(icneral,  although  he  stated  that  he  could  not  and  would  not  accept  the  nomi- 
nation on  account  of  ill  health.  He  afterwards  positively  refused  to  accept. 
Hon.  A.  P.  Clarke  was  nominated  in  his  stead.  In  1880  he  led  the  Grant  forces 
at  the  State  Convention,  and  was  elected  Pelegate-at-Large  to  the  Chicago  Na- 
tional Convention,  seconding  the  nomination  of  General  Grant  in  one  of  the 
most  forcible  and  eloquent  speeches  ever  delivered  in  a  convention.  There  he 
was  chosen  by  the  Kentucky  delegation  a  member  of  the  National  Republican 
Committee. 

In  1882  he  was  unanimously  nominated  for  Congress,  but  declined  to  make 
the  race,  and  in  1884  was  again  selected  Pelegate-at-Large  to  the  National 
Convention  at  Chicago  where  he  won  ini|>erishable  renown  by  delivering  a 
spscch  defeating  the  proposed  rule  from  Indiana  and  Massachusetts  to  curtail 
Southern  representation,  at  the  close  of  which  the  immense  audience  arose  and 
repeatedly  cheered  him.  In  1887  he  was  unanimously  nominated  for  Governor, 
and  made  the  best  race  ever  made  by  a  Republican  in  Kentucky.  His  party 
again  gave  him  ihe  nomination  for  United  States  Senator,  but  was  defeated  by 
James  H.  Beck,  the  Legislature  being  almost  wholly  Democratic. 

In  18S8  he  was  unanimously  chosen  Pelegatc-at- Large  to  the  National 
Republican  Convention,  and  was  unanimously  instructed  for  Vice-President, 
receiving  in  the  convention  the  largest  vote  ever  given  to  a  Southern  Repub- 
lican since  the  war.  In  1889  he  was  tendered  by  President  Harrison  the 
Coroan  Mission,  which  he  declined.  After  the  unfortunate  death  of  \V.  C. 
(ioodloe  he  was  again  elected  member  of  the  National  Republican  Committee. 
In  1892  he  was  again  selected  Pelcgate-at-Large  to  the  National  Convention, 
ind  again  made  a  member  of  the  National  Committee,  and  afterwards  made  a 
member  of  the  National  Executive  Committcce,  of  which  he  is  now  a  member. 

His  race  for  Governor  in  1887  best  shows  the  political  strength  and  great 
[Kiptllarity  of  Colonel  Bradley.     Notwithstanding  lite  party  was  poorly  organized 


14  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

and  confronted  with  a  united  Democracy,  with  its  idol  as  its  leader;  and  not- 
withstanding the  State  was  flooded    with    Democratic   speakers,  and    he  had  hut 

little  help,  he  reduced  the  Democratic  plurality  of  the  preceding  Gubernatorial 
race  from  4S.917  to  16,707 — 27,120.  The  official  figures  also  show  that  he  re- 
ceived 11,617  more  votes  than  Wood  did  as  against  John  Young  Brown  in  1891. 
It  was  during  this  memorable  race  that  he  made  the  terrible  attack  on  Demo- 
cratic misgovernnient,  charging  corruption  at  Frankfort,  lie  was  denounced  in 
the  bitterest  terms  by  the  Democratic  press  and  State  officials,  hut  public  opinion 
growing  out  of  the  canvass  impelled  Governor  liuekner  to  call  for  an  exhibition 
of  the  books  with  the  result  of  the  whole  State  awakening  one  morning  to  find 
its  Treasury  looted  for  some  $350,000  and  the  State  Treasurer  ("Honest  Dick" 
Tate)  in  foreign  lands,  thus  proving  Bradley's  charges  in  a  substantial  way. 

Governor  Bradley  has  taken  an  active  part  in  every  canvass  since  1870. 
There  is  scarcely  a  county  in  Kentucky  in  which  he  has  not  spoken.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  there  is  not  a  man  in  any  State  who  has  shown  such  a  long  and 
unbroken  record  of  hard,  laborious  party  service — not  one  who  lias  encountered 
and  surmounted  such  obstacles,  and  not  one  who,  during  a  long  period  of  party 
leadership,  reaching  through  twenty-five  years,  has  retained  the  warm,  devoted 
friendship  of  so  many  men.  No  man  has  ever  exhibited  greater  tenacity  than 
he.  Robert  Bruce,  in  his  persistent  efforts  to  liberate  Scotland  from  the  En- 
glish yoke,  did  not  show  more  unwearied  efforts,  often  amid  chilling  discour- 
agements, than  has  Governor  Bradley  in  his  efforts  to  Rcpublicanize  Kentucky. 
He  commenced  his  lifo  work  with  a  contemptible  minority  party,  some  of 
whose  leaders  openly  avowed  their  earnest  hope  that  the  party  would  not  be 
too  strong;  that  it  would  remain  about  numerous  enough  to  fill  the  Federal 
offices.  The  party  was  a  tender  sapling,  with  hardly  enough  shade  to  cover  its 
roots,  and  he  has  seen  it  grow  into  a  gnarled  and  unwedgable  oak,  covering  the 
State  with  protection.  Governor  Bradley  has  always  been  in  touch  with  the 
people,  whose  confidence  he  has  always  enjoyed. 

It  was  in  his  canvass  for  Governor  in  1895,  supplemented  by  his  extraordi- 
nary, arduous  labor  in  1896,  that  qualities  as  a  great  leader  were  most  conspicu- 
ously shown. 

Commencing  the  campaign  of  1805,  he  took  strong  grounds  for  sound 
money,  for  a  sound  and  unequivocal  declaratian  for  the  gold  standard  and 
against  the  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of  silver  at  16  to  1. 

He  carried  the  convention,  made  the  race  on  this  as  the  paramount  issue 
and  won,  not  only  the  office  of  Governor,  but  the  whole  ticket.  It  was  a  square 
light,  made  from  the  shoulder,  and  by  reason  of  it  the  people  obtained  an  educa- 
tion in  finance  which  enabled  them  to  enter  the  canvass  of  I89G  better  informed 
than  any  other  section  whatever.  Governor  Bradley,  the  Republican  party  of 
Kentucky,  and  the  sound  money  Democrats  who  refused  to  obey  party  dicta- 
tion and  instructions  certainly  deserve  the  credit  of  holding  Thermopylae  ill 
IM'J.-i,  and  the  glorious  results  of  1890. 

For  these  great  service*— the  building  up  of  the  Republican  parly  in  Ken- 
tucky and  of  the  South,  to  which  he  has  contributed  more  than  any  other  man 
—  Governor  Bradley  deserves  as  much  credit  as  any  living  statesman.  His  ca- 
reer as  a  National  man  has  just  CO icnced,  and   from  such  energy,  ability,  tact 

and  leadership,  the  Nation  is  destined  to  derive  great  benefits. 


f 


CHAPTER  II. 
William  Henry  Ross. 

William  Henry  Ross,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  Madisonville, 
Hopkins  county,  Ky.,  nearly  thirty  years  ago.  He  received  his  early  training 
iii  the  public  and  private  schools  of  his  county,  and  while  there  he  was  loved 
by  his  fellow-students,  and  won  the  highest  admiration  and  approval  of  his 
teachers  by  his  zeal  and  the  interest  he  manifested  in  his  lessons.  He  knew  no 
such  thing  as  fail,  and  his  teachers,  without  a  single  exception,  said  he  never 
missed  a  lesson. 

After  finishing  the  course  prescribed  by  the  common  schools  he  entered  the 
Normal  School  of  his  county  where  he  came  in  contact  with  many  students  who 
were  many  years  his  senior,  and  there  distinguished  himself  as  a  brilliant 
scholar  and  orator  of  uncommon  ability.  In  his  early  boyhood  his  father,  John 
K.  Koss,  who  has  been  a  resident  of  Hopkins  county  for  more  than  forty  years, 
successfully  carried  on  a  blacksinithing  and  general  repairing  business.  It  was 
(here  under  the  tutorage  of  his  father,  he  learned  the  blacksmith  trade.  Like 
his  father  before  him,  he  is  full  of  race  pride.  Nothing  seems  to  give  him 
greater  pleasure  than  when  he  is  doing  something  for  the  elevation  and  advance- 
ment of  his  people. 

After  completing  his  education  in  the  Normal  School,  he  concluded  that  the 
time  had  come  for  him  to  begin  the  duties  of  life  and  enter  upon  the  public 
arena,  there  to  tight  life's  great  battles.  He  said:  "My  first  duty  I  owe  to  God; 
second,  to  myself,  as  a  man  and  a  citizen;  third,  to  my  people;  and,  fourth,  to 
my  country.  When  I  shall  have  faithfully  performed  these  duties — which,  by 
the  help  of  God,  I  intend  to  do— when  I  can  see  my  people  making  still  more 
rapid  progress  in  civilization,  wealth,  intelligence  and  refinement,  so  that  they 
may  be  all  the  better  able  to  take  their  stand  among  the  other  great  races  of 
mankind;  and  having  the  consciousness  of  having  been  partly  instrumental  in 
effecting  this  advancement,  1  shall  be  ready,  should  it  please  the  Master,  to  hear 
the  'Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant,  enter  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord.' 
1  believe  I  could  then  pass  into  the  great  beyond  as  peacefully  and  contentedly 
as  'one  who  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch  about  him  and  lies  down  to  pleasant 
dreams.    ' 


16  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

Willi  these  thoughts  burning  in  his  young  soul,  our  hero  entered  upon  his 
life  work.  His  lirsl  work  was  to  teach  a  public  school  in  Muhlenburg county  in 
1885-6.  He  did  his  work  so  well  that  he  won  the  admiration  and  respect  of 
ImuIi  patrons  and  pupils.  They  all  loved  him  and  begged  him  to  return.  But 
his  desire  to  become  more  intimately  identified  with  all  classes  of  his  people 
prompted  him  to  abandon  the  school  room,  and  in  1887  he  entered  the  grocery 
business  with  his  father.  The  linn  is  known  as  John  Knss  &  Son.  This  firm 
being  the  only  one  in  the  town  that  was  conducted  and  owned  by  Negro  menr 
was  confronted  with  almost  every  conceivable  opposition.  As  in  the  school 
room,  so  it  was  in  business,  he  knew  no  such  thing  as  fail.  He,  therefore,  with 
his  glial  business  qualities  and  fidelity  to  duty,  shouldered  the  responsibilities, 
broke  down  the  opposition,  obviated  the  difficulties  and  now  (January,  1897)  he 
is  a  prosperous  business  man,  occupying  a  beautiful  two-story  brick,  20x70  feet, 
on  one  of  the  most  prominent  thoroughfares  in  the  city  of  Madisonville.  He 
has  a  complete  and  well  assorted  stock  of  goods  with  a  very  lucrative  patronage 
among  both  races. 

Our  hero  does  not  confine  himself  altogether  to  bis  business,  for,  as  I  have 
told  yon,  he  is  a  great  race  man,  and  devotes  much  of  his  time  to  any  enterprise 
which  pertains  to  raising  the  moral  and  intellectual  standard  of  his  people  to  a 
higher  plane. 

In  the  early  part  of  his  business  life  he  saw  bow  his  people  were  being 
fooled  and  cheated  out  of  their  political  rights  and  privileges  by  being  per- 
suaded to  vote  against  their  own  welfare  and  fur  that  political  party  whose 
platform  is  always  against  the  interest  of  the  Negro.  Stimulated  by  this 
unjust  state  of  affairs,  which,  by  stratagem,  were  being  forced  upon  his  people, 
he  at  once  resolved  to  obviate  these  gross  abuses.  This  resulted  in  Mr.  Ross 
entering  the  political  world.  The  development  that  he  made  and  skill  with 
which  he  handled  the  various  political  questions  demonstrated  very  clearly 
that  be  was  a  natural  born  politician.  He  entered  the  political  field  with  that 
same  determined  zeal  that  characterizes  the  great  make-up  of  the  man — to  win. 
It  was  not  long  till  he  came  into  great  prominence  and  is  now  the  political 
leader  in  Hopkins  and  Webster  counties,  and  is  well  and  favorably  known  in 
political  as  well  as  other  circles  throughout  the  State. 

In  this  capacity,  as  in  all  others,  and  especially  when  it  is  for  the  good  of 
his  nice,  he  acts  as  calmly  as  a  lamb  and  as  fearlessly  as  a  lion.  His  political 
enemy  is  met  by  him  in  the  highways  and  on  the  stump,  and  there,  with  bis 
patriotic  devotion  to  his  people  anil  country,  and  in  the  voice  of  his  eloquence, 
fearlessly  advocates  the  principles  of  the  "Grand  Old  Party,"  as  lie  often  puts  it, 
in  all  of  its  glory,  however  bitter  the  feeling  of  his  political  enemies  maybe 
against  him. 

•  In  one  occasion,  in  the  city  of  Madisonville,  when  it  was  dangerous  for  a 
Kcgro  to  publicly  advocate  the  principles  of  his  party,  our  hero  stood  at  the 

pnll>,  "like  a  stone  wall,"  and  saw  that  every  Negro  voted  for  his  party  and  for 
the  good  of  his  country.  This  so  enraged  the  Democrats,  who  stood  by,  that 
they  attempted  to  whip  or  otherwise  injure  Mr.  Koss.     Fortunately,  nature   had 


<i.    I'.    Kt'KSKl.l  .        I'lijrt-  »«. 

upiTvisir  I.cxiiiL;i<Mi  Cilv  Sri  i 


W.  \,  TAYLOIf,—  l»aKc21. 


<  .  If.  I'AKKISII.- PaRi-  2.1 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN. 


17 


|.ri>viilcd  him  with  an  unusual  amount  of  physical  im  well  nx intellectual  abilitv 
and  the  manner  in  which  he  defended  himself  and  the  tights  of  his  people  was 
as  glorious  to  the  Negro  voters  of  Madisonvillc  as  was  the  surrender  of  Lee  at 
Appomattox  to  the  glory  of  this  Republic  Truly  can  it  be  said  of  him,  that 
where  duty  calls,  or  danger  lurks,  he  is  never  wanting  there. 

"tireat  types,  like  valuable  plants,  are  slow  to  Mower  and  fruit"  S<>  it  is 
with  Mr.  Ross.  While  he  is  well  and  favorably  known  throughout  the  State  of 
Kentucky,  yet  there  arc  comparatively  few  who  know  the  real  worth  of  our 
hem,  and  of  the  intrinsic  value  of  his  wise  coun-jl  anil  ardent  labor  have  been 
in  advancing  and  elevating  the  people  in  the  counties  in  which  he  is  the  ack- 
nowledged leader.  And  we  predict  in  the  not  very  distant  future  the  fruitage 
of  this  patriotic  type  of  humanity  will  lie  known  and  felt  throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  of  this  country. 

Mr.  Ross  has  been  for  several  years  a  member  of  the  Republican  County 
Committee  of  Hopkins,  and  was  the  first  of  his  race  to  be  elected  delegate  from 
Hopkins  county  to  the  Congressional  and  State  Conventions,  and  was  Assistant 
I'.leetor  of  the  Second  Congressional  District  in  the  Presidential  campaign 
of  1896.  During  this  campaign  Mr.  Ross  made  many  speeches  for  Protection 
and  Sound  Money  in  the  Congressional  District,  and  as  a  result  not  a  single 
Negro  vote  was  lost.  He  is  also  1'resident  of  the  Republican  league  of  Hop- 
kins county. 

Mr.  Koss  is  also  very  prominent  and  influential  in  Masonic  and  Odd  Fellow 
circles.  For  many  years  he  represented  his  home  lodge  (Odd  Fellows)  in  the 
State  (Irand  Lodge  and  B.  M.  (J.;  was  three  times  elected  Deputy  Grand  Master, 
and  in  1894,  nt  Hopkinsville,  Ky.,  he  was  elected  (irand  Master  of  Odd  Fellows 
in  Kentucky,  which  position  he  still  holds. 

He  also  represented  his  county  in  the  convention  which  met  in  Frankfort 
when  more  than  200  Negroes  marched  to  the  legislative  hall  to  protest  against 
that  infamous  separate  coach  bill.  He  gave  very  liberally  of  his  own  means, 
and  succeeded  in  raising  a  great  deal  of  money  in  his  county  to  light  the  law  in 
the  courts. 

Mr.  Ross  is  a  very  young  man  and  has  the  greater  part  of  bis  life  before 
him.  From  the  above  history  of  this  young  man's  life  it  is  very  evident  that  he 
has  lost  no  time  in  preparing  himself  for  the  great  ami  responsible  duties  of  life, 
lb'  has  a  very  fine  library  which  is  supplied  with  the  very  best  I ksand  period- 
icals of  this  and  other  countries,  anil  when  he  is  not  engaged  in  his  business  he 
can  always  be  found  in  his  study,  busy  with  books  and  pencil,  lie  i-  a  tine 
conversationalist,  a  pleasant  entertainer  and  is  sought  after  and  loved  hv  all 
who  know  him.  This  is  another  evidence  of  what  a  young  man  can  do.  Ii  has 
lieen  well  and  truthfully  said  that  "when  the  spirit  is  determined  man  can  do 
almost  anything." 

The  writer  hopes  that  the  history  of  this  young  hem's  life,  which  is  a  very 
true  one,  mav  be  a  great  incentive  to  the  voting  of  both  sexes  who  mav    read    it. 


CHAPTER  III. 
Mary  E.  Brltton. 

Wc  eacli,  as  we  journey  through  life,  form  and  make  our  own  character 
.ami  history.  The  nature  of  each  depends  largely  upon  ourselves  and  the  com- 
pany we  keep.  Therefore,  if  we  desire  manifestations  of  good  and  ennobling, 
commendable  and  imperishable  deeds,  let  us  in  the  beginning  of  our  journey, 
Jiay,  all  through  it,  diligently  and  opportunely  sow  the  seeds  that  will  germi- 
nate and  produce  such  fruit.  Miss  Mary  E.  Britton,  a  sketch  of  whose  life  I 
now  write,  recognized  and  acted  in  conformity  to  this  rule;  hence  her  life, 
thus  far,  has  been  beneficiallv  spent. 

Miss  Hritton's  parents,  Henry  and  Laura  Britton,  honest,  industrious  and 
irugal  people,  were  among  the  tirst  and  highly  respected  families  and  citizens 
of  Lexington,  Fayette  county,  Ky.,  in  which  city  she  was  born. 

At  an  early  age  she  exhibited  great  fondness  for  books  and  study.  She 
«]>cnt  many  of  her  school  days  in  the  private  schools,  taught  in  Lexington,  and 
especially  among  those  under  the  management  of  the  American  Missionary 
Association.  Her  parents  seeing  the  rapid  advancement  of  herself  and  their 
other  children,  and  recognizing  that  the  increasing  demand  by  them  for  higher 
educational  facilities  here  was  greater  than  the  supply,  decided  to  move  the 
family  to  Bcrea,  Ky.,  at  which  place,  in  JJcrea  College,  ample  provision  for 
study  was  afforded  them.  Her  mother  being  matron  and  her  sister,  Mrs.  Julia 
Hooks,  music  teacher  in  said  college,  she  was  now  enabled  for  five  consecutive 
school  years  to  prosecute  successfully  her  studies.  One  more  year  of  close 
study  would  have  brought  her  to  the  zenith  of  her  ambition — graduation. 
Hut  whilst  Hearing  it  she  was  suddenly  interrupted,  on  March  17,  1874,  by  the 
death  of  her  father;  and  on  July  0,  of  the  same  year,  by  the  death  of  her 
mother.  Now  thrown  upon  her  own  resources  she,  nothing  daunted,  began  the 
struggle  of  life  single-handed,  anil  in  it  has  succeeded  in  enrolling  her  name 
among  the  foremost  of  (he  gifted  women  of  Kentucky  and  the  race. 

In  three  months  after  the  death  of  her  parents  she  had  secured  a  position  as 
teacher  in  the  public  school  of  <  hilesburg,  Ky.  In  187ti  she  secured  a  position 
in  the  public  schools  of  Lexington,  which  position,  since  she  has  continuously 
and  creditably  filled. 


r 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  19 

In  order  to  qualify  herself  the  better  as  a  teacher  and  for  usefulness,  she 
has  constantly  applied  her  mind  to  close  study  and  thereby,  since  she  left  col- 
lege, has  acquired  much  knowledge.  As  a  thinker  and  writer,  Miss  Itrilton  is 
deep  and  logical,  impressive  and  instructive;  as  a  speaker,  Ruent  and  forcible. 
She  is  strictly  a  temperate  woman,  and  of  strong,  conscientious  convictions,  with 
marked  individuality  and  a  firm  will,  yet  kind  and  tender  hearted.  She  is  in- 
dustrious, frugal,  honest,  faithful  and  charitable.  She  is  unostentatious,  and  is 
often  seen  and  heard  of,  giving  alms  and  doing  good  deeds  for  and  among  the 
poor  and  needy. 

Miss  Britton  is  possessed  of  good  business  and  literary  qualities.  In  the 
minutes  of  the  .meeting  of  the  "American  Association  of  Educators  of  Colored 
Youth",  held  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  1894,  appears  an  able  paper,  subject,  "History 
and  Science  of  Teaching,"  which  was  written  by  her  and  delivered  before  said 
Association. 

The  religious  proclivities  of  Miss  Iiritton  are  pronounced.  Until  the  vear 
1893,  she  bad  been  a  strict  Episcopalian;  since  then  she  has  been  a  Seventh  Day 
Adventist.     This  sect,  by  worshipping  on  the  seventh  day  of  the  week — the  Sal>- 

liatb — the  day  God  blessed  and  sanctified,  derived  its   distinctive   name. Ex. 

20:8-12,  John,  14:15-21. 

Much  more  can  be  said  of  her,  but  in  the  language  of  the  poet  I  will  close 
with  this  quotation: 

There  are  lonely  hearts  to  cherish, 
There  are  weary  souls  who  perish, 

While  the  days  are  going  by; 
If  a  smile  wc  can  renew, 
As  our  journey  we  pursue, — 
O,  the  good  wc  all  may  do, 

While  the  days  are  going  by. 

All  the  loving  links  that  bind  us, 
One  by  one  we  leave  behind  us, 

While  the  days  are  going  by: 
But  the  seeds  of  good  we  sow, 
Both  in  shade  and  shine  will  grow, 
And  will  keep  our  hearts  aglow, 

While  the  days  are  going  by. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
Green  P.  Russell. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  Prof.  G.  P.  Russell,  was  born  in  Logan  county, 
Ky.,  December  25,  1 801.  He  is  the  son  of  Green  and  Frances  Russell,  who  are 
known  as  good,  thrifty  and  progressive  citizens.  Though  they  had  six  children 
they  resolved  to  make  good  citizens  of  tlicni  all  by  giving  them  ns  good  moral 
and  intellectual  education  as  could  be  commanded.  Few  parents  have  a  right 
to  be  prouder  of  success  than  they,  for  six  more  dutiful,  progressive  and  high 
■landing  citizens  arc  the  pride  of  no  parents. 

During  l'rof.  Russell's  boyhood  Negro  schools  were  few  and  far  between, 
and  he  was  denied  the  privilege  now  accorded  every  child  in  the  State,  but  his 
good  mother,  quick  to  see  his  early  thirst  for  knowledge,  employed  a  private 
teacher  for  his  early  training.  With  this  early  advantage  and  the  subsequent 
training  he  received  in  the  public  schools  of  Kussellville,  he  was  ready,  in  1879, 
to  enter  Rerea  College.  And  a  proud  day  this  was  for  him.  For  years  it  had 
b.'cn  his  ambition  to  enter  college;  he  hail  looked  forward  to  this  time  as  anx- 
iously as  ever  a  Grecian  youth  in  entering  the  Olympian  games;  and  now  that 
lie  enjoyed  thai  high  privilege  he  set  about  making  the  most  of  it.  Immediately 
lie  took  high  rank  in  all  his  classes,  winning  by  earnest  work  and  genial,  gen- 
tlemanly ways,  the  high  esteem  of  the  faculty  and  his  fellow  students.  His 
Ktrolig  predilection  for  mathematics  and  the  natural  sciences  and  oratory,  gave 
him  nil  easy  lead  ill  these  branches,  and  as  an  orator  he  is  the  peer  of  any 
«.f  his  rati!  in  the  State. 

Bui  lilt-  six  years  spent  ill  Bcrca  were  liv  no  means  devoid  of  those  obstruc- 
tions that  beset  the  pathway  of  the  poor,  ambitious  young  man.  He  refused 
every  prnllercd  oiler  of  assistance  and  resolved  to  make  his  own  way.  By  leach- 
ing and  manual  labor  be  paid  his  way,  ami  this  schooling  of  his  lias  been  one  of 
the  greatest  aids  to  his  success  in  every  one  of  his  undertakings. 

Since  he  left  school  his  life  lias  been  a  busy  one,  all  of  his  time  having  been 
devoted  in  teaching  and  self-improvement.     While  bis  preference  leaned  to  the 

ln»  i.  a  pmfessi and  his  training  had  largely   been   with  a    view  to  entering 

that  profession,  lie  wain  realized  that  he  < Id  be  of  greater  service   to    his  own 

(icoplelei  becoming  a  teacher,  and  as  devotion  to  duty  in  the   highest    law    that 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  21 

lie  knows,  he  l>ccnme  a  teacher.  In  his  chosen  work  he  lias  l>een  successful  from 
the  first.  His  first  teaching  was  done  at  Chilcsburg,  Ky.  There  he  built  up  a 
school  that  was  second  to  no  Negro  school  in  the  Commonwealth. 

In  1890  a  vacancy  occurred  in  the  principalship  of  the  High  School  of  lyex- 
ington,  Ky.,  and  without  any  solicitation  on  the  part  of  Prof.  Kussell,  he  wan 
unanimously  elected  to  fill  the  vacancy.  That  the  confidence  of  the  Hoard  of 
Education  was  not  misplaced  is  quite  evident,  for  Prof.  Kussell  has  made  the 
High  School  the  pride  of  the  city.  The  fame  of  the  school  has  gone  ahroad 
and  visitors  in  Ix?xington  are  taken  to  this  school  as  one  of  the  jioints  of  inter- 
est alsmt  the  city. 

In  1894,  for  meritorious  services,  he  was  promoted  to  the  |K>sition  of  Super- 
visor of  Schools  for  the  city  of  Lexington,  and  in  180"),  on  recommendation  of 
Mayor  H.  T.  Duncan,  and  as  a  mark  of  appreciation  for  the  very  excellent  work 
rendered  the  Negro  schools  by  Prof.  Kussell,  by  an  net  of  the  General  Council  of 
I/exington  the  Negro  High  School  was  named  Kussell  School,  in  honor  of  Prof. 
Kussell,  and  the  name  emhlazoned  in  bronze  upon  the  front  of  the  building. 

He  has  visited  and  studied  the  school  system  of  many  of  the  leading  cities 
of  our  country,  and  he  now  holds  the  dual  position  of  Principal  of  Kussell 
School  and  Supervisor  of  the  Negro  schools  of  Ijexington. 


CHAPTER  V. 
William  Alexander  Taylor. 

One  of  the  most  prosperous  business  men  of  the  race  is  William  Alexander 
Taylor,  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He  was  born  in  the  city  of  Lexington.  At 
an  early  age  he  entered  the  public  schools  where  his  peculiar  talent  attracted 
no  little  attention  and  placed  him  in  the  front  rank  of  his  fellow  pupils.  In 
1880  pecuniary  circumstances  compelled  him  to  seek  employment,  which  he 
found  as  a  waiter.  At  this  menial,  though  useful  and  honorable  occupation,  he 
labored  for  five  consecutive  years;  but  nature  had  wrought  him  in  a  higher 
mould,  not  designing  him  for  such  work,  and  his  ambitious  spirit  was  not  sat- 
isfied, for  he  always  had  a  desire  to  "bo  in  business"  for  himself. 

In  188(1  he  engaged  in  the  business  of  common  carrier,  at  which  he  con- 
tinued for  two  years;  but,  not  finding  it  as  profitable  as  he  desired,  he  embarked 
in  the  tea  business  through  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Fred  Spotswood.  In  this  Mr. 
Taylor  was  very  successful,  but,  owing  to  the  dissolution  of  the  firm  he  repre- 
sented, his  store  closed. 

In  1894  with  the  very  small  capital  of  $75  he  opened  a  grocery  store.  Hy 
pluck,  push,  industry  and  politeness  he  has  become  one  of  Ix-xinglnn's  most  suc- 
cessful grocers.  Notwithstanding  the  small  capital  with  which  he  began  bus- 
iness, he  has  constantly  added  to  his  stock  until  its  value  in  dollars  alone  must 
be  represented  by  four  figures.     Avery    interesting    coincidence,  in    his  days  of 


22  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

prosperity,  is  that  the  building  he  now  occupies  is  the  old  homestead  where  as 
a  barefooted  boy  he  passed  his  early  years. 

In  1888  he  married  Miss  K.  II.  Purocly,  a  union  which  has  been  of  much 
benefit  to  Mr.  Taylor,  for  he  says  that  he  owes  his  success  to  his  wife,  who  in 
times  when  failure  seemed  imminent  has  been  his  liest  counselor  and  adviser. 
Besides  his  merchandise  he  has  also  valuable  real  estate,  among  which  is  a 
beautiful  suburban  cottage  occupied  as  his  residence.  Mr.  Taylor  is  not  only 
admired  by  his  own  race  but  he  has  the  respect  of  many  white  friends  of  in- 
fluence, ft  is  a  source  of  regret  that  the  Negroes  of  Kentucky  have  not  pro- 
duced a  thousand  Taylors. 

And  here  is  a  solution  of  the  so-called  Negro  problem,  when  the  Negro  be- 
gins business  for  himself,  and  accumulates  wealth  and  intelligence  the  problem 
will  then  In?  solved,  business  is  the  watchword,  lie  is  an  exemplary  citizen,  his 
strict  application  to  business,  the  resolution  he  formed  at  an  early  age  to  be 
Komething  more  than  a  menial  and  the  successful  manner  in  which  he  has 
carried  out  that  resolution,  is  highly  commendable  and  he  can  be  recommended 
to  the  young  men  of  the  race  as  an  example  of  what  they,  too,  can  accomplish  if 
they  but  try.  We  are  what  we  make  ourselves,  and  not  what  others  make  us. 
In  connection  with  his  business  a  Hairs  he  is  prominent  in  lodge  circles,  being  a 
member  of  the  L'.  15.  F.  and  at  present  holds  the  office  of  Vice-Chancellor  of 
the  K.  of  I\ 


CHAPTER  VI. 
Charles  Henry  Parrlsh. 

From  the  |>osilion  of  janitor  to  the  presidency  of  a  University  sounds  some- 
what romantic,  but  this  is  the  career  of  Charles  Henry  1'arrish,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  He  was  born  in  Lexington,  Fayette  county,  April  18,  185S).  His 
parents,  Hiram  and  Harriet  Parrish,  were  industrious  and  pious,  and  Charles 
Henry  says  he  owes  his  success  to  them  and  especially  to  his  mother,  who  was  a 
woman  of  strong  character.  Our  subject  was  sent  to  the  public  school  in  Iyex- 
ington  directly  after  the  emancipation  of  the  slaves.  His  parents  being  poor  he 
wa*  compelled  to  leave  school  in  1874  and  went  to  work  as  porter  and  general 
utility  man  until  the  year  1880.  During  all  this  time  his  spare  moments  were 
H|>eiit  in  reading  and  studying,  with  a  determination  to  some  day  make  his 
oi  irk  in  the  world. 

Kcv.  Win.  J.  .Simmons,  with  whom  Mr.  1'arrish  associated,  says  of  him  in 
his  l>Hik  entitled  "Men  of  Mark,"  that  he  is  one  of  the  most  zealous  men  in  the 
educational  work  of  the  State,  a  consistent  Christian  and  a  successful  pastor. 
Al  the  age  of  twelve  Mr.  1'arrish  joined  the  Iiaptisl  church.  In  1872,  after 
many  Venn  of  training  in  the  Sunday  school  he  was  made  Secretary.  This 
|Misiliou  he  hrhl  fur  eight  years,  at  tin-  same  lime  filling  the  position  of    teacher. 

He  was n  cleclcil  church  clerk  and  clerk  of  the  deacon  board.     It  was  while 

caching  night  school  thai  Mr.  Parrish  became  aware  of  his  own  deficiencies  and 


XEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  23 

determined  to  secure  a  lilicml  education.  This  would  have  l>ecn  attained  much 
s  inner  than  it  was  hut  the  death  of  his  parents,  and  a  sister  and  brother  to  take- 
i  are  of,  gave  him  no  time  to  study  or  attend  school,  hut  suddenly  the  Ix>rd 
o]«ened  a  way  least  sus|ieeted.  In  1880  Wm.  J.  Simmons  who  had  taken  great 
interest  in  the  struggling  young  man,  and  who  was  then  pastor  of  the  First 
Haptist  church  at  Louisville,  received  a  call  to  the  Stall !  University,  l'arrish' 
accompanied  him  and  at  once  began  his  course  of  studies,  working  a  part  of  the 
lime  to  keep  up  his  hoard.  The  trustees  of  the  University  were  so  well  pleased 
with  the  young  man's  conduct,  his  willingness  to  work  and  his  patience  in  doing 
whatever  he  was  called  upon  to  do,  agreed  to  assist  him  with  part  of  his  ex- 
penses. This  work  required  three-fourths  of  his  time,  yet  he  kept  up  with  his 
class  and  lead  it,  receiving  the  first  honor— a  gold  medal— in  graduating  from 
the  academic  course  in  18*2.  lie  enteied  the  college  course,  and  during  the 
subsequent  years  was  helped  by  friends  in  the  North.  With  their  assistance, 
coupled  with  the  work  of  student-teacher,  tutor,  bookkeeper  and  several  other 
things,  he  worked  his  way  through  college,  graduating  May,  188)!,  with  the  title 
of  A.  li.  After  graduation  theVustces  and  professors  of  the  University  fell 
that  his  wholesome  example  ami  his  exemplary  life,  as  well  as  his  deep  interest 
in  the  work,  was  sufficient  to  have  his  services  in  the  institution,  so  he  was  ap- 
pointed Secretary  and  Treasurer   and  guardian  of  the  young  men. 

At  the  end  of  the  year  1880,  be  was  elected  Professor  of  (ireek.  These  po- 
sitions he  ably  and  satisfactorily  tilled.  Mr.  l'arrish  was  called  to  six  different 
churches  while  a  student  at  the  State  University;  and  he  finally  accepted  n  call 
to  the  pastorate  of  the  Calvary  Haptist  church  at  Louisville,  September  27,  KSSfi, 
which  church  he  still  serves,  ami  which  has  more  than  doubled  its  membership 
since  he  became  ils  pastor.  Mr.  l'arrish  has  tilled  many  positions  wherein 
Christian  pietv  was  especially  needed  as  a  qualification.  He  has  been  a  delegate 
to  the  Republican  State  Convention,  the  Negro  Educational  Convention,  the 
National  Convention  of  Negroes  held  in  Louisville,  and  was  one  of  those  who. 
addressed  the  Senatorial  Committee  at  Frankfort  during  the  appeal  of  the  com- 
mittee at  the  Negro  State  Convention  for  the  Normal  School,  lie  was  the  mes- 
senger of  the  American  National  Haptist  Convention  which  met  in  Louisville, 
May,  1887. 

Mr.  l'arrish  is  now  the  President  of  Eckstein  Norton  University,  Cane 
Springs,  Ky.,  twenty-nine  miles  from  Louisville;  President  of  the  Kentucky 
State  Teachers' Association;  President  of  the  Executive  Hoard  of  the  General 
Association  of  Negro  Baptists  of  Kentucky;  Recording  Secretary  of  the  Foreign 
Mission  Hoard  of  the  National  Haptist  Conventions.  In  18115  the  title  of  D.  I). 
was  conferred  upon  him  by  the  State  University.  From  janitor  to  secretary, 
from  fire-maker  to  treasurer  and  professor,  from  porter  in  a  dry  goods  store  to 
the  presidency  of  a  university,  is  an  achievement  worthy  ot  record. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
Joseph  Courtney. 

The  Rev.  Joseph  Courtney,  D.  P.,  tlic  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  the  son  of 
Edmund  and  Cynthia  Ann  Courtney.  He  was  born  a  slave  in  Shelbyville, 
Kentucky,  April  17,  1845.  The  first  fourteen  years  of  his  life  were  spent  on 
the  farm  of  his  owner  with  his  parents.  On  leaving  the  farm  he  became  ap- 
prenticed to  blacksmithing  for  the  purpose  of  being  instructed  in  that  craft.  In 
1864  he  enlisted  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  as  a  Federal  soldier,  and  served  in  Company 
II,  Thirty-first  Regiment,  Colored  Infantry.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was 
honorably  discharged. 

Although  his  mother  was  a  slave  and  knew  little  more  than  the  alphabet, 
she  taught  him  that,  and  thus  he  was  inspired  by  that  faithful  mother  with 
studious  habits  and  a  love  of  books.  After  returning  from  the  army  he  attended 
school  under  Prof.  W.  N.  Stewart,  at  Lmisville,  Ky.  Being  dependent  upon 
his  own  exertions  for  sup|x>rt  lie  pursued  manual  labor  by  day  and  attended 
school  at  night.  Later  he  continued  his  studies  in  Lexington,  Covington  and 
Maysvillc,  all  in  Kentucky,  under  private  instructors.  Me  has  been  successful 
in  attaining  scholarship  not  only  in  the  English  branches,  but  also  in  theology 
and  the  classics. 

Mr.  Courtney  graduated  in  the  While  Seal  course  and  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Society  of  "The  Hall  in  the  Grove"  of  Chautauqua  University,  Chau- 
tauqua, N.  Y.,  by  which  institution  he  was  awarded  a  diploma  by  the  Depart- 
ments of  Science  and  Literature.  Mis  father  was  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church  but  was  not  in  the  habit  of  conversing  freely  with  his  children 
upon  religious  topics.  ■  His  mother,  » ho  was  not  a  church  member  but  a 
Christian,  wrote  him  a  Idler  while  he  was  in  the  army  which  made  the  first 
serious  religious  impression  upon  his  mind. 

In  1K<;7  he  joined  the  Jackson  Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Louis- 
ville, Ky.,  sucking  religion.  He  professed  saving  faith  in  the  l.ord  Jesus 
Christ  March  18,  1888.  To  him  it  was  a  fi  II  I  clear  demonstration  of  forgive- 
ness of  -ins  and  a  gracious  acceptance  in  the  Beloved.  In  II  few  days  after  his 
conversion  lie  fully  realized  his  call  to  the  Christian  ministry,  and  after  prayer- 


JOSKIMI  COIin'NKY.  I'.  I'.     I' 


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NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  25 

ful  consideration  lie  said,  "Ix-t  the  will  of  God  and  the  Church  l>c  done." 

In  lK(i7  he  married  Mrs.  Fredonia  French,  of  Louisville,  Ky.  They  lived 
in  the  holy  l>ond  of  wedlock  twenty-four  years,  when  she  was  not,  for  Ood  took 
her  unto  Himself.  He  joined  the  Lexington  Annual  Conference  in  1873.  lie 
has  successfully  served  ninny  of  the  leading  appointments  in  the  Conference  and 
is  now  Presiding  Elder,  a  second  term,  lie  was  Ministerial  Delegate  to  the 
General  Conferences  of  1884  and  18%. 

lie  has  heen,  by  (ieneral  Conference  appointment,  for  several  years  a  inem- 
hcrof  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  Freedman's  Aid  and  Southern  Education 
Society.  He  was  married  a  second  time,  June  28,  1892,  to  Mrs.  Jennie  I'.. 
I  lolland,  of  Columbia,  S.  C,  and  a  graduate  of  Central  Tennessee  College,  Nash- 
ville. The  union  has  been  blessed  with  one  child,  a  son,  Joseph  Courtney,  Jr. 
In  addition  to  other  merited  honors  the  Degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  has  been 
conferred  upon  him  by  Bethany  College,  N.  C. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
John  Miller  Maxwell. 


Prof.  John  Miller  Maxwell,  Principal  of  the  Louisville  Central  High 
School,  was  Ixirn  in  Fayette  county,  Ohio,  in  1842.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm 
and  attended  the  public  school  of  the  district  during  the  winter  term.  He  was 
an  insatiate  lover  of  literature,  and  read  with  profit  the  books  of  his  father's 
library,  consisting  of  the  Bible,  Clark's  Commentaries,  Watson's  Bible  Diction- 
ary, and  some  biographies  of  eminent  men,  who,  struggling  against  adverse  cir- 
cumstances, had  by  energy  and  perseverance  enrolled  their  names  high  among 
those  who  have  "plucked  bright  laurels  from  the  pale-faced  moon  and  dragged 
up  drowned  honor  by  the  locks  "  The  lesson  taught  him  by  these  biographies 
was  never  lost,  but  was  a  source  of  constant  inspiration  and  encouragement  in 
his  own  endeavors  to  make  his  life  worthy  of  the  esteem  of  bis  fellowmcn. 

In  1862  he  entered  the  Xenia,  Ohio,  High  School,  and  completing  the 
course  in  1865,  began  to  teach;  first  in  the  district  schools,  and  afterwards 
was  for  two  years  principal  of  the  city  schools  of  Zanesville,  Ohio.  In  1871  he 
was  appointed  Principal  of  the  Xenia  High  Sohool  where  he  served  acceptably 
for  two  years.  In  1873  he  was  appointed  a  Special  Agent  of  the  Pension 
<  Xlice  and  located  in  Wahington,  I).  C.  Here  he  matriculated  in  the  Law 
Department  of  Howard  University,  but,  resigning  bis  position  in  the  Pension 
Office  to  accept  the  principalship  of  the  Central  School  of  Louisville,  he  lacked 
a  few  months  of  completing  the  course  at  the  University.  In  187o  he  became 
Principal  of  the  Central  School  of  Louisville,  which  position  he  now  holds. 

For  over  twenty  years  Professor  Maxwell  has  been  the  honored  head  of  the 
Central  High  School  and  the  beloved  instructor  of  hosts  of  young  men  and 
women  whose  future  he  has  shaped.  The  excellency  of  the  Negro  public  schools 
nl  Louisville  is  due,  in  no  small  degree,  to  his  wise  direction  ami   fostering  care. 


20 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


When  it  is  recalled  that  the  High  School  graduates  constitute  the  great  propor- 
tion of  the  teachers  employed  in  the  Negro  schools  of  the  city  it  can  be  readily 
diM.vrned  how  elective  his  influence  has  been  in  the  educational  allairs  of  the 
city.  Add  to  this  his  valnalile  service  as  nn  originator  of  the  State  Teachers' 
Association,  afterward  its  ['resident;  consider  the  active  interest  he  has 
always  shown  in  the  educational  allairs  of  th«  State,  and  it  will -he  recognized 
that  he  may  I*-  fitly  called  the  Nestor  of  the  teachers  of  Kentucky. 

Professor  Maxwell  has  heen  exccetlingly  fortunate  in  his  domestic  relations. 
In  1869  he  wan  married  t..  Miss  o.  M.  Fletcher,  of  Beverly,  Ohio,  and  their 
union  has  been  binned  with  an  interesting  and  lovely  family  of   boys  ami  girls, 

Mime  of  wh have  entered  successfully   the    chosen  profession  of   their  father. 

Knjoying  the  confidence  of  all  that  know  him,  admired  and  respected  by  the 
great  army  of  sliulents  he  has  trained,  he  is,  as  of  old,  still  a  tireless  and  suc- 
cessful laborer  iii  the  great  field  of  education.  In  recognition  of  his  standing  in 
the  literary  world  a  few  years  ago  the  State  University  of  Kentucky  conferred 
upon  him  the  degree  of  A.  M.,  an  honor  as  modestly  worn  as  it  was  worthily- 
bestowed. 

NOTE— The  foregoing  sketch  was  prepared  by  a  former  pupil  of  Professor 
Maxwell  and  his  strongest  words  of  praise  but  faintly  express  the  high  esteem 
in  which  the  teacher  in  this  instance  is  held  by  the  pupil. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
William  Henry  Bowen. 

William  Henry  Itowen,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  first  beheld  the  beauties  of 
this  world  in  Montgomery  county,  Kentucky,  July  4,  18118-  memorable  as  the 
birthday  of  a  nation.  His  worthy  purciitsarc  Travy  and  Kizzie  Bowen.  He 
has  one  sister  his  senior  and  three  sisters  and  one  brother  his  junior.  He  was 
reared -on  a  farm,  and  attended  the  common  schools  until  he  was  sixteen  years 
old.  He  was  baptized  into  the  Church  of  Christ  at  Mt.  Sterling,  in  his  native 
county,  by  Elder  W.  H  Brown,  in  1880.  In  the  fall  of  1889  he  entered  the 
Bilile  School,  at  New  Castle,  Ky.,  where  he  spent  three  years. 

Mr  Itowen  was  consecrated  to  the  Christian  ministry  in  1892,  and  in  the 
same  year  was  elected  Stale  Sunday  School  Evangelist  by  the  Sunday  School 
Convention  held  at  Richmond,  Ky.  In  1893  he  entered  the  Christian  Bible 
School  in  the  city  of  Louisville,  in  which  he  spent  three  years  during  which 
lime  he  preached  for  the  church  at  Lawrenceliurg.  This  congregation,  under 
Khler  ISowen's  untiring  energy,  was  greatly  Imilt  up  financially  and  numer- 
ically. In  addition  to  this  Work,  ill  1893,  llC  accepted  a  call  to  the  church  at 
Midway,  which  is  one  of  the  oldest  Christian  Churches  in  the  Stale.  Here 
he* has  signally  shown  bis  ability  lo  take  care  of  the  Hock.  In  I89G  he  became 
■me  of  the  editorial  contributors  to  The  Kvangclist,  a  paper  published  at  Paris 
in  the  interest  ufthe  brotherhood  with  which  he  is  identified. 

