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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (July 31, 1915)
“OCCUPIED BY COLORED TENANTS.” The following letter was received by a real estate firm a few days ago: “Omaha. July 22, 1915. "Gentlemen: “We issued on July 20th, 1914, American policy No. 105710 to . et al., covering on frame building at . street. The company inspected the premises and found it occu pied by colored tenants and inas much as they prefer not to con tinue the risk, they have t sited us to cancel. Would you kindly re turn the policy to us and wo will be pleased to send you the return premium thereon. “Yours very truly, u »» For obvious reasons we withhold the name of the local insurance firm making this unusual request and also the name of the real estate firm to whom the letter is addressed, as well as the name of the owner and loca tion of the property. We have no de sire to injure the insurance company, or to bring the owners of the property into any undue notoriety from which being modest people, they would na turally shrink. Our sole purpose is to protest against the unjust spirit manifested in this letter and to indig nantly resent the implication that property “occupied by colored ten ants” furnishes more hazardous risks than like property occupied by white tenants of the corresponding class or classes. This property is in a good neighbor hood and is occupied by respectable people. The absurdity of this request becomes the more striking when it is recalled that this company has car ried the insurance on this same prop erty for about twenty years and all this time it has been OCCUPIED BY COLORED TENANTS, and there has been no destruction by fire there yet. Surely this shows that tenancy by colored people does not necessarily constitute an unusual risk, although this company seems to think so. The fact that this firm has just discover ed, after these many years, that this property has been "occupied by col ored tenants” does not, in our humble judgment, speak any too well for the business acumen of this firm who for all these years have been running the hazardous risk incurred, evidently from their point of view, in carrying insurance on property “occupied by colored tenants.” It is to be noticed that the reason assigned is not that the property la in poor repair or defectively built, and might therefore be a bad risk, but that it is “occupied by colored ten ants." Colored people have been ac cused of many things, some true, some false, but this is the first time that we have ever known them to be ac cused, by implication at least, of be ing by nature so inflammable that their mere occupancy of a house was liable to set it on fire. Heat means energy. By this sign, therefore, we must be becoming mighty energetic. We have advised returning the pol icy as requested, and placing the in surance with another firm. Among our advertisers there are firms who will be pleased to write insurance for houses “occupied by colored ten ants." Colored people are under no obligations to spend their money with people or firms who say they don't want it. -o A SUCCESSFUL PHYSICIAN. Omaha has many citizens of color who are making good in their chosen or enforced fields of occupation, dome are doing the work that pleases them and for which they have prepared themselves. Others are doing what ever work they can get to do await ing an opportunity to do that which is more to their liking. For example, we know of a fine young man, who is a registered and experienced pharma cist, who came to Omaha haping that, he might find employment along his own professional lines. He has not been able to do so as yet; so he wise ly took the first thing he could get to do, namely, the position of a waiter, which is an honorable and honest oc cupation—just as honorable as that of a pharmacist, but It is not that for which he studied and prepared him self and naturally prefers. Amrug our physicians, of whom we have six, namely, Drs. Hutten, Ed wards, Gordon, Britt, Gooden and Hill, a prominent place is occupied —and deservedly — by Dr. Jesse Howard Hutten, whose cut it gives us pleasure to publish in this issue. Al though a comparatively young man he is our ranking physician in time of residence and practice. Dr. Hutten was bom in Newberry, S. C., June 20th, 1870. He is the son of Ransom and Martha (Johnson) Hutten. His primary education was received in the public schools of his native town. He was graduated from Biddle university, the famous Presby terian institution of Charlotte, N. C., with the degree of B.A. in June, 1893, receiving his master’s degree from the same university later. He taught school for one year at Augusta, Ga., and entered the medical department of Howard university, Washington, D. C., in the autumn of 1894, from which he was graduated in 1897. He was employed as interne at the Freed men’s Jiospital for one year, after which he decided to come west. He came to Omaha in 1899, where he has since resided, and has built up a large practice. He has been very sue cessful as a physician and he owes his