THE MONITOR
A Weekly Newspaper devoted to the civic, social and religious interests
of the Colored People of Nebraska and the West, with the desire to con
tribute something to the general good and upbuilding of the community and
of the race.
Published Every Saturday.
Entered as Second-Class Mail Matter July 2, 1916, 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 and William Garnett Haynes, Associate Editors.
George Wells Parker, Contributing Editor and Business Manager.
Joseph LaCour, Jr., Lincoln Representative, 821 S. St., Lincoln.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES, *1.90 PER YEAR
Advertising Rates, 50 cents an Inch per Issue.
Address, The Monitor, 1119 North Twenty-first street, Omaha.
Telephone Webster 4243.
I)R. MATTHEW O. RICKETTS
The death of Dr. Matthew O. Rick
etts at St. Joseph, Mo., where he has
resided for many years, removes a
man of decidedly marked ability who
a generation ago was undoubtedly
Omaha’s foremost Colored citizen.
Born in Louisville, Ky., of slave par
ents in 1858, he came with his parents
to Booneville, Mo., in 1866. Here he
attended the public school and subse
qcntly entered Lincoln Institute from
which he was graduated in 1876. He
then taught for two years, and in
1880 came to Omaha, entering the
Omaha Medical College, paying his
way and supporting himself by acting
as janitor of that institution. £n
March, 1884, he graduated in medicine
with the honors of his class, being
the first member of his race to grad
uate in medicine in this state. Al
though accounted a skillful physician
his practice was necessarily limited.
Subsequently, he was induced to be
come interested in politics. In 1892
he was elected to the state legislature,
where he made a good record. He was
re-elected in 1894, and had the honor
of being chosen temporary speaker
of the house. He was accounted one
of the best speakers and ablest de
baters in the house.
His speech nominating the Hon.
John M. Thurston for United States
Senator, was most eloquent and was
ordered spread upon the records. The
full text of this speech will be pub
lished in a subsequent issue or issues
of The Monitor.
Dr. Ricketts was to have been given
a government position, but Senator
Thurston was unable to place him, be
cause of the opposition of Congress
man David Mercer. This was a mat
tei of great disappointment to Dr.
Ricketts. Like most men in public
life, he had made political enemies.
These and other reverses caused him
to remove a few years later to St.
Joseph, Mo., where he resumed the
practice of medicine.
His later years were filled with
disappointments and sorrows and this
in a large measure accounts for his
death at the comparatively early age
of sixty years. Like all of us, he had
his faults and limitations, but his ex
cellencies exceeded his faults and his
removal from Omaha was a distinct
loss to the community.
GOOD NEWS FROM PITTSBURG.
From Pittsburg comes most encour
aging news. The largest department
store in that city has turned its en
tire delivery service over to Colored
men. Employment, varied in char- j
acter, is thus given to more than 260
men and boys, in a field of oppor
tunity hitherto closed against them.
We hope that those to whom this
employment is given will make good.
Most of them, doubtless will. It must
be expected that some may not meas
ure up fully to the required standard.
The experiment should be considered
successful if a majority prove effi
dent. We believe that this will be
the case.
Editor Vann of the Pittsburg Cour
ier, one of our best race newspapers,
is to be congratulated upon his splen
did work in securing this opening for
Colored labor and finding and organ
izing the men for the required posi
tions.
All our people want is the chance
to show what they can do in the di
versified fields of emplayment and a
few business firms with enough back
bone and moral courage to give them
an opportunity to show their capabil
ity and willingness to work.
We hope that other large business
firms in the north and west will fol
low the example set by Kaufmann of
Pittsburg.
MADE OF GOOD STUFF
Have you read the story of Robert
Freeman, the legless lad who has be
come a wireless operator? That lad
is made of the right kind of stuff and
deserves to succeed.
Deprived by an accident of both
legs and brought home from the hos
pital as a helpless cripple, Robert de
termined to find soemthing to do by
which he might earn a livelihood. He
refused to become a dependent. As
it usually happens, wherever and
whenever one shows a disposition to
help himself, a friend was found to
help Robert help himself. He made
it possible for him to secure a simple
wireless apparatus. With this he went
to work. He has made commendable
progress.
He hopes to secure a position on
some sea-going vessel by which he can
earn his living. Such a youth as
young Freeman will land a job, be
cause he is made of the right kind of
stuff.
All of us can learn a lesson in pluck
and perseverance from Robert Free
man, the legless, wireless operator, to
whom we send this message: “Here’s
Wishing You Success.”
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK
The Colored citizens of Omaha are
justly proud of their city and look
with pride upon her growth and ma
terial advancement of which they are
a part and hope to be more a part as
the years multiply. Especially do we
take pride in the beautiful new First
National Bank building just com
pleted. It is a great monument to
Omaha as well as a great monument
to the Kountze Brothers who organ
ized the bank some sixty years ago.
Its development typifies the develop
ment of our city of the West, and we
are sure that all Omahans rejoice with
the originators of the First National
that small beginnings have shown
such growth. Aside from the mater
ial manifestations the First National
suggests those intangible human re
quisites, faith, hope and energy, with
out which no human institution can
become great.