<io  tlctoU-r   22,   1890,  he  was  married  at  Midway    to  Miss  Lizzie  Kanstinna 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  27 

siinins,  a  graduate  of  Oberlin  College,  and  who  is  now  teaching  in  llic  public 
schools  of  Midway.  Mr.  Bower  is  a  young  man,  logical  and  eloquent  in  the 
pulpit  and  is  making  an  enviable  reputation.  Hu  has  taught  two  years  in  the 
jitlblic  schools  of  Kentucky,  and,  like  Joseph  of  old,  showing  himself  every- 
where master  of  the  situation.  At  present  he  is  President  of  the  State  Sunday 
School  Convention,  and  of  the  Christian  Brotherhood,  and  Vice  President  of 
tin' State  Missionary  Convention.  He  is  a  prominent  man  in  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity. He  has  given  considerable  attention  to  business,  especially  real  estate 
interests  which  have  actively  engaged  him,  and  he  has  accumulated  much  of 
I Itis  world's  goods.  His  zeal  for  his  race  is  very  intense  and  he  gives  all  eco- 
nomic questions  pertaining  to  their  betterment  intelligent  consideration.  Mr. 
liowcn,  in  addition  to  his  other  gifts,  has  still  his  youth,  and  his  successful 
future  depends  only  upon  his  energy. 


CHAPTER  X. 
John  Jordan  Crittenden  McKlnley. 

J.  J.  C.  McKinley  was  born  at  Knsscllville,  Logan  county,  Kentucky, 
March  1,  1852.  His  mother,  Millia  Bibb,  moved  hi  Louisville,  Ky.,  when  lie 
was  about  six  months  old.  At  six  years  of  age  he  entered  the  school  then  taught 
hy  Kev.  Henry  Adams;  later  he  entered  the  school  tnughl  by  Mr.  Win.  Gibson, 
Sr.  In  1870  he  entered  Keren  College,  at  Keren,  Ky.  He  was  forced  to  leave 
licrea  College  on  account  of  the  stringency  of  his  finances,  as  his  mother  lost  in 
the  Fretdnien's  Knnk  what  money  she  had  amassed  by  years  of  economy  and 
care.  In  the  fall  of  1874  he  accepted  the  princi|ialship  of  a  school  nt  Danville, 
Ky.,  nnd  in  1875  he  accepted  n  position  ns  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Ixjnis- 
ville,  where  he  hns  taught  ever  since. 

He  has  been  interested  in  every  movement  for  the  betterment  of  the  nice  in 
Kentucky.  His  first  speech  was  for  better  common  schools  in  the  State.  He 
made  his  debut  in  journalism  in  1875  ns  Louisville  correspondent  to  the  Ameri- 
can Citizen,  published  at  Lexington,  Ky.,  under  the  noin  do  plume  of  "Video." 
In  1878  he  was  correspondent  for  the  Western  Review,  which  was  published  at 
Cincinnati,  0.,  as  "Mack."  The  Chicago  Conservator  secured  his  services  in 
IS79,  and  as  "Mack"  his  name  became  a  household  word  in  the  West.  In  1KS0 
he  became  one  of  the  associate  editors  of  the  Bulletin,  published  in  Louisville, 
until  it  sold  out.  In  1885,  through  the  persuasion  of  E.  K.  Cooper,  he  wrote  for 
the  World  under  the  noin  de  plume  of  "Heft."  When  Mr.  Cooper  retired  from 
the  World  as  editor,  Mr.  McKinlev  retired  from  journalism. 

He  i<  the  most  prominent  Odd  Fellow  in  Kentucky.  He  was  initiated  into 
the  order  in  1875,  and  has  been  the  Grand  Secretary  of  the  State  for  seventeen 
years.  He  assisted  in  having  the  Stale  appropriate  money  to  secure  a  building 
for  incorrigible  youths  instead  of  sending  them  to  the  Stale  prison,  lie  is  the 
author  of  the  first  historical  sketch  of  the  Grand  I'nited  Order  of  Odd  fellows 
in  America. 


I 


CHAPTER  XI. 
J.  Alexander  Chiles. 

The  name  of  J.  Alexander  Chiles,  LL.  B.,  will  always  lake  high  rank  among 
the  prominent  men  of  Kentucky.  He  is  one  of  many  illustrious  Negroes  who 
has  risen  up  to  adorn  the  legal  profession  and  reflect  honor  not  only  on  the  race 
of  which  he  is  a  member,  but  also  to  the  county  in  which  he  resides.  Mr. 
Chiles  was  born  June  8, 1860,  in  Richmond,  Va.  He  has  a  twin  brother,  John 
K.  Chiles,  who  was  born  on  the  same  date.  His  father,  Richard  Chiles,  an 
honest,  industrious  and  frugal  man,  is  now  dead.  His  mother,  Martha  Chiles, 
a  loving,  devoted   and   faithful    woman,  now   resides  in  Richmond,  Va. 

Soon  after  the  Civil  War  the  Freedman's  School  was  opened  in  the  city  of 
Richmond,  to  which  young  Chiles  was  sent,  but  his  parents  being  poor  and  having 
eight  children  to  provide  for  he,  with  his  two  brothers  were  compelled  to  leave 
hcIiik)1  and  go  to  work  to  help  provide  for  the  home.  He  first  began  working  at 
the  tobacco  factory,  then  later  received  a  position  as  porter  in  a  store,  and  finally 
hotel  work  as  porter  and  bell  boy.  Every  spare  moment  from  work  the  young 
man  utilized  by  a  close  reading  and  study. 

So  well  did  he  prepare  himself  that  in  the  autumn  of  1882  he  entered  Lin- 
coln University,  Chester  county,  Pennsylvania.  There  he  was  aided  in  the 
prosecution  of  his  studies  by  working  as  a  dining  room  waiter  for  his  board.  He 
wa9  also  assisted  by  the  generous  and  considerate  faculty.  This,  together  with 
the  help  received  from  his  faithful  and  devoted  twin  brother,  and  with  what  he 
earned  during  the  summer  enabled  him  to  graduate  June  7,1887.  In  October, 
of  the  same  year,  he  entered  the  Law  Department  of  the  University  of  Michigan, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  June,  188!).  While  at  the  law  school  he  was 
greatly  assisted  in  hearing  the  expenses  incident  to  his  board  and  tuition  by  his 
brother,  John  R.  Chiles,  and  other  relatives,  for  which  he  has  ever  been 
grateful.  It  is  said  of  him  that  while  at  college  he  was  kindly  of  disposition, 
anil  a  diligent  pupil,  and  was  frequently  cited  as  an  example  of  good  conduct 
and  industry.  In  the  fall  of  1880  Mr.  Chiles  began  the  practice  of  his  profession 
ai  Kichmond,  Va.,  where  he  at  once  rose  to  distinction. 

Through  the  inducement  of  his  friend,  Dr.  John  K.  Hunter,  he  pulled  up 
"Ktakcft"  at  Kichmond  and  cast  his  lot  in  the  city  of  Lexington,  Ky.,  in  the  fall  of 


. 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  29 

IS'.IO.  Since  then  he  has  devoted  himself  exclusively  to  the  practice  of  hi* 
chosen  profession.  Asa  lawyer  Mr.  Chiles  has  been  a  decided  success  and 
enjoys  a  lucrative  practice.  The  interests  of  his  clients  never  suffer  for  want  of 
intention.  "Do  unto  others  as  you  would  have  them  do  unto  you"  is  the  motto 
lie  has  adopted  in  all  his  business  transactions.  He  is  a  devout  Christian,  and, 
though  he  takes  no  active  part  in  political  affairs,  he  never  hesitates  to  express 
himself  when  the  political  rights  of  his  race  are  at  stake.  He  believes  that  the 
a  flairs  of  the  country  should  be  managed  by  impartial  men  ami  not  left  to  the 
dishonest  ward  politicians. 

July  23,  1891,  Mr.  Chiles  was  married  to  Miss  Fannie  J.  Baines,  of  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.,  who  has  been  a  faithful  and  devoted  wife  and  helper.  Mr.  Chiles 
is  one  of  the  men  to  whom  the  Negro  can  point  with  pride,  not  merely  as  an 
able  and  successful  lawyer,  but  for  the  undeviating  and  high-minded  consistency 
ul'  his  life  and  the  purity  of  the  motives  on  which  be  acts.  As  to  his  religious 
proclivities  he  is  a  strong  Seventh  Hay  Adventist,  ami  is  always  found  adhering 
to  its  full  principles.  He  and  his  wife  are  frequently  found  helping  the  poor 
and  needy.. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
William  H.  Dlckerson. 

After  the  smoke  from  the  artillery  of  the  late  civil  war  had  cleared  away, 
1  lie  subject  of  this  sketch  was  given  to  the  world  in  Tazewell  county,  Va.,  by  his 
parents,  Hartley  .1.  and  Sarah  F.  Dickcrson,  for  the  glory  of  God  and  to  assist  in 
the  moral,  intellectual  and  religious  development  of  the  Negro  race.  His  father 
died  when  William  was  nine  years  old,  leaving  him  to  battle  with  life  for  his 
mother  ami  five  younger  brothel's.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm  where  he  attended 
the  common  schools  until  he  was  seventeen  years  old,  when  he  began  to  teach  in 
the  public  schools,  where  he  taught  five  years. 

He  was  baptized  into  the  Christian  church  by  Elder  Alexander  Dickerson 
Sept.  17,  1882;  was  set  apart  to  the  ministry  of  the  gospel  of  Christ  in  188!!;  en- 
tered the  BibleCollegu  at  New  Castle,  Ky.,  in  March,  1830,  where  he  completed 
a  course  of  studies,  three  years  after  receiving  a  diploma. 

He  was  the  pastor  of  the  Christian  church  at  Millerslmrg,  Ky.,  lor  nearly 
three  years  and  had  marked  success.  In  1892  he  was  elected  Secretary  of  the 
( iencral  Convention  of  the  Christian  Church,  which  mcl  at  Nashville,  Twin. 
In  18!M  at  the  General  Convention  of  the  Christian  church,  which  met  in  Louis- 
ville, Ky.,  he  was  elected  (iencral  Kvangelist,  but  declined  the  position  in  order 
in  pursue  a  course  of  study,  lie  served  the  church  at  May-slick,  Ky.,  with  suc- 
cessful results  in  all  of  its  departments. 

At  the  Slate  Convention  of  the  Christian  church  held  at  Hustonville,  Ky., 
July,  1895,  he  was  unanimously  elected  State  Kvangelist  of  Kentucky,  which 
position  he  filled  one  year  with  dignity,  credit  and  great  service  t  i   t lie    church. 

Sept.  1,  1893,  he  accepted  a  call  to  serve  the   Christian  church   at  Nicholas- 


30  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

villo,  Ky.     This  is  the  must  modern  structure  owned   by  the  Christian   church 
in  the  Slate  of  Kentucky,  and  cost  over  $6,000. 

Mr.  Dickerson  has  luld  successful  religious  meetings  in  Virginia,  Kentucky, 
Arkansas,  Ohio  and  West  Virginia.  He  is  a  studious  young  man  and  still 
lives  a  single  life.  The  Christian  church,  with  which  he  is  identified, 
greatly  values  him  and  his  work.  He  is  Secretary  of  the  Kentucky  Christian 
Convention,  having  satisfactorily  lilleil  that  important  office  for  three  years. 
He  has  been  favorably  considered,  from  a  pastoral  standpoint,  by  some  of  the 
most  prominent  Christian  churches  in  Kentucky. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
James  Franklin  Ciray. 

James  F.  (iray,  son  of  Frank  Gray,  a  prosperous  citizen  of  Louisville,  Ky., 
was  born  April  2,  1860,  at  Versailles,  Woodford  county,  Kentucky.  He  at- 
tended Berea  College  from  the  fall  of  '71  to  the  spring  of  '76,  and  began  teach- 
ing in  his  seventeenth  year  at  Kussellville,  Ky.,  remaining  there  for  thirteen 
consecutive  years,  nine  of  which  he  was  Principal  of  the  female  depaitment  of 
the  city  school. 

He  is  a  prominent  member  of  several  fraternal  organizations,  and  was  State 
Grand  Master  of  the  Grand  United  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  for  the  years  of  '88 
and  '89.  In  1889  he  was  appointed  United  States  Gauger  by  President  Harri- 
son; being  the  first  Negro  appointed  to  that  position  in  the  Second  (Kentucky) 
Collection  District  In  1893  Mr.  Gray  toured  and  lectured  in  Kentucky,  Ten- 
nessee, Missouri,  Indiana  and  Illinois.  In  1894  he  was  elected  Principal  of  the 
Mayfield,  Ky.,  public  school.  He  was  recalled  in  1896  to  his  former  position  as 
Principal  of  the  female  department  of  the  Kussellville  city  school,  which  posi- 
tion he  now  holds.  He  is  also  at  the  head  of  the  Summer  Normal,  a  school 
specially  designed  for  the  training  of  teachers.  Mr.  Gray  is  prominent  in  State 
politics,  and  is  an  active  Republican.  He  is  strongly  endorsed  for  the  appoint- 
ment of  postmaster  for  the  Kussellville  postoftice. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
A.  D.  Kelly. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  Dr.  A.  D.  Kelly,  physician  and  surgeon,  was 
l>orn  in  Carthage,  Moore  county,  North  Carolina,  in  the  year  1860.  He  entered 
the  public  school  of  that  place  in  1870,  where  he  remained  until  1880.  Seeing 
that  the  public  school  bad  performed  a  good  part  by  him,  and  there  was  nothing 
remaining  in  the  high  school,  he  concluded  to  go  elsewhere  to  finish  his  educa- 
tion. He  at  once  removed  to  Greensboro,  N.  C,  where  he  entered  the  liennctt 
CVillegc.  After  the  first  term  in  college,  having  insufficient  means  to  continue 
the  course,  he  went  North  to  the  summer  resorts  anil  worked  for  the  necessary 
means  to  return  to  Greensboro,  and  to  pay  bis  tuition  the  following  session.    He 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  31 

pursued  this  laudable  line  of  conduct  year  after  year  until  lie  hnd  accomplished 
his  design;  and  in  lS'.l'l  he  received  his  diploma  from  Bennett  College. 

lint  his  ambition  did  not  end  here,  for  he  decided  to  study  medicine.  In 
the  autumn  of  1892  he  went  to  Nashville,  Tenn.,  anil  there  entered  the  Meharry 
Medical  College,  which  is  one  of  the  hading  medical  schools  of  this  country,  and 
after  a  four  years'  course  in  that  institution  he  graduated  in  the  class  of  '!>(i. 

lie  is  an  honest  and  conscientious  man,  full  of  genius  and  seems  to  lie  on 
the  high  road  toward  fame,  for  he  possesses  that  quality  of  earnestness,  prompt- 
ness and  energy  which  give  endurance  to  every  purpose  of  life.  lie  is  a  splen- 
did example  of  the  possihilities  of  the  Negro  in  the  Southland.  Wc  hold  up 
l>r.  Kelly  to  the  rising  generation  as  one  of  the  young  men  whose-  integrity, 
llhilily  and  perseverance  has  placed  him  in  the  front  rank  of  our  professional 
men.  The  good  and  generous  qualities  of  Dr.  Kelly  beam  in  his  very  eounte- 
lenancc.  There  are  hut  few  professional  men  of  the  race  in  Kentucky  who  are 
more  loved  and  honored  than  he. 

Dr.  Kelly  at  this  writing  is  a  successful  practitioner  in  the  city  of  Coving- 
ton, Ky.  He  is  a  man  of  line  parts,  and  an  excellent  and  conscientious  phy- 
sician, and  deserves  all  of  the  honor  paid  him.  He  gives  all  of  his  attention  to 
the  practice  of  his  profession,  believing  that  it  is  only  by  a  strict  application 
to  one's  calling  that  he  can  succeed. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Charles  C.  Vaughn. 

December  27,  1846,  more  than  fifty  years  ago,  the  self-made  man  in  the 
person  of  Kev.  C.  C.  Vaughn,  of  liussellvillo,  Ky.,  was  horn  in  old  Virginia  of 
slave  parents.  He  was  liberated  by  his  master  in  1852,  and  learned  his  alpha- 
bet in  Hamilton,  Ohio.  He  underwent  many  hardships  to  secure  an  education, 
hut  he  look  advantage  of  every  opportunity  to  improve  himself,  and  finally 
reached  the  goal,  coming  out  with   honors. 

While  in  his  teens  he  enlisted  in  the  army  to  serve  three  years,  or  during 
the  war.  lie  served  in  Company  F,  then  transferred  to  Company  A,  Thirteenth 
1'.  S.  C  Heavy  Artillery,  and  was  promoted  to  Orderly  Sergeant. 

He  passed  the  examination  and  taught  his  first  school  in  Sidney,  Ohio,  in 
I8G6.  He  established  himself  as  a  good  teacher  from  the  beginning,  and  has 
been  actively  engaged  in  teaching  ever  since,  when  not  in  college.  Few  men 
have  made  such  a  record  as  a  teacher  and  a  race  leader.  He  has  been  Principal 
of  Kusscllville  Male  School  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  is  still  hold- 
ing the  responsible  position  at  this  writing.  (1897)  He  holds  a  state  certificate 
and  is  master  of  the  situation.  He  has  a  plain,  simple  way  of  expounding  the 
word  of  (Joil,  and  made  a  very  successful  pastor  for  thirteen  years  in  Allcns- 
ville,  Ky.  He  is  a  line  parliamentarian,  and  was  Assistant  Moderator  of  the 
General  Association  of  Kentucky  for  two  or  three  sessions.     He  is  now   serving 


32 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


liis  tliinl  biennial  term  ns  Right  worthy  National  Grant!  Chief  of  Good   Samar- 
itans and  Daughters  of  Samaria. 

He  is  a  prominent  Grand  Army  man,  and  served  on  General  Palmer's  staff. 
He  lias  much  influence  as  n  politician,  and  the  candidate  does  well  to  consult 
him  in  a  close  fight.  He  is  a  race  man  and  is  competent  to  accomplish  much 
guild.  He  lias  the  confidence  of  the  best  citizens  of  both  races,  and  is  felt  in  the 
community  when  lie  speaks  for  or  against  any  question. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
William  T.  Dinwiddle. 

Tin-  subject  of  this  sketch,  \V.  T.  Dinwiddie,  D.  D.  S.,  was  horn  in  Danville, 
Kv.,  Mav  *_',  1S<V>.  His  mother  died  when  lie  was  four  years  of  age.  From  the 
age  of  six  until  thirteen  he  attended  the  public  school  of  his  native  town  and 
showed  a  great  fondness  for  his  books  and  had  original  ideas. 

Leaving  school  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  he  began  to  learn  the  carpenter's 
trade  with  his  father,  who  was  a  fine  mechanic.  He  continued  at  the  trade  un- 
til he  was  seventeen  years  of  age;  at  this  time  his  father  died,  thus  leaving  him 
an  orphan.  At  this  period  in  the  life  of  young  Dinwiddie  the  need  of  a  better 
education  was  more  apparent,  and  after  making  some  preparations  he  entered 
Knoxrillc College  at  Knox ville,  Tenn. 

After  spending  two  years  at  this  institution  of  learning,  be  returned  to  Dan- 
ville, completed  bis  trade  and  became  an  acknowledged  master  mechanic.  Not 
onlv  was  be  classed  among  the  first  wood  workmen  of  his  home,  but  also  in  Ix"X- 
ington,  where  be  was  employed  in  one  of  the  leading  shops.  Indeed,  most  of 
the  line  and  artistic  work  to  be  seen  in  the  beautiful  residences  of  Lexington 
was  finished  and  put  up  by  him. 

Having  a  natural  talent  for  dentistry  and  a  desire  to  practice  that  profes- 
sion, he  entered  Mcharry  Medical  College  in  the  fall  of  1893,  and  took  a  three 
years'  course,  graduating  with  high  honors  in  February,  18!Ki.  After  graduat- 
ing be  returned  to  Lexington  and  opened  an  office  with  l)rs.  Hunter  and  Rob- 
inmtn,  nnd  soon  built  up  an  extensive  practice.  After  much  solicitation  from 
the  President  of  the  Faculty  of  Mcharry  Medical  ami  Dental  College,  be  ac- 
cepted a  professorship,  nnd  look  the  chair  of  Prosthetic  Dentistry.  This  posi- 
tion be  belli  with  credit  for  one  term,  and  then  resigned  to  enter  the  practice  of 
his  profession.  He  is  now  located  with  Drs.  Hunter  and  Robinson.  There  be 
lias  a  beautiful  anil  well  arranged  dental  pallor,  and  is  prepared  to  do  any  and 
all  kinds  ,,l  denial  work. 

In  1  >r  Dinwiddie  Uxington  can  well  boast  of  having  a  tlentisl  second  to  none 
ill  the  city.  With  his  gentlemanly  ways  and  skill  in  bis  profession,  we  predict 
for  biin  n  bright  future  and  one  who  will  be  a  credit  to  the  race. 


.1.  .!.  I  .  M'KIM.I.Y.      1'ai.i-  -J7 


J.  AI.KXANKKi:   ( -III  I.MS,  I.I.    I!.     IW  28. 


\V.  II.  I'll  -KKItSUN.  -I'. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
John  Welden  Jewett. 

One  of  the  famous  products  of  the  Blue  Grass  is  John  Welden  Jewett,  who 
was^born  near  Lexington,  March  4,  1870.  Like  most  of  his  race,  and,  indeed, 
like  the  majority  of  any  people  who  have,  in  any  way,  distinguished  themselves, 
Mr.  Jewett  is  self-made.  By  the  grace  of  God  and  his  own  indomitable  grit  he 
is  what  he  is— an  honorable,  useful  and  a  cultured  American  citizen.  His  early 
life  shows  ilnit  "honor  and  fame  from  no  conditions  rise,"  and  that  the  humblest 
American  boy  may  make  himself  what  he  will.  Early  in  life  a  burning  thirst 
to  drink  from  the  fountain  of  knowledge  came  to  young  Jewett,  and  his  good 
parents,  Jordon  and  Diana,  though,  by  a  cruel  fate,  denied  a  taste  of  the  spark- 
ling waters,  encouraged  the  laudable  desire  in  their  son,  who  was  born  under 
a  more  auspicious  star. 

To  secure  better  educational  advantages  for  their  aspiring  son  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Jewett  moved  to  Covington.  Though  the  schools  were  free,  and  his  par- 
ents willing  and  anxious  for  his  mental  advancement,  yet  it  was  not  without  a 
hard  struggle  that  he  succeeded  in  passing,  with  credit,  through  the  Covington 
schools.  There  were  books  to  buy,  and  clothing,  and,  too,  both  from  choice  and 
necessity,  he,  while  pursuing  his  studies,  contributed  his  mite  to  the  family 
support.  To  do  this,  he  followed  the  Scriptural  injunction,  doing  with  a  might 
whatsoever  his  hands  found  to  do.  Working  in  private  families  and  running 
errands  after  school  hours,  and  studying  when,  perhaps,  tired  Nature  demanded 
sleep,  young  Jewett  stood  well  in  all  his  classes.  As  is  always  the  case  with 
struggling,  ambitious  boys,  his  efforts  to  succeed  on  his  own  merit  were  watched 
by  many  not  unkindly  eyes,  and,  when  he  had  finished  the  course  prescribed 
for  the  Covington  schools,  iie  had  scores  of  warm  friends  he  had  unconsciously 
made  during,  though  arduous  struggles. 

In  1883,  a  proud  day  in  his  life,  he  entered  Gaines'  High  School  of  Cin- 
cinnati, and  for  live  years  be  continued  the  struggle,  graduating  with  honor  in 
1888,  which  was  the  proudest  moment  in  his  life.  The  chosen  salutatorian  of  a 
large  class,  he  distinguished  himself  both  in  the  composition  and  delivery  of 
his  oration,  a\ld  those  who  heard  him  predicted   an  honoiahle  and  useful  career. 


34 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


While  in  the  High  School  Mr.  Jewett  continued  to  labor  with  his  hands  as  well 
as  his  brain,  defraying  his  own  expenses  and  assisting  in  the  family  support. 
His  education  finished,  Mr.  Jewett,  while  not  above  manual  labor,  sought  a 
more  exalted  sphere  of  usefulness.  Being  a  man  of  benevolent  and  noble  im- 
pulses he  naturally  chose  the  profession  in  which  he  could  be  the  most  useful 
to  his  own  people — that  of  a  teacher. 

So,  coming  to  Lexington  in  ISSIO.  he  began  his  chosen  vocation  in  a  Fayette 
county  school,  at  Cadcntown,  where  he  has  since  continuously  taught.  He  stood 
deservedly  high  in  his  examination  for  a  certificate  of  ability,  nnd  entered  upon 
his  work  with  an  intelligent  enthusiasm  which  could  not  fail  to  bring  success. 
From  the  beginning  the  school  grew  in  numbers,  enthusiasm  and  usefulness 
and  it  is  now  one  of  the  best  rural  schools  in  the  South,  and  has  sent  out  a  larger 
number  of  regular  graduates  in  the  course  of  study  prescribed  for  the  Common 
Schools  than  any  other  Negro  school;  and,  at  the  Midwinter  Exposition,  1895, 
he  was  awarded  a  beautiful  silk  banner  for  the  superior  excellence  of  the  dis- 
played work  of  his  pupils. 

Mr.  Jewett  is  an  honor  to  the  profession,  in  that  he  is  not  content  to  meas- 
ure his  knowledge  by  that  of  his  scholars  but  has,  since  his  graduation,  been  an 
even  harder  student  than  when  a  pupil  himself.  And  so  his  mental  growth  has 
been  steady  and  hearty,  and  he  is  now  splendidly  equipped  for  his  work  in  the 
possession  of  a  rich  fund  of  professional  and  general  information.  He  is  thor- 
oughly abreast  of  the  times,  and  all  his  school  room  methods  are  modern  and 
efleetive.  His  law  is  kindness  in  the  conduct  of  his  school,  his  theory  being 
that  voting  people  arc  reasonable  human  beings  and  may  be  governed  accord- 
ingly. So  highly  did  the  professional  achievinents  and  manly  worth  of  Mr. 
Jewett  commend  him  to  the  Superintendent  of  Schools,  who  is  the  author  of 
this  sketch,  that  he  was  chosen  to  conduct  the  Teachers'  Institute,  no  mean 
honor  in  a  county  which  has  a  higher  grade  of  teachers  than  any  other  county 
in  the  Commonwealth.  He  has  served  as  President  of  the  Fayette  County 
Teachers'  Association,  and  has  been  active  in  every  measure  that  would  advance 
the  cause  of  education  among  his  people. 

Notwithstanding  his  busy  professional  life,  Mr.  Jewett  has  been  somewhat 
active  in  the  work  of  benevolent  orders  and  in  politics.  He  has  served  for 
several  years  as  a  member  of  the  Republican  County  Committee,  and  is  always 
chosen  as  a  delegate  to  State  Conventions.  The  Fred  Douglass  Club  at  Lex- 
ington, during  his  term  as  President,  became  a  potent  political  factor.  Under 
Postmaster  J.  It.  Howard  Mr.  Jewett  passed  the  Civil  Service  examination,  ex- 
celling twenty-five  other  applicants.  He  was  appointed  to  a  position  in  the 
posuinlce,  but  declined,  feeling  that  he  could  better  serve  his  people  in  the 
school  room  than  as  an  office-holder.  Mr.  Jewett  Was  elected  Chancellor 
Commander  of  lilue  (irass  Lodge,  Knights  of  I'ythias,  which  position  of  honor 
he  now  holds. 

Mr.  Jewett  is  a  writcrof  much  ability,  and  occasionally  publishes  an  article 
which  is  at  once  instructive  anil  displays  a  literary  finish  that  makes  his  readers 
wish  he  would  write  oftener.      lie  is  also  a    speaker    of    lunch  forie,  and  so  well 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  35 

docs  he  like  intellectual  controversy  that  lie  has  a  cherished  ambition  to  become 

n  lawyer.  A  true  man,  ambitious  and  cultured,  and  making  friends  un  every 
hand  by  leading  an  honorable  and  pure  life,  there  is  every  reason  to  predict 
that  Mr.  Jewett  will  become   a    blessing   to   his    people  and    an    honor    to    his 

country. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Frank  L.  Williams. 

Kentucky  has  no  son,  who  cherishes  with  greater  pride  her  history,  glories 
more  in  her  achievements  and  progress,  and  fosters  with  greater  solicitude  her 
honor  than  Frank  L.  Williams,  A.  I!.  IWn  in  the  city  of  Louisville,  within  a 
few  squares  of  where  he  now  lives,  he  received  his  elementary  education  in  her 
public  schools. 

Mrs.  Harriet  Williams,  bis  mother,  was  well  and  honorably  known,  in  the 
northwestern  part  of  Louisville,  for  her  great  industry,  fidelity  to  duty,  and 
faithfulness  in  meeting  obligations.  She  beliived  fully  in  the  majesty  of  lalor 
and  Frank,  her  eldest  son,  does  not  remember  when  he  did  not  assist  in  the 
work  around  the  house.  It  was  therefore  natural  for  him  to  want  to  earn 
money.  Since  his  twelfth  year  he  has  clothed  himself  and  paid  his  board.  Mrs. 
Williams  died  when  Frank  was  in  his  sixteenth  year.  She  was  conscious 
of  her  condition  for  several  hours  before  the  end,  and  spoke  freely  of  the  dispo- 
sition that  should  be  made  of  her  children.  "As  for  Frank,"  she  said,  "let  him 
alone;   1  have  no  fear  of  his  future." 

After  working  in  a  wholesale  hardware  house,  with  the  view  of  leading  a 
mercantile  life,  Frank  packed  his  trunk  and  with  a  few  hundred  dollars  he  had 
saved  started  West  in  the  summer  of  18S2.  Arriving  at  the  little  town  of 
<  orydon,  Ind.,  he  was  persuaded  to  take  the  teachers'  examination  and  became 
principal  of  the  Corydon  School.  At  the  close  of  the  school  year,  Mr. 
Williams,  feeling  the  need  of  a  better  preparation  for  his  work,  resigned  and  in 
the  following  fall  was  matriculated  as  a  student  in  Ilerca  College. 

During  the  five  years  of  his  college  life  he  earned  his  expenses  by  leaching 
in  the  Kentucky  mountains  during  the  summer  and  doing  work  for  the  college 
during  term  time.  In  1889  he  graduated  with  the  highest  honors  from  the 
classical  course  of  the  college.  Since  his  graduation  Mr.  Williams  has  been  in 
the  Government  service,  Secretary  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association, 
editor  and  contributor  to  current  literature,  teacher  and  Institute  instructor. 

In  his  work  as  Institute  instructor  Mr.  Williams  has  made  an  enviable 
record  among  the  teachers  of  Kentucky.  His  enthusiasm  is  contagious  and  bis 
Institutes  have  been  characterized  by  large  attendance  of  white  citizens,  as  well 
as  his  own  race,  in  the  towns  in  which  they  have  been  held,  and  by  great  earn- 
estness and  zeal  on  the  part  of  the  leaders  to  fit  themselves  for  better  service. 
Superintendent  (Million,  of  Carroll  county,  Kentucky,  voices    the    sentiment   of 


36  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

tlio  County  Superintendents  for  whom  Mr.  Williams  has  instructed,  when  he 
writes  in  his  own  paper: 

"Prof.  F.  L.  Williams,  of  Louisville,  who  conducted  the  Colored  Institute 
here  this  week,  is  one  of  the  most  capable  men  we  have  ever  known  to  have 
charge  of  an  Institute.  Having  a  thorough  collegiate  education,  along  with  a 
knowledge  of  the  principles  of  education  and  instruction,  and  being  a  fluent 
and  even  eloquent  speaker,  he  makes  a  most  efficient  instructor." 

Mr.  Williams  has  occupied  the  Chairof  Mathematics  in  the  Louisville  High 
School  for  four  years  In  this  position  he  has  given  the  greatest  possible  satis- 
faction, and  is  greatly  beloved  and  respected  by  his  pupils  and  the  patrons  of 
the  school,  He  has  been  identified  with  every  progressive  movement  among 
his  people  in  Louisville,  and  in  the  State,  for  the  past  seven  years.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Committee  of  Management  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation; was  for  years  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Orphans' 
Home;  is  a  member  of  the  Executive  Board  of  the  General  Association  of 
Kentucky  Baptist*;  is  Superintendent  of  Calvary  Baptist  Sunday  School;  was, 
in  1890,  President  of  the  Teachers'  Institute  of  Louisville,  and  is  one  of  the 
Trustees  of  Camp  Nelson  Academy,  and  Secretary  of  the  State  Teachers'  Associa- 
tion. He  has  been  honored  with  invitations  to  deliver  addresses  before  the 
faculty  and  students  of  the  best  schools  in  Kentucky. 

In  1891  Mr.  Williams  was  married  to  Miss  Fannie  B.  Miller,  of  Danville, 
Ky.,  who  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  the  only  lady  classical  graduate  of 
Berea  College,  of  the  race.  To  them  have  come  three  children — Susie  Pearl, 
Sophia  Maurice,  Frank  Lundsford.  Mr.  Williams  has  been  described  by  one 
of  his  friends  as  cold  and  calculating;  yet  to  one  seeing  him  in  his  home,  with 
a  babe  on  each  knee  and  one  on  his  back,  no  nature  could  be  more  sunny.  He 
loves  his  friends  dearly  and  does  not  hesitate  to  make  any  risk  in  their  behalf. 
Having  a  profound  faith  in  the  future  and  recognizing  that  "diligence  in  busi- 
ness soon  brings  success,"  Mr.  Williams  is  a  close  student.  He  has  in  the  last 
two  years  studied  faithfully  the  bearings  of  psychology  and  physiological 
psychology  on  the  teacher's  work.  This,  with  a  special  study  of  educational 
values,  a  comprehensive  study  of  the  entire  subject  of  education,  and  fifteen 
years'  experience  in  teaching,  has  placed  him  in  the  forefront  of  teachers. 

To  a  man  of  such  natural  gifts  and  powers,  of  such  noble  principles  and 
high  ideals  of  life,  with  such  a  position  and  such  an  influence  among  men,  with 
such  happy  home  surroundings,  success  can  but  come,  and,  in  that  this  success 
must  needs  bring  greater  powers  for  ennobling  and  elevating  his  fcllowmen,  we 
can  but  rejoice  in  his  glorious  prospects. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
Jordon  Carlisle  Jackson. 

Jordon  Carlisle  Jackson  whs  bom  in  Fayette  county,  Kentucky,  February 
28,  1848,  and  was  a  slave  until  emancipated  by  President  Lincoln's  Proclama- 
tion. Mr.  Jackson  lias  bad  no  scbool  training  save  tbat  of  experience  and 
is  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  term  a  self-made  man.  lie  has  been  prominent  in 
both  local  and  State  affairs  for  years,  and  has  perhaps  a  larger  acquaintance 
with  promiment  men,  both  white  and  black,  than  any  other  Negro  in  Kentucky. 
He  has  held  many  positions  of  honor  and  trust  and  has  all  along  acquitted 
himself  in  such  a  way  as  to  merit  the  approval  of  the  nice. 

For  several  years  he  was  the  lay  Trustee  of  Kentucky  Conference,  A.  M. 
E.  Church,  of  AVilberforce  University,  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  dis- 
cussions of  the  Hoard  of  Trustees  relative  to  the  management  of  the  institution. 
He  was  for  twelve  years  the  only  Negro  member  of  the  Hoard  of  Trustees  of 
Perea  College,  and  rendered  valuable  aid  by  his  counsel,  so  much  so  that  both 
President  Fairchild  and  Kev.  John  G.  Fee  disliked  very  much  to  have  him 
remain  away  from  the  annual  meeting.  The  period  for  which  he  was  relected 
to  serve  ended  during  President  Frost's  second  term,  and,  although  strongly 
urged  by  Kev.  Fee  and  others,  lie  declined  the  re-election. 

It  is  perhaps  in  politics  that  he  has  gained  hisgreatest  reputation.  Already 
prominent  as  a  local  leader  he  so  thorough'  gained  the  confidence  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  as  to  be  honored  with  positions  of  profit  and  trust.  Ho  held  the 
positions  of  Storekeeper  and  dinger,  and  .Storekeeper,  in  the  Internal  Hevenue 
Service  for  the  Seventh  District  of  Kentucky,  under  Collectors  A.  M.  Swope, 
C.  II  Stoll  and  T.  C  McDowell.  As  an  officer  Mr.  Jackson  was  always  popular 
and  ranked  as  one  of  the  best  in  the  service.  He  has  on  very  many  occasions 
represented  his  race  in  various  conventions;  being  a  member  and  Secretary  of 
the  National  Negro  Convention,  held  in  Nashville,  Tcnn.,  in  187o;  and  of  the 
National  Newspaper  Convention  in  Cincinnati  the  same  year,  while  he  was  the 
publisher  of  the  American  Citizen,  of  Ix-xington. 

In  the  National  Negro  Convention  held  in  Louisville,  when  a  sharp  light 
fur  leadership  between  the  late  Frederick  Douglass  and  John  M.  L.ingston  was 
made,  Mr.  Jackson  took  an  active  part    in    bringing    Kentucky    in  line    for  Mr. 


38  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

Douglass,  who  ever  afterward  lield  him  in  high  esteem.  Mr.  Jackson  was  tem- 
|>orar_v  Chairman  i>f  the  State  Convention  held  in  Lexington  in  1802  to  organize 
the  fight  against  the  Separate  Coach  law,  and  made  a  ringing  speech  that  largely 
shaped  the  course  of  the  convention.  He  was  alternate  Delegate-at-large  with 
Col.  William  Cassius  Goodloe  to  the  National  Kepuhlican  Convention  held  in 
Cincinnati  in  1S7IS,  and  wan  elected  Delegate-at-large  to  the  National  Repub- 
lican Convention  held  in  Minneapolis  in  1892. 

It  was  during  the  contest  for  Delegate  to  the  Minneapolis  Convention  that 
Mr.  Jackson  showed  his  political  shrewdness  and  splendid  fighting  qualities. 
He  was  the  last  of  the  four  Negroes  who  entered  into  the  race  and  was  handi- 
capped from  the  start.  A  prominent  white  Kepuhlican.  also  from  Lexington, 
was  a  candidate,  and,  as  it  wits  unusual  to  select  two  of  the  Delegates-at-large 
from  the  same  city,  the  white  aspirant  regarded  the  candidacy  of  Mr.  Jackson 
as  detrimental  to  his  interest  and  was  very  much  opposed  to  him.  Each  Negro 
candidate  was  hacked  bv  strong  influences;  one  by  a  powerful  church,  another 
by  the  old  soldier  element,  and  the  other  was  strongly  aided  by  secret  societies. 
Mr.  Jackson's  warmest  friends  felt  under  the  circumstances  that  he  was  indulg- 
ing in  a  forlorn  hope,  yet  they  felt  a  degree  of  confidence  in  his  quiet  but  deter- 
mined manner  of  campaigning.  In  a  convention  of  1,500  delegates  he  had 
only  80  instructed  votes,  and  yet  so  skillfully  did  he  manage  his  fight  that  on 
the  third  ballot  he  received  over  800  votes  defeating  the  other  candidates  in 
what  the  Lexington  Leader  says  "was  the  most  magnificent  political  fight  we 
have  ever  witnessed."  , 

He  again  showed  his  political  shrewdness  in  the  fight  to  endorse  Governor 
Bradley  for  the  Presidency'  in  the  State  Convention  of  1896.  No  man  in  the 
convention  rendered  the  Governor  more  valuable  service,  and  it  is  said  that  no 
Negro  in  the  State  enjoys  his  confidence  more  fully.  The  secret  of  Mr.  Jackson's 
success  is  due  to  the  fact  that  he  is  true  to  his  friends,  and  slow  to  make  prom- 
ises, but  when  once  made  they  are  never  broken.  He  would  rather  go  down  in 
defeat  than  desert  a  friend  after  espousing  his  cause;  all  know  this  and  have 
confidence  in  his  promises;  hence  hit)  popularity,  even  among  those  whom  he 
may  oppose. 

Mr.  Jackson  has  fine  literary  as  well  as  business  qualities.  He  was  the 
publisher  of  both  the  American  Citizen  and  Kentucky  Kepuhlican.  In  the 
latter  pa|>er  he  made  quite  a  reputation  as  a  writer  under  the  mini  de  plume  of 
"Uncle  Epli."  In  the  Lexington  Standard  he  contributed  a  series  of  articles 
signed  "Observer,"  that  created  widespread  interest.  He  makes  no  pretense  to 
oratory  hut  in  a  plain  common  sense  style  goes  straight  to  the  meat  of  the 
matter  under  discussion.  As  a  business  man  he  is  prompt,  energetic  and  reli- 
able, and  has  been  very  successful. 

In  1871  he  was  married  to  Miss  E.  Bella  Mitchell,  of  Danville,  Ky.,  and 
often  says  it  was  the  best  investment  he  ever  made,  as  he  owes  much  of  his 
success  to  her.  She  has  always  entered  heartily  into  the  spirit  of  all  his  plans 
Willi  »i^-  counsel  and  encouragement,  It  is  said  of  her  that  she  was  opposeil  to 
his  making  the  race  for  Delegate-at-large,  because  it  would  cost  him  too  much 
money  and  keep  him  away  from  home  while  making  the  canvass.      Itut  after  ho 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  39 

had  entered  the  race,  and  she  learned  that  a  hot  three-cornered  fight  was  being 
made  against  him,  her  pride  became  aroused,  and  she  not  only  encouraged  him 
with  words  of  advice  but  tendered  him  the  use  of  her  own  small  bank  account, 
the  accumulation  of  several  years  of  work  in  the  school  room,  to  he!p  him  out 
rather  than  see  him  defeated.  When  he  telegraphed  his  victory  at  3  o'clock  in 
the  morning  she  was  the  happiest  woman  in   Kentucky. 

Mr.  Jackson  rendered  valuable  party  service  in  the  campaign  for  McKinley 
in  1896;  in  fact,  it  is  said  that  he  had  more  to  do  with  landing  Kentucky  in 
the  Republican  column  than  the  public  generally  is  aware  of.  It  was  he 
who  induced  Rev.  1.  H.  Welch  to  become  a  candidate  for  Congress  in  the 
Seventh  District  against  Judge  Denny  with  the  view  to  running  him  off  the 
track  so  as  to  leave  a  clear  field  for  Colonel  Rreckinridge,  the  sound  money 
Democratic  candidate.  Mr.  Welch's  candidacy  had  the  desired  effect.  Colonel 
Breckinridge  received  the  Republican  nomination,  and  the  large  Democratic 
vote  he  received  saved  the  State  to  McKinley.  Mr.  Jackson  has  been  urged 
by  his  friends,  of  both  races,  to  become  an  applicant  for  office  tinder  the  present 
Administration,  with  flattering  offers  of  endorsement,  but  he  declines  to  do  so. 
He  says  he  will  always  take  a  lively  interest  in  politics  but  prefers,  as  a  means 
of  making  a  living,  a  quiet  business  life  rather  take  the  upsand  downs  of  official 
positions. 

In  1892  he  entered  the  undertaking  and  livery  business  with  William  M. 
Porter,  at  36  North  Limestone  street,  Lexington,  and  under  Mr.  Jackson's 
careful  management  the  firm  has  won  the  confidence  of  the  community  and  are 
doing  a  thriving  business.  Mr.  Jackson  is  public-spirited,  and,  although  the 
business  of  the  firm  has  grown  to  such  proportions  as  to  demand  his  constant 
attention,  yet  he  finds  time  to  devote  to  society  work  and  take  an  active  part  in 
all  public  enterprises  affecting  the  race,  and  carries  into  it  the  same  energy  and 
zeal  that  he  puts  into  his  own  business  affairs.  He  is  very  highly  esteemed  by 
all  who  know  him  and  a  bright  future  is  predicted  for  him. 


CHAPTER  XX. 
James  Shelton  Hathaway. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  James  S.  Hathaway,  was  born  at  Mt.  Sterling, 
Montgomery  county,  Kentucky,  March  '29,  1859.  His  early  education  was  re- 
ceived in  the  schools  of  that  place.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  went  to  Berea 
College,  where  he  remained  until  lie  graduated  from  the  classical  course  in  the 
year  1884  under  the  Presidency  of  Rev.  E.  II  Fairchild,  receiving  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts.  The  day  after  his  graduation  he  was  elected  Tutor  of  Latin 
and  Mathematics  in  his  Alma  Mater  by  its  Trustees.  Three  years  later  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Celia  Anderson  of  Clyde,  O.,  who  was  then  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of 
Kentucky. 

While  connected  with  the  institution  his  salary  was  at  different  times  ad- 
vanced.    He  was  made  a  member  of  '.he  Faculty,  and  the  degree  of  A.   M.    was 


40 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


conferred  upon  him.  "While  nt  Berea  he  conceived  the  idea  of  organizing  and 
establishing  a  printing  and  publishing  company.  Through  great  labor  and  sac- 
rifice, he  interested  many,  and  the  Intelligence  Publishing  Company  was  incor- 
jwrated,  with  him  as  President  and  headquarters  at  Lexington.  Through  his 
persistent  efforts  as  President  an  excellent  site  for  the  company's  building  was 
purchased  on  Broadway,  at  a  cost  of  three  thousand  dollars,  and  paid  for;  be- 
sides, money  pledged  for  a  building.  The  aflairs  of  the  company  now  began 
to  require  more  time  than  he  could  spare  from  his  work  at  college,  and  he  an- 
nounced to  friends  his  purpose  to  resign  the  Presidency  of  the  company,  and  did 
decline  a  re-election  at  the  approaching  annual  meeting.  In  the  meantime  he 
settled  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  company  and  to  parties  contending,  the  misfor-1 
tune  of  workmen  undermining  an  adjoining  building  while  excavating  for  the 
company's  foundation.  Also  on  a  leave  of  absence  from  college  for  the  fall  of 
'92,  upon  insistence  of  members,  began  the  publication  of  The  Standard.  He 
returned  to  his  college  work  at  the  expiration  of  his  leave  of  absence. 

In  the  summer  of  1893  he  resigned  his  position,  in  Berea  College  to  accept 
the  position  of  Professor  of  Agriculture  to  which  he  had  been  elected  in  the 
State  Normal  School  at  Frankfort,  Ky.  The  following  official  testimonial  was 
received: 

Berea,  Ky.,  October  4.  1893. 
Prof.  J.  S.  Hathaway,  Frankfort,  Ky. 

Dear  Sir  and  Friend: — I  am  authoiizcd  by  the  Faculty  of  Berea  College 
to  express  to  you  their  appreciation  of  you  and  of  your  work,  as  an  instructor 
in  the  college.  For  nine  years,  or  ever  since  your  graduation,  you  have  held  a 
place,  as  one  of  us,  a  fact  which  of  itself  says  much  for  your  efficiency.  One 
seldom  holds  for  so  long  a  time,  immediately  after  graduating,  a  position  in  his 
Alma  Mater.  Since  becoming  a  member  of  the  Faculty  you  nave  rendered  val- 
uable service  by  your  counsel  on  very  many  occasions.  You  have  always  been 
willing  to  do  your  full  share  of  work;  you  have  been  uniformity  courteous  to 
your  associates;  you  have  had  a  prominent  part  in  several  enterprises  for  the 
public  good,  outside  of  your  school  work,  thus  adding  to  the  reputation  of  the 
college. 