success to his studious, conscien tious and strict attention to his pro fession. He has been frugal in his habits and industrious, and has Invest ed his earnings in Omaha real estate, which have turned out well. As a re sult the day is not far distant when he will be in reasonably comfortable circumstances. He is one of the part ners in the Peoples Drug Store and has a pleasant home at 1105 North Nineteenth street graciously presided over by Mrs. Hutten, who is a woman of marked culture and refinement. Dr. Hutten like ah men whose place is assured in a community, is entirely void of professional jealousy. He has given cordial welcome to young er physicians who have come to Oma ha and has been only too happy to aid them in any way possible. His brother practitioners of the oth er race have high regard for his pro fessional skill, and his gentlemanly bearing. Dr. Hutten has been successful in his chosen calling because he has been willing to pay the price—painstaking, persevering work. -:-O Did you attend the Saengerfest? Then you don’t know what you miss ed. The local committee it to be con gratulated upon bringing that inspir ing organization of trained singers and artists to our city and upon the great success which attended the concerts. As one listened to the glor ious music of those well-trained voices of the music-loving Germans, he could not but think ol the thousands of sim ilar voices which are being stilled In the trenches of Europe and earnestly pray that the day of peace, honorable peace, to all might speedily come. When you listen to the Germans sing, you can understand why the Germans can fight; but we would rather hear them sing that hear of their fighting, and we believe that they would rather sing than fight. May peace speedily cofne to war distracted Europe. -y Have you seen the August number of “The Crisis,” that splendid maga zine published by the National Asso ciation for the Advancement of Col ored People? If you are not a sub scriber, you ought to be. This maga zine is kept on file at the Omaha public library. The August number contains a symposium on “Votes for Women” by some of the brainiest men and women of our race. The able articles from their pens show the ability of our people as thinkers on this important subject which is ulti mately going to win. -o We desire to extend our most sin cere congratulations to our good friend, Thomas J. Flynn, upon his ap pointment to the important position of United States marshal for Ne braska. Mr. Flynn has discharged the duties of the various offices which he has held with faithfulness and ef ficiency and we are confident that the same intelligence, ability, fidelity and efficiency will characterize his work in the position to which he has just been appointed. We wish him every success. -o The Monitor is being read in many of the best homes of both races in Omaha and elsewhere. It is on file in the reading rooms of the public library, the Y. M. C. A., the Y. W. C. A. and the Commercial Club. It is on sale at many of the news stands of the city. Its list of subscribers is steadily growing. Advertisers tell us that it Is bringing them results. That Is what they want and that’s what we want. We are helping advertise Omaha. -o And that Rubbish never quitting, still is lying, still is sitting, in th* street so mud bespattered, and with brick bats sadly scattered, running by our chamber door. MUST IT LIE THERE EVERMORE? Street Com missioner, I implore: Remove or fence that unsightly rubbish, and stop complaint for evermore. -o Next month Omaha is to welcome a large convention of well-behaved, self-respecting colored people. Citi zens should and doubtless will extend thtfln every courtesy to which they will be justly entitled. -o Better get in your next winter’s coal. BIDS US WELCOME. The Nebraskan has received the initial copy of The Monitor, “a week ly newspaper devoted to the interests of the eight thousand colored people in Omaha, and to the good of the com munity.” This enw publication is printed on eight pages of line paper and is .well edited by the Rev. John Albert Williams. The Nebraskan bids welcome to the Monitor.—The Omaha Nebraskan. A GOOD ADVERTISING MEDIUM. Omaha, Neb., July 23, 1915. Rev. John Albert Williams, 1119 North Twenty-first Street, City. Dear Father Williams: We like the appearance of the Mon itor and believe your paper affords an especially good, new medium through which to advertise our lines of real estate, insurance and rentals. As an evidence of this we enclose herewith some advertising copy for your next issue. With our best wishes for the Monitors’s success, Very truly, CHARLES E. WILLIAMSON. SEQUENCE. If at my door I plant a tree, And nurture it with care, No wonder will It be to me If birds come singing there. If I cast anchor by a bog. It should be no surprise That noisome vapors, in the fog Enshrouding me, arise. If I encamp beside a lake, Whose depths reflect the sky, What marvel if, when morn Bhall break, White swans come sailing by! —Harriet Appleton Sprague. If The Monitor Pleases You Subscribe Now One Dollar a Year