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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 1915)
The Monitor A Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of the Eight Thousand Colored People in Omaha and Vicinity, and to the Good of the Community The Rev. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor $1.00 a Year. 5c a Copy. Omaha, Nebraska, December 18, 1915 Volume I. Number 25 Another Colored American Inventor Philadelphia Laborer Invents Mail Delivery Service for Use on Rapidly Moving Trains. MAY SAVE GOVERNMENT MILLIONS The Inventor, John C. Jones, Had Great Difficulty Raising Funds to Perfect His Device. Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 17.—James C. Jones, a colored laborer of this city, residing at 4720 Fairmont ave nue, has invented a mail delivery de vice to be used on rapidly moving trains, which postal experts have given a severe test and say will save the government millions of dollars. Jones, who is 58 years old and has had a hard time of it making both ends meet all his life, believes that he will soon become wealthy. He e.\ pects to get a million dollars from the government for his invention. The last test of Jones’ new device was made Wednesday, December 1, when a train going as high as sixty miles an hour dropped bags of mail and took up others without endanger ing either the contents of the bags or the containers. With devices now in use, trains must slow up to take up mail bags automatically and the government loses over a million dol lars a year in damages for lost and destroyed mail matter and in the cost of pouches that are hurled under the wheels of the train by inadequate catch devices. At last Wednesday’s test Jones ac companied the postal authorities and directed the tests from the mail car. An engine attached to two cars was run past the receiving device. The test was made eight times, and on each occasion the train was operated at increased speed. The mail catcher worked perfectly at fifteen miles an hour and performed its allotted func tion without a hitch after the speed of the mail car had been put to sixty miles an hour. The inventor, who is a cement work er, has never had any scientific train ing. His invention is the outgrowtn of an idea that struck him some years ago when he read a government pamphlet telling of the need of a perfect mail catcher for use in the railway service and the fortune that would fall to ti.e successful inventor of such device. E. M. Norris, superintendent of the railway mail service of the second division of New York, represented the government in the tests. B. S. Fel lows, chief clerk of the railway mail service of the eighth division, Phila delphia, was also present, as were John C. McCann and W. W. Beakey, representing the Baltimore & Ohio railroad. At the conclusion of the ex periment the government officials an nounced their approval of the de (Continued on third page) Thoughts From Our Own Authors Take up your arms, come out with me, Let Heaven alone; humanity Needs more and Heaven less from thee. With pity for mankind look round; Help them to rise—and Heaven is found. —Paul Laurence Dunbar. MISS ANNA M. M’LENDON, GRADUATE NURSE Who is giving good service at the City Emergency Hospital. Something to Make-You Think. THE POLITICAL PROBLEM (Editorial in The New York Age.) The national committee of the democratic party has met and the na tional committee of the republican party will meet next week. So again the time is approaching when the colored voter must meet and work out as best he can his political problem. This problem will be more difficult in the coming general election than it has ever been before. The republican party is not the same toward us as it was in the former days, and the democratic party, under the present ad ministration, has shown plainly that it wants nothing to do with the Negro, that it does not even want his vote. Had the democrats, under Wilson, treated the Negro as the democrats, under Cleveland, treated them the prob lem would be simpler. As it is we are faced with the lukewarmness of one great party and with the direct enmity of the other; and, at present, there is no third party to which it would be advantageous for us to turn. How then should we meet the problem? Colored voters, especially in the states where they have political freedom, must exert all the strength and influence possible for the nomination of men who stand squarely on the race question. How a candidate for nomination or election stands on the question of prepardness or tariff or income tax must be, for them, a sec ondary matter; they must demand of him how he stands on the question of equal human rights, and cast their votes accordingly. It is regrettable that we are forced to narrow our political vision down to these narrow limits, but there is no other way out for us. Let colored voters now wake up. Let them watch the utterances ana dudy the records of men of the party who are seeking political preferment. Let them through organized effort seek to find out how these men stand with 'cgards to the interests of the race. Let them keep thier eyes open. Let hem begin by watching what attitude the national republican committee vill take on the “lily white” movements in the South. Does Brazil Welcone the Colored American? This Growing Republic Has Fabulous Wealth, Wonderful Beauty, anu Draws No Color Line. CONDITIONS FAVORABLE. Chicago Defender Publishes Interest ing Report on Country South of Equator. Chicago, Dec. 17.—A large and en thusiastic audience listened to Mr. Newman, the famous traveler, as he lectured on “Brazil” Sunday, Dec. 5, at Orc.hetrsa hall. Moving pictures of untold beauty, giving viewrs of wonder ful tropical skies, rivers, mountains and sea, and the fabulous wealth of its natural resources added to a bril liant story. The effort to awaken the slumber ing American to the great possibil ities of the vast and growing republic that lies south of us is the aim of a well directed movement in the interest of greater America. After following the lecturer with his gorgeous pictures that are mag nificent beyond description, our at tention is sharply called to socio logical conditions south of the equator. We are reminded that Brazil, too, had slaves just as they existed in the United States, but in 1848 they were made citizens both in law and fact. Upon the canvas is shown first, the slave, age-worn and haggard, then the later type of progressive people, prosperous, happy and free. We hope that these truths relative to both wealth and social conditions there, will be sure of recognition by the Ameri can people for their incalcuable value. We possess here neither all the wealtn nor brains of the world. Brazil is a complete refutation of the plausibility of southern ethics. “THERE IS NO COLOR LINE IN BRAZIL,” he said. If American mei chants desire Latin-American com merce they must abolish the color line. Brazil is smarting yet from the slurs and insults her navy received in our ports. PROFESSIONAL AND ARTISAN CLASS LEAVE. Just before Thanksgiving 25 mar ried men and their wives, and one sin gle man, left Chicago and sailed from New York for Rio Janeiro and otner points in Rrazil. Included in occu pational lines there were doctors, 2; dentists, 3; chemists, 2; mechanics, t>; painters, 5; carpenters, 5; blacksmiths, 4. This exodus is due to a w’ell con sidered plan adapted some time pre vious by professional men and skilled laborers, who have combined them selves together for mutual advance ment. The ruling spirit of the industrial corporations of the United States is absolutely responsible for this shame (Continued on eighth page)