As  you  now  withdraw  from  this  particular  work,  and  connect  yourself  with 
another  institution,  we  do  not  feel  that  you  are  far  separated  from  us.  The 
work  which  you  are  now  doing  is  but  another  Dart  of  our  own,  and  we  have  a 
deep  interest  in  its  prosecution.  You  carry  with  you  to  your  new  field  of  labor 
our  wishes  for  your  personal  success  and  prosperity.  We  shall  wotch  your  future 
career  with  interest,  as  we  do  that  of  all  our  alumni;  an  interest  increased  by 
your  long  association  with  us  as  a  fellow  worker. 

L,  V.  Doixje,  Professor  of  Greek, 
For  the  Faculty,  with  added  assurances  of  personal  esslecm. 


President  W.  G.  Frost  later  added  the  following: 
To  Whom  it  May  Concern: 

This  certifies  that  the  bearer,  J.  S.  Hathaway,  is  a  graduate  of  the  classical 
course  of  Reran  College,  and  has  received  the -degree  of  A.  M.  in  course.  For 
some  years  he  was  tutor  in  Latin  and  Mathematics  in  his  Alma  Mater,  and,  as 
instructor,  rendered  satisfactory  service.  In  1893  he  voluntarily  resigned  his 
l«.sitii.n  in  Keren  College  to  accept  a  professorship  in  the  State  Normal  School 
of  Kentucky,  and  upon  his  departure  the  Facility  authorized  a  committee  to  ex- 
press to  him  their  appreciation  of  his  work  in  the  institution.      Mr.  Hathaway  is 


JAMKS  l-\  (.KAY.     I'ngc  :50. 


\.  I>.  KKI.I.Y.     I*:iKi-:<0. 


•    "^ 


Rev.  C.  C.  Vaughn, 

Itiuscllvilte.  Kv. 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  41 

a  man  of  reliable  Christian  diameter,  and  a  gentleman  of  good  natural  abilities, 
as  well  as  of  most  pleasing  manners  and  address.  Faithfully  yours, 

W.M.  GoODELI.  Frost. 
In  bis  present  field  of  labor,  which  lias  larger  opportunities  tban  tliat  at 
Iterea,  be  is  applying  himself  to  the  industrial  development  of  the  raee,  and  has 
instituted  an  annual  conference  of  farmers  for  the  development  of  agricultural 
industry.  This  conference  is  proving  a  beneficial  and  attractive  meeting.  Just 
now  lie  is  engaged  in  raising  money  for  tbc  development  of  t lie  Agricultural 
I  Vpartment,  chief  of  whose  needs  is  a  farm  whereon  scientific  agriculture  may 
lie  encouraged  and  taught. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
Andrew  T.  Paey. 

He  who  moulds  the  brain  moulds  the  nation.  Intellectual  power  is  the 
supreme  motor  in  every  phase  of  life,  be  it  political,  financial  or  social.  Hence, 
it  must  follow  that  be  who  has  the  supremely  eminent  privilege  of  cultivating 
this  God-like  force  from  its  practically  embryonic  stage  to  the  full  develop- 
ment of  man's  estate,  is  one  not  merely  charged  with  a  responsibility  of  the 
profoundest  depth,  but  also  in  the  dignity  of  the  performance  of  bis  work  places 
himself  upon  the  same  platform  of  labor  as  those  engaged  in  the  three  paramount 
professions— preachers,  lawyers  and  doctors.  A  teacher,  then,  is  a  most  respon- 
sible being,  and  as  responsibility  is  the  great  test  of  man's  position  on  this  earth, 
he  can  without  tbc  slightest  qualm  of  conscience  regard  his  work  as  being 
equally  deserving  of  merit  and  honor  as  that  of  the  preacher,  who  teaches 
(  hrist;  of  the  lawyer  who  preaches  justice;  and  of  the  doctor,  who  carries  into 
effect  Christ's  teachings. 

Of  this  band  of  workers  is  Mr.  A  T.  Pasy,  a  name  that  has  become  a 
synonym  of  honorable  report  in  the  community  where  he  is  liest  known.  Born 
in  Lexington  October  20,  1872,  he  was  brought  up  by  pious  parents,  who  early 
inculcated  in  him  the  seeds  of  Christianity.  He  soon  entered  the  public  schools 
and  completed  the  course  with  great  distinction.  Then  be  took  the  regular 
course  at  the  Chandler  Normal  School,  graduating  from  this  well-known  institu- 
tion in  1898,  where  he  is  still  remembered  for  his  marked  assiduity  and  rapid 

assimtllation  of  the  various  subjects  treated. 

Teaching  being  Mr.  Pney's  chosen  calling,  he  quickly  secured  a  situation 
and  taught  in  several  counties  of  Kentucky,  everywhere  proving  himself  master 
of  bis  profession,  and  a  teacher  peculiarly  gifted  with  the  faculty  of  controlling 
and  imparting  knowledge  to  the  young.  He  is  now  the  Principal  of  the  Patter- 
son Street  School  in  Lexington,  and  by  his  splendid  work  has  taken  a  position 
in  alignment  with  the  most  advanced  of  that  city's  educators,  and  as  one  whose 
moral  influence  is  most  powerful,  necessarily,  for  it  is  backed  by  a  character  of 
unflinching  purpose  and  undaunted  courage. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
Benjamin  Franklin. 

Benjamin  Franklin,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  by  his  sterling  qualities  and 
strict  adherence  to  business  principles,  has  built  up  a  character  and  made  for 
himself  a  reputation  of  which  any  man  may  well  be  proud.  In  addition  to  his 
scholarship,  he  is  a  man  of  trials  and  difficulties  the  surmounting  of  which  can 
but  be  an  inspiration  to  rising  generations. 

Mr.  Franklin  was  born  in  slavery  in  the  city  of  Lexington,  Ky.,  May  18, 
1849,  of  a  woman  of  remarkable  force  of  character.  He  is  finely  organized  and 
possesses  unusual  nerve  force,  vitality  and  great  muscular  strength.  His  height 
is  5  feet,  1 1  inches,  and  his  weight  189  pounds.  He  was  9  or  10  years  old  before 
he  was  christened,  at  which  time  he  selected  for  himself  the  name  he  now  bears. 

In  accordance  with  the  feeling  that  freedom  is  a  natural  right,  he  enlisted 
in  the  United  States  Colored  Infantry,  Regiment  119,  Company  B,  February  11, 
1865,  when  a  mere  lad,  with  the  resolute  determination  of  acquiring  freedom  or 
dying  in  the  struggle.  He  was  mustered  out  April  27,  1866.  Returning  to  his 
native  city  a  free  man  he  hired  to  his  former  master  where  his  mother  still 
remained.  Through  nil  his  vicissitudes  in  life  he  always  reverenced  his  mother 
and  took  care  of  her.  She  died  in  his  own  home  July  18,  1888.  He  worked  for 
his  former  master  a  year  or  more,  and  upon  leaving  there  he  went  on  the  river 
as  a  deck  hand  until  1868.  That  year  he  went  with  Mr.  Ncwcomb,  of  Louis- 
ville, who  was  traveling  for  his  health,  to  Liverpool,  Eng.,  and  other  foreign 
cities  and  places  of  interest. 

When  he  returned  from  England  he  went  again  to  steamboating  and  wai 
employed  as  second  engineer  on  the  Lady  Gray,  plying  on  the  Missouri  river. 
Desirous  of  seeing  his  relatives  he  went  home  on  a  visit,  and  while  there  Judge 
George  Robertson,  Chief  Justice  of  Kentucky,  his  former  master,  having  been 
afl'ected  with  a  paralytic  stroke,  took  Franklin  to  Frankfort  to  wait  upon  him 
in  his  affliction.  Judge  Robertson  retained  the  position  of  Chief  Justice  of  the 
Apellate  Court  until  1871.  Mr.  Franklin  says  the  most  memorable  incident  in 
his  life  was  supporting  "old  marse"  at  the  inauguration  of  Governor  I^eslie, 
when  the  venerable  Chief   Justice,  in  a    short    and   painfully  impressive  speech, 


NEG  RO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  4  3 

tendered  his  resignation,  after  having  administered  (lie  oatli  of  office  to  tin 
Governor. 

Between  the  years  of  1871  and  1870,  when  Mr.  Franklin  went  in  business 
for  himself  as  a  barber,  in  I.exington,  occupying  the  same  stand  he  now  holds, 
he  worked  in  Midway,  Ky.,  in  a  brickyard,  in  Ix>uisville  as  a  house  servant, 
and,  lastly,  as  an  attendant  in  the  Negro  Department  of  the  Eastern  Kentucky 
Insane  Asylum. 

Mr.  Franklin  was  married  Septcml>er  18,  1879,  to  Miss  Susan  J  Hritton, 
.laughter  of  Henry  and  Laura  Briilon,  deceased,  old  residents  and  property- 
holders  of  Ix?xington.  His  wife  being  a  modiste  of  more  than  passing  note,  as 
well  as  an  economical  housekee|>er,  has  been  a  great  help  to  him  in  gaining  a 
competency.  He  has  one  of  the  finest  residences,  if  not  the  finest,  in  the  city 
owned  by  a  Negro.  He  is  highly  respected  by  his  neighbors  and  citizens  of 
both  races. 

He  is  n  man  of  considerable  means,  most  of  it  being  in  bank  stock,  and  he 
knows  well  how  to  take  care  of  it.  His  acquisitiveness  is  well  illustrated  in  that 
he  never  overlooks  any  stray  article  in  street  or  house  which  can  be  of  use.  He 
has  a  perfect  curiosity  shop  of  relics,  some  of  which  his  wife  has  wrought  into 
houshold  decorations,  illustrating  this  tendency  of  her  husband  to  make  the 
most  of  odds  and  ends  that  would  I*  neglected  or  left  unnoticed  by  those  less 
thrifty.  The  writer,  l>eing  an  inmate  of  his  home,  is  in  a  position  to  say  much 
more  that  might  be  of  interest  or  benefit  to  others  concerning  the  example  he 
has  set  as  a  beacon  light  to  the  race,  but  lack  of  space  warns  her  to  desist. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 
S.  E.  Smith. 

Among  the  most  energetic,  progressive  and  loyal  men  of  the  race  will  be 
found  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  first  saw  the  light  of  day  in  Barren  county, 
Kentucky,  in  1859.  When  a  mere  lad,  through  the  death  of  his  father,  he  was 
t'irown  on  the  world  to  eke  out  a  living  for  himself  and  widowed  mother. 
Through  close  application  he  early  in  life  mastered  the  common  school  branches 
a  id  turned  his  attention  to  higher  studies.  In  1881  he  entered  the  State  Uni- 
versity at  Louisville,  where  he  afterward  graduated  with  honors. 

When  cpiite  young  he  became  identified  with  every  movement  inaugurated 
for  the  elevation  and  advancement  of  his  race  in  Old  Kentucky.  In  1880  he 
was  a  member  of  a  committee  which  appeared  before  the  Senate  in  Frankfort  in 
behalf  of  just  laws  for  the  Negroes  of  the  State,  where  he  distinguished  himself 
by  delivering  an  able,  scholarly  and  earnest  address  in  their  behalf.  He  has 
mule  for  himself  an  enviable  reputation  as  a  pulpit  orator  and  a  successful 
pastor  and  teacher,  and  occupies  a  prominent  position  among  the  foremost 
Baptist  clergymen  of  the  country.  He  is  a  Trustee  of  the  State  University,  and 
takes  an  active  part  in  educational  matters,  as  well  as  everything  else  that 
pertains  U>  the  elevation  and  advancement  of  his  people    in    the  Slate,  and  few 


-H  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

men  enjoy  such  social  prominence  as  Dr.  .Smith.  He  is  the  present  pastor  of 
the  Fourth  Street  Baptist  Church  of  Owensboro,  nt  which  place  he  has  erected 
a  $30,000  brick  house  of  worship.  He  hns  been  most  active  in  the  fight  against 
the  Separate  Coach  law,  ami  as  a  member  of  the  State  Executive  Committee 
has  had  charge  of  the  arrangements  and  execution  of  the  case. 

Dr.  Smith  enjoys  the  distinction  of  having  been  a  delegate  to  every  National 
Republican  Convention  for  the  past  sixteen  years,  lint  few  Negroes  of  the 
South  have  been  more  active  in  political  matters  than  he.  In  1884  he  was  a 
member  of  the  National  Republican  Convention  at  Chicago  which  nominated 
Blaine  and  Logan.  He  was  a  delegate-at-large  from  Kentucky  to  the  Repub- 
lican National  Convention  at  St.  I  ouis.  He  seconded  the  nomination  of  Henry 
Clay  Krans  for  Vice  President,  lie  was  appointed  a  member  from  the  State-at- 
largc  of  the  Campaign  Advisory  Committee. 

Governor  Bradley  commissioned  Dr.  Smith  to  represent  Kentucky  at  the 
Tennessee  Centennial  Exposition  in  1897.  As  n  worker  he  has  been  conscien- 
tious and  faithful;  as  a  minister,  proficient  and  logical.  He  is  highly  esteemed, 
not  only  by  the  Negroes  of  the  State,  but  numbers  among  his  friends  the  best 
and  most  prominent  white  people  of  Kentucky.  As  a  leader,  a  race  worker, 
and  a  thinker,  he  stands  without  a  superior. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Samuel  James  Wheeler  Spurgeon. 

This  earnest  worker  in  the  Master's  vineyard  was  born  October  25,  1861,  in 
Sullivan  county,  Tennessee.  His  early  education  was  obtained  at  a  district 
school  where  he  learned  to  read,  write  and  cipher.  After  the  smoke  of  the 
Rebellion  had  cleared  away,  and  privileges  had  been  accorded  to  the  Negro 
equal  to  those  of  the  white  race,  especially  in  education,  his  parents  moved  to 
Knoxvillc  in  1870.  There  he  entered  the  public  school  and  remained  until  he 
completed  the  course  of  study  prescribed  by  the  Board  of  Education.  Because 
of  sickness  in  the  family,  and  financial  cmbarassment,  he  was  unable  to  continue 
in  the  day  school,  but,  being  determined  to  "secure  an  education,  he  attended  the 
night  session. 

He  afterward  went  to  work  at  the  Knoxville  Iron  Works  as  water  boy  at 
32  cents  per  day.  Here  he  won  the  confidence  of  his  employers  and  was  pro- 
moted, demonstrating  a  go-ahead  spirit  which,  like  the  stream,  never  stops  but 
Hows  on  and  on  until  it  reaches  its  goal.  Such  was  Iiih  ambition.  The  second 
time  he  was  promoted  to  head  roller,  where  he  continued  to  gain  the  confidence 
of  the  General   Superintendent,  and   his  fellow-workmen.    Ashe  was  an  only 

child  his  family  looked  upon  him  with  great  pride,  and  as  is  natural  for  loving 
parents  they  took  great  interest  in  him,  believing  he  possessed  great  possibilities 
for  good  to  himself  anil  his  race 

Early  in  life  his  father  impressed  the  fact  upon  his  tender  mine!  that  he 
should  improve  his  time  anil  aspire  to    the    work    of    a    faithful    minister.      His 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  45 

love  for  books  hihI  education  grew  ll|HJII  liini  as  natural  as  the  fruit  on  the  tree; 
therefore,  through  the  assistance  of  the  Board  of  Education  lie  entered  Knox- 
ville  College,  beginning  with  the  second  year  of  the  normal  and  scientific  course, 
and  working  night  and  morning  for  Dr.  Tvndeman.  In  1883  he  left,  with  the 
high  esteem  and  regard  of  the  faculty,  for  work  among  his  people  an  a  teacher. 
While  in  college  his  mind  rambled  hack  to  the  time  when  he  wore  a  checked 
linsey  frock.  He  taught  his  first  school  at  Kiverdale,  Tenn.,  continuing  there 
for  three  years.  Then  he  went  to  New  i/ondon,  Mo.,  where  he  taught  a  very 
successful  school.  Returning  to  Tennessee,  he  taught  at  Johnson  City  and  n 
number  of  other  places. 

The  Ix>rd  had  a  higher  calling  for  him  and  that  was  to  preach  the  gos|>el 
of  Jesus  Christ  to  the  world.  This  desire  burned  within  him  until  it  finally 
became  an  unconquerable  flame.  February  22,  18K0,  he  began  to  study  for 
the  ministry,  and  in  1883  he  was  ordained  at  Knoxville  with  the  degree  of  S.  L. 
He  has  served  the  following  charges  with  credit  to  himself  and  to  his  church: 
Chatham,  Va.,  Nashville,  Tenn.,  Xenia  and  Wyoming,  O.  One  of  the  nicest 
buildings  the  Christian  Church  has  in  the  State  of  Ohio  was  erected  under  his 
pastorate.  He  has  served  in  many  instances  as  a  delegate  to  some  of  the  largest 
and  most  worthy  assemblies.  In  1800  he  was  elected  by  the  State  Christian 
Missionary  Society,  of  Ohio,  to  attend  the  General  Convention  of  the  United 
States,  which  assembled  in  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  that  year,  being  the  only  Negro 
delegate  present  on  this  grand  occasion. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  has  traveled  throughout  twelve  States  in  the  last  ten  years 
in  behalf  of  the  race  and  his  church.  As  an  author  he  has  also  been  quite  suc- 
cessful. He  founded  and  edited  the  Christian  Worker,  and  correstmnded  for  a 
number  of  journals.  In  1890  he  went  at  the  call  of  the  Christian  Church  to 
Mt.  Sterling,  where  he  labored  for  six  years,  this  being  the  strongest  and  largest 
church  of  that  denomination  in  Kentucky;  here  he  won  some  of  his  highest 
encomiums  as  a  preacher. 

He  was  also  elected  to  the  Chair  of  Sacred  Literature  in  the  Christian  Bible 
College,  at  New  Castle,  in  1891.  He  has  served  as  President  of  the  State 
Sunday  School  work,  and  is  now  pastor  of  the  Constitution  Street  Christian 
Church,  Lexington;  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Slate  Missionary  Society; 
Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  State  U.  B.  Society;  Contributing 
Editor  of  The  Messenger,  a  Christian  weekly  published  at  Lexington;  and 
(Jrand  Lecturer  of  the  U.  B.  in  Kentucky,  Ix>ng  may  he  live  for  God,  the 
church,  and  his  race. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 
Henry  A.  Tandy. 

Among  Kentucky's  noted  Negroes  there  is  one  whose  reputation  is  not  con- 
fined to  the  narrow  borders  of  its  State  lines.  In  the  year  1865,  when  the  boom 
of  cannon  had  scarcely  died  away,  and  the  lowering  clouds  hung  black  with  the 
smoke  of  ceasing  battle,  a  lad  whose  coming  was  not  heralded  came  unobserved 
among  the  thrifty  sons  of  Ham  in  this  beautiful  Blue  Grass  region  to  cast  his  lot ' 
for  weal  or  woe.  He  was  of  an  intelligent,  honest  countenance  that  soon  won 
for  him  a  legion  of  friends. 

It  was  not  long  till  he  found  employment  in  Mullen's  studio,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  the  photographer's  art  for  two  years.  He  was  not  destined  to  make 
his  fortune  or  build  his  Temple  of  Fame  developing  negatives  upon  plates  of 
gloss.  Nature  had  bestowed  upon  him  a  skillful  hand,  that  should  lay  great 
foundations  with  geometrical  precision,  upon  whose  walls  giant  structures  could 
stand  for  centuries  as  monuments  to  his  genius.  In  1807  he  began  his  career  as 
a  brick  mason  in  the  employment  of  G.  D.  Wilgus,  one  of  the  largest  contractors 
and  builders  in  Central  Kentucky.  Being  an  apt,  shrewd  workman,  it  was  not 
long  until  his  employer  promoted  him  to  the  responsible  position  of  foreman. 
Great  responsibilities  were  thrust  upon  him  but  he  proved  equal  to  the  task  and 
was  recognized  as  a  master  mechanic.  He  continued  in  this  capacity  until  the 
death  of  his  employer  in  1892.  After  which  a  partnership,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Tandy  A  Byrd,  was  formed  with  Mr.  Tandy  as  business  manager,  and 
Mr.  Bvrd,  another  skillful  workman  of  our  race,  as  foreman.  Since  that  time 
this  has  been  the  leading  firm  of  contractors  and  builders  in  Lexington.  In 
everv  business  block,  upon  cverv  thoroughfare,  you  sec  stately  buildings  and 
handsome  residences  built  by  this  firm. 

Mr. Tandy  began  his  career  with  only  a  limited  education,  attending  school 
al  odd  times  when  not  engaged  in  work,  lie  lias  displayed  wonderful  tact  in 
business  affairs  and  is  truly  o  successful  man.  Through  his  indefatigible  efforts 
a  large  force  of  Negro  laborers  have  found  steady  employment,  and  thereby 
obtained  comfortable  homes  for  their  families.  He  has  done  much  good  for 
the  advancement  of  the  race,  and  helped  to  open  the  avenues  of  trade  and 
employment  for  young  men.     Mr.  Tandy  is  prominent  in  both  social  and    relig- 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  47 

inns  circles.  He  married  Miss  Emma  Krice,  nn  estimable  lady  of  this  citv,  in 
June,  1875,  and  lives  in  a  splendid  brick  residence  on  a  prominent  thoroughfare 
in  tbe  western  portion  of  the  city. 

In  secret  fraternities  Mr.  Tandy  is  held  in  high  esteem.  He  is  Deputy 
Grand  Master  of  the  U.  B.  F.  and  S.  M.  T.  of  the  State  of  Kentucky,  nnd  a  Past 
Master  Mason.  Everybody  knows  and  admires  the  genial,  dignified  citizen 
whose  life  is  worthy  of  emulation.  Conscientious  in  all  his  transactions,  his 
life  appeals  to  otir  young  men  to  be  sober,  industrious  and  frugal  — the  essentials 
of  a  successful  life.  Opportunity  came  to  him  and  he  seized  it.  Fortune 
smiled  upon  him  and  he  garnered  in  her  store.  Kever  faltering  in  the  trusts 
bestowed  upon  him,  lie  earnestly  sought  the  highest  accomplishments  in  his 
workmanship,  and  today  reaps  the  reward — success.  The  worthy  are  always 
rewarded,  and  their  labors  arc  not  in  vain.  Such  men  as  our  distinguished 
friend  and  neighbor  are  the  mainsprings  in  the  life  of  a  nation.  Modest  in  all 
"his  ways,  dignified  in  his  manner,  Mr.  Tandy  always  makes  one  feel  at  home  in 
his  presence.  "There  is  nothing  succeeds  like  success."  So  may  this  short 
sketch  of  one  of  our  truly  successful  men  be  an  incentive  to  others  of  our  race, 
to  labor  faithfully,  knowing  that  the  reward  of  industry  is  contentment  and  hap- 
piness. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Peter  Simpson. 

P<tcr  Simpson,  one  of  the  pioneer  Negro  school  teachers  of  Kentucky,  was 
born  in  Clark  county,  near  Winchester,  in  1844.  His  parents  were  slaves,  but 
one  thing  can  be  said  of  them  that  cannot  be  said  of  many  others,  they  lived 
together  sixty  years  nnd  within  a  circle  of  forty  miles.  When  freedom  came  to 
them  it  found  l'eter  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  and  without  money  or  education- 
At  that  time  the  opportunities  for  acquiring  an  education  were  very  limited. 
The  neighboring  school  was  held  but  two  months  in  a  year  and  at  a  season  when 
he  was  at  work,  but  having  a  desire  to  obtain  an  education,  he  divided  his  time 
between  work  and  attending  school.  l'eter  was  soon  able  to  take  his  examina- 
tion, and  he  began  teaching  in  1K74.  He  taught  until  the  year  1878,  meanwhile 
steadily  pursuing  his  studies.  In  this  same  year  he  entered  Iiercu  College.  Not 
having  the  necessary  means  to  remain  there  regularly,  he  was  compelled  to  work, 
teach  and  study  as  opportunity  offered,  until  1882,  at  which  time  he  left  school, 
and  devoted  his  entire  time  to  teaching  until  1  S'.t.'i.  The  total  number  of  years 
Mr.  Simpson  spent  in  instructing  the  youths  of  his  race  was  fourteen,  and  those 
years  were  attended  by  success. 

Many  of  the  school  houses  in  which  Mr.  Simpson  taught  were  built  by  his 
own  exertions,  in  some  instances  even  with  his  own  hands.  Mr.  Simpson's  phe- 
nomenal success  as  a  teacher  can  be  accounted  for  from  the  fact  that  all  of  his 
best  was  in  it,  and  he  taught  from  a  sense  of  duty  and  not  for  the  compensation, 
which  was  for  months  only  the  small  sum  of  twelve  dollars.     He  seemed  to  have 


48 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


been  especially  adapted  to.  teaching,  and  many  prominent  school  principals 
throughout  the  State  can  look  back  to  their  first  lesson  under  Peter  Simpson. 
He  is  now  a  grocer  at  Winchester,  and  is  the  possessor  of  ample  means.  He  is 
a  prominent  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  takes  an  active  part  in  all  pub- 
lic matters,  especially  in  the  interests  of  his  race,  sparing  neither  encrgv  nor 
money  in  their  advocacy.  He  is  highly  esteemed  by  both  whites  a.lJ  blacks, 
and  enjoys  the  confidence  of  the  community  in  which  he  lives. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
Katie  V.  Harden. 

Miss  Kalic  V.  Harden,  daughter  of  Alfred  and  Moleta  Harden,  prominent 
residents  and  property  holders  of  Lexington,  Ky.,  has  taken  foremost  rank 
among  the  busy  workers  in  benefitting  humanity.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  born  in  Lexington,  and  is  the  second  of  eleveu  children  born  to  her  parents. 
She  is  of  a  fine  physique,  possessing  an  expressive  face  with  fair  complexion 
and  large,  tender  eyes;  of  an  amiable,  open  and  frank  disposition,  and  has  the 
strength  of  her  convictions.  There  is  nothing  of  selfishness  in  her  character, 
and  she  is  generous  to  a  fault. 

The  parents  of  Miss  Katie  have  not  been  derelict  in  their  duty  of  properly- 
fitting  her  for  a  life  of  usefulness.  The  culinary  art  and  art  of  house  decoration, 
fancy  work,  etc.,  are  hers  by  adaptation  and  by  practice;  nor  is  she  wanting  in  lit- 
erary taste  and  culture.  Though  not  completing  a  course,  she  was  a  student  at 
IJerea  College  from  1880  to  1887.  She  has  also  traveled  considerably  and  has 
learned  much  therefrom. 

A  desire  to  have  a  hand  in  the  uplifting  of  her  people  possessed  Miss  Katie, 
and  knowing  that  if  rightly  used,  no  other  field  offers  a  wider  scope  for  develop- 
ment than  the  school,  she  selected  teaching  as  her  profession.  Her  first  expe- 
rience was  a  five  months' school  at  Kirksville,  Ky.  Having  joined  the  vast  army 
of  educators,  she  enlisted  on  the  pay  roll  of  the  Lexington  public  schools  in 
1888.  Remaining  loyal  to  her  post  of  duty  she  is  accounted  a  valuable  assistant 
here. 

No  other  young  lady  in  society  is  more  highly  thought  of  nor  entertains 
more  extensively  than  Miss  Kutie,  and  she- knows  well  how  to  entertain — an  ac- 
complishment not  possessed  by  all  young  ladies.  15y  the  mention  of  this  fact  we 
would  not  have  the  reader  form  the  impression  that  she  is  of  that  type  of  a 
society  woman  who  spends  her  time  and  money  foolishly.  To  the  contrary,  she 
\t  frugal  and  industrious,  and  saves  her  earnings.  She  has  a  horse  and  vehicle 
of  her  own,  and  has  lately  purchased  a  lot  in  a  desirable  locality,  upon  which 
she  intends  to  erect  a  house  at  an  early  date. 

Our  subject  is  a  woman  who  keeps  posted  upon  the  current  topics  of  the 
day,  and  lia*  well  formed  opinions  of  her  own.  She  is  a  total  abstainer,  and  has 
served  as  President  of  the  local  \V.  C.  T.  U.,  and  also  leader  of  the  Loyal  Legion 
'or  children.     Bv  virtue  of  her  mother's  connection  with  the  society  controlling 


WILLIAM  T    DIXWIDDIK,  D.  I).  S.— IW  3i 


JOHN   W.  .IKWI'.TT.     Vug? 


I.  L  WILLIAMS*- l,aj?e.(5« 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  49 

the  Ladies'  Hill— a  public  building  purchased  before  emancipation,  the  rentals 
of  which  are  to  be  perpetually  appropriated  to  educational  purposes — she  is  a 
member  of  the  Society. 

In  religious  tenets  Miss  Katie  is  an  Episcopalian,  being  an  active  worker  in 
the  church  and|a  teacher  in  the  Sunday  School.  She  is  a  regular  attendant  at 
services,  devout'in  her  tendencies  and  is  not  drawn  away  from  religious  duties 
by  worldly  attractions.  At  present  she  occupies  the  position  of  Vice-President 
of  the  Orphan  Home  Hoard,  a  charitable  enterprise  lately  organized  which  is 
assuming  large  proportions,  ami  she  is  also  a  member  of  the  Investigating  Com- 
mittee of  the  same  organization.  On  the  whole,  we  are  proud  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  andjtake  pleasure  in  extending  to  her  a  re  than  local  recognition. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
Charles  Haggard. 

There  was  born  to  Howard  and  Sarah  Haggard,  highly  respected  citizens  of 
Covington,  Ky.,  n  son,  who  has  since  borne  the  name  of  Charles.  His  father 
Howard  Haggard,  was  n  prominent  Baptist  minister  and  his  mother  a  consistent 
Christian.  It  is  surely  somewhat  due  to  this  guiding  influence  that  we  may 
attribute  the'manly  piety  and  gentlemanly  bearingof  their  son.  The  rearing  of 
Young  Haggard  was  perhaps  the  same  ns  that  of  many  others  of  his  race 
The  poverty  oflparenLs  necessitated  bis  doing  odd  jobs  to  keep  himself  from 
want  while  attending  school.  His  ambition,  however,  was  not  of  so  mild  a 
nature  as  to  permit  such  obstacles  to  thwart  it,  and  he  completed  his  education 
after  years  of  close  application  to  study. 

Mr.  Charles  Haggard  graduated  from  the  William  Grant  High  School  of 
which  Prof.  S.  H.  Singer  was  principal  in  18!)0,  being  the  only  one  of  thirty 
pupils  originally  belonging  to  the  class.  This  speaks  well  for  the  push  and 
energy  of  the  young  man.  After  leaving  school  he  entered  the  service  of  Mr. 
Jacob  Price,  a  successful  lumber  dealer  in  Covington,  as  a  factotum,  which 
position  he  retained  for  several  months,  leaving  to  accept  what  be  thought  to 
be  a  belter  one,  an  occupation  in  which  he  saw  an  opportunity  to  learn  a  trade 
with  the  Cincinnati  Drug  and  Chemical  Company.  While  thus  engaged  he 
learned  much  about  the  business  and  was  satisfied  with  his  progress,  but 
the  pressing  necdjof  a  widowed  mother  forced  him  to  seek  a  more  immediately 
lucrative  means  of  making  a  livlihood  for  the  family. 

He  secured  a  school  in  Boone  county  which  he  taught  successfully  for  five 
months.  He  then  served  as  porter  on  a  Pullman  car  where  he  was  when  ten- 
dered his  present  position  in  the  William  Grant  High  School.  He  is  building 
up  a  reputation  as  a  teacher.  His  manner  is  gentle,  his  explanations  lucid, 
his  method  of  imparting  information  to  pupils  unicpie,  and  he  possesses  other 
qualifications  necessary  to  become  one  of  the'foremosl  men  of  his  profession. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
William  H.  Perry. 

„rof.  William  II.  Perry,  Principal  of  the  Western  School  of  Louisville, 
llie  largest  Negro  public  scliool  in  the  world,  is  unquestionably  one  of  the 
orightesi  lights  in  the  educational  field  of  America.  This  is  putting  it  strongly 
but  advisedly,  and  such  an  opinion  is  amply  justified  by  the  high  esteem  in 
which  he  is  held  by  the  foremost  educators  of  the  Falls  City  and  the  Old  Com- 
monwealth, and  by  the  respect  with  which  he  is  regarded  in  many  other  States 
of  this  Union.  Prof.  Perry  is  a  man  of  great  versatility,  a  profound  student,  an 
upright  Christian,  and  an  honorable,  dignified,  courteous  gentleman.  Since  his 
entrance  into  public  life  he  has  been  active,  and  has  been  elevated  to  many  and 
varied  positions  by  his  fellow-citizens,  proving  true  to  every  trust.  He  has 
written  a  number  of  very  creditable  poems, and  is  one  of  the  young  giants  of  the 
race,  whose  progress  has  been  both  rapid  and  surprising. 

Prof.  Perry  was  born  at  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  March  5,  1860,  and  comes  from 
good  old  Virginia  and  Kentucky  stock,  his  mother,  Mrs.  Anna  Perry  Anderson, 
being  a  Virgianian,  and  his  father,  Charles  Perry,  Esq.,  a  Kenluckiun.  After 
yoiuig  Pern'  had  finished  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Indiana  his 
parents  moved  to  Louisville  where  he  matriculated  in  the  High  School,  then  in 
charge  of  I'rof.  J.  M.  Maxwell,  and  in  due  time  graduated  with  distinction. 
Subsequently  he  successfully  stood  the  examination  for  teacher,  and  being  under 
age  the  School  Board  suspended  the  rule  governing  such  cases,  permitting  him 
U\  enter  the  work  lie  has  done  so  much  to  dignify  and  honor. 

In  1877  he  entered  the  Western  School,  and  taught  from  1878  until  1881  in 
the  Central  High  School,  having  charge  of  the  advanced  clnss.  In  1881  he  was 
elevated  to  the  position  of  Principal  of  the  Eastern  School,  which  place  he  held 
until  18!U,  when  he  was  transferred  to  a  like  position  in  the  Western  School. 
J-'or  years  be  had  charge  of  the  Eastern  and  Western  Nigh  I  Schools,  anil  has  the 
honor  of  being  the  first  representative  chosen  by  the  Alumni  Society  to  deliver 
the  alumni  address.  Me  was  President  of  the  Louisville  Teachers'  Association 
for  several  years;  President  of  the  State  Teachers'  Association;  first  President 
of  the  Alumni  Society  of  the  High  School;  Vice  President,  and  Secretary,  of 
the  Orphans'  Home  of  Ljuisville;     and  (iranil  Secretary  of  the  Grand    Chapter 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  51 

of  Kentucky  Royal  Arch  Masons.  At  present  lie  is  Organizer  and  Director  <>f 
the  Alumni  Choral  Club;  Most  Eminent  Grand  Commander  of  the  Knights 
Templar  of  Kentucky,  and  :i  Thirty-third  Degree  Scottish  Rite  Mason  (Deputy 
for  the  Valley  of  Kentucky  I. 

In  order  to  better  acquaint  himself  with  the  science  of  government  he  took 
lip  the  study  of  law.  graduating  as  valedictorian  from  the  Central  Law  School, 
with  the  degree  of  LL.lt.  During  the  Presidency  of  Dr.  J.  II.  (iamett,  the  State 
University  conferred  on  Mr.  Perry  the  degree  of  A.M.  He  has  a  sound  and 
solid  business  education,  completing  a  s|iccuil  course  in  the  Commercial  College 
of  Terre  Haute;  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  Chautauqua  Literary  and  Scientific 
Circle,  Class  of  1893.  Aiming  at  thorough  anil  broad  scholarship  he  has  studied 
under  sonic  of  the  leading  educators  of  the  country,  making  a  specialty  of 
scientific  teaching.  In  this  connection  be  has  visited  and  studied  at  Martha's 
Vineyard,  Mass  ,  and  Chautauqua,  N.  Y.  I'rof.  Perry  read  an  original  poem  nt 
the  dedication  of  the  State  Normal  School  at  Frankfort.  He  was  chosen  orator 
by  the  Templars'  Grand  Conimandery  at  Terre  Haute  in  August,  18!l">,  ami  his 
address,  "Knighthood  Among  the  'Colored'  Race,"  was  eloquent  and  scholarly 
and  widely  and  favorably  commented  upon  by  the  press.  He  takes  great  interest 
in  charitable  work,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Hoard  of  Directors  of  the  Odd 
Fellows'  Home  at  Louisville. 

It  has  been  truthfully  said  that  all  great  men  have  e,r,?at  mothers.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  owes  much  of  his  achievement  to  bis  cultivated  and 
scholarly  mother,  Mrs.  Anna  Perry  Anderson.  Mrs.  Anderson  was  formerly 
a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Louisville,  and  is  a  woman  of  varied  gifts  and 
scholarly  attainments.  She  was  a  hard  student  and  is  proud  of  the  advancement 
of  her  distinguished  son.  Prof.  Perry  is  happily  married,  his  wife  having 
been  Miss  Anna  Augusta  Ridley,  of  Nashville,  Tcnn.  She  was  educated  at 
Fisk  University,  studied  music  under  the  leading  instructors,  and  at  the  time  of 
her  marriage  was  engaged  in  educational  work.  She  is  a  singer  of  note,  as  n 
legion  of  listeners  can  attest.  She  comes  of  one  of  the  leading  families  of  the 
Tennessee  capital,  and  is  truly  a  helpmeet  to  her  husband.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Perry 
are  the  proud  and  doting  parents  of  a  sprightly  young  American,  William  II. 
Perry,  Jr,  and  the  friends  of  the  family  prophesy  that  he  will  walk  in  the  foot- 
steps of  his  distinguished  father. 

The  home  of  the  Perrys  is  the  center  of  refinement  and  culture,  and  all  who 
enter  there  are  soon  at  case.  So  worthy  is  the  hostess  that  much  of  her  husband's 
popularity  is  due  to  her  genius  for  making  friends  and  directing  It  flairs.  Their 
marriage  at  Chicago  in  18(13  was  a  social  event  and  marked  attention  was  ^iven 
it  by  the  leading  daily  papers  of  Louisville  and  Chicago,  as  the  following  extract 
from  the  Courier  Journal  will  show: 

Prof.  Perry  seems  to  be  as  familiar  with  law,  medicine,  music,  theology, 
metaphysics  and  psychology  as  he  is  with  the  great  current  questions  of  the 
day.  He  is  also  a  student  of  the  English  classics,  and  is  an  orator  of  much 
power  an  eloquence.  Several  of  his  addresses  and  discourses  have  attracted 
considerable  attention.  "Our  Possibilities,"  an  oration  delivered  before  the 
Literary  Society  of  tbcQuinn  Chapel  A.  M.  E.  Church  a  great  while  ugo,  singled 
him  out  as  a    young   man    of   uncommon    attainments.     This   was    followed  bv 


52  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

"Noble  Ideals,"  an  address  before  tin- graduating  class  of  the  Academic  Depart- 
ment of  tlie  State  University,  an  effort  which  stamped  him  as  an  advanced 
thinker.  "Duties  of  the  Hour,"  u  discourse  delivered  before  the  Sunday  School 
Convention  at  Terre  Haute  was  Commented  upon  extensively  and  published 
in  full  by  the  leading  papers  of  Indiana.  With  a  commanding  figure  and  a 
voice  fully  under  control,  he  is  an  immediate  passport  to  the  good  will  of  any 
audience. 

J  le  has  found  lime  outside  of  his  onerous  duties  and  studies  to  devote  to 
literature  and  journalism,  and  his  contributions  to  the  current  literature  of  the 
day  mark  him  as  a  writer  of  su|ierb  ability  anil  grace.  His  graphic  sketch  and 
brilliant  pen-pictures  of  the  National  Press  Convention,  when  it  met  in  Louis- 
ville,  were  hailed  with  admiration  and  delight  all  over  the  country,  and  distin- 
guished him  as  a  journalist  of  remarkable  powers.  An  article  from  his  pen  in 
the  Christian  Index,  on  "The  Negro  as  a  Lawyer,"  haslieen  widely  and  favorably 
commented  on  I'rof.  Perry's  tendencies  have  always  been  toward  literature. 
It  was  the  dream  of  his  boyhood,  and  has  called  forth  some  of  the  best  and 
nohlest  energies  of  his  later  years. 

Kut  it  is  as  a  poet  that  he  reaches  his  climax  and  is  hest  known  in  local 
literature,  lie  is  not  a  rhynistcr  nor  n  mere  sounder  of  words,  hut  a  natural 
poet  of  aver}'  high  order  of  genius.  His  productions,  while  they  bear  the 
impress  of  scholarship  and  thought,  are  free  from  the  savor  of  pedantry,  and 
breathe  the  passion  and  file  of  the  Sunny  South.  There  is  a  kind  of  reserved 
force  about  his  poems  which  impresses  the  reader  that  there  is  something  greater 
in  the  man.  lie  has  the  happy  faculty  of  adapting  himself  to  occasions.  He 
seems  never  to  attempt  a  subject  out  of  his  reach,  and,  once  he  has  chosen  one, 
handles  it  in  such  a  manner  as  to  commend  it  to  the  masses  as  well  as  the  edu- 
cated and  refined.  His  expressions  are  the  spontaneous  outbursts  of  nature  and 
inspiration  and  are  never  commonplace  He  bear*  out  this  statement  when  he 
says  in  the  Indianapolis  World,  in  "Triumphs  of  Right:" 

The  night  is  past  and  hope's  inspiring  rays 
Disjiel  the  gloom,  revealing  better  days; 
We  must  not  let  them  pass  in  idle  dreaming; 
Ix't  us  awake,  all  we  have  lost  redeeming!" 

And  again,  when  hesa's  in  "Retrospection:" 

Whale'er  of  loss  or  gain  the  years  contain, 
Accept  this  truth  by  wise  experience  taught, 
That  every  life  is  with  sonic  misery  fraught; 
And  we  ourselves  successful  way  can  hew, 
If  each  will  to  his  highest  self  prove  true 

And  scorn  ignoble  ends  with  proud  disdain. 

With  the  foregoing  tribute  of  praise  from  the  greatest  newspaper  in  the 
South  this  record  of  an  educator  and  a  gentleman,  that   will    bear   scrutiny  and 

( pari  "On  with  any,  is  brought    to    a    close.     It    may  here  be    added    that    he 

always  takes  great  interest  in  the  work  and  progress  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  United 
Brothers  of  Friendship,  and  other  secret  societies,  to  which  he  belongs.  His 
articles  for  the  press  cover  a  wide  range  of  subjects,  and  they  stamp  him  as  a 
trenchant  and  brilliant  writer.  That  on  "The  Negro  as  a  Lawyer,"  already 
referred  to,  has  attracted  widespread  attention  as  a  manly  and  eloquent  defense 
of  the  Negro  bar,  and  an  accurate  statement  of  what  the  Negro  lawyer  has 
accomplished  for  his  race.  I'rof.  Perry  is  yet  a  young  man  and,  with  energy 
unabated  and  talent  undiinmed,  his  best  is  vet  to  come. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

Albert  S.  White. 

Albert  S.  White,  Use,.,  one  of  the  most  ableNegro  lawyers  in  Kentucky,  was 

born   nLou«V,llein    868.     His  earlier  education  was   received    in    U,e  public 

schools of  his  native  city      He  afterward  entered   the   Normal    Department   of 

r  ;n  M-  "T"?  ""  ?radUa,ed  Wi"'  distinc«S°»-  Having  n  natural  taste 
for  good  literature  he  read  extensively,  stored  his  mind  with  useful  and  varied 
nformauon,  and  particularly  delighted  in  the  masterpieces  of  oratory,  both 
ancient  and  modern,  that  have  ever  been  the  guide  and  inspiration   of  cultured 

Fired  with  an  ambition  to  realize  his  cherished  dreams  of  usefulness  in  the 
worlds  great  field  of  battle,  and  wishing  to  perfect  himself  in  the  noble  pro- 
fess.on  of  „w  he  sought  the  advantage  of  the  famous  Howard  University  Law 
School  „f  \\  ash.ngton,  D.  C.  Prior  to  entrance  thereto,  he  pursued  a  course  in 
mathematics  and  languages  under  private  tutors.  He  matriculated  in  1889  and 
graduated  >n  189]  with  honor.  He/using  several  lucrative  oilers  to  locate  else- 
wbere  he  returned  to  Louisville,  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  entered  upon  his 
career  w  Inch  has  been  from  the  first  singularly  successful.  The  legal  profusion 
>s  one  in  winch  ennnence  is  attained  only  by  ability  and  unremitting  toil 

furthermore,  the  Negro  lawyer,  it  has  been  argued,  is  doomed  to  failure 
on  account  of  white  competitors  and  the  lack  of  patronage  of  his  own  people. 
The  career  of  Lawyer  White  demonstrates  that  the  power  to  deal  with  intricate 
legal  questions,  snot  the  exlusive  privilege  of  any  one  race,  and  that  success 
will  crown  the  efforts  of  the  Negro  lawyer  who  possesses  character,  training  and 
energy  Mr.  White  has  been  sworn  in  the  Court  of  Appeals  and  the  United 
Mates  Courts  and  has  handled  many  important  criminal  and  civil  cases  The 
■  ".crests  of  his  clients  never  suffer  in  his  bands.  He  prepares  himself  with  the 
"t.nost  care,  has  a  pleasing  and  impressive  manner  of  address,  and  never  fails 
to  make  the  strongest  possible  presentation  to  a  judge  and  jury.  In  a  recent 
criminal  case   he  called  particular  attention  to    himself  bv   his  skillful  manage- 

c^m  wr  ;'Ka'nSl  grCat  °<l,iS'  ln  "'hiCl'  ^  h"ng  "'rt'e  j"rieS  an'1  s"ve<l    lli3 
As  a  journalist  -Mr.  White   has   written    extensively    and    acceptably,     lie 


54 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


convs|Mnnle<l  fur  the  Louisville  Commercial  and  Courier  Journal,  anil  while 
in  Washington  was  a  constant  contributor  to  the  leading  newspapers  published 
in  the  National  Capital.  In  this  way  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  form  the 
acquaintance  of  the  great  thinkers  of  this  country.  He  has  also  l>een  an  editor 
of  several  papers  and  proved  himself  a  versatile  and  effective  writer. 

lie  is  an  eloquent  speaker  and  his  services  have  been  in  demand  on  the 
lecture  platform  and  on  the  stump.  He  ha-s  been  heard  by  delighted  audiences 
on  the  following  subjects:  "The  North  and  South,"  "Our  Friends  Living  and 
Dead,"  "Bloodless  Victories,"  "Truth  Conquers,"  "Woman  Suflrage,"  "The 
Constitution  and  the  Negro,"  and  "The  Race  Problem  Solved."  His  wide  range 
of  reading,  his  elegant  ami  forcible  style  of  expression,  and  his  earnestness,  unite 
to  make  him  at  all  times  interesting  and  instructive. 