We congratulate the First National
and predict a future rich with greater
achievements.
ARCHBISHOP HARTY,
OMAHA’S NEW BISHOP
We have had the honor and pleas
ure of meeting Archbishop Harty, the
new Roman Catholic Bishop of the
Diocese of Omaha. He is a man of
most attractive personality and im
presses one as being a sincere, warm
hearted, liberal-minded Christian gen
tleman. We believe that not only the
members of his own communion, but
all the citizens of Omaha, who believe
that religion is the chief factor in
civic righteousness, are to be congrat
ulated upon having such a man as
Archbishop Harty as a religious lead
er in this community.
POLITICAL POSITIONS
The Colored citizens of Omaha are
entitled to recognition in the county
offices which are held by republicans.
Without our loyal support those who
are now holding offices would not b6
there. Robert Smith, Michael Clark,
and Harry Pearce owe our people po
s'tions. Gentlemen, are you going to
pay this debt? Please tote fair.
SONGS OF SOLOMON
Judases.
1. Hearken, O my Son, while I
mummer to thee a mum upon the
Judases who inhabit the Cullud race.
2. They are sleek fakirs who flim
flam the philanthropists and make
them to think they have the happy
dope.
3. Principle is the word not to be
fcund in their lexicons and honesty
is as foreign to them as chukla in
Manchuria.
4. When they come among their
own they are as brave as the mighty
lion, but when they see the vision of
a pale face their knees begin tapping
like tom toms.
5. Their feet are cold, O my Son,
and the streak up their back maketh
the lemon to look like an excuse for
ochre.
6. When the pale face frowns they
walk on eggs ad illume their mugs
with a smile that shameth Momus.
7. Beware of them, O my Son, for
they mean thy race no good. They
would sell thee for a dime with a hole
through it.
8. The man who teacheth not his
own to hold up their heads and face
the world is a mistaken spawn thrust
into the world by evil.
9. Listen not to their oily tongues
and give not heed to their saffron
bordered advice. They would make
thee a coward in a man’s world.
10. Laugh them to scorn, 0 my
Son, and pass them by as smallpox.
A BEAUTIFUL POEM
The following beautiful poem, re
cently published in The Violinist, was
sent us by one of our readers who is
always looking for good things to
send The Monitor. We believe that
all lovers of the violin will appreciate
the exquisite thought.
THE VIOLIN
By Carrie Hunt Latta
Once, in a forest dense, there grew
two trees
Which were more beautiful than all
the rest.
One was a maple with outspreading
arms; the other
A tall and slender pine.
They heard the songs of birds,—the
thrush,
The yellow-throat, the blue-bird—like
a violet on wings.
The tender love notes of the mating
birds,
The nestlings’ twitterings. The
moaning
Of the snow-filled winds,
The summer breezes’ whisperings.
Each heard the laughter of glad child
ren as they played,—
The voices of young lovers who sought
out
A lone and lovely spot to give full
vent
To impassioned speech;—the like of
which
Truthfully passes the lips but once.—
The maple, bending low, caught up the
fragrances
Of the first flowers of early Spring.
But, since all things must bear some
grief,
It heard, with untold pain, the ghostly
sigh
Of its own falling leaf.
Each heard the sad notes of the
mourning dove;
And, on occasions rare, the sobbing
breath
Of some lone woman with a grief too
deep for words,
Who threw herself face down upon
the ground
And wept and wept. The pine, some
what deprived
Of close communion with things of
earth,—reached higher—
Till the stars seemed near. And may
be, sometimes,
(Who can tell,) just before white day
break
When all the world lay sleeping
dreamlessly
Heard angels singing.
One day when all the forest hummed
with life,
A man walked down the sun-flecked
paths;
He seamed to tread on air,—spurred
on
With some high hope which brought
the red
To his pale cheeks; and to his eyes
A look of fine enthusiasm.
’Twas at the foot of these two trees
he paused
And sighed with deep content. For
here
He had discovered what he long had
sought,—
His quest was ended.
And soon the forest lost its favor
ites,—
The maple and the pine were felled;
and afterwards
The artisan, with handiwork which
seemed which
W’as suited to his purpose,—their
hearts;
And with a patience unsurpassed,
Long months of faithful labor, loving
care,
He fitted to a nicety each piece of
polished wood
And fashioned that embodiment oi
harmony,—
A perfect violin!
And then,—the artist,—blest beyond
others
By having in his hands
That rare, God-given magic, which,
With the violin,—enabled him
To reproduce, in music, the sounds,—
The fragrances,—the warmth of sun,
—the cooling rain,—
All treasured sweets and sadness the j
trees
Had held within their inmost hearts
for near a century.—
To fill the souls of all who heard
With heavenly melody.
Don’t fail to attend the large Ken
sington Mrs. R. K. Lawrie will give
January 24, from 1:30 to 6:30 p. m.,
at her home, 114 North 43d Ave., for
the benefit of the Old Folks’ Home.
—Adv.
