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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 22, 1916)
The Monitor A Weekly Newspaper devoted to the civic, social and religious interests of the Colored People of Omaha and vicinity, with the desire to contribute something to the general good and upbuilding of the community. Published Every Saturday. Entered as Second-Class Mail Matter July 2, 1915, at the Post office at Omaha, Neb., under the act of March 3, 1879. THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor and Publisher. Lucille Skaggs Edwards, William Garnett Haynes and Ellsworth W. Pryor, Associate Editors. Joseph LaCour, Jr., Advertising and Circulation Manager. SUBSCRIPTION RATES, $1.50 PER YEAR Advertising rates, 50 cents an inch per issue. Address, The Monitor, 1119 North Twenty-first street, Omaha. Telephone Webster 4243. THOMAS KILPATRICK. The death of Thomas Kilpatrick, head of that splendid firm of Thomas Kilpatrick & Co., has removed one of Omaha’s best, most generous-heart ed, liberal-minded and public-spirited citizens and a warm friend of our race. We account it an honor to have known and enjoyed the friendship of this noble-hearted gentleman who, having rounded out more than the alloted three score years and ten, has been called to rest and entered that “low green tent whose curtain never outward swings.” Our heart warms within us as we recall his cordial manner when we were introduced to him nearly twen ty-five years ago, and the sincerity of his words when he said: “I am so pleased to know that you have come to be a minister in our city and I wish you success.” In his speech we recognized that delicious, indescribable Scotch ac cent, which recalled the memory of our boyhood days in our Canadian home, where our dearest chum was Abraham Riddle and a favorite play mate, Thomas McPherson, and a schoolmate, Maud McCouvery. Do you wonder why the strength and fair-mindedness of the Scotch char acter has always appealed to us. It is directly due to these never-to-be-for gotten impressions of our childhood, and our fortunate contact with men and women of like mindedness in our later years. We felt the kind-heartedness and sincerity of Thomas Kilpatrick when we first met him. Often thereafter did he call us into consultation when some local or distant appeal came to him to help some charitable or edu cational work among our race, some thing he took delight in doing if only the cause were worthy. Here is a fact our people ought to know: Some years ago Miss Victoria Newsome graduated from our high school. She sought employment. We gave her a note to Mr. Kilpatrick asking if there was any employment he could give this girl. He sent for us. He and Mr. Robert Cowell, then vice president and now president of the firm, another magnanimous gentleman, greeted us with their ac customed cordiality and invited us into the private office. There Mr. Kilpatrick told us that he and Mr. Cowell were most favorably im pressed with Miss Newsome and re gretted keenly the injustice which barred the doors of opportunity in the commercial world to worthy and ambitious colored boys and girls. He said that in his opinion many busi ness men would like to give employ ment to our race were it not that they feared it would injure them with the public, who unfortunately are narrow-minded. “Someone has has to run the risk. Someone must pave the way,” he said. “Mr. Cowell and I have decided to make the experiment. So far as our employees are con cerned we can handle them. We are a little apprehensive about the pub lic. We do not know how they will take it. We think we can manage it. We will give Miss Newsome employ ment in our crockery department, where she can hold nerself in readi ness to wait on customers. If any of them seem to be reluctant to have her wait on them, she can easily be discreet and find other matters to employ herself with such as arrang ing and dusting the stock and so on. Where opportunity offers she can wait on customers just like the other clerks. We want to help her, and as she seems to be a sensible young woman, we believe that she can be gradually worked in so that there will not be the slightest objection or embarrassment. If we make this opening in our firm, probably some other merchant or business firm will do the same, and colored boys and girls may be given an opportunity in the business and commercial world, which now, unfortunately, they are denied. You will advise Miss New some and we want to tell you that it is a pleasure for Mr. Cowell and myself to make this experiment, which we hope will prove success ful.” Miss Newsome was employed and was eventually taken into the office force, where she remained sev eral years, finally resigning to at tend the University of Kansas to prepare herself for teaching. A few other business firms in other lines have followed the ex ample set by Thomas Kilpatrick & Co. For some reason no other young man or woman of the race has tak en Miss Newsome’s place, but we hop. the day is not far distant when the just and fair-minded spirit mani fested by him who has been lately .laid to rest will be shown by the merchants and business men of Omaha generally, and a liberal-mind ed public and a righteous American sentiment, which advocates equality of opportunity for all who are will ing to do honest labor, will support and not handicap them in their will ingness to give employment. Thomas Kilpatrick, one of God’s noblemen, farewell. In God’s book of golden deeds thy name is written large. SAVING AND HOME BUYING. We publish in this issue the annual reports of the Omaha Ruilding and Loan association and the Conserva tive Building and Loan association. Our people in increasing numbers are taking advantage of the oppor tunities offered by institutions of this kind for saving money and pay ing for homes. During the five minutes in which we were talking to Mr. Helgren about publishing their annual statement in The Monitor, no less than THREE of our race came into the Omaha Building and Loan office to make deposits. This com pany does a large business among colored people. The Conservative also has several of our people among their customers. Incidentally we note that none of these institutions give any employment to any member of our race, not even a janitorship. We believe that some of them could and should find some employment for some of our people somewhere in their business. In the meantime we advise our people to use these insti tutions in saving their money and commend to these institutions the justice of giving some employment to some member or members of our race. From a business point of view it would be a good th'ng to do. One of the best political jokes we have run across lately was the ad vice that President Wilson gave to Bishop Walters a few days ago when regretting his ability to appoint a colored democrat to the recordship of the District of Columbia because there would be opposition to the ap pointment, he advised the colored democratic leader to wait upon Sec retaries Burleson and McAdoo to see if there were not some positions they might give to colored men. Burleson and McAdoo! Save the mark! Reactionaries of the reaction aries who have segregated and Jim crowed the colored federal employees in their departments until it has be come a stench in the nostrils of the nation! Woodrow Wilson is too seri ous for a joke, but in this case he shows himself a prince of jokers. We would like to see Henry D. Es tabrook next president of these United States. Can he secure the nomination? Here’s wishing him suc cess. Our choice for United States sena tor from this district is the Hon. John L. Kennedy. Snow and Ice 1 I L, » At this season of the year, when the ground and ». street car platforms are apt to be covered with snow | I or ice, especial care should be taken by passengers | k. when getting on and off cars. REMEMBER: Wait until the car stops, then L “ board or alight the right way. 1 * Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Railway Co. M ___ ______ _____ _ Subscribe Now for The Monitor Only One Dollar a Year I After February 1st, $1.50 Fill out this blank. 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