In  the  Presidential  campaign  of  189G  Mr.  White  was  honored  by  being 
called  into  the  field  in  the  interest  of  sound  money  and  good  government  and 
lie  did  yeoman  service.  His  logical  and  masterly  discussion  of  the  tariff  and 
money  questions  stani|>ed  him  as  a  great  orator  and  a  thorough  student  of 
political  economy.  He  was  heard  not  only  in  his  own  State,  Kentucky,  but 
also  in  Indiana,  and  his  s|>eeclies  elicited  favorable  comment  both  for  their 
matter  and  the  manner  of  treatment. 

Mr.  White's  father  was  with  Sherman  in  his  famous  March  to  the  Sea,  and 
in  consequence  the  son  is  interested  in  all  that  concerns  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Sons  of  Veterans,  being  Captain  of  the  B. 
F.  l'orter  Camp,  and  a  meml>er  of  the  I'nited  Brothers  of  Friendship  and  Odd 
Fellows.  He  is  at  present  Secretary  and  Agent  of  the  Consolidated  Lodges  of 
the  Orand  I'nited  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  consisting  of  twelve  incorporated 
Ixxlges  and  900  members,  and  he  is  now  serving  his  third  term.  He  is  also 
Dean  of  the  Central  Law  School.  As  lawyer,  orator,  journalist,  and  genuine 
lover  of  his  race,  Mr.  White  has  manifested  such  ability  and  foresight  as  made 
him  a  credit  to  his  race,  a  positive  factor  for  good  in  his  city  and  State,  and  a 
striking  example  of  the  proof  of  the  immortal  couplet: 

"'Honor  and  fame  from  no  condition  rise, 
Act  well  your  part,  there  all  the  honor  lies." 

His  parents,  Albert  and  Jane  White,  were  poor  but  respectable  people  and 
gave  him  good  Christian  example  and  what  financial  aid  they  could.  Believing 
that  "Providence  helps  those  who  help  themselves,"  he  has  struggled  onward 
despite  discouragements,  working  in  season  and  out  of  season,  studying  day  and 
night.     1/ongft-llow  wrote  for  his  encouragement  the  beautiful  gem: 

"The  heights  bv  great  men  reached  and  kept 
Were  not  attained  by  sudden  flight, 
Rill  they,  while  their  companions  slept, 
Were  toiling  upward  in  the  nijfllt." 


The 


with  wh 


Ltwyer  While  has  been  endorsed  and  supported 
for  the  responsible  |msition  of  I'nited  States  Minister  to  Liberia  is  a  fitting  illus- 
tration of  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  by  those  who  know  him  best   and 

a  sure  distinction   that   his  life  has  been  fashioned  after  a  loftv  ideal.    As  has 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  55 

well  been  said  of  him,  "By  moral  worth,  intellectual  capacity  and  manhood  lie 
has  risen,  and  Kentucky  is  not  ashamed  to  present  him  ns  her  favorite  son  for 
this  high  |iost." 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Fifth  Street  Baptist  Church  of  Louisville,  one  of  the 
most  prominent  in  the  city.  His  life  is  in  harmony  with  his  profession  of  the 
Christian  religion.  He  is  l.mad  and  charitable  in  his  views  and  by  his  exem- 
plary life  has  won  for  himself  and  the  profession  of  law  the  confidence  of  all 
who  know  him  in  a  personal  or  business  relation.  It  has  not  been  the  general 
belief  that  one  could  pursue  the  practice  of  Jaw  and  follow  the  precepts  of  the 
gentle  Nazarenc.  Mr.  White's  excellent  record  has  demonstrated  beyond  all 
doubt  that  one  is  not  forced  to  desert  the  principles  of  the  Chistian  faith  in 
order  to  be  a  star  in  the  legal  fraternity,  and  this  object  lesson  has  been  a  whole- 
some one  for  the  Louisville  public. 

Mr.  White  is  happily  married  and  has  two  charming  little  daughters., 
His  wife,  formerly  Miss  Mattie  Seals,  a  native  of  Clarksvillc,  Tenn,  is  a  grad- 
uate of  Fisk  University.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Kcv.  George  W.  Seals,  the  well- 
known  Baptist  clergyman  of  Tennessee,  and  is  a  woman  of  fine  ability,  who  has 
proved  an  invaluable  aid  to  her  husband  at  every  part  of  his  interesting  career. 
Surrounded  as  he  is  by  helpful  domestic  influences,  ambitious  and  capable  of 
doing  great  good  for  his  people  and  his  country,  he  will,  we  feel  assured,  realize 
in  the  future  all  the  expectations  of  his  many  friends. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 
William  Henry  Ballard. 

Among  the  picturesque  scenes  of  Franklin  county,  Kentucky,  with  its 
rugged  cliffs  overhanging  the  placid  waters  of  the  Kentucky  river,  was  born  to 
Dowan  and  Matilda.Ballard,  October  31,  1802,  a  son  whom  they  called  William 
Henry,  one  of  the  most  interesting  characters  in  this  collection. 

His  parents  l>eing  industrious  and  energetic  people,  and  seeing  that  a  liberal 
education  was  essential  to  success  in  life,  moved  to  Louisville  in  1870,  where 
their  son  could  receive  better  intellectual  training.  He  was  placed  under  the 
guidance  of  a  private  tutor  and  remnined  under  his  instruction  until  the  open- 
ing of  the  public  schools  in  187U.  His  progress  was  rapid;  he  look  advantageof 
every  opportunity  to  improve  himself.  After  seven  years  of  faithful  applica- 
tion to  his  studies  he  graduated  from  the  Louisville  High  School. 

Not  content  with  the  preparation  he  had  received,  which  was  far  alsive  that 
of  many  youths,  Mr.  Ballard's  desire  for  higher  accomplishments  and  his  spirit 
of  original  investigation,  prompted  him  to  matriculate  at  Roger  Williams  Uni- 
versity, where  he'pursued  a  special  course  in  science  and  languages,  completing 
it  in  1884.  While  at  Roger  Williams  University  Mr.  Ballard  began  the  work 
of  teaching.  He,  like  many  others  who  were  striving  to  be  a  credit  to  their 
race  and  iinccslry.UaughtJiitfhe  common  school  districts  of  Tennessee  and  Ken- 


50 


K EXTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


lucky  during  the  glimmer,  and  pursued  his  studios  at  the  University  during  the 
Winter.  The  next  step  in  the  upward  progress  (if  Mr.  Ballard  was  his  election 
to  the  principalship  of  the  schools  of  MnytU-ld,  Graves  county,  Kentucky,  where 
he  served  with  satisfaction  for  some  time.  His  success  as  a  teacher  is  shown  by 
the  great  number  of  ambitious  young  men  and  women  now  employed  in  the 
schools  of  southwestern  Kentucky,  nmnv  of  whom  were  under  his  immediate 
charge.  This  also  shows  that  the  fourteen  years  spent  in  the  school  room  were 
characterized  by  conscientious  and  painstaking  study. 

In  1890  he  entered  Northwestern  University  at  Chicago,  111.,  for  the  ptir- 
jMise  of  studying  Pharmacy,  from  which  he  graduated  in  ]8!>2,  receiving  honor- 
able mention.  Shortly  after  graduating  from  Northwestern  University  Dr. 
Ballard  was  united  in  matrimony  to  Miss  Hessie  Brady,  one  of  the  most  esti- 
mable young  women  of  Nashville,  Tenn.,  a  teacher  in  Meigs'  High  School,  a 
woman  beloved  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  her. 

Dr.  Ballard  located  in  Lexington,  February,  1803,  opening  the  first  Phar- 
macy owned  and  controlled  by  Negroes  in  the  history  of  the  State.  The  firm 
name  was  Ballard  &  Nelson.  Mr.  James  E.  Nelson,  however,  remained  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  but  two  years.  Since  the  dissolution  of  the  firm  Dr.  Ballard  has 
successfully  conducted  the  business  nlonc.  He  has  an  interesting  family,  con- 
sisting of  a  wife  nnd  three  sons,  to  whom  he  gives  all  care  and  devotion. 

He  is  doing  a  thriving  business  and  enjoys  the  respect  of  all  citizens  of  the 
city  of  Lexington,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Drug  Association,  the  only  Negro  in 
the  State  who  has  been  so  honored.  He  has  the  confidence  of  all  his  acquaint- 
ances and  has  been  highly  honored  by  the  many  fraternal  orders  to  which  he 
belongs.  He  is  Past  Chancellor  of  the  K.  of  P.;  Treasurer  of  the  U.  B.  F.,  and 
lias  the  distinction  of  being  a  polished,  capable  and  conservative  business  man. 
Dr.  \V.  H.  Ballard  exemplifies  what  a  man  of  strong  character  ami  indomitable 
courage  may  do.     He  is  worthy  of  emulation. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 
Clifton  Blackburn  Prewitt. 

Possibly  no  Negro  in  the  Commonwealth  of  Kentucky  has  had  a  more  suc- 
cessful career  than  this  gentleman.  For  straight  forwardness,  downright  honesty, 
|>ersonal  honor,  integrity  and  business  astuteness.  Clifton  B.  Prewitt  is  a  splendid 
-example,  and  his  remarkable  success  as  a  business  man  evidences  the  ability  of 
the  Negro  to  excel  in  his  peculiar  field  of  labor,  whatever  it  may  be.  While 
it  is  true  that  the  race  needs  and  must  have  teachers,  lawyers  and  physicians,  it 
in  equally  true  that  one  of  its  greatest  needs  is  business  men,  mechanics  and 
skilled  artisans,  who  by  reason  of  their  capability  and  indomitable  self-persever- 
ance will  oblain  respect  and  recognition  in  the  Commercial  world. 

Clifton  I!.  Prewitt,  whom  we  arc  proud  to  record  as  one  of  the  prominent 
business  men  of  the  nice,  was  born  in  Scott  county,  Kentucky,  July  4, 18'JG.  His 
parents  were  slaves,  and  so  was  he'until  freed  by'LineoIn'sll'roclaination.     Up 


'*.'       •    !•  iw. 


JOKIHI.N   <   \KI.ISI.K  JACKSON.     I\ 


1'i.or.  .iami.s  s.  iiatiiaway.    i>w 


JfKNJAMIN   li;  AN  KLIN.   -I'ap-  4-j 


S.  K.  SMITH.— I'src  43. 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  57 

to  the  age  of  37  Mr.  Prewitt  recived  no  scliooling.  He  lias,  however,  succeeded 
in  gaining:  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  "three  K's,"  rending,  'riting  and 'rithinetic. 
Soon  after  the  Civil  War  Mr.  Prewitt  hired  himself  out,  working  for  two  years 
for  one  hundred  dollars.  The  third  year  he  took  a  farm  and  worked  it  on 
shares.  The  fourth  year  he  again  hired  himself  out,  for  four  hundred  dollars. 
At  the  end  of  the  last  year  he  concluded  to  farm  for  himself,  having  purchased 
n  few  acres  of  land  during  the  time  he  was  hired  out.  He  soon  began  farming  on 
a  large  scale,  raising  wheat  and  hemp  principally. 

At  the  end  of  eighteen  years  Mr.  Prewitt,  having  accumulated  considerable 
money,  decided  to  go  into  the  real  estate  business  Believing  that  in  order  to 
make  money  one  must  spend  money,  he  advertised  his  money  and  plunged  into 
the  speculative  market  generally,  measuring  arms  at  every  turn  with  his  white 
competitors.  He  bought  and  sold  for  prominent  speculators  both  in  and  out  of 
the  State,  while  at  the  same  time  his  personal  investments  grew  lo  enormous 
proportions,  owing  at  different  times  more  than  twenty  houses  and  lots  in  the 
most  prominent  parts  of  Georgetown.  He  now  owns  six  of  the  finest  residences 
in  that  city,  three  of  them  being  rented  out  to  and  occupied  by  prominent  white 
families. 

Mr.  Prewitt  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Georgetown  Electric  Street  Kailway  and 
in  the  City  Ice  Factory.  Although  he  has  confined  himself  strictly  lo  business 
and  has  taken  no  active  part  in  politics,  he  has  ever  been  on  the  alert  whenever 
the  political  interest  of  his  race  was  at  stake.  He  is  an  intense  race  man,  very 
cautious  and  careful  in  business  dealings,  and  is  a  good  object  lesson  to  the  i 
younger  generation  how  to  earn  and  invest  money. 

His  name  is  the  synonym  for  honesty  and  integrity,  and  he  will  walk  as  far 
to  pay  a  debt  as  to  collect  one.  He  is  highly  esteemed  by  the  people  of  Scott 
county,  irrespective  of  color  or  political  affiliation,  for  they  know  his  word  to 
I >e  as  good  as  his  bond.  The  time-honored  maxim,  "An  honest  man  is  the 
noblest  work  of  God,"  applies  as  aptly  to  the  Negro  nice  as  to  the  much-vaunted 
Caucasian.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  for  fifty-five 
years  and  deacon  for  thirty  years,  and  is  a  liberal  contributor  to  the  cause  of 
the  Christian  religion. 

Mr.  Prewitt  was  married  fifty-one  years  ago  to  Miss  Harriet  Fauntroy,  who 
has  been  a  faithful  and  devoted  wife  through  all  that  long  golden  wedding  era. 
Only  two  of  their  fourteen  children  arc  living,  one  of  whom,  Martha,  the  wife 
of  W.  I).  Johnson,  editor  of  the  Lexington  Standard,  and  the  other,  Parthenia, 
the  wife  of  Charles  M.  Hunt,  a  well-known  coal  dealer  in  Chicago.  Mr.  Prewitt 
is  now  in  the  evening  of  a  well-spent  life  and  it  is  hoped  that  his  remaining 
years  will  be  blessed  with  that  peace  which  the  woild  cannot  give  and  which 
the  world  cannot  take  away. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
Hatthew  A.  Johnson. 

The  Methodist  Episcopnl  church  has  in  it  no  ahler  preacher  than  the  gen- 
tleman whose  name  heads  this  sketch,  and  the  church  has  recognized  his  merit 
and  ability  in  all  the  important  offices  which  he  has  been  called  to  fill. 

Matthew  S.  Johnson  was  born  of  slave  parents  in  Shelby  county,  Kentucky, 
Januarv,  1847.  His  mother  being  a  strict  Christian,  she  brought  him  up  in  the 
fear  and  admonition  of  the  Ix>rd.  During  his  earlier  life  he  was  not  permitted 
to  enjoy  the  advantages  of  training  in  schools.  Nevertheless,  he  managed  to 
acquire  some  knowledge  of  books,  which  only  increased  his  appetite  for  more 
and  better  qualifications  for  the  future  life  which  seemed  to  offer  him  special 
inducements  and  advantages.  Whenever  an  opportunity  presented  itself,  he 
secured  private  instruction,  and  thus  acquired  quite  a  respectable  standing  among 
his  people.  In  1864  he  enlisted  in  the  service  of  his  country,  and  continued 
until  the  close  of  the  late  civil  war,  when  he  was  honorably  mustered  out  of  the 
service. 

He  attended  school  for  a  short  time  at  Rock  Island,  III.,  and  subsequently 
returned  to  Kentucky,  his  native  State,  where  in  1874  he  was  happily  converted. 
Believing  that  he  was  divinely  called  to  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry,  he 
applied  for  and  received  license  to  exhort  and  preach.  In  1876  he  wasadmitted 
in  the  Ix;xington  Conference;  ordained  deacon  in  1878,  and  elder  in  1880.  His 
ap|K>intments  were  Chaplin,  Camp  Hranch,  Brunerstown,  Terre  Haute,  Ind., 
Concererille,  Ind.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Rockport,  Ind.,  Winchester,  Ky.,  and 
Cincinnati,  O.,  in  all  of  which  he  was  a  faithful  and  painstaking  pastor. 

In  18!)2  he  was  appointed  by  Bishop  Walden  to  succeed  Rev.  K.  W.  S. 
Hammond  as  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Ohio  District,  the  latter  having  been  elected 
editor  of  the  church  organ.  The  subsequent  career  of  Rev.  Johnson  has  fully 
justified  the  wisdom  of  his  appointment,  the  district  being  today  far  in  advar 
of  any  year  of  its  history.  The  writer  is  especially  glad  to  record  his  confidence 
in  the  ability  and  loyal  devotion  of  Rev.  Johnson  to  every  interest  of  the  great 
church  committed  to  his  cere.  Morn  of  Methodist  parents  and  trained  up  in 
the  Methodist  church  makes  him  a  Methodist  of  the  Kentucky  kind. 

lie  has  a  most  charming  wife,  the  (laughter  of  Rev.  Marcus  McCoomer,  one 


[ 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  59 

of  (he  pioneers  of  the  Conference,  who  shares  his  toils,  rejoices  in  his  triumphs, 
wins  iind  holds  friendships,  and  with  sweet  voice  "cheers  the  wear.-  trawler." 
The  Negro  race  lias  staunch  and  ardent  advocates  of  its  interests  in  Matthew  S. 
Johnson  and  his  excellent  wife.  Rev.  Johnson  is  certainly  deserving  of  all  he 
has  rea|>ed  boj.'-,  in  the  church  and  out  of  it,  for  he  is  a  strong,  capable  and 
earnest  man  and  a  true  friend  to  progress,  and  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  his 
life  is  devoted  entirely  to  the  ministry,  he  would  he  an  excellent  representative 
in  the  legislative  halls  of  the  country.  It  is  such  noble  lives,  full  of  good  and 
earnest  labor,  which  inspires  others  of  the  nice  to  strive  for  higher  things. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
Robert  Mitchell. 

Rev.  Robert  Mitchell,  A.  M.  was  horn  in  Fulton  county,  Kentucky,  March 
1,1861.  His  parents  were  slaves,  brought  from  North  Carolina  just  before  the 
Civil  War,  during  which  they  removed  from  Kentucky  to  Tennessee,  locating 
on  a  farm.  Wh«n  a  child  his  parents  sent  him  to  such  schools  as  the  neighbor- 
hood then  afforded.  He  professed  hope  in  Christ  in  1874  and  became  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  Church.  Three  years  after  his  conversion  he  began  preaching. 
His  fame  spread  far  and  wide  as  the  "boy  preacher."     He  was  licensed  at  18. 

Through  the  influence  of  friends  he  matriculated  at  Bust  University,  Holly 
.Springs,  Miss.,  entered  the  middle  preparatory  class,  and  remained  in  said  school 
Hve  years,  finishing  his  junior  year  in  college.  By  his  upright  Christian  bearing 
he  won  the  confidence  of  teachers  and  students. 

The  Seventh  Street  Baptist  Church  of  Paducah,  hearing  of  this  brilliant 
young  divine,  tendered  him  a  call  which  he  accepted  in  the  winter  of  1883.  He 
pastored  this  church  with  signal  ability  for  nearly  four  years,  having  found  it 
with  twenty-five  members  and  left  it  with  one  hundred  and  seventy-live,  and  a 
neat  house  of  worship.  While  in  that  city  he  was  united  in  wedlock  to  Miss 
Virgie  I>each,  the  amiable  daughter  of  Mr.  John  Iyeach.  He  has  found  Mrs. 
Mitchell  a  helpmeet  indeed,  and  attributes  his  success,  as  many  another  good 
man  has  done,  to  her  wise  and  timely  counsel.  While  in  l'adncuh  he  decided 
to  read  for  the  Master's  Degree  in  the  Wesleyan  University  at  Blooinington,  111., 
which  he  pursued  with  signal  success,  but  upon  learning  that  he  could  have  the 
degree  conferred  by  the  State  University,  he  did  not  take  the  examination. 

He  was  called  to  the  State  Street  Baptist  Church  at  Bowling  Green  in  May, 
1887.  He  remained  pastor  of  this  church  nine  years.  While  in  Bowling  Green 
he  was  elected  President  of  Simmons  Memorial  College,  by  the  Trustees,  which 
position  he  held  for  seven  years.  Some  of  the  ablest  young  men  and  women  in 
Southern  Kentucky  are  graduates  of  his  school.  He  was  called  to  the  Main 
Street  Baptist  Church,  Lexington,  in  June,  18%,  filling  his  pulpit  and  minister- 
ing to  (he congregation  with  credit  to  himself  and  his  race.  He  has  been  iden- 
tified with  every  progressive  and  aggressive  movement  in  which  the  race  has 
been  interested  for  the  past  twelve  years. 

With  about  two  hundred  representative  Negro  men  he  appeared   hefore  the 


60 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


House  and  Senate  Committees  of  the  I-egislature  of  Kentucky,  protesting  again 
the  injustice  of  the  Separate  Coach  Hill.  He  was  appointed  one  of  the  speake 
on  that  occasion,  about  which  event  the  Louisville  Courier  Journal  reported: 

"•Rev.  Robert  Mitchell,  A.  M., President  of  the  Simmons  Memorial  Collee 
at  Bowling  Green,  will  next  address  you,' announced  Spokesman  Evans.    M 
Mitchell  came  forward,     lie  is  tall  and    muscular,   almost   bald-headed,  and  i 
perfect  Demosthenes.     He  wacranxious  the  other  day  for  Uncle  Sam  to  stir  up  i 
war  with  Chili  that  he  might  attest  his  love  of  country  by  deeds  of  valor  on  the' 
field  of  battle.     He  appeared  as  a  Kcntuckian,  proud  of  the  name  and    fame  oil 
his  State.     The  blacks  read  the  same  Bible  as  the  whites,  the  same  text  hooks  in  ■ 
school  and  walked  the  same   streets.     All    were  created  of  one    blood   and    all] 
recognized  the  fatherhood  of  (iod  and  the  fellowship  of  man.     The  whites  had] 
been  kind  to  the  blacks  in   Kentucky,  for    which    all    gratitude  was  due.     They] 
had  helped  them  to  establish  schools,  and  voted  a  tax  annually  to  sustain  them. 
After  all  the  good  that  had  been  done  in  a  quarter  of   a  century   why  discrimi- 
liale  against  them  now?     Why    shut   them    out    from    places    that    only  whites,! 
accompanied  by  their  servants,  and  criminals  under  guard,  as  the  bill  specifies,} 
can  enter?     Why  gall  good  citizens,  and  the  Negro,  is  gaining  in  good    citizen- 
ship every  day,  by   legislating  unnecessarily    against    him?     Kev.  Mitchell  con-J 
tinned  in  this  strain  for  some  time.     He  dwelt   eloquently    upon   the  chastity  of] 
the  Negro  home  as  it  is  today,  nnd  concluded  with  the  statement  that    they  were] 
not  now  before  a  committee  of  the  General   Assembly  seeking  social    rights,  but] 
civil  rights." 

Kev.  Mitchell  has  filled  many  important  positions  in  Kentucky.  Atone 
time  he  was  a  member  of  the  Hoard  of  Trustees  of  the  State  University.  He  has \ 
been  Asistant  Moderator  of  the  General  Association  of  Kentucky  Baptists,  Presi-  I 
dent  of  the  State  Teacheis'  Association,  Vice  President  of  the  Nitional  Baptist | 
Educational  Convention,  Vice  President  of  the  National  Baptist  Conventional 
and  Commissioner  of  Kentucky  to  tlis  Atlanta  Exposition.  He  preached  before  I 
the  American  National  Baptist  Convention  ill  Washington,  1).  C,  in  1803;  and' 
read  an  able  p.-'per  before  the  National  Baptist  Educational  Convention  at  ' 
Montgomery,  Ala.,  in  189-4;  also,  a  paper  before  the  National  Baptist  Conven- 
tion at  St.  Ixniis,  Mo.,  in  18%.  He  has  now  a  book  in  press  entitled,  "Biblical- 
Essays  on  Important  Subjects." 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 
John  W.  Hlllman. 

Mr.  John  W.  Hillman  was  horn  in  Trigg  county,  Kentucky,  July  26,  If 
where  lie  received  a  common  school  education,  after  which  he  went  to  Coving- 
ton in  1868  and  engaged  himself  as  a  hotel  waiter.  He  did  not  work  in  that 
capacity  very  long  before  be  was  promoted  as  steward  of  the  hotel,  being  found 
reliable  and  efficient.  Soon  after  that  he  was  employed  by  Mrs.  Ellison,  who 
conducted  a  hotel,  but  soon  resigned  to  accept  a  position  with  Colonel  Orr,  pro- 
prietor of  another  hotel. 

Finding  lie  COIlhl  otherwise  accumulate  more  of  this  world's  goods  he  quit 
the  hotel  business  to  become  Custodian  of  the  City  Building  in  Covington,  which 
office  he  still  retains.     Since  becoming   a   city   official    Mr.  Hillman  has  proved 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  i;i 

mself  in  every  respect  a  worthy  uml  efficient  public  servant,  giving  genera] 
lisfaclion  to  the  occupants  of  the  City  Huilding.  He  has  long  been  connected 
ih  several  secret  organizations,  and  is  now  serving  his  seventeenth  year  as 
■ami  Treasurer  of  the  Grand  l^xlge  of  Free  and  Accc|)te<l  Masons  of  the  State 
Kentucky.  He  has  on  several  occasions  refused  office,  hut  because  of  his 
nesly,  notwithstanding  his  declination  to  continue  in  so  exalted  u  responsi- 
bility as  Grand  Treasurer,  he  has  been  repeatedly  re-elected. 

In  short,  Mr.  Hillinan  has  proven  himself  truthful  and  trustworthy,  and 
therefore,  merits  all  the  good  words  that  may  be  said  of  him.  During  the  I'res- 
.li-utiiil  campaign  of  1890  he  was  very  active  as  a  sound  money  man.  The 
writer  of  this  sketch  feels  proud  to  place  such  a  man  as  Mr.  Hillman  in  this 
uork,  a  man  who  has  risen  to  distinction  among  many  eminent  Negroes  of  Ken- 
tucky, in  his  life  there  is  much  to  inspire  every  young  man,  however  humble, 
who  is  willing  to  work  and  to  wait. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

Edward  Ellsworth  Underwood. 

Edward  Ellsworth  Underwood,  M.  D.,  claims  the  attention  of  progressive 
society  for  his  manly  qualities,  scholarly  attainments  and  phenomenal  success. 
lie  first  saw  the  light  of  day  June  7,  1804,  in  Mt.  Pleasant,  Ohio,  where  his 
incuts  were  highly  respected  citizens.  His  father,  Rev.  J.  P.  Underwood,  a 
distinguished  minister  and  pioneer  in  the  A.  M.  E.  Church,  was  widely  known 
throughout  Ohio,  contributing  much  toward  the  elevation  of  his  people  in  that 
State.  At  an  early  age  he  entered  his  youngest  son,  Edward  Ellsworth,  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  town. 

Young  Underwood  finished  the  course  of  study  prescribed,  and  desiring  a 
higher  education— before  Ohio  had  mixed  s  bonis— he  succeeded  in  having  the 
rules  excluding  the  race  suspended  sufficiently  to  effect  an  entrance  to  thcMt. 
I'h ■asiint  High  School,  on  an  equal  footing  with  the  white  pupils,  graduating 
i herefrom  three  years  later  with  third  honors  of  his  class.  He  launched  out 
into  life  as  a  teacher  and  accepted  a  position  as  Principal  of  the  Emerson,  Ohio 

sl 'i    which     he    held    for    seven    and   a   half  years.     While   engaged    in 

leaching,  at  the  age  of  19  years,  his  precocity  was  attested  by  his  obtaining  a 
license  to  preach  in  the  A.  M.  E.  Church.  He  was  popularly  known  and  sought 
i-  the  "boy  preacher."  His  eloquence  of  speech  and  forceof  thought  gave  early 
promise  of  future  brilliant  successes.  In  the  field  of  Christian  labor  he  was  just 
untiring  in  his  efforts  for  good  as  in  the  school  room. 

licforc  he  had  finished  his  school  life  as  a  pupil,  at  the   age  of  10  vears,  he 
>-  commended  by  being  elected    as  the  Superintendent  of  the  largest  Sunday 

"' ' I  of   his  native  town,  which  position  he   held  for  seven  years.     In  the  city 

i  <  leveland  he  served  as  Superintendent  of  St.  John's  Sunday  School  for  tl 


uree 


62  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


or! 


years.     His  work  in  tlie  Sunday  .School    was   not  entirely  local,  as  lie  served  foi 
live  years  as  Secretary  of  the  Ohio  Sunday  School  Institute. 

Dr.  Underwood  was  distinguished  in  his  youth  not  only  as  an  educator] 
and  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  but  became  prominent  in  politics.  In  1887,  by  a 
Mi.  Pleasant  constituency  of  at  least  90  percent  white,  he  was  elected  a  member' 
of  the  County  Republican  Committee.  In  IS88,  over  three  white  competitors,; 
he  was  elected  to  represent  his  ward  as  a  member  of  the  Mt.  Pleasant  Town; 
Council,  being  not  only  the  youngest  member  of  that  body,  but  the  first  and. 
only  Negro  to  enjoy  that  distinction. 

In  his  native  Stale  and  during  the  lir.t  act  in  the  drama  of  his  life,  his. 
literary  ability  was  amply  displayed  in  some  of  the  productions  of  his  pen.  He-, 
was  for  years  on  the  stafl  of  the  Cleveland  Gazette;  also  wrote  editorials  for  the- 
Marlinshurg,  W.  Va.,  Pioneer  Press  and  the  Odd  Fellows  Signal.  As  an  author 
he  is  known  in  the  realm  of  poetry  by  the  lines  "To  My  Sister,"  "The  Future,"' 
"Grant,"  an(i  "The  Landing  of  the  Afric  Fathers,"  and  other  poems,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  domain  of  prose. 

After  much  labor  in  the  different  fields  of  labor  already  mentioned,  he  deter-j 
mined  upon  his  chosen  life  profession  of  medicine.  After  three  years  of  hard 
study  in  the  Western  Keserve  Medical  College,  of  Cleveland,  lie  graduated  from  " 
that  institution  March  4,  1891,  a  full-Hedged  physician  and  surgeon.  He  imme- 
diately chose  Frankfort,  Ky.,  as  his  future  home,  and  on  his  arrival  there  the 
good  people  of  that  city  gave  him  a  rousing  and  hearty  public  welcome  at  the 
Corinthian  Baptist  Church.  Since  his  location  in  Frankfort  he  has  built  a 
handsome  residence  and  office,  and  acquiied  a  lucrative  practice.  His  popu-v 
larity  has  grown,  not  only  in  the  Capital  City,  but  has  spread  throughout  the  « 
Commonwealth  of  Kentucky. 

In  December,  1891,  he  was  elected  Secretary  of  the  Anti-Separate  Coach.. 
State  Executive  Committee,  and  is  at  present  holding  that  position.  In  politics 
he  is  a  power  in  the  Republican  party  of  Kentucky.  He  is  President  of  the 
State  League  of  "Colored"  Republican  Clubs,  a  member  of  the  Republican  City  3 
and  County  Committees  of  Frankfort  and  Franklin  county.  He  has-  twice 
served  as  a  delegate  to  the  Republican  State  Convention  of  Kentucky.  He  had 
the  honor  of  being  chosen  one  of  the  Kentucky  Commissioners  of  the  Cotton  | 
States  and  International  Exposition  at  Atlanta,  and  has  been  appointed  by 
Governor  Bradley  as  one  of  the  Commissioners  to  represent  Kentucky  at  the  •' 
Tennessee  Centennial.  He  is  also  a  prominent  member  of  the  United  Brothers 
of  Friendship,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and   Free  Masons. 

Doctor  Underwood  is  highly  respected  by  the  medical  fraternity,  as  well  as 
the  citizens  of  Frankfort,  having  been  made  the  Assistant  City  Physician,  which 
position  he  now  holds,  being  the  only  Negro  thus  honored.  He  was  married 
July  3,  1895,  to  Miss  Sara  J.  Walker,  an  educated  and  cultivated  woman,  teach- 
ing in  the  Frankfort  Public  Schools.  They  have  one  child,  a  promising  and 
intelligent-looking  hoy.  A  still  brighter  future  is  yet  predicted  for  Dr.  E.  E. 
Underwood,  whose  sterling  worth  and  restless  energy  has  put  the  crown  of  success 
ii|K)n  his  brow. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 
John  II.  Jackson. 

John  H.Jackson,  President  of  the  State  Normal  School  of  Kentucky,  was 
horn  in  Lexington,  October  31,  1850.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  the  Blue  Grass  metropolis,  afterwards  entering  Berca  College 
from  which  he  graduated  with  high  honors  in  June,  1874,  having  the  flattering 
distinction  of  being  the  first  Negro  to  graduate  in  Kentucky.  After  graduating 
he  taught  for  a  number  of  years  in  Lexington. 

He  was  elected  a  Delegate-at-large  to  the  Republican  National  Convention 
in  1880,  being  the  first  Negro  to  receive  such  recognition  from  his  party  in  this 
aristocratic  old  slave  State.  In  this  convention  he  was  one  of  the  historic  and 
famous  "30C"  whose  fidelity  to  Grant  in  that  memorable  struggle  has  formed 
one  of  the  most  dramatic  pages  in  the  annals  of  our  country's  polical  history. 

Prof.  Jackson  removed  in  1881  to  Kansas  to  become  Principal  of  Lincoln 
High  School  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  and  discharged  his  duties  in  a  most  creditable 
manner.  He  was  appointed  by  the  Governor  of  Kansas,  at  difiercnt  times,  as 
Clerk  of  the  Jury  Commission,  and  also  Clerk  of  the  Police  Board  of  Kansas 
<  "itv,  Kan.,  serving  in  both  positions  with  commendable  ability.  He  was  made 
a  member  of  the  Board  of  Examiners  for  Kansas  City,  Kan.,  no  other  Negro 
having  ever  been  previously  so  honored  in  the  State.  He  was  prominently 
mentioned  for  the  position  of  State  Auditor  of  Kansas,  to  succeed  Hon.  E.  P. 
McCabe  in  1886,  but  modestly  declined  to  become  a  candidate. 

In  1887  he  was  called  back  to  Kentucky  to  accept  the  position  of  President 
of  the  State  Normal  School  located  at  Frankfort,  which  position  he  still  holds. 
When  it  first  became  known  that  an  effort  would  be  made  to  pass  a  Separate 
Coach  Law  in  Kentucky,  Prof.  Jackson  came  boldly  to  the  front  and  was  the 
first  man  to  raise  his  voice  against  the  measure  at  a  public  meeting  in  the  latter 
part  of  1891,  at  the  Corinthian  Baptist  Church  in  Frankfort.  He  was  a  prom- 
inent member  of  the  committee  which  fought  against  the  enactment  of  this 
infamous  law.  When  a  delegation  of  several  hundred  Negroes— Kcntuckians,  as 
truly  as  though  white— appeared  before  the  Governor  to  ask  him  not  to  recom- 
mend the  law  in  his  message  to  the  Legislature,  Prof.  Jackson  acted  as  Master 
of  Ceremonies,  introducing  the  speakers. 


64  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

When  the  bill  cnnie  ii|>  in  the  Legislature  of  Kentucky  I'rof.  Jackson  was 
selected  by  the  Anti-Separate  Coach  State  Convention  to  go  before  the  Joint 
Kailroad  Committee  nml  protest  against  its  passage,  which  duty  he  performed 
in  a  masterly  address,  urging  a  law  based  upon  conditions  rather  than  upon 
color.  It  might  lie  well  to  hen-  note  that  a  law  embodying  the  same  ideas  was 
recently  passedlby  the  Legislature  of  South  Carolina  to  the  satisfaction  of  both 
races.  To  the  lasting  shame  of  the  while  man  in  Kentucky,  who  in  days  of 
slavery,  as  well  as  freedom,  has  usually  been  kind  and  considerate  to  the  black 
man,  as  compared  with  other  Southern  Slates,  the  Separate  Coach  Hill  became 
a  law,  nml  remains  U|miii  the  statute  l>ooks  of  the  Stale  today. 

I'rof.  Jackson'  served  as  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Educational  Sta- 
tistics for  the  Negro  nice  at  the  World's  Fair  in  1893,  and  make  a  report  which 
was  published  extensively  ami  favorable  commented  upon  by  the  press  of  the 
Vnileil  Slates.  He  was  one  of  the  Kentucky  Commissioners  to  the  Atlanta 
Exposition, and,  by  invitation,  made  an  address  covering  the  growth  of  Negro 
Education  in  Kentucky,  which  attracted  much  attention.  By  invitation  of  the 
Senate  of  Kentucky,  in  March  1897,  he  addressed  that  distinguished  branch  of 
the  legislature,  and  made  so  favorable  an  impression  as  to  secure  an  appropria- 
tion of  about  $4,000  cash,  and  an  additional  annual  appropriation  of  $1,400  for 
the  benefit  of  the  State  Normal  School. 

No  man  in  Kentucky  enjoys  more  fully  than  I'rof.  Jackson  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  both  races.  His  life  has  been  devoted  to  education.  The  progress 
of  the  institution,  of  which  he  has  been  President  for  the  past  ten  years,  is  n 
tribute  more  eloquent  than  any  words  could  possibly  be  to  his  worth  and  work 
in  this  his  chosen  field.  In  an  eminent  degree  ho  combines  all  of  those  qualities 
of  head  and  head  which  go  to  make  up  exalted  manhood.  In  him  his  nice 
recogni/es  a  safe  and  wise  leader.  Nor  is  this  all.  lie  isan  embodiment  of  the 
highest  type  of  Christianity  and  morality,  and  it  can  trulhfullly  be  said  of  him: 

"His  life  is  gentle, 
And  (he  elements  so  mix  in  him 
That  Nature  might  hold  him  unto  all  the  world 
And  say,  'This  is  a  ni'in.'" 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 
Thomas  Kenney  Robb. 

Thomas  Kenney  Robb  was  born  in  Frankfort,  Ky.,  March  10,  18(12.  lie 
attended  the  subscription  schools  of  the  capital  previous  to  his  fourteenth  year. 
At  this  age  he  began  work  at  the  saw  mill  of  K.  N.  Archer  ei  Co.  in  the  bumble 
position  of  water  hoy.  In  addition  to  this  duty*,  he  so  occupied  his  spare  mo- 
ments that  he  soon  bee: •  so  proficient  ill  grading,  piling   ami    sorting   liimlier 

as  tn  gain  the  favor  of  his  employers,  and  in  less  than  five  years  (1880)  was  pro- 
moted to  the  naqmnsiblc  position  of  Yard  Master  at  Point  Hlimsidc,  Ky.  Aflcr 
three  vears  of  energetic  service  in  this  capacity  and    place,  he    was    called    to    a 


J.  \v.  si'int  ;k(in.— i 'a..-.-  n. 


I 


IIKNKY   A.  TANDY.  - !*:.-«•  -Hi. 


I'KTKK  SIMI'SON.     |>»Ri>47 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  65 

similar  position  with  tlie    Kentucky   Lumber  Company   at  Williuinttown,  Ky. 

Having  increased  inefficiency   and    ex|ierience   lie    was  a  Rain    pr >>i,.,l   and 

made  a  regular  Lumber  Inspector. 

In  1883  he  left  Williamstnwn  (o  go  to  Louisville  to  accept  the  position  <>f 
Yard  Master  and  Head  Inspector  with  The  Frank  Ingram  Lumber  Company. 
In  addition  to  his  ..titer  duties  here,  lie  did  considerable  mail  work.  buying  and 
shipping  lumber  to  and  from  different  parts  of   the  country.     He  continued  in 

the  employ  nf  this  company  until  the  p:inic  of  1891,  when    the  , puny    failed 

and  Mr.  Robb,  being  a  stockholder,  lost  heavily.  Shortly  afterward  he  went 
further  Smith  with  a  view  to  retrieving  his  financial  losses,  and  finally  returned 
to  his  old  home  in  the  early  part  of  18!l"i. 

In  March,  I89fi,  he  was  elected  by  the  State  Hoard  of  Sinking  Fund  Com- 
missinners  to  the  position  of  Lumber  Inspector  for  the  Frankfort  Penitentiary, 
over  eleven  white  competitors,  For  this  place  he  was  warmly  endorsed,  atid 
was  selected  on  the  grounds  of  the  moat  evident  competency  and  the  highest 
merit.  He  has  filled  the  position  ably  and  honorably,  reflecting  credit  upon 
himself  nn<l  his  pice.  He  enjoys  the  fullest  measure  of  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  everyone  with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact. 

Mr.  Robb  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  politics,  being    an   mi ipro- 

mising  Republican,  and  has  served  his  party  faithfully  both  in  convention  and 
on  campaign  committees.  He  is  also  actively  identified  with  secret  societies, 
being  n  Free  Mason,  and  a  Grand  Director  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows 
of  Kentucky.  In  a  large  social  circle  he  is  deservedly  popular.  With  every 
interest  that  tends  to  the  elevation  of  his  |ieople  he  is  in  active  sympathy,  anil 
contributes  his  every  gift  for  their  upbuilding. 

Of  unusual  business  qualifications,  unswerving  in  his  devotion  to  every 
duty,  uncompromising  in  his  advocacy  of  ever  true  principle,  lending  a  willing 
service  to  every  good  work  his  hands  find  to  do,  the  life  of  Thomas  K.  Robb 
stands  out  in  bold  relief  as  an  example  worthy  the  emulation  of  Negro  youth 
everywhere,  who  may  read  the  story  of  his  life. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
Edward  \V.  Chenault. 

Among  the  honored  sons  of  Kentucky  occupying  a  conspicuous  place  is 
K.  \V.  Chenault,  who  was  born  at  Ml.  Sterling,  Ky.,  in  IH4-I,  when  the  blighting 
sting  of  slavery  rendered  it  difficult  for  a  Xegro  to  secure  a  liberal  education; 
however,  he  made  the  best  of  his  opportunities,  and  by  many  deprivations  and 
sacrifices  so  developed  his  mind  thai  he  now  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  one 
of  the  best  thinkers  of  his  rac?      hi  180-1  he   joined  the    diked    States   Cavalry 

in  which  he  served  with  credit,  he'.ng  li irably   discharged    with    the  regiment 

at  Helena,  Ark.,  since  which  time    ic  has  resided  in  Lexington,  Ky. 

Mr.  Chenault  married  Miss  Anna  Williams,  daughter  of  Mr.  Abraham 
Williams,  June  22,  1871,  having  four  children  to   bless  his  home,  three  of  whom 


66  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

are  living.  lie  is  an  influential  member  of  the  A.  V.  and  A.  M.,  a  Past  G.  S. 
\V.  anil  Ci.  J.  \V.  of  the  Grand  Lodge,  Past  Grand  Lecturer  and  Past  Grand 
Mlot  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  United  Brothers  of  Friendship.  He  has  served 
three  times  as  President  of  the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  Fair  Association, 
the  largest  and  most  prominent  Negro  organization  of  its  kind  in  the  United 
States,  and  to  his  ahle  and  careful  management  it  owes  much  of  its  popularity 
and  success. 

When  the  wicked  inclinations  of  the  Legislators  of  Kentucky  prompted 
them  to  heap  indignities  upon  the  Negro  by  passing  the  Separate  Coach  Law, 
an  unjust  piece  of  legislation,  Mr.  Chenault  was  among  the  first  to  raise  his 
voice  in  denunciation  of  this  contemptible  law.  He  was  placed  upon  several 
important  committees,  ami  did  valiant  service. 

Aided  by  personal  popularity,  he  has  made  himself  a  powerful  political  fac- 
tor and  is  n  member  of  the  Republican  Committee  of  Fayette  county.  He  was 
elected  alternate  Delegate  from  the  State-at-largc  to  the  St.  Louis  Convention 
which  nominated  Hon.  William  McKinley  for  President  of  the  United  States, 
Mr.  Chenault  having  received  the  largest  vote  of  a  number  of  contestants.  His 
political  influence  greatly  aided  Hon.  J.  C.  Jackson  in  securing  the  election  as 
Delegate  from  the  State-at-large  to  the  Minneapolis  Convention. 

The  latest  honors  conferred  upon  Mr.  Chenault  arc  his  election  to  the  posts 
of  State  Grand  Treasurer  of  the  Graml  Lodge  of  the  United  Brothers  of  Friend- 
ship ami  Grand  Treasurer  of  the  National  Grand  Encampment  of  the  same 
powerful  organization. 


CHAPTER  XL. 
Thomas  Cicero  Buford. 

Mr.  T.  C.  Buford  was  born  in  Mobile,  Ala.,  about  18-iO.  the  uncertainty 
of  the  exact  year  being  very  annoying  to  him.  He  was  taken  from  his  parents 
when  too  young  to  ren  ember  the  date  of  his  birth  and  brought  to  Kentucky  by 
Mr.  G.  W.  Buford.  The  little  boy  was  thus  early  deprived  of  the  parental  care, 
guidance  and  inspiration.  He  cannot  even  recall  his  mother's  face,  but  be  was 
reared  in  the  home  of  Mrs.  (i.  Y.  Buford,  in  Glasgow,  Ky.,  a  good  white  lady 
to  whom  he  became  warmly  attached. 

Manual  labor  was  never  a  thing  upon  which  he  looked  with  contempt.  Ho 
alwavs  regarded  it  as  a  high  privilege  to  earn  his  bread  by  the  sweat  of  his 
brow.  Thus  through  toil  of  various  kinds  he  has  become  both  enterprising  and 
liberal,  and  is  so  acknowledged  in  Lexington,  bis  adopted  city.  He  was  at  one 
time  foreman  in  the  largest  tobacco  establishment  in  Glasgow.  Learning  while 
SO  employ  ed  his  business  ability,  he  soon  established  himself  in  the  grocery  trade, 
in  which  he  was  eminently  successful.  Mr.  Buford  has  no  recollection  of  ever 
being  taught  to  read  and  write,  and  was  somewhat  astonished  to  find  that  he 
bad  gradually  and  almost  unconsciously  acquired  both  accomplishments, 

In  early  life  he  became  a  Christian  and  joined  the  Baptist  Church.      When 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  G7 

he  became  a  prosi>crous  man  and  the  church  was  unable  to  pay  for  its  property, 
he  paid  for  it  himself,  in  order  to  give  the  members  lime  to  redeem  it  in  small 
payments.  After  having  been  in  business  about  six  years  he  became  ambitious 
for  n  college  education,  and,  disposing  of  his  stock  of  goods,  matriculated  at  the 
Slate  University  in  1882.  The  faculty  became  very  fond  of  the  young  man,  be- 
cause of  his  earnestness  as  well  as  his  systematic  methods,  and  unanimously 
agreed  in  giving  him  control  of  the  boys'  dormitory,  which  position  he  filled  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  faculty  and  trustees  of  the  institution. 

While  a  student  at  the  university  he  met  Miss  Sarah  K.  Nelson,  who  after- 
ward became  his  wife.  They  were  married  in  September,  188(5.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  Samuel  and  Amanda  V.  Nelson,  one  of  the  leading  families  in  the 
far-famed  Blue  Grass  region.  Miss  Nelson  was  among  the  first  graduates  from 
the  College  Department  of  the  State  University,  while  it  was  under  the  able 
Presidency  of  Dr.  Willi  tin  J.  Simmons.  She  is  a  young  woman  possessing 
many  splendid  qualities,  and  has  a  large  heart  and  brain,  with  natural  gifts 
that  have  been  handsomely  cultivated.     Husband  and  wife  are  well-mated. 

Mr.  Buford  has  been  a  prominent  Odd  Fellow  for  years.  lie  has  actively 
engaged  in  the  development  of  this  order  ever  since  he  became  a  member.  His 
brethren  acknowledged  his  worth  by  electing  him  Grand  Master  of  Kentucky 
five  consecutive  years,  which  position  he  has  filled  with  dignity  and  honor  to 
the  fraternity.  He  has  been  Secretary  of  the  Floral  Hall  Department  of  the 
Agricultural  and  Mechanical  Association,  of  which  he  is  n  stockholder,  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  his  businsss  tact  has  largely  contributed  to  the  success  of 
this  famous  fair. 

He  is  Principal  of  the  public  schools  at  Newcastle,  where  he  has  long  been 
ably  assisted  by  his  estimable  wife.  No  one  need  apply  for  the  position  while 
he  desires  it.  Both  white  and  black  of  this  community  respect  and  esteem  him. 
Mr.  Buford  is  an  orator  of  no  mean  ability,  his  language  being  smooth  and 
polished.  Socially  he  seeks  the  companionship  of  the  educated  and  liberal- 
minded.  He  is  generous  and  forgiving,  and  when  in  the  wrong  is  readv  to 
acknowledge  it,  hut  he  never  apologizes  to  any  man  for  his  convictions. 

There  is  no  young  man  in  Kentucky  who  demonstrates  more  fully  to  the 
world  the  capabilities  of  the  Negro,  in  whose  every  progressive  movement  he 
has  shared  for  the  past  decade.  His  love  of  his  race  is  supreme,  and  he  never 
fails  to  press  a  point  when  it  is  for  the  betterment  of  his  people.  Though  he 
has  filled  several  ollices  of  trust  he  has  never  betrayed  one  of  them.  He  is 
sometimes  called  the  preacher  of  Odd  Fellowship.  Mr.  Buford  furnishes  an 
example  of  what  the  Negro  can  do  by  dint  of  courage  and  frugality. 


CHAPTER  XLI. 
Mrs.  E.  Belle  Jackson. 

Mrs.  K.  Belle  Jackson,  President  of  the  Orphan  and  Industrial  Home,  ot 
Lexington,  was  born  in  Boyle  county,  Kentucky,  December  31,1848.  When 
old  enough  her  parents,  Monroe  and  Mary  E.  Mitchell,  sent  her  to  a  school 
which  the  town  officials  permitted  the  free  Negroes  to  conduct.  They  were 
slaves,  but  hired  their  time.  In  a  few  years  they  bought  their  freedom,  and 
when  lielle  was  eleven  years  old  her  mother  took  her  to  Xenia,  Ohio,  intending 
to  put  her  in  school  at  Wilberforce,  but  she  was  too  young  to  matriculate,  as 
they  did  not  admit  students  under  fifteen  years  old:  so  she  placed  her  in  the 
Xenia  public  school,  taught  by  Miss  Sarah  J.  Woodson,  afterward  by  Mr.  John 
It.  Blackburn,  where  she  remained  three  years;  being  very  apt  she  soon  took 
rank  with  the  leading  pupils. 

She  professed  religion  when  twelve  years  old,  and  joined  the  Methodist 
Church.  She  returned  to  her  Kentucky  home  to  spend  vacation.  Although 
verv  vonng  she  was  energetic  and  took  an  active  part  in  Sunday  school  and 
church  work.  Rev.  John  (i.  Fee,  the  venerable  founder  of  Berea  College, 
met  Miss  Mitchell  while  preaching  in  Danville  one  Sunday,  and  was  so  attracted 
by  her  that  he  finally  induced  her  parents  to  allow  her  to  go  to  Camp  Nelson  to 
teach  the  contraband  women  and  children  who  had  assembled  there.  This  was 
her  first  experience  as  a  teacher,  and  was  far  from  pleasant. 

The  American  Missionary  Association  had  already  sent  a  number  of  white 
teachers  there  from  the  North  who  were  leaching  the  little  "niggers,"  but  when 
a  Negro  teacher  came,  one  perfectly  qualified  for  the  work,  they  refused  to  cat 
in  the  dining  room  while  she  was  eating,  with  two  exceptions,  Mrs.  Colton  and 
daughter,  who  were  Christian  women.  The  landlady  told  Rev.  Fee  that  she 
would  mil  give  Miss  Mitchell  a  plate  at  the  table.  He  said,  "Then  I  will  give 
her  mine!"  Rev.  Fee  reported  tlic  narrow-minded  teachers  to  the  Missionary 
Association,  right  prevailed,  and  Miss  Mitchell  had  no  further  trouble.  As  in 
most  ca«es  when  the  Negro  i>  given  a  chance,  she  became  very  popular,  afterward 
leaching  in  Frankfort,  Luiisvillc,  Nicholasville,  Richmond,  Lexington,  and 
other  places  iii  Central  Kentucky. 

Fc.-ling  thai  she  could   be  more   useful    if   more   thoroughly   prepared   for 


I 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  <;o 

school  work,  she  entered  Bcrea  College  in  the  fall  of  1867,  and  would  have  Krad- 
uated,  as  was  her  intention,  had  not  Cupid  interfered.  While  teaching  the 
first  American  Missionary  school  ever  taught  in  Lexington  she  met  her  present 
husband,  -Mr.  J.  C.  Jackson,  now  the  popular  Limestone  street  undertaker.  They 
were  mutually  attracted  to  each  other  and  were  soon  engaged  to  marry.  Mim 
Mitchell  was  amhitioi  s  to  finish  the  course,  hut  Mr.  Jackson,  who  had  already 
waited  three  years,  urged  an  early  marriage  So  she  left  college,  and  February 
23,  1871,  they  were  married. 

Mrs.  Jackson  afterward  taught  in  the  schools  of  i^xington  and  Fayette 
county.  For  the  past  ten  years  she  has  given  her  time  largely  to  charitable 
work.  She  seems  to  he  imbued  with  the  missionary  spirit,  and  is  constantly 
doing  all  in  her  power  to  uplift  her  race.  Five  years  ago,  with  a  number  of 
other  ladies,  she  conceived  the  idea  of  establishing  an  Orphan  Industrial  Home. 
The  reiMirts  submitted  and  published  in  this  book  show  how  well  the  work  is 
succeeding. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 
Mrs.  C.  V.  Robinson. 

Mrs.  C.  V.  Kobinson,  wife  of  Dr.  1*.  D.  Kobinson,  of  Lexington,  Ky.,  was 
born  in  Baltimore,  Md.;  her  father  and  mother,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  M.  Kelly, 
being  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  respected  families  of  the  Monu- 
mental City.  After  receiving  her  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Baltimore, 
and  while  still  quite  young,  she  began  teaching  school  in  Kent  county,  Mary- 
land, devoting  her  spare  time  to  the  study  of  music,  for  which  she  manifested  a 
strong  inclination  from  her  earliest  childhood. 

She  was  married  to  Dr.  P.  D.  K.binson,  in  Baltimore,  in  July,  1891,  and 
aftera  short  visit  eastward  came  to  Lexington  where,  by  her  quiet  and  modest 
manner,  she  soon  won  her  way  into.thc  hearts  of  the  people.  Mrs.  Kobinson  is 
a  woman  ol  exceptional  refinement  and  elevation  of  character,  and  her  gentle, 
friendly  and  affable  disposition  easily  makes  her  a  favorite  with  all  who  come 
in  contact  with  her,  for  to  know  her  is  to  love  and  admire  her.  It  seems  to  be 
the  rule  of  her  life  to  encourage  and  assist  others,  to  speak  evil  of  no  one,  and 
be  true  to  all  in  every  relation.  Thus  does  she  win  and  hold  friends  among 
high  anil  low,  rich  and  poor,  haughty  and  humble. 

Mrs.  Kobinson  is  a  loyal  wife  and  loving  mother.  She  is  devoted  to  her 
son  of  some  four  or  five  summers,  to  whose  care  and  education  she  carefully 
attends.  Many  there  arc  in  Lexington,  who  know  the  bright,  brown-eyed  little 
boy,  Kelly  Kobinson,  his  mother's  pride  and  joy,  a  child  who  is  frieiidlv  and 
sweet,  though  petted  by  l.ot'i  young  ami  old.  She  is  an  ideal  housekeeper,  hav- 
ing domestic  tasks  and  a  love  of  home  and  all  things  beautiful,  that  is  charac- 
teristic of  her  nature  and  permeates  her  life. 

In  charitable  work  she  is  a  ready  ami  willing  worker,  making  no  display 
of  what  she  considers  only  Christian  duty.     For  fouryearsshe  has  been  Secretary 


70  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

of  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  Orphan  and  Industrial  Home  in  Lexington, 
iin  institution  that  has  attracted  the  attention  and  the  aid  of  philanthropists 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  and  beyond  the  seas.  Her  work 
for  that  organization  has  been  of  such  merit  as  to  call  forth  encomiums  of 
praise  from  her  associate  members  and  the  public-spirited  people  of  her  adopted 
city,  without  regard  to  color,  creed  or  condition.  The  race  is  justly  proud  of 
nucha  woman.  Long  may  she  live  to  continue  her  good  works.  God  will  bless 
her  beautiful   life. 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 
Mrs.  Priscilla  Ross  Lacey. 

There  are  numerous  women  of  the  race  who  by  their  industry  and  frugality 
stand  prominently  in  the  front  rank,  but  none  deserve  more  credit  for  their 
Christian  activity  than  Mrs.  Priscilla  Ross  Lacey.  She  was  born  in  Lexington, 
Fayette  county,  Kentucky.  January  19,  1839.  Her  father,  William  Ross,  was  a 
slave,  but  her  mother  was  free.  At  the  age  of  eleven  years  Priscilla  was  hired 
out  in  the  family  of  Mrs.  George  \V.  Norton  as  a  nurse,  where  she  remained 
until  December,  1857. 

While  in  the  service  of  the  Nortons  she  became  acquainted  with  Benjamin 
Taylor,  to  Whoro&he  was  united  in  marriage.  They  lived  happily  together  until 
Mr.  Taylor's  death  in  1869.  In  February,  1873,  she  was  married  to  her  present 
husband,  George  Lacey.  Mrs.  Lacev  is  a  woman  of  considerable  native  ability, 
full  of  push  and  energy,  and  takes  an  active  part  in  every  movement  looking 
toward  the  amelioration  of  the  condition  of  her  race. 

She  is  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Orphans'  Industrial  Home,  and  has  been 
its  Treasurer  since  its  organization.  Her  kindness,  generosity  and  many  virtues 
have  given  her  a  strong  hold  on  the  citizens  of  Lexington,  who  ever  delight  to 
follow  and  honor  her. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 
firs,  nary  A.  Smith. 

Mrs.  Smith  was  born  December  27,  1845,  in  Charleston  (then  Old  Virginia)' 
Wot  Virginia.  She  wasilie  child  of  John  and  Jane  Reeler,  both  of  whom  are 
now  deceased.  During  the  year  1850  she  moved  to  Lexington,  Ky.,  which  place 
lias  ever  since  been  her  home. 

On  May  12,  181)4,  she  married  Mr.  James  Smith.  Thirty-three  years  they 
have  lived  and  struggled  happily  together,  sharing  and  bearing  each  other's 
burdens,  and  also  many  a  burden  of  others.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with 
(•even  children,  six  sons  and  one  daughter.  Of  this  number  they  have  lost  hut 
one,  their  oldest  child,  n  son.      Although  horn  and  married  during  those   agoniz- 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  71 

ing,  cruel  slavery  days,  yet  she  did  not  allow  lliem  Ui  prevent  lier  from   learning 
to  read,  write  and  cipher. 

Mrs.  Smith  is  kind,  affable,  persevering,  industrious  and  economical;  n 
faithful  and  devoted  wife  and  mother;  a  true  and  loving  friend,  a  quiet  and 
peacable  neighbor.  For  twenty  years  she  has  been  a  consistent  and  worthy 
member  of  St.  Mary's  Temple  No.  3">,  of  the  order  of  United  Brothers  of  Friend- 
ship and  Sisters  of  the  Mysterious  Ten.  For  ten  consecutive  years  she  has  been 
the  presiding  ofiicer  of  said  Temple,  which  office  she  has  creditably  filled.  In 
faith  Mrs.  Smith  is  a  strict  Methodist,  a  flood  Christian  and  a  devoted  church 
worker.  Hut  not  only  this,  her  life  goes  OIM  to  the  needy,  not  merely  in  words 
of  comfort,  cheer  and  hope,  hut  in  acts  of  aiding,  relieving  and  substantial  char- 
ities. Space  will  not  pL'rinil  further  comment,  therefore  I  einbodv  her  senti- 
ments, likewise  my  own,  in  these  words: 

In  this  world  of  burden  bearing, 

Help  a  little,  help  a  little; 
For  thy  weary  brother  caring, 

Help  just  a  little. 

In  the  work  around  us  pressing, 

Help  a  little,  help  a  little; 
Let  thy  labor  prove  a  blessing, 

Help  just  a  little. 

(),  the  shoulders  we  might  lighten! 
<  I,  the  paths  that,  we  might  brighten! 
(),  the  wrongs  that  we  might  righten, 
Helping  just  a  little. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 
Lee  Wlckliffe  Taylor. 

Mr.  Lee  W.  Taylor,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  April  30,  IS08,  in 
Lexington,  Ky.  The  fond  parents  were  pr.ui.l  of  the  bay  and,  struck  with  his 
manliness  and  precocity,  they  entered  him  in  the  public  schools  at  the  tender 
age  of  four  and  a  half  years.  Here  he  remained  some  time,  when  pinching  ne- 
cessity drove  him  to  manual  labor.  His  lirst  serious  employment  was  driving  a 
peddler's  wagon.     This  he  did  lor  six  years,  then  he  re-entered  school,    but    still 

working  at  whatever  he  could  get  to  do,  before  and  after  scl 1  hours,   in    order 

to  pay  his  way.  The  way  up  the  hill  of  knowledge  was  by  no  means  smooth  or 
easv,  but  by  indomitable  perseverance,  anil  the  cheering  and  encouraging  words 
of  a  loving  anil  pious  mother,  he  struggled  on  until  he  triumphed,  and  ill  1889 
he  graduated  from  the  Chandler  Normal,  with  the  first  honors  of  his  class. 

He  then  began  the  work  of  his  profession-  that  of  a  teacher— anil  with  the 
exception  of  the  time  spent  in  taking  a  post  graduate  course  at  Chandler,  he  has 
been  continuously  engaged  in  th»  work.  His  success  as  an  educator  has  been 
marked,  one  of  the  best  evidences  of  which  is  the  fact  that  he  has  taught   almost 


72 


K  ENTUCK  V'S  PROM  I N  ENT 


continuously  in  one  locality.  As  a  teacher  lie  i>  kindly  though  firm  in  liis  dis- 
cipline, noil  works  in  season  nnilnut  of  season  fur  the  advancement  of  his  school. 
Like  the  true  man  that  he  is,  he  docs  not  stop  at  his  school,  l>nt  extends  the 
beneficent  influence  of  his  teaching  and  character  to  the  entire  community  in 
which  he  labor*  An  omnivorous  reader  of  t lie  h.-si  bjoks,  lie  is  ever  ready,  but 
not  ostentatiously,  to  give  the  l>esi  infnrmatinn  obtainable  to  those  who  are 
seeking  light,  and  many  of  lb-ISC  who  have  come  under  his  influence  have 
thereby  been  inspired  to  a  higher  life,  both  mentally  and  morally. 

Aside  from  his  teaching  capacity,  Mr.  Taylor  is  a  writer  of  much  ability, 
and  hut  erudite  productions  have  frequently  added  to  the  interest  of  the  most 
excellent  journal  for  Negroes  in  Kentucky,  The  Standard,  whose  editor,  W. 
I).  Johnson,  i>  a  keen  discerner  of  men  and  talent,  and  whose  pride  is  the 
development  of  his  rare.  A  conscientious  and  enthusiastic  liaptist,  being  n 
member  of  the  I'irst  church  of  that  denomination  in  Lexington,  which  is  pre- 
sided over  by  l>r.  S.  !'.  Young,  lie  carries  his  religion,  which  is  a  happy  com- 
bination of  faith  and  good  works,  into  his  daily  affairs,  earnestly  obseiving  the 
Golden    Hole  at  all  times,  and  often  under  trying  circumstances 

Prompted  by  the  laudable  desire  to  advance  the  young  of  his  race  in  relig- 
ious and  ethical  training,  he  has  accepted  the  superintendency  of  the  large  Sun- 
day School  of  his  church,  and  under  his  wise  guidance,  it  has  prospered  and 
grown  in  knowledge  and  goodness.  To  his  own,  and  to  the  keen  regret  of  the 
Sabbath  School,  he  was  compelled  to  resign  became  of  bis  more  pressing  educa- 
tional duties. 

Mr.  Taylor  is  an  ardent  K  of  I'.,  and  he  is,  on  account  of  his  kindly  nature, 
peculiarly  filled  for  the  noble  work  of  this  great  and  beneficent  order.  He  is  a 
ready,  earnest  and  able  speaker,  and  he  is  ever  willing  to  lift  his  voice  in  defense 
of  the  right,  or  in  persuading  to  wisdom  and  the  pleasant  paths  of  peace.  lie  is 
i  mm  of  splendid  character,  pure  in  thought  and  right  of  action.  All  his  im- 
pulses are  noble,  and  if,  as  it  is  ever  the  lot  of  man  to  do,  he  sometimes  errs,  it 
is  well  known  among  his  friends  that  "it  is  of  the  head  and  not  the  heart."  His 
friends  are  many,  and  knowing  his  fine  qualities  of  head  and  heart,  they  arc 
drawn  to  him  with  hooks  of  steel,  and  wish  him  the  success  in  life  he  so  richly 
deserves,  and  the  unalloyed  happiness  he  so  highly  merits. 


(JHAITEK  XI, VI. 
Louis  G.  P.  Todd. 
LniliaC.  I'.  Todd, son  of  Robert  and  Mary  Todd,  wis  horn  in  llarrndsbtirg, 
Kv.,  June  '.',  1M72.  In  early  childhood  ho  moved  with  his  parents  to  Prank  fort 
where  he  has  since  resided.  He  was  educated  in  the  Frankfort  public  schools, 
where,  after  completing  the  course,  he  became  one  of  the  teachers  for  four  sub- 
sequent vears.      While  leaching  he  also    look    a    cour-e   of    study    in    the    State 

Normal  School,  graduating  therefrom  in  1802.    In  181)4  he  was  elected  Princi- 


MISS  K  ATI  i:  V.  HAKDIX. 
I'a,'.'  is. 


I 


CII  VKLKS  IIACOAKD.-  l':w  I!>. 


\V.  II.  I'KKKY.— I" 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  73 

pal  of  the  I'niontown  public  school,  which  position  he  held  for  three  years. 

lie  has  been  recently  elected  Secretary -Trca/urer  of  the  Frankfort  Brunch 
of  the  (Join  nliia  Building  and  Saving*  Association,  and  is  performing  its  onerous 
and  responsible  duties  in  an  eminently  satisfactory  manner,  lie  has  the  honor 
to  he  President  of  the  State  Normal  Alumni,  and  Assistant  Secretary  of  the 
State  League  of  Republican  Clubs.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  Anti-Separate 
Coach  Convention,  held  in  Lexington  in  1802,  and  to  the  Republican  State 
Convention  in  18116. 

Mi.  Todd  is  well  and  favorably  known  in  journalism,  where  lie  wields  a 
trenchant  pen,  his  writings  being  at  once  bold,  clear  and  entertaining.  He 
ranks  high  as  a  public  speaker,  his  lectures  and  addresses  displaying  the  rare 
gifts  and  graces  of  the  finished  orator.  No  young  man  in  Kentucky  tnjoys  the 
confidence  of  his  race  more  fully  than  he.  Although  young,  as  we  count  time 
l>v  years,  he  is  regarded  wherever  he  is  known  for  his  brilliancy  of  intellect, 
ripe  scholarship  and  consummate  ability.  The  future  must  have  much  in  store 
for  him.  His  friends,  and  the  people  who  have  learned  to  love  him,  will  watch 
his  career  with  increasing  interest  confident  that  abundant  and  brilliant  success 
awaits  him. 


CHAPTER  XLVII. 
Jupiter  Lewis. 

Jupiter  Lewis  was  bom  a  slave  in  Fayette  county,  Kentucky,  in  the  year 
1837.  lie  is  a  familiar  character  in  Lexington,  where  he  is  known  by  everyone 
as  an  honest,  faithful  citizen.  He  has  had  little  educational  advantages,  but 
possesses  a  strong  mind,  full  of  common  sense. 

Shortly  after  becoming  a  free  man,  he  secured  a  position  as  messenger  at  the 
Fayette  National  bunk  in  ibis  city,  and  for  twenty  years  was  a  trusted  employe 
of  the  bank,  lie  was  honest  in  all  his  dealings  during  these  long  years  of  ser- 
vice, and  was  trusted  with  thousands  of  dollars  of  the  funds  of  the  bank,  and  be 
it  said  to  his  credit  when  he  resigned,  not  many  years  ago,  not  one  cent  had  ever 
been  misplaced  through  any  act  of  his.  lie  holds  a  good  recommendation  from 
the  officials  of  the  bank,  as  an  efficient,  honest,  industrious  employe. 

Mr.  Lewis  is  a  devout  Christian,  and  is  an  officer  in  St.  l'aul  A  M.  E. 
church,  having  been  elected  a  trustee  many  years  ago.  His  services  have  been 
invaluable  to  this  church.  lie  is  a  faithful  worker  in  the  church,  and  donates 
liberally  to  its  maintenance,  lie  is  Vice- ('resident  of  the  Colored  A.  oi  M.  As 
sociation  of  taxington,  Fayette  county,  and  has  held  that  position  of  honor  for 
the  past  ten  years, 

Mr.  Ix'wis  is  an  example  of  what  the  Negro  can  do  when  he  bends  his  en- 
ergies in  the  right  direction.  Push  and  energy  are  his  prominent  characteris- 
tics, and  such  honors  as  have  been  bestowed  upon  him  are  merited  by  good  citi- 
zenship. Individuality  in  each  Negro,  while  combating  the  struggles  of  life, 
will  bring  out  more  prominently  what  the  possibilities  of  the  race  are.  There- 
fore, we  find  a  valuable  lesson  in  the  life  and  character  of  Jupiter  Lewis,  which 
is  worthy  of  emulation. 


CHAPTER  XLVIII. 
Lewis  George  Clark. 

Lewis  George Clark,  the  original  of  "George  Harr  s,"  tlie  noted  character 
in  Mrs.  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe's  epoch-making  novel,  'Uncle  Tom's  Cabin," 
was  born  in  Madison  county,  Kentucky,  the  property  of  Samuel  Campbell,  in 
1812.  Although  born  in  slavery  he  is  three-fourths  white.  His  mother  was 
the  daughter  of  Samuel  Campbell,  a  Madison  county,  Kentucky,  slave  owner  of 
Scotch  descent.  His  father  was  Daniel  Clark,  a  Scotchman,  who  served  in  the 
Revolutionary  war,  and  who  came  to  Kentucky  shortly  after  |>eace  was  declared. 
He  became  infatuated  with  Campbell's  pretty  yellow  girl,  and  they  lived  together 
as  husband  and  wife,  passing  the  latter  years  of  their  life  in  Islington,  in  a 
house  that  stood  on  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Main  streets.  Her  name  was 
K.niline,  and  she  is  described  as  being  one  of  the  handsomest  mill  t  '.oes  ever  born 
in  Kentucky.  Daniel  Clark  died  at  Lexington  in  1820,  his  widow  surviving 
him  until  1833,  when  she  died  with  cholera,  which  was  epidemic  throughout 
the  South  that  ycir. 

When  Samuel  Ctnip'>ell's  only  daughter  mar.ied  Dr.  Wanton  he  presented 
George  Clark,  (who  was  then  six  years  old)  to  her  as  a  wedding  gift.  She  made 
a  house  boy  of  him  and  he  learned  how  to  do  all  kinds  of  woman's  work,  such 
as  sewing,  spinning,  weaving,  etc.  He  became  an  expert  in  spinning  Hax  thread 
on  the  "little"  wheel,  and  samples  of  his  work  shown  the  writer  attest  the  su- 
periority  of  the  thread  he  manufactured.  When  (ieorgc  was  seventeen  years 
old  Dr.  Hlanton  failed,  and  he  was  sold  at  sherill's  sale.  His  purchaser  was 
General  Samuel  Kennady,  of  Garrard  county,  one  of  the  largest  and  wealthiest 
landowners  in  the  State,  and  he  had  a  reputation  of  being  unusually  cruel  to  his 
slaves,  of  which  he  owned  a  large  number.  lint  the  good  looking  yellow  boy, 
George,  having  been  trained  to  do  housework  by  his  former  mistress,  was  given 
similar  work  to  do  by  his  new  owner.  His  young  master,  Samuel  Kennady,  Jr., 
was  about  the  age  of  George,  i  nil  when  the  old  general  died,  he  treated  George 
with  the  greatest  consideration.  Upon  the  death  (if  the  second  Thomas  Ken- 
nady, (ieorge  was  given  to  his  daughter,  Mrs.  William  I'.ridges.  When  liridges 
died  heavily  in  debt,  all  his  property,  including  the  slaves,  was  sold  by  admin- 
istrator,    (ieorge  was  the  only  piece  of  property  thai  was  not  sold,  Mrs.    liridges 


J 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN. 


7;> 


begging  to  retain  him.  In  the  final  settling  up  of  the  estate  it  was  found  that 
George  would  have  to  be  disposed  of,  and  he  soon  discovered  that  negotiations 
were  pending  between  the  administrator  and  Chenoweth  and  Lawless,  a  firm  of 
slave  dealers  in  Iyexington  who  bought  Negroes  to  send  South.  George  asked 
the  administrator  if  he  intended  to  send  him  South,  and  he  replied,  "Yes,  I  am 
going  to  sell  you  down  South,  ami  when  you  get  there  you  will  find  that  your 
color" — George  is  nearly  white — "will  not  save  you  from  doing  the  same  work 
as  other  Negroes." 

For  several  years  prior  to  this  time  George  had  been  allowed  to  do  odd  jobs 
for  people  in  the  neighborhood,  and  he  had  saved  his  money  with  the  intention 
of  buying  himself,  a  practice  followed  by  many  of  the  better  class  of  Negroes  in 
this  State.  He  had  also  made  considerable  money  in  gathering  blue  grass  seed. 
He  invested  part  of  his  money  in  a  good  horse,  saddle  and  bridle.  He  had 
about  $100  in  cash.  When  he  learned  that  he  was  to  be  sold  down  South,  lie 
and  his  brother  Milton,  who  was  two  years  his  junior,  decided  to  run  away  and 
seek  a  home  in  the  North.  An  elder  sister  had  died  in  New  Orleans,  lenving 
them  a  handsome  estate,  which  would  have  been  ample  to  purchase  their  free- 
dom; but  under  the  law  slaves  could  not  inherit  properly,  and  they  therefore 
saw  nothing  open  to  them  but  flight  or  the  most  abject  slavery  in  the  cotton 
fields  of  the  South.  Their  Scotch  blood  boiled  in  indignation  at  the  thought  of 
the  latter  contingency,  and  in  the  dead  of  night  they  left  their  old  Kentucky 
home  and  rode  North.  They  went  to  Canada,  but  had  only  been  there  a  short 
time  when  Milton  determined  to  come  to  l>exington  to  see  his  sister.  He  dis- 
guised himself,  but  had  not  been  in  the  city  long  until  he  was  recognized  and 
sent  back  to  the  administrator  of  William  Bridges'  estate.  Before  he  could  be 
sold  down  South  he  escaped  again,  and  went  to  Oberlin,  Ohio,  from  which  point 
he  communicated  with  George,  and  the  latter  soon  joined  him  at  Oberlin. 
(ieorge  was  taken  into  the  family  of  Mrs.  Frances  SafTord  (a  ncice  of  Mrs.  Stowe), 
who  lived  in  Cambridgeporl,  Massachusetts.  Mrs.  SafTord  taught  George  to 
read  and  write.  He  learned  rapidly,  and  would  often  entertain  crowds  of  eager 
listeners  with  stories  of  slave  life  in  Kentucky.  He  became  so  noted  from  tell- 
ing these  stories  that  people  for  miles  around  came  to  Mrs.  SafTord  to  see  him  and 
to  learn  something  of  the  institution  of  slavery  as  known  in  the  Southern  States. 
He  attracted  so  much  attention  that  news  reached  Kentucky  of  his  doings,  and 
William  Bridges'  administrator  sent  I/ewis  I'ostlcwait  and  Thomas  B.  Megowan, 
of  Lexington,  after  the  two  Clark  brothers.  They  succeeded  in  capturing  Mil- 
ton and  returning  him  to  Kentucky;  but  (ieorge  made  his  escape  through  some 
technicality  of  the  law.  and  went  to  Portland,  Maine,  where  he  began  giving 
lectures  on  the  "I.egree"  tvpc  of  slave  owners  in  the  South.  He  lectured 
throughout  Maine  and  the  New  England  States.  He  returned  to  Mrs.  Safford's 
in  1844,  having  gained  an  almost  national  reputation  as  the  daring  slave  lec- 
turer, and  having  stirred  the  people  of  the  North  against  human  slavery  to  such 
an  ext  >nt  that  the  abolition  of  that  institution  was  possible.  His  reappearance 
in  Ohio  created  a  great  deal  of  comment  anil  no  little  excitement.  Hundreds  of 
friends  came  to  Oberlin  and  assured  him  that  should  his  owners  from  Kentucky 
attempt  to  capture  him  again  they  would  protect  him    with    their    lives.      After 


70  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

this  he  made  many  gpechesin  Ohio  ami  other  Northern  States. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  lie  went  to  Canada.  After  the  war  was 
over,  the  late  Colonel  William  Cassius  Goodloe  and  other  distinguished  Ken- 
tuckians  persuaded  him  to  come  to  Kentucky  and  try  and  induce  the  Negroes 
of  the  Slate,  who  at  that  time  had  the  Kansas  fever,  to  remain  in  Kentucky 
and  not  he  carried  away  with  the  stories  of  the  Kansas  boomers.  He  spoke  in 
nearly  every  county  of  (he  State,  and  by  his  work  he  succeeded  in  preventing 
many  Negroes  from  leaving  Kentucky.  In  more  recent  years  he  traveled 
throughout  the  country  delivering  lectures  on  old  times  in  the  .South. 

In  18'Jo  the  venerable  worker  for  his  race  became  enfeebled,  and  was  unable 
to  do  anything  for  a  livelihood.  When  his  condition  became  known,  charitably 
disused  |>ersoiis  all  over  the  North  and  in  Kentucky,  sent  small  contributions 
which  materially  assisted  him,  but  his  destitution  was  not  fully  relieved  until  it 
became  known  to  Mr.  Charles  I'mbers,  of  Dunedin,  Otago,  New  Zealand,  a  phil- 
anthropic gentleman  and  musician  of  the  far  antipodes.  He  succeeded  in 
getting  up  a  benefit  musical  performance  in  Dunedin,  for  Lewis  George  Clark, 
which  netted  seventy  pounds  sterling,  or  $350.  This  money,  rnised  seven  thous- 
n  id  miles  away,  was  sent  to  Mr.  Claik  in  March,  lb!»7.  It  was  placed  in  the 
hands  of  Mayor  J.  15  Simrull,  of  Lexington,  who  used  it  in  providing  for  the 
need*  of  this  man  who  had  made  history. 

In  disposition  Ix'wis  George  Clark  was  as  gentle  as  a  child;  his  honesty  was 
proverbial,  and  he  had  the  respect,  esteem  and  confidence  of  all  who  knew  him. 
He  was  intimately  acquainted  with  the  Beechers,  William  Lloyd  Garrison, 
Wendell  Phillips  and  the  other  great  leaders  in  the  pro-slavery  movement.  He 
outlived  all  of  them,  his  only  living  contemporary  in  1897  being  General  Cassius 
Marcellus  Clay,  ot  White  liall,  Madison  county,  Kentucky. 


CHAPTER  XLIX. 
Wallace  Arkansas  Gaines. 

Wallace  A.  Gaines  was  born  in  the  city  of  Dayton,  Ohio,  April  15,  1858. 
His  ai.cesters  on  his  giandmotliei 'i  side  were  Kentuckians,  most  of  whom  were 
residents  of  Ilarrodsburg;  those  on  his  grandfather's  side  were  Virginians;  their 
home  being  in  Richmond  and  vicinity.  Mr.  Gaines  was  only  an  infant  when 
his  father  died,  and  when  his  mother,  three  years  thereafter,  married  Mr.  J.  A. 
Overton  and  moved  to  Mercer  county,  Ohio,  to  take  up  a  farm  life,  he  was  left 
in  the  care  of  his  grandparents,  Kichard  and  Ellen  Gaines.  He  was  sent  by 
them  to  the  Negro  public  schools  of  Dayton,  commencing  at  the  age  of  six 
years,  and  continuing  therein  until  the  age  of  eleven,  at  which  time  he  was  hired 
out  to  a  white  family  in  Dayton —Mr.  and  Mrs.  L.  A.  Tenney-at  the  rate  of 
cighl  dollars  a  month  and  clothing,  his  grandparents  receiving  all  the  money. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tenney  however,  took  a  great  interest  in  him,  being  very  kind  to 
him  in  u.a  IV  ways,  and  aided  him  largely  in  his  mental  training. 

He  continued  in  the  employment  of  this  family  for  a  considerable  time, 
but  both  of  his  grandparents  dying,  he  went    to    Lima,    Ohio,    to   live   with    his 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  77 

mother,  and  while  there  he  entered  the  mixed  schools  of  that  city.  But  being 
naturally  disposed  to  the  acquisition  of  material  wealth,  and  being  possessed 
of  a  spirit  of  independence,  he  could  not  rest  contented  under  the  conditions 
that  surrounded  him  -thai  of  being  supported  by  liis  relatives— and  as  n  conse- 
quence, lie  left  school  and  obtained  employment  in  the  spoke,  hub  and  handle 
factory  of  K.  A:  .J.  K.  Ashton,  where  lie  learned  the  entire  trade,  sawing,  turning 
and  finishing. 

Whatever  Mr.  Gaines  does  is  marked  with  exact  and  painstaking  care,  not 
being  satisfied  with  any  crude  or  cureless  work.  This  seems  to  be  one  of  his 
inherent  qualities,  for  while  a  child  it  manifested  itself  and  drew  to  him  the 
kind  interest  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tenncv,  and  made  them  his  lusting  friends.  And 
while  at  the  spoke  and  huh  factory  il  attracted  the  attention  of  the  .Superin- 
tendent, M.  \V.  II.  Taylor,  to  such  a  degree  that  he  proposed  a  partnership  with 
Mr.  Gaines.  This  was  accepted,  and  they  built  a  factory  and  started  business  at 
Sunbiiry,  Delaware  county,  ( >hio,  where  they  gave  steady  employment  to  more 
than  thirty  hands,  most  of  whom  were  Negroes.  Of  course,  money  was  needed 
to  carry  on  such  a  business,  and  while  Mr.  G:  iies  had  sonic  money,  saved  by 
thrift  and  economical  habits  while  in  Lima,  yet  he  did  not  have  enough.  There 
was  no  trouble  about  this,  however,  as  Mrs.  Tenney,  his  friend  in  his  infancy, 
having  confidence  in  his  business  tact  and  enterprise,  advanced  the  necessary 
money,  which  was  all  repaid  from  the  business.  The  remarkable  thing  about 
this  whole  matter  is  that  Mr.  Gaines  was  only  a  lad  of  sixteen  or  seventeen 
vears  of  age  while  thus  engaged.  It  is  indeed  a  very  strong  proof  of  his  natural 
executive  ability.  On  account  of  poor  health  he  was  compelled  to  sell  out  his 
business  and  remove  from  Sunburv.  This  was  in  1875,  and  marks  the  date  of  his 
adoption  of  Kentucky  as  his  future  home.  Having  two  uncles  in  Covington, 
Ky.,  O.  S.  Burton  and  Lovcll  Gaines,  he  went  to  that  city  ami  made  his  home 
with  them.  His  active  nature,  however,  would  not  permit  him  to  remain  idle, 
and  he  at  once  engaged  in  business,  where  he  handled  furniture  and  feathers. 

Although  not  yet  a  voter,  he  was  a  leader  in  politics  among  his  people, 
and  so  active  and  influential  was  he  that  in  1M8'',  he  was  appointed  by  Hon. 
John  Sherman,  then  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  a  United  States  Storekeeper 
under  Hon.  \V.  S.  Holder,  Collector  of  the  Sixth  Kentucky  District;  and  after- 
wards under  General  J.  \V.  Finnell,  the  successor  of  Mr.  Holder.  Here,  again, 
Mr.  Gaines'  accuracy,  efficiency  and  close  attention  to  details  became  manifest, 
add  lie  was  soon  known  anil  rated  as  one  of  the  best  storekeepers  in  the  service. 
A  change  in  the  Adininisirasion  removed  Mr.  Gaines  from  the  I".  S.  service. 
He  then  became  a  hauling  contractor,  handling  all  the  grain  and  whisky  of  the 
distilleries  olO.  I  loltcrhc.fl'  and  List  A  Block,  and  in  addition  to  this  being  the 
superintendent  or  general  manager  of  the  latter  distillery.  As  soon,  however, 
as  the  Republican  party  came  into  power  again,  Mr.  Gaines  was  restored  to  the 
service,  being  appointed  this  time  a  I'.  S.  Ganger,  in  which  office  he  had  equally 
high  rating  as  when  a  storekeeper. 

If  Mr.  Gaines  has  any  owe  quality  above  another,  it  i-.  that  of  untiring 
activity.  It  is  manifested  in  social  a  flairs  no  less  than  in  business  and  political 
mailers.     As  a  result  of  this  he  ha- attached    himself    to    many    secret    societies 


78  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

and  orders.  He  is  a  Mason,  having  taken  all  the  degrees  to  that  of  Knight 
Templar;  he  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  having  attained  to  the  rank  of  Past  Grand  Mas- 
ter therein,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Patriarchy.  But  the  society  in  which 
he  takes  greatest  interest,  is  that  of  the  United  Brothers  of  Friendship.  This  is 
due,  no  doubt,  to  Mr.  Gaines'  intetesl  in  the  advancement  of  his  race,  this  being 
distinctly  a  Negro  organization,  having  for  its  purpose  the  unification  of  the 
race.  In  1889,  at  Bowling  Green,  Ky.,  he  was  elected  Grand  Master  of  the  U. 
B.  F.  and.S.  M.  T.,  and  has  been  re-elected  each  year  since.  Comment  is  un- 
necessary. Suffice  it  to  say,  that  under  his  administration  the  growth,  prosperity 
and  influence  of  the  order  in  Kentucky  has  been  unparallelled. 

But  few  men  have  been  more  active  or  better  known  in  the  political  affairs 
of  the  State  of  Kentucky  than  Mr.  Gaines.  For  the  past  sixteen  years  he  has 
been  a  delegate  to  every  city,  county  and  State  convention;  for  the  past  twelve 
years  he  has  l>ecn  a  member  of  the  Republican  Executive  Coiuniittees  of  both 
Kenton  county  and  the  city  of  Covington,  and  at  present  n  meniber-at-largc  of 
the  State  Advisory  Committee.  In  1892,  he  was  elected  a  State  delegate-at- 
large  to  represent  the  Republican  State  League  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  As  an  evi- 
dence ofithe'high  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  by  those  in  authority,  it  maybe 
stated  that  in  1895  he  was  appointed  Commissioner  for  the  State  at  the  Atlanta 
exposition;  and  in  189(5,  he  was  commissioned  by  the  Governor  as  a  Slate  repre- 
sentative to  the  Nashville  Exposition. 

Mr.  Gaines'  strong  forte  is  that  oftjratory.  He  has  a  great  command  of 
words,  an  easy  flow  of  language  and  a  graceful  mode  of  gesture,  all  combined 
making  him  one'of  the  most  elocpient  and  effective  orators  in  the  State.  He 
cuine  prominently  into  notice  as  an  orator  when  in  State  Convention,  June  5, 
1895,  he  seconded  the  nomination  of  Hon.  W.  O.  Bradley  for  Governor.  This 
speech  elicited  praise  and  favorable  comment  of  the  highest  quality.  But  it  was 
in  the  Presidential  campaign  of  189fi,  where  the  oratorical  powers  of  Mr.  Gaines 
were  liest  used  anil  most  effective.  In  every  part  of  the  State  was  his  voice 
heard,  and  always  with  good   results. 

In  manner,  Mr.  Gaines  is  gentlemanly,  sauve  and  gracious,  winning  friends 
at  every  turn  and  holding  them  by  his  upright  character  and  his  hospitable 
nature.  But  how  could  this  l>e  otherwise  when  there  courses  through  his  veins 
the  gentle  blood  of  old  Virginia,  heated  by  the  genial  warmth  of  hospitable 
Kentucky?  But  last  and  best  of  all,  is  Mr.  Gained'  strong  fealty  to  his  race.  No 
temptation  is  strong  enough  to  turn  him  from  those  in  whose  interest  he  is  con- 
stantly at  work;  and  for  this  he  has  the  everlasting  love  and  confidence  of  his 
own  race,  and  the  honor  and  esteem  of  his  while  fellow  citizens. 

In  business  matters  Mr.  Gaines  has  met  with  much  success,  having  accumu- 
lated, by  industry  and  thrift,  considerable  means,  which  he  has  invested  in  real 
estate  in  both  Ohio  and  Kentucky.  Being  yet  a  young  man  we  predict  for  him 
a  life  ofigreater  usefulness  and  higher  honors  than  those  already  attained  by 
him. 


CHAPTER  L. 
Colored  A.  &  n.  Association. 

■ftN  less  than  a  decade  after  the  proclamation  freeing  the  Negro  of 
f  the  South,  and  long  before  the  freedman  had  gotten  through  re- 
joicing over  the  incidents  attending  that  event,  the  Colored  Fair  As- 
sociation was  inaugurated.  On  August  11,  1869,  a  mass  meeting 
was  held  at  Ladies'  Hall  in  the  city  of  Lexington.  Henry  King,  for 
his  active  and  earnest  work  and  enthusiasm  in  the  enterprise,  was 
made  Chairman,  and  Henry  Britton,  Secertary.  The  object  of  the 
meeting  being  stated  by  the  chairman  a  pprmanent  organization  was 
formed.  Henry  King  was  elected  President;  H.  H.  Harvey,  Vice 
President;  Jame9  Turner,  Treasurer;  Henry  Scroggins,  Secretary; 
and  a  Board  of  Directors,  consisting  of  five  members,  James  Harvey, 
Thomas  Slaughter,  George  Perry,  E.  G.  Smoot  and  Theodore  Clay. 
These  were  the  first  to  be  thus  honored  by  this  enterprise,  and  of  the 
number  named  above  only  two  survive,  at  this  date,  May  1,  1897, 
namely,  Thedore  Clay  and  H.  H.  Harvey. 

At  the  meeting  iu  1HG9  it  was  agreed  that  fifty  shares  of  the 
stock  should  be  put  on  sale  at  810  per  share,  and  in  a  short  time 
two  thirds  of  the  stock  was  disposed  of.  Subsequently  the  amount  of 
stock  was  raised  to  one  hundred  and  eight  shares,  which  were  readily 
taken  by  responsible  parties.  Grounds  were  secured  on  the  Newtown 
pike,  a  short  distance  from  the  city,  where  the  first  fair  was  held  from 
Octolwr  <>  to  9,  inclusive.  Three  fairs  were  held  on  these  grounds 
and  with  such  unexpected  success  that  the  Association  concluded  it 
would  be  more  profitable  to    lease    grounds    and    improve    them  with 


80 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


such  buildings  and  conveniences  as  would  be  better  suited  and 
adapted  to  the  purpose. 

Iu  1872  a  lease  lor  n  period  of  fifteen  years  <vas  secured  on  a 
tract  of  laud  about  one  mile  from  the  city  limits,  on  the  Georgetown 
pike.  About  83,500  was  expended  on  improvements.  A  semi-circle 
«mphitheatre,  with  a  seating  capacity  ol'2,f)00,  a  dwelliug  bouse  and 
stables  were  erected,  ami  a  half  mile  track  made,  besides  other  nec- 
essary improvement.  For  the  following  fifteen  years  the  fairs  were 
held  on  these  grounds.  The  large  aud  increasing  attendance  from 
year  to  year,  the  high  class  of  the  exhibits,  the  very  best  and  finest 
stock  of  the  Blue  Grass  counties  l>eing  brought  there  to  contend  for 
the  liberal  premiums  and  purses  offered,  soon  convinced  the  managers 
that  the  recent  improvements  were  inadequate  to  the  demand.  The 
half  mile  track  proving  unsatisfactory  was  abandoued,  the  amphi- 
theatre was  found  not  to  be  large  enough  to  accommodate  one-third 
of  the  visitors,  and  a  hall  in  which  was  exhibited  the  handiwork  of 
women  was  too  small. 

Something  must  be  done,  as  the  fifteen  years'  lease  had  expired, 
and  it  was  evident  that  the  Association  must  have  larger  and  better 
grounds  to  accommodate  its  increasing  patrouHge.  Some  of  the  mem- 
bers were  of  the  opinion  that  it  would  be  more  prudent  to  purchase 
grounds  and  improve  them  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  Association. 
Others  thought  it  best  to  have  a  committee  wait  upon  the  White  Fair 
Association  to  ascertain  if  an  agreement  could  be  reached  for  holding 
the  Negro  Fair  on  its  grounds.  Such  a  committee  was  finally  •ap- 
pointed and  it  succeeded  iu  making  a  contract  satisfactory  to  both 
organizations. 

The  first  fair  held  by  Negroes  on  the  White  Associat;on  grounds 
was  iu  18K7  and  since  then  their  fairs  have  been  held  there.  They 
are  considered  the  finest  and  best  adapted  grounds  for  fair  and  racing 
purposes  in  America  The  proximity  of  the  grounds  to  the  city,  with 
an  electric  car  line  running  to  the  gate  that  conveys  passengers 
from  any  part  of  the  city  for  5  cents;  a  race  course  pronounced  by 
all  first-class  horsemen  to  be  the  equal  of  any;  a  double-decked 
amphitheatre,  with  a  seating  capacity  of  8,000;  a  spacious  floral 
hull,  and  sufficient  stable  room  to  accommodate  the  stock,  gives  to  the 
Colored  Fair  Association  and  its  thousands  of  patrons  an  advantage 
and  pleasure  they  did   not  before  enjoy. 


I 


A.  S.  WIIITK      IV  •">■•;. 

This  (ill  h:i-  ma.U-fr.mi  ;i  | jtrapli  lak.-n  in  IXS!»,  while 

Mr.  Whit,   »:,-  .,  ~iikI.mii  in  II. nranl  I'niwrsilv. 


I 


W.  I!.  KALLAKI).— IVc 


('.  I'.  I'RKWKTT.— Page  5(i. 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  Hi 

Siuce  the  removal  to  the  present  location  the  fain  have  grown  in 
importance  and  popularity.  Miny  new  attractions  Live  bjjn  aided 
and  changes  made  each  season,  so  as.  to  <1 )  away  with  the  m  niotony 
and  tedium  that  so  often  characterize  like  exhibitions.  The  o-ficera 
in  preparing  their  catalogue  always  take  special  care  and  deep  inter- 
est in  striving  to  accommodate  all  classes  of  women's  handiwork,  and 
very  often  the  Secret iry  makes  a  personal  cauvass  among  them.  It 
is  the  prime  desire  of  the  Association  to  create  rivalry  and  thereby 
stimulate  and  encourage  industry  and  artistic  talent  especially  among 
young  women. 

To  show  the  unselfishness  of  the  Association  liberal  premiums  are 
offered  on  all  articles  exhibited  in  floral  hall,  without  entry  fee. 
This  department  of  the  fair  has  grown  from  year  to  year  until  it  is 
now  one  of  the  main  attractions.  The  books  of  the  Association  are 
open  to  the  public,  and  often  the  exhibits  of  the  best  white  people 
compete  for  the  prizes.  Another  indispensible  attraction  of  the  fair 
is  the  speed  ring.  The  people  demand  something  more  enlivening 
and  exciting  than  the  ordinaryTmgsmows,  and  will  have  it  or  they 
will  not  attend,  as  they  have  a 'ready  demonstrated  here.  This  is  a 
country  of  great  horses  and  interested  horsemen,  and  the  Association 
cannot  ignore  the  demands  for  exhibitions  of  speed. 

The  liberality  and  generosity  of  the  officers  have  added  much  to 
the  Association's  popularity  and  success,  and  the  promptne-s  with 
which  all  obligations  are  met  have  given  it  a  financial  standing  in  the 
community  to  be  envied.  Liberal  purses  and  premiums  are  offered 
and  promptly  paid  in  cash  just  as  soon  as  the  judges  make  their  de- 
cision and  the  same  is  reported  to  the  Secretary.  Often  belated  ex- 
hibitors arc  accommodated  with  extra  rings  accompanied  with  handsome 
premiums  rather  than  that  they  should  go  away  disappointed  after 
having  prepared  their  stock.  As  much  as  8;"><)  or  87o  'is  often  given 
for  extra  races  after  the  catalogue  races  have  been  exhausted.  The 
amusements  are  never  allowed  to  lag  although  they  come  very  dear 
sometimes. 

The  Association  has  been  liberal  in  the  distribution  of  compli- 
mentary badges,  liberal  in  its  advertising,  liberal  in  looking  afler  the 
comfort  of  its  guests,  and  liberal  in  the  pay  of  its  employes.  Upon 
these  principles  only  can  a  great  fair  be  successfully  conducted.  It 
takes  over  82,001)  to   run    the    Lexington    Fair    exclusive  of  the  pre- 


82 


K  ENTUCK  V'8  PROMINENT 


niiums  aud  purses  besides  n  great  measure  of  work  aud  worry.  The 
Directors  aud  managers,  for  the  amount  of  time  and  labor  given,  are 
least  requitted.  Their  work  extends  throughout  the  year,  board  meet- 
ings to  attend  and  committee  work  of  all  kinds  to  be  done.  During 
the  fair  to  make  an  ideal  officer  one  should  keep  bus)-.  There  are 
always  on  hand  sharpers  and  schemers  that  have  to  be  looked  after. 
You  W'll  find  one  class  at  the  gate  trying  to  beat  their  way  in,  and 
still  another  at  the  Secretary's  office  trying  by  some  means  to  defraud 
that  officer  out  of  a  premium.  Such  unscrupulous  persons  will,  in 
order  to  fill  a  ring,  enter  a  horse  to  be  shown  in  a  class  to  which  he 
does  not  l>clong,  or  for  the  same  purpose  they  will  enter  an  animal 
that  is  not  on  the  grounds,  and,  when  that  fact  is  ascertained,  will 
claim  it  to  be  no  fault  of  theirs  and  demaud  a  show  for  their  money. 
Many  other  sharp  practices  are  resorted  to  which  at  times  become 
very  annoying.  So  au  officer  cannot  be  idle  aud  do  his  duty.  He 
must  be  ou  the  alert.  J 

Since  the  organ ization~oT  the  company  seven  men  have  been 
honored  with  the  Presidency:  Henry  King,  who  served  for  the  years 
1869,  '70,  72,  74,  '83,  '86  and  '87;  George  Perry,  who  served  one 
year,  1871;  J.  C  Jackson.  1873,  75  and  76;  Horace  P.  Gaines, 
from  1877  to  1882,  inclusive;  J.  A.  Scott,  1884  and  '85;  E.  W. 
Chennult,  1893,  '94  and  '95;  Henry  Lee,  1888,  '89,  '90,  '91/92, 
'96  and  1897. 

The  honor  of  Vice  President  has  been  bestowed  upon  fourteen 
men,  as  follows:  H.  H.  Harvey,  serving  one  term;  George  Perry, 
three  terms;  H.  P.  Gaines,  E.  W.  Jackson,  Henry  Lee  and  J.  A. 
Scott,  two  terms  each;  James  Harvey,  George  Scroggins,  A.  L. 
Harden,  M.  T.  Clay,  Isaac  Lee,  Reubeu  Scott,  A.  W.  Redd,  one 
term  each;  and  Jupiter  Lewis,  the  present  incumbent,  has  been  in 
office  through  ten  terms. 

James  Turner  was  the  first  to  be  honored  as  Treasurer,  in  1869, 
and  served  in  that  capacity  until  1874,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
W.  L.  Taylor,  who  faithfully  performed  the  duties  of  the  office  until 
death  removed  him  in  1893.  Henry  Lee  was  then  elected  and 
served  until  1896,  when  he  became  President,  and  S.  W.  Dunn  as- 
sumed the  duties  of  Treasurer,  a  position  he  still  holds. 

Henry  Scroggins  was  elected  Secretary  in  1869  and  remained  in 
office  until  1875  when  he   was   succeeded    by  A.  L.  Harden,  who  has 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  83 

continously  served  the  company  as  .Secretary  to  the  present  time. 

The  Association  is  a  member  of  the  National  Trotting  Associa- 
tion, a  distinction  and  honor  for  many  years  enjoyed  by  no  other 
kindred  Negro  organization.  Its  membership  has  given  it  prestige 
and  power  that  it  did  not  enjoy  before,  and  has  brought  it  under  the 
notice  of  all  prominent  horsemen  and  Associations  in  this  country 
and  Canada.  Its  membership  entitles  it  to  a  voice  in  making  laws 
that  govern  all  of  the  noted  Associations  throughout  the  country. 
Records  m:ide  by  horses  at  its  meetings  are  valid,  as  upon  other  tracks, 
and  any  horseman  who  violates  the  rule  can  be  fined,  suspended  or 
expelled  by  this  Association  just  as  quickly  as  for  the  same  offense  on 
any  other  track.  In  fact,  it  is  invested  with  the  same  power  and 
righls,  and  governed  by  the  same  rules  and  laws,  that  any  other  Na- 
tional Association  member  is  entitled  to. 

That  the  Association  has  done  good  in  the  community  no  one 
can  deny.  It  is  an  incentive  to  industry  and  thrift  among  all  classes, 
thefarmer,  the  gardener,  the  horeeman,  the  caterer,  the  seamstress, 
the)tailor,  the  mechanic,  the  merchant,  the  artist,  etc.  It  affords  to 
jiH  an  opportunity,  that  would  not  otherwise  exist,  for  competition  in 
the  exercise  of  taleut — talent  that  might  have  remained  unknown.  It 
brings  together  relatives  and  friends  long  separated  in  happy  reunion 
and  innocent  enjoyment.  It  is  a  credit  to  the  race  for  there  we  can 
see  placed  upon  exhibition  the  results  of  skillful  labor,  both  artistic 
and  mechanical,  of  our  own  people;  and,  again,  it  is  a  noble  memo- 
rial of  the  worthy  dead  who  sacrificed  and  contributed  so  much  to  the 
upbuilding  and  perpetuation  of  the  Association,  without  whose  names 
its  history  would  be  incomplete.  Among  those  benefactors,  of  happy 
memory,  who  have  gone  to  their  eternal  reward  are  the  following: 
Henry  King,  W.  L.  Taylor,  George  Perry,  George  Downing,  Isaac 
Lee,  H.  H.  Britton,  John  Williams,  Archie  Young,  Robert  Robinson, 
Samuel  Bell,  Samuel  Brier,  J.  H.  Taylor,  Henry  Slaughter,  Moses 
Payne,  Reuben  Scott,  James  Turner,  James  Harvey,  Alex  Williams, 
Marshall  Skinner,  George  Scroggins,  Henry  Scroggins,  Robert  Logan, 
E.  J.  Smoot  and  George  Bufortl.  Miss  Mary  Grievous,  another  hon- 
ored member  who  for  several  years  filled  the  responsible  position  of 
Lady  Manager  of  Eloral  Hall,  and  whose  accurate  and  superior  judg- 
ment and  earnestness  of  purpose  so  well  fitted  her  for  the  place,  1 
also  folded  her  arms  in  the  dreamless  sleep  of  eternity. 


las 


84 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


Financially  the  Association  has  been  n  success.  Thousands  of 
dollars  have  been  paid  to  the  members  in  dividends,  and  when  the 
charter  expired  in  1896,  after  twenty-seven  years  of  prosperity,  and 
the  members  concluded  to  disband  and  'reorganize  under  new  incor- 
porations, the  stockholders  were  paid  more  than  a  hundred  dollars 
per  share  for  their  stock  which  at  the  organization  of  the  company 
only  cost  diem  ten  dollars.  That  undoubtedly  is  a  very  creditable 
record  and  one  seldom  equalled  by  any  like  institution.  It  may  be 
asked,  and  naturally,  too,  why  the  old  company,  being  a  success,  was 
disbanded  and  a  new  one  formed?  What  advantages  over  the  old 
could  be  expected  in  the  formation  of  a  new?  There  were  several 
reasons  for  it.  The  first  was  that  most  of  the  members  in  the  original 
company  were  old  men  and  dependent  willows  who  were  anxious  to 
get  what  they  had  in  the  company  to  assist  in  sustaining  them  in 
their  old  age  and  through  the  depression  of  the  hard  times.  The 
second  reason  was  to  try  in  the  new  organization  to  offer  inducements 
to  yonng  men  to  take  stock,  as  young  and  energetic  men  were  very 
much  needed  to  supplant  those  who  had  grown  old  in  the  work.  The 
third  and,  perhaps,  principal  reason  was  that  the  charter  of  the  old 
company  had  expired  and  it  was  desirable  to  form  a  new  company 
under  an  improved  plan  of  incorporation,  the  charter  being  defective 
in  many  respects.  While  it  is  true  that  in  the  new  company  most  of 
the  old  members  have  retained  stock,  yet  there  is  an  infusion  of  young 
bloixl  that  is  certain  in  time  to  be  very  advantageous. 

The  last  fair,  in  1896,  was  the  first  held  under  the  new  order  of 
things;  and,  taking  everything  into  consideration,  the  great  depress- 
ion in  business  throughout  the  country  in  particular,  it  was  one  of 
the  greatest  meetings  of  the  Association,  and  so  well  managed  were 
it."  aHiiirs  that  a  handsome  dividend  of  about  40  percent  was  declared. 
The  present  officers  of  the  Association  are:  Henry  Lee,  President; 
Jupiter  Lewis,  Vice  President;  S.  YV.  Dunn,  Treasurer;  A.  L. 
Harden,  Secretary;  M.  T.  Clay,  J.  T.  Clay,  J.  C.  Jackson,  L.  C. 
Smith,  W.  H.  Campbell,  J.  W.  Ellis  and  Lewis  Williams.JJirectors. 
All  are  capable  and  worthy  gentlemen,  who  from  training  anil  ex- 
perience know  how  to  manage  and  inn  a  great  fair.  Most  'of  them 
have  been  connected  with  the  Association  since  its  organization  and 
all  'it  them  have  been  prominent  in  the  work  for  years. 

They  nre leaving  nothing  undone    that    will    tend    to    make    the 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  85 

meeting  of  1897  even  a  greater  success  than  any  heretofore.  The 
various  committees  have  been  appointed,  and  the  new  features  sug- 
gested and  discussed,  if  adopted,  will  greatly  enhance  the  pleasures 
of  the  fair.  The  selection  of  men  to  fill  the  -most  important  places 
during  fair  week,  such  as  Chief  Marshal,  stock  marshal,  ring  marshals, 
ticket  sellers  and  ticket  takers,  etc.,  is  another  matter  which  often 
gives  the  hoard  much  concern  to  he  certain  that  the  best  choice  has 
been  made.  The  Chief  Marshal  is  the  most  responsible  officer.  He 
supervises  generally,  cares  for  the  company's  property,  sees  that  the 
grounds  are  in  proper  order  for  the  fair,  and  each  morning  before  the 
fair  opens  clears  the  grounds  of  all  idlers.  For  several  years  Mr. 
T.  J.  Wilson  has  filled  this  important  position  with  credit  and  satis- 
faction. He  has  again  been  selected  for  the  place  which  is  a  sufficient 
guarantee  that  everthing  will  be  in  first-class  order  for  the  coming 
fair,  in  September,  1807. 

J  The  printing  is  another  matter  of  no  little  moment  requiring 
taste  and  judgment  in  its  handling.  Thousands  of  posters, 
streamers,  dodgers,  catalogues,  badges,  etc.,  must  be  planned,  pre- 
pared and  distributed  throughout  the  country,  requiring  weeks  of 
labor  and  watchful  care  on  the  part  of  the  Secretary.  For  several 
years  the  Standard  Job  Office,  in  Lexington,  has  done  the  company's 
printing,  which  for  neatness,  taste  and  artistic  workmanship,  it  would 
be  hard  to  excel.  That  thousands  of  badges  can  be  printed,  strung 
and  accurately  counted  and  separated  into  convenient  packages,  and 
delivered  without  any  loss  shows  a  watchfulness  and  care  on  the  part 
of  the  printer  that  is  commendable;  for  in  previous  years  the  company 
suffered  from  loss  of  tickets  before  they  reached  the  officers,  which 
would  not  be  discovered  until  after  a  day's  sale  when  stubs  and  tickets 
were  checked  off  at  night 

This  brief  history  of  the  Colored  Mechanical  and  Agricultural 
Association  is  given  as  a  basis  upon  which  a  more  extended  account 
may  be  written  at  some  future  time,  possibly  by  a  more  competent 
historian.  Many  facts,  more  or  less  interesting,  have  been  condensed 
or  roughly  related,  and  more  entirely  omitted  in  this  limited  space. 


CHAPTER  LI. 
The  Colored  Orphan  Industrial  Home. 

,i  u  ])co]ile  can  be   great    through    their   own   achievements.     Re- 


flected glory  is  more  a  token  of  degeneracy  than  of  distinction. 
Leadership  determines  the  character  of  every  movement,  and  although 
the  men  in  the  line  may  be  ever  so  gallant,  the  victory  is  known  by 
those  who  command.  It  has  been  through  the  operation  of  this  prin- 
ciple that  the  achievements  of  the  Negro  since  the  war  have  not  been 
at  their  full  value.  In  a  large  majority  of  cases  white  men  have  stood 
at  the  head  of  their  worthiest  enteq>rises,  and  so  have  given  title  to 
many  of  their  noblest  works. 

Recognizing  this  fact,  and  being  moved  by  an  impulse  both  of 
humanity  and  race,  a  company  of  advanced  thinkers  among  the  Ne- 
groes of  Lexington,  Ky.,  conceived  the  idea  of  building  up  in  their 
midst,  purely  under  Negro  auspices  and  management,  a  home  where 
their  orphan  children  might  be  cared  for  and  trained  for  usefulness  iu 
life,  and  a  small  number  of  aged  and  helpless  women  might  find  shel- 
ter from  pitiless  poverty  and  decrepitude.  It  has  been  but  a  little 
over  four  years  since  the  necessary  charter  was  obtained  and  the  com- 
pany organized.  There  was  then  not  a  dollar  in  sight  nor  the  slightest 
offer  of  aid.  Now  the  Home  is  established,  all  paid  for  and  in  vigor- 
ous and  beneficent  working  operation.  There  is  not  a  dollar  of  debt 
upon  the  institution  and  the  treasury  of  both  the  Board  of  Managers 
and  the  Hoard  of  Trustees  is  in  a  good,  healthy  condition.  More  than 
that,  to  meet  the  necessary  demand  for  more  room,  both  donnatory 
and  !-hop,  the  Board  of  Trustees  is  now  causing  to  be  erected    a  hand- 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  87 

some  extension  that  will  greatly    iucreasc  the  capacity,    convenience 
:uk1  comfort  of  the  institution. 

All  this  has  been  dime  under  the  sole  management  of  the  one 
organization  now  dating  from  the  beginning  of  the  work.  There  has 
been  no  changes  in  the  personcl  of  the  management,  and  no  salary  has 
been  paid  to  any  member  of  the  organization.  So  much  for  the  ex- 
ecutive and  administrative  ability  of  the  unaided  Negro,  and  so  much 
to  the  honor  of  the  good  and  worthy  men  and  women  who  have  (riven 
themselves  to  the  uplifting  of  the  unfortunate.  The  reports  of  officers 
will  be  found  in  this  hook,  bearing  testimony  to  what  the  Negroes  of 
Lexington  have  accomplished.  All  of  which  is  an  honor  to  the  race 
in   Kentucky.  W.  1).  J. 


I'RKSIDKNT'S  rkpokt  for  1894. 

In  presenting  my  annual  report  of  the  Orphan  and  Industrial 
Home,  of  Lexington,  Ky.,  I  first  desire  to  return  our  earnest  thanks 
as  a  board  to  the  many  friends,  both  white  ami  colored,  who  have  so 
graciously  remembered  us  during  the  past  year.  Truly  the  Lord 
careth  for  these  little  ones,  for  He  has  raised  up  many  friends  for 
them  in  their  helplessness  and  destitution.  The  object  of  the  Home 
is  to  train  hoys  and  girls  for  usefulness  in  this  life,  and  immortality 
in  the  life  to  come.  We  are  succeeding  much  in  our  work,  and 
hope  to  do  more  the  ensuing  year  than  we  have  in  the  past. 

Two  years  ago  lust  .September  we  purchased  the  Home,  a  beau- 
tiful place  in  the  suburbs  of  the  city  on  the  Georgetown  pike,  con- 
sisting of  a  two  and  a  half  acre  lot  with  a  substantial  brick  dwelling 
of  twelve  rooms.  We  did  not  have  a  dollar  to  start  with  but  through 
the  mercy  of  our  Heavenly  Father  and  the  kind  generosity  of  friends 
we  have  succeeded  admirably.  It  is  almost  free  from  debt  notwith- 
standing we  have  bought  an  adjoining  lot  and  have  also  had  consider- 
able repairing  done  upon  the  house. 

We  opened  the  Home  November  !l,  1894,  and  since  then  have 
taken  care  of  fourteen  children  and  live  aged  and  infirm  women.'  Wc 
are  destitute  of  the  means  to  care  for  every  needy  boy  and  >:irl  in  our 
community,  but  we  arc  not  discouraged.  (tod  will  raise  up  some  one 
who  has  been  blessed  with  an  abundance  of  this  world's  goods,  to  help 
us  in  this  noble  work  of  alleviating  sorrow  ami  suffering    and    prcpar- 


88 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


in£  boys  and  <rirls  for  useful  and  honorable  lives.  The  truly  generous 
man  does  not  wish  to  leave  enough  to  huihl  an  imposing  monument, 
since  there  is  so  much  sorrow  ami  suffering  to  be  alleviated.  He 
enjoys  the  pleasure  of  what  he  gives,  by  giving  it  when  alive,  and 
seeiug  others  benefitted  thereby.  We  hope  to  give  the  children  n 
three-told  ediutltioil — namely,  moral,  industrial  and  literary — so  that 
when  they  reach  the  years  of  accountability  and  responsibility  they 
may  he  useful  men  ami  women  in  the  community  in  which  they  may 
reside,  as  well  as  happy  in  their  homes. 

We  want  to  give  the  lw>ys  trades,  the  girls  domestic  lessons.  We 
want  them  to  know  that  honesty  and  integrity  constitute  the  true 
nobility  in  man;  that  to  toil  for  an  honest  livinjr  is  no  disgrace,  but 
a  recommendation;  that  no  man  is  to  he  the  less  respected,  the  less 
entitled  to  the  enjoyment  of  social  privileges,  because  he  drives  the 
)low,  shoves  the  plane,  smites  the  anvil,  or  makes  the  marble  start 
up  beneath  the  chisel  of  genius.  We  want  our  girls  to  understand, 
yes,  more,  to  be  skilled  in  dressmaking,  millinery,  laundry,  cooking 
and  housekeeping  generally.  Then  we  want  to  give  them  normal  and 
literary  training. 

Let  us  see  to  it  friends  that  we  keep  alive  within  our  breasts  the 
continual  needs  of  this  Home,  that  we  may  manifest  our  love  and 
affection  by  a  constant,  steady  stream  of  benevolence,  so  that  in 
years  to  come  our  children's  children  may  point  to  it  as  the  grandest 
monument  of  the  Negro  race  in  Lexington.  We  have  secured  a 
most  estimable  Christian  man  ami  wife  as  matron  and  janitor  for  the 
Home  nt  a  salary  of  $30  a  month.  The  cost  of  food,  clothing  and 
fuel  for  a  large  Home  like  this  must  of  necessity  be  large.  We  as  a 
race  are  poor;  we  have  no  large  endowment  fund  at  the  back  of  our 
institution,  but  must  depend  upon  our  individual  efforts  as  a  board, 
and  the  kind  generosity  of  friends  for  its  maintenance. 

May  G<k1  enable  you  to  help  us,  and  may  his  blessing  rest  upon 
the  Home;  may  it  live  on  throughout  all  time;  may  its  hijrh  ideal 
be  crowned  with  all  the  added  lustre  and  glories  of  succeeding  ages, 
as  a  living  reality;  and  in  the  "sweet  bye  and  bye,"  when  our  entire 
hoard  shall  have  been  called  from  labor  to  reward,  may  there  he  a 
full  accomplishment  of  its  lofty  mission. 


1 


I 


M.  s.  .ioiinsi  in.    |w  r,s. 


KOHKKT  MITCHELL.— I'ngc  59. 


J.  \V.  Ill  M.MAX.— I'agi-liO. 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  89 

president's  report  for  1895. 

"If  we  could  push  ajar  tlie  gates  of  life 

And  stand  within,  and  all  God's  workings  sec, 

We  could  interpret  all  this  douht  and  strife, 
And  for  each  mystery  could  find  a  key." 

•Swiftly,  ah,  how  swiftly,  has  another  year  flown  into  eternity, 
and  Time  in  his.  revolving  changes  has  brought  ns  to  the  close  of  1895. 
We  arc  moving  on  slowly  with  the  work  of  our  Home.  We  are  sorry 
that  the  financial  pressure  of  the  times  compel  lis  to  work  u|K>n  a  very 
economical  basis,  but  we  arc  not  at  all  discouraged.  "The  cattle 
upon  a  thousand  hills  arc  His"  in  whom  we  trust. 

\  We  have  been  enabled  this  year,  through  the  untiring  efforts  of 
our/noble  agent,  Cant.  It.  H.  Fitzlmgh,  to  open  two  of  our  industrial 

■department.'!,  namely,  tailoring  find  dressmaking.     Capt.   Fitzhugh    is 

a  man  of  most  kindly  heart  and  genial  nature.  He  enjoys  the  friend- 
ship and  esteem  of  all  who  know  him.  His  hair  is  silvered  with  the 
frost  of  time,  but  as  his  frank  clear  eyes  indicate,  his  heart  is  as 
young  and  his  blood  as  warm  with  fire  and,  energy  to  do  the  Master's 
will,  as  if  he  was  on  the  threshold  of  manhood.  Long  may  he  live 
a  lid  continue  to  enjoy  the  friendship  and  the  honor  he  so  worthily 
merits. 

The  fell  destroyer,  death,  invaded  our  Home  and  has  taken  one 
of  its  inmates,  an  oltl  woman  over  eighty  years  of  age.  She  has  gone 
to  that  silent  shore  where  there  is  no  more  sorrow,  no  more  pain,  no 
more  death.      Peace  to  her  ashes. 

We  have  a  most  excellent  matron,  Mrs.  Charlotte  Pogue,  a  very 
motherly  woman,  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  Christ. 

In  behalf  of  the  board  I  return  sincere  thanks  for  all  donations 
and  favors  shown  us'dnring  the  year,  and  beg  an  interest  in  your 
prayers  and  contributions  for  the  ensuing  year. 

president's  REPORT  FOR  189(i. 

Another  year  has  passed,  and  here  we  arc  sending'  this  little 
book  out  that  you  may  sec  how  generous  our  friends  have  been,  and 
how  well  we  have  carried  on  our  work  in  the  Home  during  the  year 
18!l(i.  In  this,  the  third  annual  report  of  the  Colored  Orphan  Indus- 
trial Home,  will  be  found  an  accurate  statement  of  the  financial  con- 
dition of  the  Home,  which  we  trust  will  prove  satisfactory  to  the 
friends  who  have  so  nobly  and  generously  assisted  in   building  up  this 


90  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

institution.  The  future  is  bright  with  promise,  and  the  work  before 
us  is  worthy  the  earnest  and  intelligent  support  of  all  good  men  and 
women,  and  to  its  advancement  let  us  pledge  our  earnest  and  untiring 
efforts,  so  that  we  may  transmit  to  our  successors  an  institution  pros- 
perous and  powerful;  an  institution  fully  equipped  to  train  the  little 
ones  for  future  usefulness. 

We  are  now  succeeding  nicely  with  our  industrial  departments. 
Our  instructor  in  the  tailoring  department,  J.  F.  Burton,  seems  to  be 
well  fitted  for  the  position.  He  is  very  hopeful  of  some  of  the  boys 
becoming  fine  tailors.  Our  instructor  in  the  Dress  Making  Depart- 
ment, Mrs.  Uettie  Merchant,  is  a  very  patient,  persevering  woman; 
the  children  all  seem  to  love  her  and  vie  with  each  other  in  carrying 
outAher  instructions.  Some  of  them  are  very  apt,  and  will  soon  be 
^_jil»le  to  make  their  own  clothing.  Eight  or  ten  girls  assist  the  Matron 
in  cooking,  cleaning  and  also  in  the  laundry;  they  seem  to  take  a  de- 
light in  helping  her  to  care  for  the  little  ones. 

All  children  who  are  old  enough  attend  the  district  school  daily. 
The  school  house  is  about  fifty  yards  from  the  Home.  Miss  Hath- 
away, the  teacher,  is  an  earnest  Christian  woman;  also  a  member  of 
our  board.      Upon  the  whole,  we  have  an  efficient  corps  of  instructors. 

The  Home  is  now  free  from  debt,  owing  to  the  generosity  of  the 
Fiscal  Court,  which  has  made  us  liberal  donations  for  that  purpose. 
Our  work  is  very  much  restricted  for  the  want  of  more  room.  We 
hope,  however,  with  the  coming  of  better  times  that  the  way  will  be 
opened  for  an  additional  building. 

The  health  of  the  family  has  remained  good,  with  the  exception' 
of  one  aged  woman  who  died  in  October,  she  having  lived  more  than 
three  score  and  ten  years.  We  trust  that  she  has  entered  upon  her 
eternal  rest. 

I  desire  to  return  thanks  to  Dr.  J.  E.  Hunter,  who  has  given  his 
services  gratuitously  for  the  past  three  years.  God  will  bless  him, 
"for  as  much  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  these,  the  least  of  my 
little  ones,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me." 

I  extend  heartfelt  thanks  to  our  Northern  and  Eastern  friends 
who  have  so  generously  helped  us  through  our  worthy  and  highly  re- 
spected General  Manager,  Captain  R.  II.  Fit/hugh.  May  our  heav- 
enly Father  bless  each  of  them,  and  spare  him  many  years  to  this 
noble  work.      To  the  Mayor  and  city  officials,  to  the   Fiscal  Court,   to 


I 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  91 

the  friends  both  white  and  colored  who  have  so  generously  assisted  us, 
notwithstanding  the  hard  times,  I  offer  the  inost  earnest  thanks.  Our 
heavenly  Father  marketh  the  fall  of  the  sparrow,  and  rewards  the 
earnest,  charitable,  faithful  man. 

To  my  associate  officers  and  hoard:  I  desire  to  thank  you  most 
heartily  for  the  expression  of  your  esteem  as  manifested  by  electing 
me  as  your  President  for  five  consecutive  years.  Coming  to  me  as 
the  spontaneous  offering  of  my  sisters,  I  value  it  (as  an  expression  of 
your  confidence)  as  above  price.  My  labors  have  been  arduous  and 
exacting  of  my  time  and  judgment,  but  these  have  been  cheerfully 
performed,  as  I  have  been  by  the  hope  that  I  might  do  something  in 
an  humble  way  to  advance  and  build  up  a  Home  that  shall  be  eudur- 
ing^and  honored  among  the  institutions  of  our  land.  I  know  I  have 
had  your  sympathy  and  hearty  co-operation  in  this  work,  for  our 
meetings  have  been  harmonious.  That  I  have  been  free  from  errors 
anil  wise  in  all  things,  it  would  be  beyond  erring  human  nature  to 
hope,  but  "with  charity  to  all  and  malice  to  none,"  I  have  made  an 
earnest  effort  to  so  discharge  the  duties  of  my  high  trust,  as  to  meet 
your  charitable  commendation.  And  now  I  can  only  indulge  the 
hope  that  whatever  of  good  I  have  done  may  be  cherished  and  pre- 
served. E.  Belle  Jackson, 

President  of  Board  of  Managers. 


ARTICLES  OE   INCORPORATION. 

Article  1.  Know  all  people  that  w-c,  the  undersigned  colored 
women,  do  associate  and  have  organized  ourselves  into  a  body  corpo- 
rate,, under  Chapter  5G,  of  the  General  Statutes  of  the  State  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  to  be  known  as  The  Colored  Orphan  Industrial  Home,  of 
Lexington,  Ky.;  and  in  by  said  name,  shall  sue,  be  sued,  have  per- 
petual succession,  may  have  a  common  seal,  and  alter  or  change  or 
abolish  the  same  at  pleasure,  and  shall  possess  all  such  other  powers 
necessary  to  accomplish  its  object. 

Article  2.  The  object  of  said  corporation  shall  be  to  provide  and 
maintain  a  home  for  colored  orphan  children  and  aged  infirm  colored 
women,  and  to  aid,  help  and  assist  them,  in  an}'  way;  the  orphans, 
until  the  boys  are  fourteen  years  of  age  and  until  the  girls  are  fifteen 
years  of  age;     also,  to  benefit  the  poor   and    needy,  as  the    managers 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


may  deem  best.     To  effectuate   these   objects   said    corporation    shall 
have  power  to  acquire,  receive  and    hold  property,  real,  personal  and. 
mixed;     to  contract,  exchange,  to  buy,  to  mortgage,  sell  and  transfer 
the  same  as  an  individual. 

Article  3.  The  amount  of  property  to  he  held  by  said  corpora- 
tion shall  not  exceed  850,000.  The  private  property,  real,  personal 
and  mixed,  of  the  members  of  said  corporation  is  and  shall  be  ex- 
empted from  corporate  debts  and  liabilities. 

Article  4.  The  corporation  shall  begin  business  on  the  fifth  day 
of  September,  1892,  and  shall  exist  twenty-five  years. 

Article  5.     The  principal  office  shall  be  in  Lexington,  Kentucky. 
There  shall  be  an    annual    meeting   of  said    corporation    on  the  first 
Monday  of  September  every  year.     There  shall  be  a  monthly  meeting 
f  the  managers  on  the  third  Monday  of  every  month.  . 

Article  o'.  This  corporation  shall  be  composed  of  women  only;  fl 
nit  its  trustees  shall  be  men  only.  Any  woman  selected  and  elected 
by  the  managers  may  become  a  member.  She  shall  pay  at  least  five 
dollars  admission  fee,  and  five  dollars  at  le,ast  per  year,  as  dues  for 
the  objects  intended;  and  said  dues  shall  be  paid  as  the  by-laws  6hall 
prescribe.  No  member  shall  receive  any  benefit  from  said  corporation, 
except  for  services  rendered  to  it,  or  as  an  inmate  of  it,  or  an  object 
of  charity  from  it. 

Article  7.  There  shall  be  at  least  fifteen  managers,  in  whom 
the  control,  direction  and  management  of  the  corporation  shall  be 
invested,  and  who  shall  hold  office  until  their  successors  are  elected 
and  installed  in  office.  They  shall  be  elected  at  their  annual  meeting 
and  retain  control  and  management  as  hereinbefore  provided.  They 
shall  have  full,  complete,  general  and  practical  control  and  manage- 
ment of  the  affairs  of  said  corporation;  but  shall  make  no  contract 
or  create  any  debt,  nor  incur  imy  liability  exceeding  S'250,  except  by 
the  written  consent  and  authority  of  the  corporation  empowered  by 
them  at  the  annual  meeting,  or  special  meeting  properly  called  for 
that  purpose.  All  funds  and  property  received  for  current  purposes 
shall  be  under  their  supervision  and  control;  hut  the  funds  shall 
he  deposited  with  the  Treasurer  of  said  managers.  They  shall  consist 
of  President,  Vice  President,  Secretary,  Recording  Secretary,  Treas- 
urer ami  ten  other  members  selected  and  elected,  one,  as  can  lie  fairly 
done,  from  each  colored  church   of  this   city.     The  management  for 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  93 

the  first  year  shall  consist  of:  President,  Mrs.  E.  B.  Jackson;  Vice 
President,  Miss  E.  <).  Warfield;  .Secretary,  Miss  Ida  W.  Bates;  Re- 
cording Secretary,  Mrs.  M.  B.  Hunter;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  Priscilla 
Lacey;  Mrs.  Lizzie  P.  Wilson,  Mrs.  M.  A.  Gillis,  Mrs.  M.  L. 
Fletcher.  Miss  M.  E.  Britton,  Mrs.  Maria  Hawkins,  Mrs.  Muriu 
Vaughn,  Mrs.  Lucy  Clay,  Mrs.  Caddie  Clay,  Mrs.  Jane  .Saunders. 

Article  8.  There  shall  be  at  least  seven  trustees.  The  title, 
control  anil  management  of  the  real  estate  and  permanent  fund  shall 
he  invested  in  them  as  trustees.  The  trustees,  President,  Frank 
Buckncr;  Vice  President,  G.  M.  Moore;  Secretary,  A.  L.  Gowens; 
Treasurer,  A.  M.  Boswell;  John  T.  Clay,  M.  T.  Clay  and  J.  C. 
Jackson,  now  selected  and  elected,  shall  continue  in  office  until  they 
severally  die  or  resign,  or  remove  out  of  this  State,  or  arc  removed 
from/office  by  a  two-thirds  vote  of  the  members  of  the  corporation, 
for  good  cause,  at  a  regular  meeting,  or  a  special  meeting  properly 
called  for  that  puri>ose.  They  shall  have  their  President,  Secretary 
and  Treasurer.  All  funds  that  are  received  for  permanent  invest- 
ment shall  l>e  held  by  the  Treasurer  of  said  trustees.  They  shall 
make  no  contract  nor  create  any  debt,  nor  incur  any  liability  exceed- 
ing 81,000  except  by  the  written  consent  and  authority  of  the  corpo- 
ration, empowered  nt  an  annual  meeting,  or  a  special  meeting  prop- 
erly called  for  that  purpose. 

Article  9.  The  managers  and  trustees  shall  be  subjected  to  the 
control  and  management  of  the  corporation.  They  shall  pay  out  no 
money  except  on  tho  written  order  of  their  respective  Secretary,  and 
signed  by  their  respective  President  and  Secretary.  They  shall  each 
make,  keep  and  preserve  a  full,  regular  itemized  and  accurate  ac- 
count of  their  respective  proceedings  and  business,  with  proper  re- 
ceipts and  vouchers  for  all  moneys  and  properties  received,  paid  out 
and  dispersed,  and  report  the  same,  accompanied  by  said  vouchers 
and  receipts,  at  the  annual  meeting  of  said  corporation,  or  at  a  special 
meeting  properly  called  for  that   purpose. 

Article  10.  The  corporation  shall  specify  in  their  by-laws  the 
duties  of  the  several  officers  and  its  members,  and  may  direct  what 
officers  shall  be  required  to  execute  bond  with  proper  security  for  the 
faithful  performance  of  their  duties.  They  shall  make  all  necessary 
regulations  and  by-laws  for  the  efficient  management  of  their  corpo- 
ration to  perfect  its  object.      But  their  acts   must    not    be  inconsistent 


3 

94  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

with  their  charter  uor  the  Constitution  or  laws  of  the  State  of  Ken- 
tucky, nor  the  laws  of  the  United  States. 

Article  11.  All  elections  of  officers  shall  be  by  ballot;  and  each 
member  shall  be  entitled  to  one  vote;  and  the  majority  of  the  votes 
cast  shall  be  the  voice  of  said  corporation,  except  as  hereinbefore 
provided. 

Article  12.  Notice  of  each  special  meeting  shall  be  in  writing 
and  said  writing  shall  specify  the  object  of  said  meeting,  and  shall  be 
sent  at  least  three  days  next  preceding  said  meeting  to  each  member. 
^  Article  13.  Should  the  corporation  desire  at  any  time  to  wind 
up  the  business,  they  shall  proceed  as  they  would  to  amend  the 
_^eharter;  but  they  shall  transfer  all  property  and  money  then  in  pos- 
session to  some  one  or  different  institution  organized  for  general 
charitable  purposes. 

Article  14.  This  charter  can  only  be  altered  or  amended  by  a  ' 
two-thirds  vote  of  the  members  of  the  corporation  at  the  annual  meet- 
ing, or  a  special  meeting  properly  called  for  that  purpose.  But  no 
such  alteration  or  amendment  thereto  shall  be  considered  and  adopted 
until  written  notice,  specifying  said  alteration  or  amendment,  shall 
at  least  five  days  next  preceding  the  meeting  to  be  held  for  that 
purpose,  be  sent  to  each  member  of  the  corporation;  and  the  said 
projwsed  alteration  or  amendment  shall  be  published  in  a  newspaper 
of  general  circulation  in  this  city  three  successive  days  next  preceding 
said  meeting. 

In  testimony,  as  incorporators  of  The  Colored  Orphan  Industrial 
Home,  of  Lexington,  Ky.,  we  do  hereby  subscribe  our  names,  this 
fifth  day  of  September,  1892. 

E.  Belle  Jackson,     Eliza  Washington,     Caddie  Clay, 
Mary  L.  Fletcheb,  Marie  Vaughn,  I.  W.  Bates, 

Lucy  Clay,  Kittie  L.  Byrd,         Agnes  Ware, 

Mary  B.  Hunter,      Lizzie  P.  Wilson,        M.  A.  Gillis, 
Priscilla  Lacey,       Maria  Hawkins,         Jane  Saunders, 
Mary  E.  Brixton,'   E.  O.  Warfield. 


CHAPTER  LII. 
The  Woman's  Improvement  Club. 

§NE  of  the  most  receut  nnd  one  of  the  most  promising  organiza- 
tions of  Louisville  is  the  Woman's  Improvement  Club.  Its 
birth  seems  accidental,  rather  than  otherwise.  It  was  on  the  occasion 
of  Mrs.  Ida  Wells  Barnett's  visit  to  Louisville  to  give  a  lecture  on 
"Lynching  in  America"  that  some  ladies  calling  upon  her  mentioned 
the  matter  of  women's  clubs.  Mrs'.  Barnett  told  something  of  their 
workiugs,  and  at  the  request  of  her  visitors  met  at  a  later  date  in  the 
parlor  of  Miss  Annie  Bowman,  one  of  Louisville's  most  successful 
teachers,  about  twenty-five  representative  women  of  Louisville  and 
organized  The  Woman's  Improvement  Club. 

Mrs.  Fannie  B.  Williams  was  chosen  President;  Mrs.  John 
Burney,  Vice  President;  Mrs.  Julia  McKinley,  Recording  Secretary; 
Miss  Lillie  Kelly,  Assistant  Recording  Secretary;  Miss  Annie  Bow- 
man, Treasurer;  Miss  S.  E.  Bell,  Corresponding  Secretary.  Ujwn 
Mrs.  McKinley's  resignation  Miss  G.A.Nugent  was  elected  Secretary. 
The  business  of  the  Club  is  mainly  in  the  hands  of  an  Executive 
Committee,  consisting  of  Mrs.  Fannie  B.  Williams,  ex-officio,  Mrs. 
M.  E.  Steward,  Mrs.  Hattie  Minuis,  M.  S.  Brown,  Miss  Lucy  Flint, 
Miss  S.  E.  Bell,  Miss  S.  B.  Alexander. 

The  objects  of  the  organization  arc  elevation  of  woman,  the  em 
riching  and  betterment  of  home,  and  the  incitement  of  proper  pride 
and  interest  in  the  race.  That  these  objects  may  be  fully  realized 
the  Club  has  distributed  its  work  into  seven  different  sections,  namely: 
1.  Literature.  2.  Current  Topics.  3.  Music.  4.  Home  and 
Healli.     5.   Charity,     (i.   Art.      7.   Race. 


96 


I 
KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


At  each  meeting  of  the  Club,  which  occurs  ou  the  first  and  third 
Fridays  iu  each  month,  from  5  to  7  p.  in.,  in  the  Library  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  a  business  meeting  is  held,  then 
one  of  the  sections,  in  turn,  renders  a  programme.  Frequently  the 
social  side  is  emphasised  by  serving  light  luncheons  at  the  close  of 
the  exercises.  Any  woman  of  good  moral  character,  who  is  willing  to 
devote  her  energies  to  the  elevation  of  woman,  home  and  the  race,  is 
eliglbb  to  membership.  Each  member  stands  pledged  to  instil  race 
pride  by  her  good  conduct,  thus  meriting  proper  recognition.  Each 
member  is  expected  to  use  her  influence  toward  purifying  society  by 
demanding  of  every  man  the  same  strict  accountability  that  is  de- 
manded of  women.  Each  member  pledges  herself  to  give  hearty 
sympathy  and  support  to  every  woman  who  is  earnestly  striving  to 
retrieve  her  past. 

The  Club  has  only  had  a  short  time  in  which  to  show  its  useful- 
ness, yet  during  its  brief  existence  it  has  rendered  effective  service. 
It  was  brought  to  the  notice  of  the  Club  that  the  Kindergarten  for 
Negro  children  was  poorly  attended.  The  Principal  of  the  Kinder-, 
garteu,  Miss  Anna  Iugalls,  was  invited  to  address  the  Club  on  the 
work  of  the  Kindergarten.  Interest  was  aroused  and  the  members 
pledged  themselves  to  assist  in  increasing  the  attendance.  Meanwhile 
it  was  planned  to  hold  four  public  meetings  for  the  purpose  of  arous- 
ing iutcrest  among  the  people  of  Louisville  in  the  Kiudergarteu. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  series  was  held  at  the  Congregational 
Church,  and  Miss  Anna  Ingalls,  the  Principal  of  Knox  Kindergarten, 
addressed  the  audience  upon  the  "Daily  Life  of  the  Kindergarten." 
The  second  meeting  was  held  at  Quinn  Chapel,  Miss  Pattie  S.  Hill, 
Superintendent  of  the  Louisville  Kindergartens  and  Training  ('lass, 
gave  an  address  on  the  "Educational  Value  of  Kindergarten  Train- 
Miss  Finie  Burton,  the  manual  training  teacher,  gave  an 
<lre88  on  the  "Religious  Value  of  Kindergarten  Training."  The 
third  meeting  was  held  at  the  Lampton  Street  Church.  Mrs.  White- 
sides,  a  Normal  teacher,  spoke  on  the  "Kindergarten  Child  in  the 
Public  School."  The  fourth  and  final  meeting  was  held  at  Cavalry 
Baptist  Church.  Mis.  Andrew  Cowan,  one  of  Louisville's  most 
philanthropic  women,  spoke  on  "Methods  of  Organizing  Kinder- 
gartens." Space  will  not  permit  even  brief  extracts  from  the  fore- 
going earnest  ami  thoughtful  addresses.      Their  spirit    was  admirable, 


|.;    I   V|)Ki:\Vll()|).      I'liurlil. 


.1   ii  .i  \(  k-<>\.    r 


T.  K,  HOIM5.      I'nyr  (il. 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  97 

and  the  universal  agreement  is  that  a  higher  regard  for   children  and 
a  greater  care  for  their  training  has  been  inspired. 

The  people  have  been  enlightened  and  aroused  and  it  is  the  earnest 
hope  of  the  Club  that  our  representative  men  and  women  will  form 
an  organization  resulting  in  the  opening  of  one  or  more  Kindergartens 
and  a  traiuiug  class  for  Negro  Kindergartncrs.  Yet,  if  no  such 
results  are  obtained  and  the  Woman's  Club  should  write  finis  at  the 
close  of  its  last  minutes,  it  deserves  a  place  in  history;  but  it  is  to 
be  hoped  that  the  good  it  has  already  accomplished  is  only  a  promise 
of  the  larger  and  more  potent  service  it  will  render  the  people  of 
Louisville. 


sJ?Pt&Pz&P 


CHAPTER  LIII. 
Opinion*  Concerning  This  Book. 
"I^SjO  apology  need  be  offered  for  the  appearance  of  this  book.  At 
IfX  all  times  "the  proper  study  of  maukind  is  niau."  Therefore, 
Becking  to  set  before  his  people  some  word  of  his  that  may  be 
to  them  helpful  in  their  reaching  up  after  the  nobler  things,  the 
compiler  of  this  book  feels  sure  that  in  giving  to  the  public  the 
biographies  of  some  of  his  fellows,  who  by  virtue  of  their  persistence 
have  triumphed,  he  is  serving  those  whom  he  has  ever  sought  to 
serve  with  his  best  talents. 

It  is  not  in  the  full  glare  of  the  sun  that  the  rarest  and  fairest 
flowers  grow.  In  cool,  sequestered  spots,  where  only  God  may  see, 
His  choicest  bloom  unfolds.  The  loveliest  orchids  and  the  brightest 
butterflies  are  in  the  depths  of  Brazilian  forests.  So  it  is  in  human 
life.  Greatness  is  not  of  necessity  known  to  all  men.  It  exists 
wherever  there  is  honesty  of  purpose,  suffering  bravely  endured,  or 
duty  faithfully  done.  Each  biography  is  a  record  of  industry  and 
self  denial,  courageous  and  persistent  effort,  and  the  fruitage  thereof. 
One  purpose  has  been  that  honor  may  be  done  to  those  to  whom  honor 
is  due;  another,  and  greater  purpose,  is  to  stir  up  to  higher  things 
the  soul  and  spirit  of  a  race  moving  from  darkness  into  light;  and  to 
help  upward  and  onward  an  aspiring  people  by  showing  to  them  the 
heights  already  reached  by  some  of!  their  number. 

Mnuy  thanks  are  due  to  the  friends  who  have  so  generously  lent 
their  aid  to  this  work.  Out  of  the  many  men  and  women  who 
hn  unassisted  in  gathering  and  presenting  in  proper  form  the  data 
herein,  to  choose  any  for  special  thanking  would  be  invidious  to  the 
Others.      It  is  enough  to  say  that  without  their  support    this  hook  had 


Ji 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  99 

not  been  marie.  Whatever  honor  is  in  it  belongs  to  those  whose  lives 
it  eommemmorates.  May  the  result  be  the  uplifting  and  strengthen- 
ing of  those  who  falter  on  the  way  that  leads  to  God. 

A  few  mouths  ago,  having  a  desire  to  know  the  opinions  of  the 
leading  thinkers  of  the  race  in  regard  to  the  publication  of  this  book, 
I  addressed  a  circular  letter  to  a  number  of  persons,  especially  those 
who  had  riistinguisheri  themselves  in  the  various  walks  of  life.  The 
enquiry  and  answers  are  herewith  appended: 


"Lkxinoton,  Ky.,  March  1,  1897. 

"M — .  :     I  am  about  to  publish  a    book  of  biographical 

sketches  of  'Kentucky's  Prominent  Negro  Men  and  Women,'  and, 
believing  you  to  be  interested  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  welfare  of 
the  race,  I  most  respectfully  request  your  opinion  in  the  matter  as  to 
why  such  a  book  should  be  given  to  the  public?     Yours  truly," 

"W.  D.  Johnson." 


FROM    MISS    MARY    K.    BKITTON. 

It  is  with  pleasure  that  I  reply  to  your  query  as  to  why,  in  my 
opinion,  you  should  issue  such  a  book  as  the  one  you  projwse  to  pub- 
lish so  opportunely: 

First — Races,  as  well  as  individuals,  are  estimated  according  to 
their  achievements  in  re|igion,  literature  and  the  arts.  Without  a 
record  of  their  progress  along  these  lines  the  world  would  be  ignorant 
of  those  characters,  both  male  and  female,  who  have  made  history. 
We  are  told  that  this  glorious  continent  was  named  to  honor  Amerigo 
Vespucci  because  he  printed  an  account  of  his  voyages,  and  that 
Columbus  lost  the  honor  because  little  was  known  of  him  until  after 
the  continent  was  named. 

Second — A  great  aid  to  personal  effort  is  honest  criticism.  A 
biographer  should  be  impartial.  History  is  more  than  a  chronicle  of 
events;  it  demonstrates  the  relations  which  races  of  men  bear  toward 
each  other,  their  development,  their  organization  and  the  principle  of 
their  civilization. 
^_^Third — .Scientists  sometimes  claim  that  the  Negro  is  of  inferior 
origin  and  on  that  account  is  of  inferior  destiny.  An  accurate  record 
proves  anil  thwarts  any  assertion  contrary  to  the  divine  truth,  "God 
hutli  made  of  (me  blood  all  nations  of  men."     According  to  authentic 


100 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


history  the  Negro  race  in  America  is  directly  descended  from  the 
ancient  Ethiopians,  who  were  civilized,  who  built  cities,  and  whose 
armies  invaded  Egypt  and  Nubia  many  centuries  before  the  Christian 
era.  The  children  of  Ham  clearly  led  the  march-of-  civilization,  aud 
their  achievements  gave  promise  of  future  greatness.  It  is  not  at  all 
improbable,  therefore,  that  Ethiopians,  both  in  Africa  aud  America, 
of  the  present  age,  will  fulfill  that  promise. 

Fourth — The  present  as  compared  to  the  past  shows  an  intelli- 
gent and  material  advance.  Their  dwellings,  schools,  churches  and 
public  institutions  testify  to  their  progress.  Negro  children  are  being 
educated  and  trained  by  men  and  women  of.  their  own  race  in 
letters,  in  mechanics,  and  in  the  arts.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
enumerate  the  opportunities  which  they  create  or  improve;  it  is 
'  enough  to  say  there  is  no  standing  still  for  them,  no  falling  behind, 
their  daily  watchword  being  progression. 

Iu  our  desire  to  acquire  knowledge  let  us  avoid  the  errors  of 
science  aud  the  sophistries  of  men.  When  the  would-be  wise  search 
into  the  hidden  mysteries  of  the  Creator,  he  allows  them  to  be  blinded 
by  their  own  selfishness.  John  xii,  40;  II  Cor.  iv,  3,  4.  "The 
wisdom  of  this  world  is  foolishness  with  God,  for  it  is  written,  He 
taketh  the  wise  in  their  own  craftiness."  I  Cor.  iii,  18,  19.  We 
cannot  come  into  a  knowledge  of  truth  independent  of  spiritual  guid- 
ance. The  inspiration  of  the  Almighty  giveth  understanding  of  His 
truth,  and  persons  who  are  thus  led  can  truly  say  with  David:  "Thou 
through  thy  commandments  hast  made  me  wiser  than  mine  enemies; 
for  they  are  ever  with  me.  I  have  more  understanding  than  all  my 
teachers;  for  thy  testimonies  are  my  mediation.  I  understand  more 
than  the  ancients;  because  I  keep  thy  precepts.  Through  thy  pre- 
cept* I  get  understanding;  therefore  I  hate  every  false  way.  Thy 
word  is  a  light  unto  my  feet,  and  a  light  unto  my  path."  Psalms 
cxix,  98-104. 

To  those  who  through  civil  enactments  anticipate  a  removal  of 
the  prejudice  which  binds  the  Negro,  let  me  say  that  their  hopes  are 
vniu^_>Not  until  Christ  is  supreme  iu  every  heart  will  obstacles  to 
the  full  growth  of  the  Negro  be  removed,  and  the  principle  of  "the 
brotherhood  ol  man  and  the  fatherhood  of  God"  be  firmly  established. 
To  this  end  let  each  one  give  himself,  and  behold!  it  is  the  solution 
of  every  problem. — Mary  E.  Brittou,  Lexington. 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  101 

FROM  ALBERT  s.  WHITE. 

Your  book  should  he  placed  in  the  exhibit  of  our  State  nt  the 
Tennessee  Centennial  Exposition.  It  would  broaden  it*  field  of  use- 
fulness. I  am  strongly  impressed  with  the  necessity  for  such  n  work. 
No  harm  can  be  done  by  turning  on  the  searchlight,  and  letting  the 
world  see  who  and  what  we  are.  So  much  has  been  said  in  criticism 
of  Kentucky  that  it  behooves  us  to  let  detracters  and  detainers  see 
that  this  is  no  longer  the  "dark  and  bloody  grouud,"  and  that  we 
are  not  quite  savage.  We  live  in  a  Commonwealth  famed  for  beauti- 
ful women,  brave  men,  fast  horses  and  fine  whiskies.  It  has  given  to 
the  Union  one  President,  three  Vice  Presidents,  four  Sp  :akers  of  the 
National  House  of  Representatives,  and  fifteen  Cabinet  Officers. 

When  the  progress  of  the  race  in  Kentucky  is  compared  with 
that  in  other  States  we  have  no  reason  to  be  ashamed.  Though  labor- 
ing under  many  disadvanges  we  have  produced  men  and  women  who 
have  by  intellectual  prowess  and  sterling  worth  forged  their  way  to 
the  front,  and  I  am  in  favor  of  transmitting  a  record  of  their  achieve- 
ments to  posterity.  Emerson  says,  "All  history  resolves  itself  into 
the  biography  of  a  few  stout  characters,"  and  in  the  sketches  of  these 
representative  individuals  will  be  illustrated  the  advancement  and 
exploits  of  our  people. 

Your  name  is  a  guarantee  that  the  book  will  be  accurate,  thor 
Ollgh,  and  fully  up  to  what  such  a  work  should  be.  Your  experience 
and  attainments  will  enable  you  to  prosecute  your  undertaking  iD 
such  a  manner  as  will  be  an  honor  to  you  and  a  credit  to  your  race 
and  State.  I  reiterate  my  faith  in  your  work,  and  wish  you  God 
epee<l. — Albert  S.  White,  Louisville. 

FKO.M  J.    F.   (SRAY. 

I  take  heartily  to  the  scheme,  and  believe,  sir,  that  the  exposi- 
tion of  the  remarkable  progress  made  by  the  Kentucky  Negro,  since 
his  emancipation  and  enfranchisement,  will  do  much  toward  the 
removal  of  the  baneful  prejudice,  occasioned  by  his  color  and  previous 
^con/lition  of  servitude.  Reading  your  book  and  seeing  what,  through 
trials  and  tribulations,  our  leading  men  and  women  have  accomplished, 
our  boys  and  girls  will  become  inspired  and  in  a  few  years  furnish 
the  State  with  a  greater  number  of  such  citizens.  I  wish  you  the 
success  your  indefatigable  lalwir  deserves. — J.  E.  Gray,  Russellvillc. 


102 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


FROM    REV.  J.  8.  JACKSON. 

The  plan  is  a  commendable  one.  There  are  several  reasons  why 
such  a  book  should  he  published: 

1.  It  would  serve  t"  contrast  the  old  conditions  with  the  new 
and  thus  show  that  the  Negro  is  making  such  progress  as  to  justify 
the  largest  hopes  for  his  future. 

2.  It  would  disprove  the  oft-repeated  statement  that  the  Negro's 
progress  is  superficial.  If  this  book  will  show,  as  I  suppose  it  will, 
that  the  Negro  is  successfully  entering  every  avenue,  commercial, 
iodustrial  and  professional,  that  is  open  to  him,  it  will  demonstrate 
that  in  which  I  have  long  entertained  a  firm  faith:  If  given  a  fair 
opportunity,  the  Negro  will  be  able  to  compete  successfully  with  his 
more  favored  white  brother. 

3.  It  will  give  encourageiuont  to  the  young  men  and  women  of 
the  race.  What  men  are  doing  men  to  be  can  do,  and  with  the 
better  opi>ortimities  now  offered  they  will  be  ashamed  not  to  do 
better  and  greater  things. 

4.  Such  a  lxx>k  may  serve  as  the  nucleus  of  a  history  of  the 
progress  of  the  Negroes  of  Kentucky;  and  if  in  every  Southern  State 
such  a  book  should  be  prepared,  from  these  publications  could  be 
compiled  a  respectable  and  accurate  history  of  the  Negro  in  the  last 
thirty  years.  Such  a  book  would  be  a  valuable  addition  to  the  litera- 
ture of  the  race.  Let  the  selections  be  carefully  made  and  it  will 
serve  a  good  purpose. — J.  S.  Jackson,  Lexington. 

FROM  N.   R.   IIARI'KR. 

Your  purpose  is  meritorious  and  a  conception  which  will  at  once 
attract  the  intelligent  notice  of  all  persons  interested  in  the  develop- 
ment of  tlie  race.  Your  effort  will  no  doubt  open  a  new  avenue, 
having  for  its  effect  the  stimulation  of  the  Negro  youth  of  Kentucky 
'  to  higher  and  holier  purposes  and  in  this  way  a  greater  good  than 
you  may  have  ill  mind,  perhaps  at  this  time,  will  be  accomplished. — 
N.  K.  Harper,  Louisville. 

I'ltoM  UKEKN  P.   ItfSSKl.!.. 

I  believe  your  proposed  book  will  be  most  heartily  received  by  the 
reading  public  as  valuable  and  indispenmhlc  history.  First,  because 
there  seems  to  be  a  demand  for  such  a  work  written  by  a  Negro.  I 
say  written  by  a  Negro,  because  the    history  of  any  race    is  best  told 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN-.  103 

by  a  member  of  that  race  in  its  own  vernacular,  and  in  the  light  of 
its  past  and  present,  and  social  and  political  environment.  A  close 
register  of  our  doings,  as  a  race,  is  being  kept  by  another  race,  and 
we,  too,  must  keep  a  record  to  rebut,  if  necessary,  with  stubborn  facta 
any  historic  misrepresentation  or  discrepancy. 

Almost  the  entire  history  of  the  Negro  has  been  written  from 
data  gathered  by  white  men,  and  they  garnered  as  they  were  iuterr 
estcd,  sparingly;  consequently  we  find  ourselves  today  with  an 
incomplete  history.  I  believe  this  book  will  prove  a  true  and  rich 
source  from  which  the  future  Negro  historian  may  draw  valuable 
information  which  alone  is  a  sufficient  and  a  paramount  reason  for  its 
publication. — Green  P.  Russell,  Lexington. 

FROM  J.  J.  C.  m'kINI-EY. 

Your  book  is  just  the  thing  at  this  time.  We  know  too  little  of 
the  men  and  women  who  have  reflected  credit  upon  the  race  in  Ken- 
tucky. I  hoj>e  you  will  be  able  to  present  to  the  world  such  persons 
ns  have  done  something  for  the  betterment  of  the  race.  You  are 
aiming  in  the  right  direction. — J.  J.  C.  McKinley,  Louisville. 

FKOM   JOHN    H.  JACKSON. 

Your  effort  should  be  eucouraged  by  the  public.  The  idea  that 
all  Negroes  are  alike  will  always  obtain  U>  the  detriment  of  higher 
race  interests  until  the  world  is  taught  differently  by  just  such 
means  as  you  propose.  To  point  out  to  our  youth  those  of  our  race 
in  Kentucky  who  have  contributed  something,  however  little,  to  make 
their  fellowmeu  wiser,  happier  and  better,  cannot  fail  to  impress  a 
very  important  lesson  upon  their  minds.  I  trust  you  will  meet  with 
the  encouragement  which  you  so  richly  deserve. — John  H.  Jackson, 
Frankfort. 

FROM  REV.  W.  H.  DICKERBON. 

Permit  me  to  submit  three  reasons  why  your  proposed  hook  per- 
taining to  the  progress  of  the  Negro  race  in  Kentucky  should  be  pulv- 
lished:  1.  Because  we  need  more  nice  pride,  which  can  be  brought 
about  only  by  a  better  knowledge  of  the  prominent  men  and  women 
of  the  race.  2.  Because  we  nerd  more  first-class  Negro  literature  to 
give  that  knowledge  which  produces  race  pride.  3.  Because  the 
book  will  lie  a  stimulus  for  the  Negro  youth. — W.  H.  Dickcrson, 
Nicholasville. 


104  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

FROM  REV.  ROBERT  MITCHELL. 

My  opiniou  concerning  the  book  you  propose  to  give  to  the  world 
is,  that  to  the  general  reader  it  will  be  a  monitor,  to  Kentuckians 
a  pearl  of  great  price,  and  to  yourself  a  lasting  memorial  of  the  purity 
of  taste,  fervor  of  fancy,  force  of  demonstration,  and  ardor  of  philan- 
throphy,  which  will  glow  and  burn  in  every  perjod.  It  will  indeed 
be  a  guide  and  inspiration  to  thousands  who  may  be  bewildered  and 
discouraged,  inasmuch  as  they  may  thus  see  what  some  of  the  greatest 
and  best  men  and  women  have  been,  now  are,  and  may  yet  be. 

The  work,  I  know,  will  be  deeply  interesting  and  instructive. 
Everyone  who  reads  it  carefully  must  form  a  high  estimate  of  the 
achievements  of  the  Negroes  of  Kentucky.  I  look  forward  with  glad- 
ness to  the  moral  effect,  which  it  is  destined  to  produce.  It  seems  to 
mo  to  be  a  work  of  the  proper  material,  duly  shaped  and  proportioned, 
and  of  sufficient  merit  to  grace  the  library  of  any  city  or  citizen  of 
this  great  and  glorious  country. — Robert  Mitchell,  Lexington. 

FROM  J.  M.  MAXWELL. 

Your  book  will  do  a  service  to  the  youth  of  the  race  by  furnish- 
ing examples  of  what  may  be  accomplished  by  earnest  endeavor  in  the 
face  of  adverse  circumstances.'  It  ought  to  serve  as  a  finger-board, 
directing  the  young  who  read  it  into  the  road  that  leads  to  success. 
Its  influence  for  good  will  be  co-extensive  with  its  circulation,  and  it 
will  be  worthy  of  wide  distribution.  It  must  be  of  interest  to  all  who 
desire  the  elevation  of  the  race. — J.  M.  Maxwell,  Louisville. 

FROM    WILLIAM    H.  I'F.RRY. 

Your  enterprise  is  excellent  and  meets  my  hearty  approval. 
Mark  Antony  says:  "The  evil  that  men  do  lives  after  them;  the  good 
is  oft  interred  with  their  bones."  If  the  Negro  in  America  is  ever  to 
attain  that  eminence  in  citizenship  to  which  his  birthright  entitles  him, 
there  must  be  a  determined  eflort  on  his  part  to  let  the  good  deeds 
■and  thoughts  of  the  race  receive  proper  recognition  and  displace  the 
false  conceptions  that  now  obtain  in  the  body  politic  regarding  him. 

We  must  awake  from  our  Kip  Van  Winkle  sleep,  shake  off  all 
lethergy,  and  the  indifference  that  has  too  long  characterized  our 
efforts,  and  proclaim  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  the  American  Negro. 
Imbued  with  a  love  for  liberty,  fully  alive  to  the  responsibilities  and 
Mewing!  of  the  freedom  he  enjoys,  he  must  demonstrate  the  upward 


jr 


u 


I-:.  \V.  (  lll'.N.M  "l.T.   -I'nai-fi; 


I 


T.  C  IIIIKOKI*. — Vane  fifi. 


Mi;<   K.  I!.  JACKSON*.— I'i 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  105 

movement  of  the  nice  in  nil  that  makes  for  progress  and  for  right- 
eousness. 

Your  idea,  Mr.  Johnson,  wisely  executed,  will  result  in  great 
pood  to  the  race  as  a  whole,  and  will  in  particular  point  out  the  rapid 
strides  the  Negroes  of  Kentucky  are  making  toward  higher  and  better 
citizenship.      As  Lowell  says: 

"(iet  but  the  Irutli  once  uttered,  and  'tis  like 
A  star  new  born,  that  drops  into  it's  place, 
Anil  which  once  circling  in  its  placid  round, 
Not  all  the  tumult  of  the  earth  can  shake." 

— \Vm.  H.  Perry,  Louisville. 

FitOM    ltKV.    JOSKI'll    COURTJJKY. 

In  my  opinion,  it  goas  without  argument  that  such  a  book  as 
you  have  under  contemplation,  and  will  no  doubt  publish,  ought  to 
be  put  on  the  market.  1.  The  Negroes  within  the  bounds  of  Ken- 
tucky ought  to  have  a  fair  knowledge  of  their  intellectual  strength; 
such,  especially,  as  your  book  purposes  to  impart.  2^  It  will  be  an 
effectual  avenue  through  which  a  better  acquaintance  can  be  culti- 
vated by  the  leading  people  of  the  State.  3.  We  have  the  honor  of 
being  represented  at  the  Tennessee  Centennial  Exposition,  held  in 
the  capital  of  an  adjacent  and  sister  State,  and  such  a  book  ought  to 
be  on  sale  there,  that  through  its  circulation  all  may  become  better 
acquainted  with  the  Negro  race. — Joseph'Courtney,  Lexington. 

FROM    WILLIAM    A.  TAYI<OK. 

The  Kentucky  Negro  should  know  [more  of  his  brother,  of  his 
work,  of  his  moral,  financial  and  intellectual  development  and  of  his 
success  in  general.  While,  on  the  other  hand,  it  gives  our  fellowmen 
in  various  parts  of  the  "Greatest  Republic"  a  slight  idea  of  what  the 
"Sons  of  Ham"  in  the  "Dark  and  Bloody"  State  are  doing.  These, 
I  feel,  are  in  themselves  sufficient  reasons  why  your  grand  book  should 
lie  published. — Win.  A.  Taylor,  Lexingtou. 

/  FROM    C.  ('.   VAUGHN. 

I  Every  Negro  family  should  point  with  pride  to  the  deeds  of  the 
Jjreat  men  of  the  race.  The  walls  of  every  home  should  be  adorned 
with  portraits  of  those  who  have  proven  that  we  are  not  deficient  in 
noble  minds  and  towering  deeds.  Our  tables  should  bear  books  of 
history  and  biography  which  would  make  our  boys  and  girls  familiar 
with  the  great    and    noble    exploits    of  the  race.     My  opinion  is  that 


106 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


the  book  pro|>osed  by  the  fluent  writer  and  courageous  editor  of 
The  Standard,  \V.  I).  Johnson,  would  stir  the  mind  and  strengthen 
the  faculties  toward  a  solution  of  the  race  problem,  especially  in 
Kentucky.  We  need- more  such  hooks.  May  God  bless  your  effort. 
— C.  C.  Vaughn,  Russcllville. 

FROM  I»K.   P.   I).   ROHINSON. 

I  heartily  endorse  your  project.  Such  a  book  is  calculated  to  do 
much  good  by  better  acquainting  the  people  of  this  and  other  States 
with  our  sterling  manhood  and  womanhood  in  Kentucky.  It  should 
find  a  place  in  every  home.  Your  undertaking  is  surely  worthy  of 
the  support  of  all  race-loving  people. — P.  I).  Robinson,  Lexington. 
FROM  DR.  J.  E.  HUNTER, 

A  Inwk  of  this  character  will  fill  a  long-felt  need  along  that  line. 
Indeed,  it  will  be  a  history  of  the  possibilities  of  man.  It  will  show 
what  the  Negro  has  done  in  the  way  of  advancement  in  the  thirty 
years  of  freedom,  and  his  probable  future  as  well.  Kentucky  is  one 
Of  the  most  noted  States  in  the  South,  and  this  book  will  give  an 
account  of  many  of  her  noble  sons  and  daughters,  who  by  their 
acts  and  advancement  in  the  world  are  solving  the  race  problem. 
Knowiug  the  author's  strong  personal  character  and  manhood  well,  I 
would  cheerfully  recommend  his  book  to  the  fireside  of  every  home.' 
— John  E.  Hunter,  Lexington. 


CHAPTER  LIV. 
Some  Editorial  Controversies. 

From  the  Lexington  Gazette,  July  27,  1895. 

f  RIMES  against  women  have  become  bo  frequent  as  to  cause  great 
alarm  all  over  the  country.  Negroes  are  the  principal  offenders, 
and  down  South  the  whites  arc  wreaking  summary  vengeance  on  the 
culprits,  without  the  aid  of  judges  and  juries.  Several  very  flagrant 
c«ses  have  occurred  recently  north  of  the  Ohio  river,  and  white  men 
have  been  as  much  inflamed  in  that  section  as  in  the  South,  and  the 
culprit*  have  l>een  dealt  with  in  the  very  manner  that  Southern  men 
deal  with  Negro  rapists.  It  does  seem  that  Negro  men  cannot  control 
their  passions,  and  will  give  way  to  them,  although  knowing  that  an 
awful  death  awaits  them  in  c«se  of  discovery.  Hence  murder  is  so 
often  added  to  outrage.  Killing  and  even  burning  do  not  seem  to 
deter  the  rapist,  but  some  remedy  must  be  devised  if  women  are  not 
to  become  the  victims  of  the  foetid  Negro. 

Women  must  be  taught  to  protect  themselves.  They  must  learn 
to  shoot  guns  and  pistols  and  be  provided  with  them.  And  they  must 
learn,  likewise,  not  to  trust  a  Negro  under  any  circumstances,  for  the 
poor  devils  arc  so  swept  away  by  passion  that  they  lose  all  control  of 
themselves  and  are  hurried  into  crime  and  the  terrible  fate  that  this 
is  sure  to  entail  upon  them.  Women  cannot  exercise  too  much  pru- 
donce  in  this  respect,  and  those  who  arc  responsible  for  their  protec- 
tion should  see  to  it  that  every  precaution  possible  is  exercised  for 
their  security.  It  may  gratify  a  feeling  of  revenge  to  savagely  pun- 
ish the  brute  after  the  commission  of  the  crime,  but  this  does  not 
wipe  the  horror  from  his  victim  or  her  friends.  Examples  of  swift 
and  terrible  punishment  do  not  deter  Negroes  from  these  crimes;   and, 


108 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


./ 


although  we  would  not  abate  one  jot  iu  punishment,  we  would  urge 
every  precaution.  Ann  our  women,  as  frontiersmen  arm  their  wives 
and  daughten*  against  the  lurking  savage,  aud  teach  them  the  dangers 
that  lurk  iu  households  wherever  Negroes  are  to  he  found. 

Iu  slavery  Negroes  were  taught  self-restraint  and  a  most  profound 
respect  and  even  affection  for  their  mistresses  and  their  daughters,  and 
during  the  war,  while  masters  and  sons  were  at  the  frout,  repelling 
the  invader,  the  loyalty  aud  good  conduct  of  the  Negro  slaves  were  a 
marvel  to  the  world.  We  fail  to  remember  oue  instance  of  violence 
by  Negroes  on  even  the  most  unprotected  white  woman  during  the 
continuance  of  the  war;  while  now,  after  thirty  years  of  freedom, 
scarcely  a  day  passes  without  a  report  reaches  us  of  an  outrage  worse 
than  death  perpetrated  by  Negroes  upon  white  women. 

Lynchings  and  burnings  and  education  have  failed  to  repress  this! 
species  of  crime;    now  let  people   resort   to   the   precautions  we  have  [ 
suggested,  and  they    will    become    less    frequent,  if  uot    impossible. 
Remember  we   are    in  an  enemy's  country,  so  far  as  Negroes  are  con-J 
cerned,  and  the  least  imprudence,  or  want  of  proper  precaution,  may. 
subject  them  to  outrage  worse  than  death.     The  whipping  post  would 
do  much  to  restore  self-control  to  the  Negro,  but  as  matters  go  on  the.; 
Negro  is  rapidly  relapsing  into  barbarism. 

EDITOR  joiixhon'h  viuokous  DEFKNSE. 
From  the  Lexington  Standard,  August  2,  1895. 

The  Standard  is  compelled  to  direct  the  attention  of  an  intelli- 
gent, sober-minded,  and  discriminating  Christian  public  to  the  so- 
called  editorial,  relating  to  the  crimes  committed  by  the  Negroes  in 
the  South,  by  H.  H.  Gratz,  editor  of  The  Gazette,  of  this  city,  in  his 
last  issue  of  July  '27,  and  what  he  facetiously  calls  crimes  against 
women.  This  mean  and  contemptible  editorial  will  be  found  on  this 
page  of  this  issue,  and  we  suggest  that  all  the  Negroes  of  Kentucky 
should  read  it  and  ponder  over  it,  more  especially  those  of  Lexington, 
because  this  dark-minded  editor  lives  here. 

We  do  not  intend  to  enter  into  a  discussion  with  the  old  fellow, 
because  such  discussions  would  be  like  "casting  pearls  before  swine," 
but  we  are  amazed  that  in  this  age  of  high  civilization,  vast  educational 
advantages,  and  superb  mental  and  ethical  culture,  that  an  old  man 
who  is  in  his  second  childhood,  or  that  one  assuming  the  features  of 
sublime  manhood,  should,  in  the    face   of  God's   glorious  light,  give 


NEGRO  MEN  AXD  WOMEN.  109 

utterance  to  thought*  and  ideas  that  would  disgrace  a  Cougoan  or 
a  Timbuctooan,  and  that,  too,  from  a  man  who  claims  to  be  such  a 
godly  fellow. 

Now,  it  will  he  clearly  seen  that  Mr.  Grate's  editorial  is  a  whole- 
sale libel  on  every  Negro  in  the  Southland,  and  needs  to  be  repudiated 
by  all  self-respecting  Negroes.  Does  th:8  old  fellow  know  that  at  the 
time  he  was  writing  that  villainous  article  he  was  doiug  an  injustice 
to  the  good  Negroes  of  Kentucky,  including  those  around  him  in 
Lexington:''  Is  it  possible  that  a  man  like  Mr.  Gratz  would  so  demean 
himself  as  to  put  in  cold  type  such  an  untruthful  statement?  Does 
he  not  know  that  two-thirds  of  the  crimes  committed  against  the 
the  unprotected  women  of  the  South  are'pcrpetratcd,  or  made  up  of 
lies,  by  his  own  race?  Is  it  not  a  fact  that  white  men  of  the  South 
have  been  caught  with  blackened  faces  and  ragged  clothes,  for 
the  purpose  of  accomplishing  their  dirty  deeds,  and  then  charged  the 
Negroes  with  said  crimes? 

"It  does  seem  that  Negro  men  cannot  control  ther  passions." 
Pari  passu,  if  the  white  men's  passions  had  been  checked  during  the 
days  of  slavery,  and  up  to  the  present  time,  there  would  have  been  no 
half-breeds,  no  inulattoes,  no  quadroons,  no  octoroons,  but  on  account 
of  the  pernicious  habit  of  white  men— with  some  exceptions— the 
Negroes  are  at  a  loss  to  find  a  nomenclature  for  each  shade.  During 
the  time  of  slavery,  if  a  white  man  were  fortunate  enough  to  have 
slaves,  they  were  his,  and  of  course  he  could  do  with  them  as  with 
personal  property.  Hence  the  country  is  infested  with  all  the  diflcr- 
,ent  shades  of  the  Negro,  and  no  one  knows  this  better  than  the  man 
who  wrote  the  filthy  article  which  calls  for  this  reply.  Is  this  the 
kind  of  example  that  Mr.  Gratz  wishes  the  Negroes  of  the  South  to 
follow?  No!  no!  It  is  too  baneful  an  example.  The  article  is  a 
disgrace  to  our  intelligence,  our  manhood,  our  honesty,  and  our  citi- 
zenship of  the  United  States,  and  should  and  must  be  resented  by  the 
good,  and  thinking  Negroes  of  this  State. 

.--"Women  must  be  taught  to  protect  themselves.  They  must 
tfearn  to  shoot  guns  and  pistols  and  be  provided  with  them."  Good 
Negroes  have  nothing  to  fear  about  that,  but  the  same  suggestion 
ought  to  be  applied  to  Negro  wonieu  to  repel  white  men  from  robbing 
them  of  their  virtue.  Mark  you,  the  class  of  white  men  who  take 
advantage  of  Negro  women  arc  men  with  keen  intelligence,  men  who 


110  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

are  habitually  harping  on  the  evil  passions  of  the  Negro,  and  while 
we  admit  that  the  Negroes  do  some  of  the  crimes  that  are  reported  we 
can  only  attribute  the  crimes  to  those  Negroes  who  were  born  in  the 
gutter,  merely  have  a  father,  without  having  learning,  without  hav- 
ing anyone  to  teach  .them,  except  to  practice  the  old  rapacious  habit' 
of  those  who  taught  it  to  them. 

We  are  all  rapists?  We  want  to  denounce  it,  as  unworthy  the 
man  who  could  write  such  a  malicious  lie  as  that.  What  we  mean 
to  say  is,  that  if  any  man  says  that  all  Negroes  are  alike  in  this 
respect,  he  is  an  unmitigated  liar,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  him.  In  I 
making  this  statement  we  do  so  without  the  least  fear  of  an  attack, 
feeling  fully  able  to  meet  all  emergencies  that  are  likely  to  arise. 
That  we  may  not  be  misunderstood,  let  us  say  that  Mr.  Grata,  the 
Negro  hater,  in  making  such  a  statement,  ought  to  be  held  respon- 
sible for  what  he  writes  against  us.  We  hope  that  the  article  will 
open  the  eyes  of  both  races,  and  enable  them  to  see  where,  in  the 
majority  of  cases  alleged  against  Negroes,  the  educated  and  intelligent 
Negroes  are  not  responsible  for  these  crimes,  because  Mr.  Grata  knows, 
or  ought  to  know,  that  his  entire  race  is  not  responsible  for  the 
lynching  of  Negroes,  who,  in  many  cases,  never  committed  these  foul 
crimes,  and  especially  the  one  that  brought  forth  this  reply  to  his 
Gulliver's  filth. 

Editor  Grata  ought  to  have  had  more  sense  than  to  publish  that 
article,  because  all  the  papers  reported  that  Negro  Haggard  was 
wrongfully  lynched,  but  the  old  fellow  is  so  opposed  to  Negroes  that 
he  did  not  have  sufficient  sense  to  conceal  his  disrespect,  or  ill-feeling 
toward  them.  Wc  have  respect  for  gray  hairs,  but  we  positively  dis- 
claim all  respect  for  this  old  Methuselah.  It  would  be  a  thousand 
times  l>cttcr  for  him  to  get  on  his  suppliant  knees  and  offer  up  a 
prayer  for  the  wrongs  committed  against  Negroes  during  the  time 
they  were  kept  in  bondage,  and  the  injustice  that  he  and  his  kind 
have  committed  against  them.  The  Emancipation  Proclamation 
made  the  Negro  u  free  man  and  superior  to  the  Negroes  of  slavery 
lavs.  In  conclusion  we  will  say  that  an  unwarranted  attack  has  been 
made  U|>on  our  people,  and  that  the  Negroes  are  fully  able  to  cope 
with  such  men  as  old  Grate. 


I 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  ill 


COMMENTS   OK   THE   KENTUCKY    PKKH8. 
From  the  Lexington  Daily  Leader. 

The  Lexington  sensation  today  is  the  red  hot  personal  response 
of  W.  D.  Johnson,  editor  of  The  Standard,  the  leading  Negro  news- 
]>u]>cr  of  Kentucky,  and  an  article  by  Editor  H.  H.  Grata,  in  The 
Gazette  of  last  Saturday,  calling  attention  to  what  he  regarded  as  the 
increasing  depravity  of  the  Negro  race,  lamenting  the  insufficiency  of 
lynching  as  a  deterrent  measure,  and  advising  the  white  women  of 
Kentucky  to  practice  marksmanship  and  arm  themselves  for  all  emer- 
gencies. Editor  Johnson  responds  today  in  an  article  denouncing 
Editor  Grata  in  the  most  vigorous  language,  intimating  that  he  is 
prepared  to  accept  full  responsibility  for  his  utterances,  if  his  conteni- 
]K>rary  resents  his  personal  allusions.  Editor  Grata  says  he  will  not 
pay  any  attention  to  Editor  Johnson. 

From  the  Louisville  Times. 

There  is  likely  to  be  trouble  in  Lexington  between  the  friends  of 
H.  H.  Grata,  of  The  Gazette,  and  W.  D.  Johnson,  of  The  Standard. 
Last  week  Editor  Grata,  in  an  editorial,  advised  white  women  to  go 
armed,  prepared  to  shoot  down  Negroes  who  would  criminally  assault 
them,  to  learn  to  use  revolvers,  and  to  determine  that  there  is  but 
one  preventative  for  such  a  crime.  Editor  Johnson  takes  Editor 
Grata  to  task,  saying  that  Negro  women  should  go  armed  to  protect 
themselves  from  white  men;  that  Editor  Grata  knew  he  was  writing 
a  lie  when  he  wrote  that  all  Negroes  were  alike  in  the  matter  of 
assaulting  white  women. 

SPECIALS  TO    OHIO   NEWSPAPERS. 

From  the  Cincinnati  Commercial  Gazette. 

Lexington,  Ky.,  August  2. — Howard  II.  Grata,  the  venerable 
editor  of  the  Kentucky  Gazette,  is  in  trouble  with  W.  D.  Johnon, 
editor  of  The  Standard,  organ  of  the  Negro  people  of  this  city. 
Grata  recently  published  a  bitter  editorial  against  the  Negroes  for  the 
prevalence  of  the  crime  for  which  they  are  so  frequently  hanged  in 
the  Smith.  Two  sentences  lire  especially  severe.  One  is:  "Arm  our 
women,  as  frontiersmen  arm  their  wives  and  daughters  against  the 
/  lurking  savage,  and  teach  them  the  dangers  that  lurk  in  households 
/  wherever  Negroes  are  to  be  found."  The  other  is  the  concluding 
sentence  of  his  editorial,  and  it  reads:     "The  whipping  post  would  do 


112 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


much  to  restore   self-control    to    the   Negro,  but  as  matters  go  ou  the 
Negro  is  rapidly  relapsing  into  barbarism." 

In  commenting  on  this  Editor  Johnson  says:  "We  want  to  de- 
nounce it,  as  unworthy  the  man  who  could  write  such  a  malicious  lie 
as  that.  What  we  mean  to  say  is,  that  if  any  man  says  that  all 
Negroes  are  alike  in  this  respect,  he  is  an  unmitigated  liar,  and  the 
truth  is  not  in  him.  In  making  this  statement  we  do  so  without  the 
least  foar  of  an  attack,  feeling  fully  able  to  meet  all  emergencies 
that  are  likely  to  arise.  We  have  quite  a  respect  for  gray  hairs, 
but  we  positively  disclaim  all  respect  for  this  old  Methuselah. 
It  woidd  l>c  a  thousand  times  better  for  him  to  get  on  his  suppliant 
knees  and  offer  up  a  prayer  for  the  wrongs  committed  against 
the  Negroes  during  the  time  they  were  kept  in  bondage,  and  the 
injustice  that  he  and  his  kind  have  committed  against  them." 

Johnson  was  born  in  England,  his  father   being  an  Englishman 
and  his  mother  a  Hindoo  woman.     He  has   rather   auburn    hair  and 
cold  blue  eyes;    has  been  all   over   the  world,  and   since   coining   to 
Lexington  a  few  years  ago,  has  made  his  influence  signally  felt. 
From  the  Cincinnati  Times  Star. 

Lexington,  Ky.,  August  1. — An  editorial  in  the  Kentucky  Ga- 
zette here,  in  which  white  women  were  advised  to  arm  themselves  with 
pistols  as  a  protection  against  Negroes,  has  called  forth  great  indigna- 
tion from  the  race.  Today  W.  D.  Johnson,  editor  of  the  Negro 
paper,  denounces  the  editorial,  calling  the  white  editor  an  unmitigated 
liar,  and  resorting  to  personal  abuse  and  allusions.  Trouble  is  ex- 
pected between  the  men  at  any  time. 


*«£ 


\ 


MKS.  C  V.  I!«)|:|.\'S(>X.     1'iij.v  Oil. 


Mlts.  I>.  K.  LACEY.— Page  70. 


Ml:>.  M.   V.  SMITH.— !■«);,.  TO. 


CHA1TEK  LV. 
Editorials  on  the  Whipping  Post. 
From  tin1  Lexington  Gazette. 

fllE  Gram!  Jury  lit  Washington  City  has  submitted  to  Judge 
Bradley  it  written  re|K>rt  favoring  tlie  whipping  post.  This  is 
done  at  the  capita]  of  the  tuition  when'  the  Federal  Courts  enforce  the 
law  against  all  offender*,  without  fear  or  favor.  The  judges  of  these 
courts  are  appointed  for  life  and  are  not  dependent  on  the  prolan  us 
Vltlgus  for  their  election,  hence  the  rigidity  with  which  the  Federal 
Courts  execute  the  law.  We  have  urged  and  begged  for  the  re-estab- 
lishment of  the  lash  for  minor  offences  in  Kentucky,  and  twice  it 
came  within  one  vote  of  becoming  a  law,  and  our  State  has  Buffered 
immensely  in  more  ways  than  one  because  we  had  no  such  law. 

The  present  mode  of  punishment  has  no  terror  for  offenders,  but 
put  the  lash  to  their  backs  and  you  would  hardly  ever  catch  a  fellow 
committing  an  offense  the  second  time.  It  is  the  great  curative  of 
offenders  and  lias  more  terror  for  the  evil-doer  than  all  other  punish- 
ments combined,  even  than  hanging,  always  provided  the  law  was 
executed  with  certainty  and  severity.  How  is  it  supposed  that  the 
Southern  people  controlled  millions  of  Negroes  except  by  the  lush? 
And  it  has  lasted  ill  the  memory  of  all  Negroes  who  are  old  enough 
to  remember  the  days  of  slavery.  We  know  a  gentleman  who  will 
not  employ  a  Negro  that  was  not  raised  in  slavery,  and  prefers  to  put 
up  with  the  poor  service  of  old  Negroes  rather  than  the  unreliability 
of  young  Negroes  who  never  experienced  the  discipline  that  the 
oliler  Negroes  were  subjected  to  from  their  masters.  .Minor  offenses 
are  multiplying  at  a  fearful  ratio  and  unless  the  lash  is  resorted  to 
the  vicious  classes  will  get  beyond  control. 


114 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


There  is  au  evil  to  which  the  Negroes  are  especially  inclined, 
and  this  is  a  game  of  gambling  called  "craps,"  that  is  doing  more  to 
demoralize  young  Negroes  thau  all  else  besides.  They  become  des- 
perate gamblers,  and  although  their  stakes  are  small/  yet  this  begets 
in  them  all  the  vices  to  which  more  pretentious  gamblers  are  inclined. 
It  makes  them  idle,  quarrelsome  and  often  desperate,  and  when  luck 
runs  ngninst  them  they  resort  to  desperate  means  to  secure  the  nec- 
essary funds  to  indulge  in  their  favorite  vice.  The  lash  is  the  true 
and  only  remedy  for  this  species  of  gambling.  All  around  this  city 
gangs  of  Negroes  can  be  seen  in  secluded  places  plying  the  dice,  with 
which  crops  is  played,  and  there  is  no  adequate  punishment  for  the 
rascals.  (Jive  them  a  dose  of  raw-hide,  and  craps  will  cease  as  a 
game  of  pleasure. 

EDITOR   JOHNSON    AGAIN    REPLIES. 

From  the  Lexington  Standard. 

The  Standard  makes  no  apology  for  resuming  its  strictures  on 
the  malevolent  and  irrational  assaults  upon  the  defenseless,  unoffend- 
ing Negroes  of  the  South  by  the  editor  of  The  Gazette,  in  his  editorial 
reproduced  above,  on  the  whipping  post.  The  question  at  issue  is 
simply  one  of  sentiment,  and  in  our  simple  judgment  ought  to  be  cast 
into  oblivion.  But  last  week  we  promised  to  6ay  something  concern- ' 
ing  the  whipping  post  "reform"  advocated  so  strongly  by  The  Gazette. 
To  begin  with,  we  assert  that  The  Gazette  is  at  least  a  century  behind 
the  times  it\  advocating  the  revival  of  the  barbarous  whipping  post, 
which  has  been  abolished  in  every  State  in  the  Union  where  it  ever 
existed,  with  the  exception  of  Delaware,  and  perhaps  one  other. 

The  modern  nud  Christian  idea  of  legal  punishment  is  to  make 
it  so  far  as  possible  reformatory,  rather  than  vindictive,  except  in  the 
case  of  capital  crimes,  and  public  sentiment  is  becoming  more  and 
more  in  favor  of  life  imprisonment  in  place  of  the  death  penalty,  for 
most  capital  crimes.  Some  States,  Michigan,  for  instance,  have  abol- 
ished the  death  penalty  entirely.  In  New  York  electrocution  has 
superceded  hanging,  as  being  more  humane,  and  asphyxiation  by  car- 
bonic acid  gas  has  been  suggested  as  a  6till  milder  and  not  less  certain 
means  of  inflicting  the  death  penalty.  In  Ohio  all  executions  are 
conducted  within  the  penitentiary  at  Columbus,  aud  only  a  limited 
number  of  persons  are  permitted  to  witness  them.     The  same  rule  as 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  115 

to  privacy  prevails  in  New  York.  In  some  of  the  Southern  and 
Western  Slates  hanging  is  done  in  public,  and  is  made  a  sort  of  devil's 
picnic  by  people  whose  taste  for  the  horrible  is  gratified  by  such  spec- 
tacles.    The  effect  is  brutalizing  and  does  not  deter  from  crime. 

Public  whipping  is  a  relic  of  barbarism  and  is  prevalent  only  in 
barbarous  or  semi-civilized  countries.  It  is  not  known  in  Germany, 
Frauce,  Italy,  Austria,  England  or  the  Scandinavian  States,  and  cer- 
tainly should  not  be  tolerated  in  Christian  America,  either  for  whites 
or  blacks.  Heie  we  come  to  the  chief  point  against  The  Gazette 
article,  aside  from  what  we  have  said  concerning  the  barbarity  of  the 
whole  business.  Iu  said  article  special  stress  is  laid  on  the  need  of 
the  lash  for  defenseless  Negroes,  using  as  an  argument  the  fact  that  it 
was  used  in  slavery  times  to  keep  the  slaves  iu  subjection,  and  ignor- 
ing the  more  important  fact  that  slavery  i6  abolished,  and  that  the 
Negroes  are  now  as  free  as  the  whites,  subject  to  the  same  laws  and 
entitled  to  the  same  legal  rights  and  privileges. 

If  the  editor  of  The  Gazette  wishes  to  see  the  Negroes  improve, 
let  him  suggest  a  better  plan  to  raise  the  Negro  from  the  state  of 
degradation  of  which  he  so  often  complains,  concerning  the  Negroes 
only.  Hence,  we  said  last  week,  that  if  the  whipping  post  were  re- 
established, as  The  Gazette  urges,  let  it  be  for  the  incorrigible  and 
depraved  of  both  races,  and  not  for  the  Negro  alone.  If  necessary 
for  bad  blacks,  it  is  necessary  for  bad  whites;  per  contra,  if  not 
necessary  for  white  offenders,  it  is  not  necessary  for  black  ones.  We 
deny  its  necessity  for  either  race,  and  reiterate  what  we  have  said 
concerning  it.  as  a  long  step  backward  into  barbarism,  and  one  not  to 
be  thought  of  in  a  Christian  land. 

We  thiuk  most  of  the  white  editors  will  approve  the  stand  we 
take  on  this  subject.  Knowing,  as  we  do,  the  bitter  animus  of  the 
editor  of  The  Gazette  toward  the  Negro,  we  are  not  surprised  at  the 
article  in  question,  which  we  publish  entire  that  our  readers  may  see 
for  themselves  just  what  unreasoning  prejudice  can  prompt  a  presum- 
ably intelligent  man  to  say  iu  a  public  journal.  That  his  brother 
editors  will  endorse  his  rabid  utterances  we  cannot  believe. 

The  Gazette  man  vexes  his  righteous  soul  greatly  concerning 
crap  playing  by  the  Negroes.  So  far  as  its  demoralizing  effects  are 
concerned  we  have  no  fault  to  find  with  what  he  says.  We  will  go 
farther  and  say  that  all  forms  of  gambling  are   demoralizing   to   both 


IKS 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


whites  and  black?,  and  should  lie  suppressed  if  poss'ble,  though  we  do 
not  consider  the  whipping  post  a  proper  method  of  suppression.  That! 
craps  are  played  only  by  Negroes  is  such  a  glaring  niistatement  that 
no  one  familiar  with  Lexington  could  credit  it  for  a  moment.  Quite, 
as  many  whites  as  Negroes  indulge  in  this  game,  and  we  add  that  the 
game,  iu  our  judgment,  is  the  meanest  in  the  land,  and  yet  many  of 
the  white  people  are  engaged  in  it,  although  possibly  the  whites  are 
more  secret  about  it,  and  p'ay  for  larger  stakes. 

It  is  the  beginning  of  gambling  on  a  small  scale,  and  leads  to 
gaming  in  a  larger  way,  and  as  such  should  be  suppressed,  as  we  said 
before,  but  not  by  the  whipping  post.  That  would  be  a  remedy  worse 
than  the  disease.  Again,  if  the  whipping  post  is  re-established,  will 
the  editor  of  The  Gazette  use  his  influence  in  cases  where  either  white 
aristocrats  or  bums  are  guilty  of  the  misdemeanor,  to  have  them  pun- 
ished at  the  whipping  post  in  public?  This  is  a  fair  question  and  we 
hope  it  will  be  answered.  The  whipping  post,  it  6eenib,  is  intended I 
for  Negroes  only.     Away  with  such  a  one-sided  law. 

REFORM    IN    METHODS   OK    PUNISHMENT. 

Flogging  has  been  abolished    in    the   United    States    Army    and 
Navy,  and  in  most  of  modern    prisons   and    penitentiaries.     After  &\ 
long  ami  thorough  trial  it  has  been  found  to  do  more  harm  than  good' 
in  most  cases.     It  has  brutalized    army   and    navy  officers  and  prison  : 
officials,  and  has  developed  all  the  worst  passions  of  those  subjected  to 
its  degrading  and  cruel  punishment,  and  as   a  reformatory  measure  it 
has  been  a  miserable  failure.     More  humane  punishments    have  been 
substituted  where  punishment    was  necessary,  and    rewards  of  various 
kinds,  for  obedience  and  good    behavior,  have  so    far  as    possible  dis- 
placed the  severities  of  the  old  system  of  terrorism  and  cruelty.     Mil-' 
itary  and  naval  discipline  has  not  been  relaxed,  but  made  more  invit- 
ing and    less  oppressive,  to  the   great    improvement   of  the   service. 
Soldiers  and  sailors  are  now  humanely  treated,  as  men  should  be,  and 
prove  their  appreciation    by  a  more  cheerful  and  willing  obedience  to 
the  rules  of  the  service. 

The  same  can  be  said  of  the  prison  system  reformatory  treatment. 
Where  kindness  and  firmness  are  combined  they  have  wrought  won- 
ders in  a  comparatively  short  time.  Many  prisoners,  who  would  have 
become  confirmed  criminals  of   the  worst  class,  under  the  old   system, 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  117 

have  become  good  citizens  after  their  discharge  from  prison,  uuder 
the  new  order  of  things  in  our  model  penitentiaries  and  houses  of 
refuge.  This  reminds  us  that  we  greatly  need  a  house  of  re'uge  in 
Lexiugton,  similar  to  those  in  Cincinnati,  Cleveland,  Ch  cago,  and 
other  cities,  though  on  a  smaller  scale.  A  good  reformatory,  or 
educational  and  industrial  school  of  that  kind,  would  do  more  for  the 
repression  of  crime  among  the  young  hoodlums  of  both  races  than 
a  dozen  whipping  posts  Too  young  to  be  sent  to  the  workhouse, 
they  are  left  to  roam  at  large  in  vicious  idleness,  without  parental  or 
police  restraint. 

Crap  playing,  cigarette  smoking,  fighting,  petty  theft,  stone 
throwing,  malicious  destruction  of  property,  etc.,  are  among  the  habit- 
ual occupations  of  these  vicious  6tripliugs,  and  they  60011  become  can- 
didates for  the  workhouse,  or  penitentiary,  and  possibly  the  gallows. 
For  these  we  need  a  reform  school  or  house  of  refuge,  and  we  wonder 
that  some  of  our  Legislators  have  not  given  this  their  attention  long 
ago.  It  is  certainly  a  strange  and  inexcusable  oversight.  Our  Mayor 
and  Council  could  not  do  a  better  thing  for  Lexington  than  establish 
euch  a  much-needed  institution  for  the  reclamation  of  these  embryo 
criminals  for  whom  The  Gazette  demands  the  whipping  post. 

During  the  days  of  slaveiy,  if  a  white  man  owned  a  few  slaves, 
and  he  was  kind  and  good  to  his  Negroes,  it  was  indeed  a  rare  case 
to  find  a  slave  who  was  whipped.  Why?  Because  he  did  his  master's 
work  without  fear,  aud  did  not  try  to  ruu  away  from  him,  because  he 
had  sense  enough  to  know  that  he  could  not  find  a  better  task-master 
than  his  present  one.  Hence,  even  up  to  now,  some  of  the  Negroes 
have  a  very  kind  feeling  for  their  former  masters  But,  if  such  a 
master  were  like  the  editor  of  The  Gazette,  we  are  sure  there  would 
have  been  continual  whipping,  trying  to  reform  his  Negroes,  when  he 
would  be  doii>g  more  harm  to  himself  than  to  any  one  else. 

While  not  claiming  to  be  a  religious  journal,  The  Standard  will 
be  found  emphatically  and  always  on  the  side  of  Christian  civilization 
and  progress,  with  all  that  these  imply,  and  is  opposed  to  any  and 
every  backward  step  toward  barbarism  and  brutality,  such  as  would 
lie  the  revival  of  the  whipping  post,  advocated  so  earnestly  by  the 
editor  of  The  Gazette,  who,  to  say  the  least,  is  old  enough  to  know 
better.  "The  mild  power  wins  "  The  conquests  of  Christianity,  tem- 
poral and  spiritual,  have  been  won    by  kindness,  charity,  benevolence 


118 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


and  love,  and  not  by  cruelty,  force,  oppressiou  and  fraud. 

When  the  church  mistakenly  persecuted  her  opponents,  or  at- 
tempted to  make  converts  to  Christianity  with  the  sword,  she  mis-  I 
erably  failed  in  her  endeavors,  and,  instead  of  increasing  her  strength, 
lost  ground  numerically  and  -morally.  When  she  returned  to  the  true 
teachings  of  the  Savior  and  6trove  to  conquer  the  world  by  peaceful' 
and  loving  means  she  gained  ground  rapidly,  and  has  been  gaining 
ever  since.  The  rapid  march  of  modern  civilization  is  due  not  only 
to  the  marvelous  mechanical  and  scientific  discoveries  of  this  century, 
but  to  the  still  more  marvelous  advance  of  Christianity  aloug  all  lines: 
of  human  endeavor.  Christianity  and  science  are  swiftly  speeding, 
side  by  side,  along  the  highway  of  human  progress.  None  cau  hinder 
their  triumphal  march  toward  the  millennium.  America,  of  all  the  ,j 
nations  on  earth,  is  least  likely  to  look  backward  save  for  lessons  of 
warning,  or  to  evade  the  suggestions  of  croakers  who  cry  out  against 
all  changes,  even  for  the  better. 

AN    APPEAL   KOR    MIXED   JURIE8. 

Whatever  may  be  the  outcome  of  the  trial  of  Will  Shipp,  the;1 
white  man,  who  killed  Sam  Brown,  the  black  man,  in  the  latter's  own'^j 
home,  The  Standard  has  this  to  6ay  concerning  the  crime  of  murder, 
the  fright'ul  prevalence  of  which  in  Kentucky  has  given  its  ancient' 
Indian  title,  "The  Dark  and  Bloody  Ground,"  atcnible  significance:'' 
According  to  Drvine  'aw,  "Whoso  sheddeth  man's  blood  by  man 
shall  his  blood  be  shed."  Such  is  also  the  statuatory  law  of  Kentucky. 
The  penalty  for  murder  is  death,  and  so  it  is  in  all  civilized  countries. 
How  has  this  law  been  enforced?  Echoes  from  the  graves  of  hundreds, 
slain  by  the  cruel  hand  of  the  assassin,  answer,  "How?" 

Human  life  should  be  considered  the  most  precious  thing  on 
earth,  and  it  is  certainly  so  valued  by  the  Creator,  yet  how  often  has 
it  happened  in  this  State  that  greater  penalties  have  been  inflicted  for 
]>etty  murder,  especially  where  the  victim  has  been  a  Negro?  We 
believe,  however,  thanks  to  an  enlightened  and  progressive  public 
sentiment,  fostered  by  a  fearless  and  outspoken  press,  that  the  day  is 
at  hand  when  all  laws  will  be  more  strictly  enforced,  even  that  against 
murder.  Let  us  hope,  also,  that  the  life  of  the  black  man  will  be 
considered  equally  sacred  in  the  eyes  of  the  law  and  its  executives, 
as  that  of  the  white  man,  and  the  awful    crime  of   murder    will  here- 


m 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  119 

niter  be  punished  as  it  should  be,  by  the  infliction  of  the  death  pen- 
alty, not  for  the  sake  of  vengeance  but  for  justice.  Thereby  the 
prevalence  of  manslaughter  may  be  checked,  and  human  life  he  pro- 
tected from  the  hand  of  violence. 

Let  the  accused,  he  lie  black  or  white  have  a  fair  trial  by  an  im- 
partial judge,  and  a  jury  of  his  peers,  as  provided  by  law.  This  raises 
the  question  of  admitting  Negroes  on  the  jury  whenever  the  accused 
murderer  or  his  victim  is  a  Negro.  By  the  strict  principles  of  justice 
the  jury  in  such  cases  should  be  half  white  men  and  half  Negroes. 
What  will  our  white  friends  say  to  this?  Can  they  justly  deny  the 
Negro  this  right  in  a  case  like  that  of  the  Shipp  trial?  Let  us  hear 
from  our  editoml  brethren  of  the  daily  and  weekly  press,  from  the 
Lexington  Leader  to  the  Blue  Grass  Blade,  inclusive,  on  the  suhject 
of  empanelling  Negroes  on  the  Shipp  jury,  lu  no  other  way  can  the 
Negroes  hope  for  a  truly  impartial  trial  and  a  just  verdict  in  what 
promises  to  prove  to  the  people  of  the  United  .States  a  most  memor- 
ahle  case  in  the  judicature  of  Kentucky. 

We  make  these  dispassionate  observations  as  an  independent 
journalist,  irrespective  of  caste  or  color,  because  to  he  silent  in  a  matter 
of  such  great  importance  would  he  criminal  on  our  part,  though  what 
we  say  may  have  no  effect  whatever  on  the  trial,  or  on  the  minds  ot 
the  twelve  men,  good  and  true,  who  will  have  the  determination 
of  the  quality  or  quantity  of  the  punishment  which  they  shall  award 
the  prisoner. — W.  I).  Johnson,  Editor  Standard.    - 


2^2^ 


CHAPTER  LVL 
,     Queen  and  Crescent  Railway. 

JNTERESTING  physical  peculiarities  belong  to  the  Cincinnati,  New 
Orleans  and  Texas  Pacific  Railway,  better  known  a*  the  Queen 
and  Crescent  Route.  It  derives  its  unique  name  from  the  limited 
trains  operated  between  Cincinnati,  the  Queen  City,  and  New  Orleans, 
the  City  of  the  Crescent..  The  line  extends  from  Cincinnati  to  Chat- 
tanooga, and  via  that  city  reaches  into  the  entire  South  through  a 
wide  ramification  of  connecting  lines.  The  line  is  109  miles  shorter 
than  any  other  route  between  the  two  cities. 

Cincinnati  derived  her  early  growth  and  importance  from  South- 
ern trade,  which  came  to  her  by  flat  boat  and  steamer;  but  with  the 
modern  demand  for  more  rapid  transport,  which  arrived  with  the  cm 
of  steam  roads,  the  project  of  a  railroad  was  broached  as  early  as  1833. 
The  scheme  was  of  too  great  a  magnitude  to  take  form  in  those  early 
days.  During  the  civil  war  General  Burnside,  commanding  the  De- 
partment of  East  Tennessee,  conceived  the  idea  of  connecting  Cincin- 
nati and  Knoxvillc  by  building  a  railroad  through  the  mountains  as 
a  strategic  measure,  but  abandoned  it  afterward,  though  surveys  bad 
l>ceu  made.  Rut  a  fresh  impulse  was  given  with  the  return  home  of 
the  citizen-soldiery  of  the  (il)'s.  These  men,  campaigning  in  the 
South,  had  marked  the  fertile  plains  and  valleys,  bordered  by  forest- 
clad  mountains  rich  in  veins  of  mineral  wealth. 

The  surveys  for  the  construction  of  a  road  were  begun  in  lHtiit, 
the  first  contract  was  let  in  lHT.'i,  and  the  whole  line  put  under  con- 
struction soon  thereafter.  The  completion  of'the  work  was  celebrated 
in  .Music  Hall,  Cincinnati,  March  17,  1KM0,  at  which  were  seated  one 


I..  W.TAYI.OH.     I'sigc/I. 


\ 


I,.C  I'  to:>i>.  -!', 


.11  ITIT.l;   I.KWIS.     |»iiKf  73. 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  121 

thousand  representative  men  of  Cincinnati  and  her  friends,  the 
cities  of  the  South.  The  road  was  built  by  the  city  of  Cincinnati, 
which  in  1M81  leased  it  to  the  Cincinnati,  New  Orleans  and  Texas 
Pacific  Railway  Company. 

A    STRATEGIC    KEY    TO   THE   SOUTH. 

From  a  military  standpoint  Chattanooga  had  been  the  key  which 
had  controlled  the  Central  South.  Just  in  the  same  way  it  is  now 
the  strategic  point  of  Southern  commerce,  and  the  Queen  and  Cres- 
cent Route  stands  peculiarly  strong  in  its  position  from  this  fact.  A 
little  more  than  a  hundred  miles  the  shortest  line  of  communication 
from  the  North,  it  bears  a  like  close  relation  through  this  strategic  key 
to  the  iron  furnaces  of  Birmingham  and  the  West  India  fruit  steam- 
ers of  New  Orleans  on  the  one  hand;  the  busy  commerce  of  Atlanta 
and  the  fair  orange  groves  of  Florida  on  the  other. 

The  road  was  originally  constructed  in  the  most  substantial  man- 
ner possible;  the  culvert  and  bridge  masonry  solid  and  massive.  The 
iron  bridges  were  the  admiration  of  the  engineering  world;  the  span 
over  the  channel  of  the  Ohio  river  being  the  longest  truss  span  built 
up  to  that  date,  while  the  Kentucky  river  bridge  then  claimed  pre- 
eminence as  the  first  cantilever  and  the  highest  bridge  in  the  United 
States.  This  early  standard  of  perfection  has  not  only  been  main- 
tained to  the  present  day,  but  its  ideal  has  reached  higher,  so  that 
few  roads  in  the  country  are  equal  and  none  surpass  it  in  the  excel- 
lence of  its  roadway  or  magnificence  of  its  trains.  The  track,  solidly 
supported  by  a  deep  bed  of  ballast,  is  lined  and  surfaced  with  perfect 
accuracy.     All  track  fixtures  are  of  the  most  approved  modern  pattern. 

New  stout  oak  ties;  a  full  dee])  bed  of  stone  ballast,  broken  fine, 
and  heavy  steel  rails,  are  a  good  foundation,  and  the  section  man 
efficient;  but  they  are  not  sufficient  provision  for  the  movement  of  a 
modern  limited  train.  From  the  time  it  leaves  the  great  train  shed 
of  the  terminal  station  there  must  be  continuous  and  absolute  safe- 
guards for  its  protection  at  every  stage.  To  this  end,  the  right  of 
way  is  studded  with  a  long  series  of  track  signs;  mile  posts  tell  where 
you  may  be  as  related  to  your  starting  point;  the  familiar  road  cross- 
ing with  spreading  r.rms,  semaphores,  oval  shaped  electric  signals, 
signs  that  tell  the  engineer  of  approaching  yard  limits,  or  that  he  will 
find  a  water  tank  another  nvile  ahead.      Sitnis  abound    which    tell    of 


122 


KENTUCKY'S  PROiMINENT 


yard  Units,  of  curveture  of  track;  emphatic  commands  of  "Stop"  or 
"Slow,"  where  such  are  needed,  with  milder  suggestions  of  approach- 
ing stations  or  road  crossings,  dot  the  line  between.  Frequent  signs 
mark  the  passing  of  county  or  city  corporation  lines,  and  a  more  pre- 
tentious standard  is  erected  to  mark  the  dividing  line  between  States. 
The  most  of  these,  however,  have  to  do  with  that  wide  spreadiug  or- 
ganization which  controls  the  safe  movement  of  trains. 
THK    BLOCK    SYSTEM    OF  SIGXALS. 

The  trains  of  the  Queen  and  Crescent  Route  are  operated  under 
a  complete  system  of  block  signals.  No  train  can  enter  a  block  of 
track  until  the  wires  flash  from  one  end  of  it  to  the  other  to  say  its 
clear.  Once  in  the  block,  the  train  is  further  protected  by  a  service 
of  electric  signals  which  work  automatically,  showing  an  infallible 
bulls-eye  of  red  when  another  train  has  the  right  of  way.  Another 
signal,  much  more  modest  in  appearance  but  no  less  useful,  is  the' 'J 
electric  gong  at  the  road  crossings.  Its  persistant  ringing  saves  many 
an  obstinate  traveler,  who  would  otherwise  test  his  ability  to  cross 
before  the  approaching  train.  Street  crossings  in  the  city  are  pro- 
tected by  the  usual  crossing  gates  and  watchman.  A  more  absolute 
form  of  protection  is  used  at  railroad  crossings  with  other  lines.  All 
such  are  protected  with  an  automatic  inter-locking  device.  This  de- 
vice is  controlled  from  the  switch  tower  by  a  system  of  levers,  and 
indicated  by  semaphores.  It  inter-locks  the  track  so  that  it  is  abso- 
lutely impossible  for  two  trains  to  reach  the  crossing  at  the  same  time. 

It  is  a  fact  that  the  traveler  sees  but  little  of  all  this  complicated 
6ystem  which  watches  over  his  personal  safety  and  comfort,  but  his 
eye  for  the  l>eautiful  is  happily  satisfied  by  its  outward  signs.  Trav- 
eling north  and  south  along  this  great  highway,  he  sees  it  bordered 
by  day  with  white  miic  posts,  warnings,  semaphores,  switch  signals, 
trim  station  buildings,  fast  disappearing  in  orderly  array  down  the 
vista  of  clean  track  behind  him.  By  night  the  scene  is  illumined 
with  a  myriad  of  sleepless  lights.  The  mountain  sides  are  lit  up  with 
mil  and  whites  and  greens,  and  the  streams  below  reflect  the  glim- 
mering colors  along  the  guarded  path   of  commerce. 

tiii:  famous  ni.ric  ukash  keuiox. 

Another  unusual  feature  of  this  line  of  railway  is  the  diversity 
of  natural  resource*  in  the  country  it  penetrates,  which  can    be  (level- 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  123 

oped  with  comparative  case.  The  first  sixty  miles  south  of  the  Ohio 
the  road  lends  through  fertile  hills  which  stop  suddenly  and  from  their 
summit  show  a  placid  picture  of  gentle  undulating  blue  grass  farms 
stretching  southward.  This  blue  grass  basin  was  once  the  home  of 
such  men  a*  Clay,  Shelby,  Birncy;  noted  for  the  brilliant  jurists  and 
statesmen  who  live  within  its  bounds  and  bear  the  names  of  its  old 
families.  The  Blue  Grass  towns  still  smack  of  an  atmosphere  of  chiv- 
alry, beauty,  social  splender  and  educational  movements,  as  in  the 
old  days  of  their  Virginian  founders.  Agriculturally,  it  stands  peer- 
less as  the  (piecn  of  those  rolling  pasture  lands  on  which  have  been 
produced  the  horses  that  have  made  the  Blue  Grass  known  the 
world  over. 

South  of  the  Blue  Grass  stands  the  great  Cumberland  plateau, 
large  ax  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  and  to  many  people  entirely  un- 
known. It  is  traversed  by  the  Queen  and  Crescent  Koute  from  the 
Cumberland  river  at  Point  Burnside  (where  the  old  war  fortifications 
still  mark  Bumsides'  former  base  of  supplies)  to  the  Tennessee  Valley, 
south  of  Harriman.  The  great  plateau  has  its  broken  surface  2,000 
feet  above  the  sea  while  from  its  edges,  on  either  side,"  one  can  look 
over  another  country  which  lays  more  than  1 ,500  feet  below.  From 
the  top  of  the  highest  swells  the  eye  can  see  in  any  direction  a  green 
expanse  of  undulating  virgin  forest.  The  high  altitude  gives  the 
Cumberland  plateau  a  climate  of  peculiar  value.  While  the  winters 
are  short  and  mild,  the  springs  and  autumns  arc  long,  the  summers 
free  from  the  oppressive  heat  of  lower  levels.  The  wealth  of  timber 
on  the  surface  of  the  plateau  is  even  surpassed  by  the  treasure  of  coal 
and  iron  hidden  beneath  its  hills.  The  development  of  this  mineral 
wealth  has  brought  millions  of  capital  and  thousands  of  men  to  this 
region,  vigorous  cities  have  grown  up,  and  at  the  same  time  the  un- 
equalled climate  has  filled  the  country  with  farmers  who  find  it  prom- 
ises to  be  the  great  wheat-raising  centre  of  the  middle  South.  They 
are  able  to  put  their  product  in  the  market  at  the  choicest  time  of  the 
season,  and  the  shipping  facilities  of  the  Queen  and  Crescent  guar- 
antees them  <|tiick  transit. 

qtlKICN    AM)    CKKNCKNT    TRAIN    HKKVK.'K. 

What  has  been  written  in  these  pages  leads  to  a  word  concerning 
the  trains  of  passenger  an  1  freight  that  traverse  the  line.      It  was  on 


124 


KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 


the  Queeu  and  Crescent  Route  that  the  pace  was  first  set  for  fast 
special  sen-ice  to  care  for  the  Southern  tourist  as  he  cume  and  went, 
and  no  other  line  has  ever  equalled  it.  "One  day  from  the  Ohio  to 
the  Gulf"  has  beeu  the  watchword,  until  now  the  luxurious  New 
Orleans  Limited  make  the  daily  trip  in  just  an  even  twenty-four  hours 
from  Cincinnati.  This  fast  train  has  a  sister  service  to  Jacksonville, 
the  gateway  to  Florida,  which  also  makes  a  twenty-four  hour  sched- 
ule daily.  East  freight  service  is  also  handled  expeditiously,  the 
perfection  of  quick  freight  heing  fully  exemplified. 

The  service  of  through  sleeping  cars  extends  from  the  Atlantic 
at  Savannah  and  Jacksonville,  to  the  Gulf  at  New  Orleans,  and  the 
Pacific  Coast  at  Eos  Angeles  and  San  Francisco.  It  touches  the 
matchless  scenery  of  the  North  Carolina  mountains  at  Asheville,  by 
the  Southern  Railway,  and  reaches  the  Texas  line  at  Shrcveport. 
Powerful  locomotives,  compound  ten-wheelers,  draw  the  limited 
trains;  big  machines  that  are  perfect  in  every  detail  from  the  electric 
headlight  to  the  safety  vestibule  on  the  tender.  The  trains  are  heated 
by  steam,  lighted  by  Putsch  gas  and  provided  with  Pullman  vestibules 
throughout.  The  cur  interiors  are  i>erfect,  and  the  eye  rests  with 
pleasure  on  French  plate  wiudows,  skillfully  inlaid  woodwork  and 
rich  upholstery. 

LANDMARKS   OF   THE   WAK   TIMES. 

The  line  not  only  passes  through  a  series  of  varied  scenic  views, 
but  abounds  in  scenes  connected  with  our  Civil  War.  It  touches 
these  old  fighting  grounds  much  sooner  than  one  usually  anticipates. 
The  battle  of  Perry ville,  Ky.,  was  fought  at  the  right  of  the  railway 
near  Danville;  the  fight  at  Richmond,  Ky.,  was  to  the  left.  Mill 
Springs,  where  Thomas  and  Garfield  won  their  first  spurs  and  General 
Zollicofier  was  killed,  is  further  South,  off  the  line  from  Somerset. 
The  country  between  this  and  the  Tennessee  river  is  full  of  bits  of 
history,  hut  the  battlefields  come  faster  after  the  road  leads  through 
Emory  Gap  into  the  Valley  of  the  Tennessee.  Walden's  Ridge, 
close  to  the  right,  is  the  escarpment  of  the  Cumberland  Plateau, 
over  which  Roseerans  threw  his  left  wing  and  made  his  famous  diver- 
sion which  gave  him  Chattanooga.  His  army  maneuvered  all  over 
the  valley  through  which  the  line  passes. 

Seven  miles  out  from  Chattanooga  the  road  crosses  the  Tennessee 
river.      One  catches  the  first  glimpse  of  the  frowning  front  of  Lookout 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  125 

Mountain  here  on  the  right,  while  to  the  left  two  small  islands  mark 
where  Sherman  hid  the  boats  in  which  his  army  floated  down  to  the 
great  bend  below  the  bridge,  before  his  assault  ou  Missionery  Ridge. 
The  Ridge  appears  to  the  left.  Chickamauga  creek  is  crossed  here. 
The  train  stands  on  the  ground  over  which  Sherman's  men  made  their 
famous  assault.  Just  ahead  is  Orchard  Knob,  where  Grant  had  his 
headquarters  during  the  battle.  Fort  Wood,  now  demolished,  was  on 
the  right;  the  National  Cemetery  of  the  Nation's  dead  is  on  the  left; 
while  the  background  of  Old  Lookout  looms  high  on  one  side;  and 
the  Government  Towers  on  Missionary  Ridge  lift  their  heads  011  the 
other,  overlooking  one  of  the  decisive  battlefields  of  the  war. 

THE   VICTORIES   OK    PKACK. 

The  Government  has  taken  the  necessary  steps  to  perpetuate 
these  historical  events  by  means  of  the  National  Military  Park,  which 
includes  the  most  important  parts  of  the  field.  The  original  road  has 
been  restored,  monuments  mark  positions  of  troops,  cannon  once  more 
stand  where  the  batteries  were  located.  Thus  the  story  of  Hooker's 
charge  up  the  mountain  and  of  Thomas'  gallant  stand  on  the  Chicka- 
mauga Field  are  perpetuated  with  the  equally  brave  deeds  of  those 
who  wore  the  gray. 

The  present  city  of  Chattanooga  is  quite  different  from  the  war 
town.  Here  some  dozen  railroads  now  centre,  with  ramifications  to 
every  part  of  the  South,  all  valuable  connections  of  the  Queen  and 
Crescent  Route.  Great  hotels  have  been  built  on  the  Mountain  and 
on  the  Field  at  Chickamauga,  where  the  tourist  to  Florida's  groves 
and  lakes,  or  New  Orleans'  quaint  streets,  can  stop  for  a  few  days  to 
renew  his  stock  of  patriotic  impulses.  The  city  itself  still  cherishes 
the  many  landmarks  of  the  war;  but  the  great  industries,  fine  host- 
leries,  paved  streets  ami  modern  stores  have  greatly  changed  its  gen- 
eral appearance.  From  Chattanooga  direct  connection  is  made  with 
lines  to  Nashville  and  the  great  Tennessee  Centennial  and  International 
Exposition  toward  which  many  of  the  people  are  now  looking. 


CHAPTER  LVII. 
Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad. 

fHERE  is  no  system  of  railroads  in  this  country  more  thoroughly 
modern  in  it*  equipment,  or  more  patriotic  for  the  country  which 
it  traverses  than  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  Railway  Company, 
with  headquarters  at  Louisville.  It  is  essentially  of  the  South,  for 
the  South,  and  with  the  South,  and  has  probably  done  more  thau  any 
other  agency — and  is  doing  more  at  present — for  the  development  of 
this  garden  spot  of  God's  earth.  It  spares  no  labor  or  expense  to 
proclaim  to  the  world  the  climatic  health,  agricultural  wealth,  and 
scenic  beauty  of  this  sunny  land  in  its  desire  that  healthy  capital  and 
skillful  labor  may  enter  the  confines  of  the  South  and  benefit  and  be 
benefitted  in  turn  by  the  land's  overwhelming  possibilities. 

Nor  will  this  magnificent  company  stoop  to  prevarication  in  an 
attempt  to  induce  travel  or  immigration.  Its  information  is  accurate 
anil  obtained  from  the  most  reliable  sources,  and  it  desires  only  that 
the  naked  truth  about  the  section  traversed  by  it  and  its  branches  be 
known.  This  truth  is  so  beautiful,  so  patent  to  those  who  come  to 
see  that  they  are  entranced  by  the  scenic  magnificence,  the  healthful- 
ness  of  climate  and  the  profusion  of  agriculture  and  mineral  wealth 
abounding  in  the  land  that  but  for  the  enterprise  of  the  Louisville  and 
Nashville  Railroad  would  have  remained  a  closed  book  for  man}-  years 
to  come. 

The  road  and  its  branches  traverse  sections  of  Illinois,  Indiana, 
Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Alabama,  Florida,  Virginia,  Mississippi  and 
Louisiana.  Almost  every  mile  of  the  line  breathes  of  history,  and  is 
rich  in  scenic  beauty,  so  diversified    as    to    charm  the  eve  and  delight 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  127 

the  imagination.  It  is  impossible  in  an  article  of  this  length  to  dwell 
on  the  scenic  magnificence  viewed  from  the  car  window  on  any  branch 
of  this  road.  In  Kentucky  the  famous  Mammoth  Cave,  the  wonder 
of  the  world,  is  directly  on  the  line,  and  the  beautiful  Gulf  resort*  on 
the  American  Mediterranean  are  all  reached  by  this  road. 

A    TRAVKLER'h    ROM  ANTIC    STORY. 

Listen  to  what  a  traveler  says  of  the  beauties  to  be  seen  along 
the  Gulf  coast  "For  sunny  scenes  iu  sunny  lauds,  commend  me  to 
the  trip  from  Mobile  to  New  Orleans  over  the  Tourists'  Route,  the 
Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad.  A  trip  over  the  road  once  re- 
mains in  the  memory  like  music  which  has  died  upon  the  ear,  yet 
lives  with  melody  in  the  vaulted  precincts  of  the  soul.  The  recollec- 
tion of  it  calls  up  balmy  woods  of  sighing  pine  trees,  where  the  breezes 
which  play  upon  the  harp  of  nature  are  sweet  with  balsam  and  heavy 
with  the  ozone  of  the  salt  sea  water.  Then  there  are  sombre  forests 
where  the  long  moss  trails  from  live-oak  boughs,  and  touches  with 
gray  fringe  the  thick  bush  of  the  jungle,  and  the  open  fingers  of  pal- 
mettos reaching  for  the  sun. 

"And  out  of  this,  one  sweeps  into  the  open  lands,  where  over- 
head a  tender  sky  bends  down  so  you  can  almost  touch  its  blue;  and 
far  away  the  bright  waters  of  the  Gulf  rise  up  and  blend  with  heaven 
and  laugh  through  all  the  intervening  distance  as  the  nimble  sun- 
beams strive  to  catch  the  white  foam  of  the  bursting  billows.  It 
is  a  poem  and  a  romance.  For  long  miles  nature  dreams,  or,  half 
waking,  dallies  with  the  sweet  embodiment  of  tropic  fancies.  Earth 
seems  iu  love  with  heaven  as  it  lies  languorously  gazing  upward,  and 
heaven  bends  down,  smiling  with  sunlight,  to  kiss  the  warm,  full, 
polluting  lips  of  the  earth. 

"Man  loves  and  longs  as  he  beholds  the  scene;  and,  watching 
the  swell  of  the  full-breasted  sea  and  the  fecund  passion  of  the 
blossoming  land,  he  finds  the  warm  kisses  of  the  sun  tingling  upon 
his  own  lips  till  his  heart  is  like  a  garden  of  rosebuds,  and  his 
spirit  is  filled  with  the  fragrance  of  orange  blossoms.  Yes,  he  loves 
and  longs.  lie  loves,  he  knows  not  what.  He  longs  for  an  infinity 
of  such  love,  let  it  bear  what  fruit  it  may.  For  out  of  the  cold  North 
he  has  come  with  the  frost  upon  his  heart,  and  the  happy  sun  has 
melted  it,  and  the  fountain  of  a  long-forgotten  youth  sends  strong 
currents  pulsing  and  bubbling  through  his  veins. 


12*  KENTUCKY'S  PROMINENT 

"Gray  of  bennl  he  may  be,  and  scant  of  locks  as  lie  who  brought  j 
the  bears  to  feast  upon  the  children  who  mocked  his  baldness;  but 
nimble  faucv  weaves  the  threads  of  retrospect  together  into  pictures 
of  long  ago,  and  his  old  arms  reach  out  into  the  air  to  clasp  soft  waists 
that  have  eluded  him  when  all  the  world  was  young.  He  smiles 
at  his  own  fully,  and,  smiliug  still,  he  mutters  to  himself:  'Juveutis 
nmndi!     Ah!  ehu!  ehu!  me  niiseratum!'" 


THE   UKANO   OLD   COMMONWEALTH. 

Kentucky  was  originally    a   county  of  Virginia,  but  in  1792,  it 
became  a  Slate.     It  contains  an    area   of  about  40,000  square  miles, 
and  at  the  last  census  was  credited  with  nearly  2,000,000  inhabitants. 
The  Louisville  and  Nashville  Railway  owns  and  operates  about  1,200 
miles  of  railway  within  the  borders  of  the  State.     .Skilled    geologists,} 
have  at  different  times  investigated  the  soil  with  intelligent  care,  and  -^ 
all  agree  that  for  purposes  of  agriculture  no   State  in  the   Union  sur- 1 
passes    Kentucky  in  the  variety   and  fertility  of  its  soil.     All  kinds 
of  food,  grains  and    cereals  grow    to   great   perfection.     Hemp  and 
tobacco  are  produced  in  large  quantities.     Fruits,  both  tree  and  bush- 
l>earing,  are  plentiful.     The  grasses,  on  which  the  finest  horses  in  the 
world  are  raised,  are  world-famous;     and  the  cattle,  sheep    and    hogs 
command  the  highest  prices. 

The  display  of  corn,  tobacco  and  hemp  made  by  Kentucky  at  the 
Columbian  Exposition  was  unsurpassed  in  quality  by  any  exhibit 
made,  and  received  a  number  of  awards  on  each  article.  Kentucky 
produced  in  1K0."}  about  69,000,000  bushels  of  corn  from  an  acreage  1 
of  less  than  2,000,000  acres,  placing  the  State  as  one  of  the  ten 
largest  corn  producers  of  the  Union.  Corn  grows  well  in  almost 
every  county  of  the  State,  and  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  crop  is 
consumed  at  home,  being  fed  to  the  live  stock  of  various  kinds.  The 
lands  yield  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  bushels  to  the  acre. 

The  area  of  the  land  sown  in  wheat  in  1893  was  less  than  800,- 
000  acres,  from  which  was  produced  nearly  12,000,000  bushels,  only 
twelve  States  producing  a  larger  quantity.  Much  of  the  land  yields 
from  thirty  to  forty  bushels  per  acre,  and  oftentimes  more.  Oats  and 
barley  are  both  raised  very  extensively  and  successfully,  and  all  kinds 
of  grnss,  especially  blue  grass,  which  is  indigenous  to  the  soil,  are 
grown  to  perfection.     Farmers  find    profit    in    shipping   South   both 


L  <;.  CLARK.— 1'uge  74. 

The  skelc-li  nf   LcwwCii-orgi-  (lark  hum  written  liy  Mr.  I  >.  '!'. 
liiixlcrnf  Uxingtun,  Kv.,  who  linn  tiikcn  11 
llw|l  intermit  In  llilll. 


\V.  A.  liAINKS.     I'iiiii 


lll.NUY   I.I  K  -I'nm 


NEGRO  MEN  AND  WOMEN.  129 

blue  grass  and  clover  seed  nud  timothy  hay.     Clover  is  sown    mostly 
for  grazing  purposes  and  as  a  fertilizer,  but  is  also  cut  for  hay. 

THE    BRAVE    VOLUNTEER    8TATE. 

Tennessee  w:is  the  third  State' admitted  into  the  Union  after  the 
formation  of  the  general  government.  It  is  the  thirteenth  in  popula- 
tion. In  1894  it  was  second  in  the  production  of  corn  in  the  Southern 
States,  showing  a  healthy  change  in  agricultural  products  from  the 
old  regime  when  cotton  was  king.  The  Louisville  and  Nashville 
Railroad  Company  operates  some  52S  miles  of  railroad  within  its 
lM)undaries,  principally  in  the  Central  and  Western  sections.  The 
main  Hue  extends  through  the  counties  of  Sumner,  Davidson,  Wil- 
liamson, Maury  and  Giles;  the  Memphis  line  penetrates  Montgomery, 
Stewart,  Houston,  Benton,  Henry,  Carroll,  Gibson,  Crockett,  Hay- 
wood, Faywood  and  Shelby;  while  the  Nashville,  Florence  nnd  Shef- 
field Division  bisects  Maury  and  Lawrence  counties. 

No  State  in  the  American  Union  is  more  happily  endowed  by 
nature  with  reference  to  climate,  soil,  production,  beauty  of  scenery 
and  sanitary  conditions  than  Tennessee.  It  is  a  State  of  almost  in- 
finite variety  as  to  \ia  rocks,  minerals,  soils,  productions,  climate  and 
geological  and  physical  features,  and  contains  42,050  square  miles, 
including  300  square  miles  of  water.  It  has  more  miles  of  navigable 
streams  to  the  square  mile  than  any  other  State.  The  Tennessee 
river  crosses  the  State  twice.  The  Cumberland  river,  rising  in  East- 
ern Kentucky,  sweeps  in  a  semi-circle  through  the  fairest  portion  of 
the  State,  giving  to  it  304  miles  of  navigable  water.  The  Mississippi 
washes  its  entire  Western  limit.  Many  of  the  tributaries  of  the 
■  principal  affluents  are  navigable.  It  is  estimated  that,  altogether, 
Tennessee  has  1,200  miles  of  navigable  water. 

FROM  THE  NORTH  TO  THE  SOCHI. 
A  week  on  and  over  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad,  from 
Cincinnati  to  New  Orleans  and  return,  intensely  interested  inc  in  thai 
representative  American  railway  system,  and  I  permitted  no  available 
official,  agent  or  trainman  to  escape  in  satisfying  the  consuming  curi- 
osity that  seized  me  in  reviewing  the  development  of  a  railroad  not 
yet  fifty  years  old  and  originally  chartered  lor  but  185  miles,  that 
"haw  now  crown  into    a  svstein  of    nearly  5,000  miles    and    practically 


130 


KENTUCK  Y.'S  PROMINENT 


ramifies  tlie  central  South  from  the  Missouri  and  Ohio    valleys  to  the- 
Gulf  of  Mexico. 

The  L.  &  N.,  us  it  is  beet  known,  was  chartered  iu  1850  to  eon-, 
neet  the  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  towns  of  Louisville  and  Nnshville, 
nud  though  it  now  connects  pretty  nearly  the  whole    of  the  South,  it  I 
has  never  changed  the  chartered  title.     I  exhumed    a    funny  find  in 
the  archives  of  the  Louisville  general  office,  that  it  was  commenced  as 
a  six-foot  guage  line  and  built  ten  or   fifteen    miles   out  that   width. 
That  was  forty-seven    years  ago,  when   every   railroad  had    its   own 
guage  and  believed  in  a   liberal  appropriation  of  the  earth  en  route. 
It  was  operated  as  a  six-footer  for  some   time   and    probably  built  its  1 
cars  crosswise  on  the  trucks.     Then  it  changed  to  five  feet   and   con- 
tinued toward  Nashville,  all    Southern    roads   before   the  war  having 
adopted  that  guage. 

OROWTH    OF   A    OKEAT    SYHTEM. 

Railroads  were  not  built  in  a  night  in  the  early  days  of  the  1  /.  & 
N.  and  it  was  five  years  in  reaching  Lebanon  Junction,  a  distance  of  j 
twenty-nine  miles.     Then  it  took  a  spurt   and  got  into   Nashville  in 
1859,  just  as  the  Tennessee  capitol  was   finished   and   the  dual  event  J 
was  thunderingly  celebrated.     The  Rebellion  checked    the   growth  of 
the  struggling  system,  but  work  was  resumed  in  18(>3  and  the  Knox- 
ville  branch  began  by  way  of  Lebanon    Junction    to  Livingston  and 
Jellico.     The  war  over,  extensions  and  absorptions  began  vehemently;'' 
again,  and  in  1871  the  Memphis  connection  was  secured  from  Bowling 
Green. 

It  was  early  apparent  that  Nashville  could  not  long  remain  the 
Southern  terminal  and  smaller  roads  were  purchased  and  branches 
built  until  the  heart  of  the  South  was  encompassed.  Here  let  us  close 
this  lmnk  and  go  to  the  great  Tennessee  Centennial  Exposition,  as 
much  a  wonder  in  art  as  the  Mammoth  Cave  is  iu  nature,  and  both 
are  reached  by  this  pioneer  railway  that  links  the  <  Md.X'ommonwcalth 
with  the  Volunteer  State. 


General  Index. 


Association,  A.  ami  M.  Colored 7!' 

Ballard,  I'm.  <;.,  \V.  II •r>r> 

Bowkn.W.  II 2<> 

Bradley,  W.  () 11 

BlUTTOK,  MARYE .' 1H 

BUFORD,  T.  C  IK! 

ClIEXAULT,  E.  W <>•"> 

CuicLES,  J.   A 2M 

Clark,  L.  <■ 74 

COMMENTS Ill 

( 'oNTKO  V Kltsi km,  Editi >hi a l. .         1 07 

Courtney,  Joseph     24 

DlCKERHON,  W.   II  2'.» 

Dixwiddie.  \V.  T : :<2 

FltAXKLIN,  Benjamin 42 

Gaines,  \V.  A 7<i 

Cray,  J.  I«"  30 

1 1  a  < ;  (  j  a  i :  r  < .    Charles 40 

Harden,  Katie  V 4* 

Hathaway,  -I.  K  :50 

IIillman,  .).  W <io 

Introduction li 

.Iacksox,  K.  Belle fi« 

.1  ackmin,  .1.  C, :!7 

Jackmin.  .1.  H. <;•': 

.1  i:\vbtt.  .1.  W  ■"■•'! 

■luiixwix,   M.   S :>* 

Kelly,   A.    I) :'>0 

Lai'ey,  I'hiscilla  It 7(i 

Lee,  Henry 70 

Lewis,  Ji'imtei: 7-'! 


Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad 120 

Maxwell,  J.  M 25 

Mitchell,   Robert 59 

McKinley,   J.  J.  C 27 

Opinions 98 

Orphan  Home,  Colored  Industriai 86 

Paey,  A.  L 41 


Parrish,    C.  H 

Perry,  W.   H 

Prewitt,  C.  B 

Queen  and  Crescent  Railway 

Robb,  T.  K 

Robinson,  Carrie  V 


22 

50 

56 

120 

64 

69 

Ross,  W.  H 15 

Russell,  G.  P 20 

Simpson,  Peter , 47 

Smith,  Mary  A 70 

Smith,  S.  E 43 

Spuroeon,  S.  J.  W 44 

Tandy,  H.  A 46 

Taylor,  L.  W 71 

Taylor,  W.  A 21 

Todd,  L.  G.  P : 72 

Underwood,    E.  E 61 

Vaughn,  C.  C 31 

White,  A.  S 53 

Williams,  F.L 35 

Woman's  Improvement  Club 95 


I 
> 


e«£ 


<^>-6< 


HECKMAN 

BINDERY  INC. 

^  MAR  90 


N.  MANCHESTER, 
INDIANA  46962