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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 29, 1917)
The Monitor i ■■'■■■■ ■■ — —■ --' 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, 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 and William Garnett Haynes, Associate Editors. George Wells Parker, Contributing Editor and Business 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. SAVING THE GIRLS We have noted with pleasure the ef fort to be made by some of Omaha’s leading women to throw' a safeguard around young girls by keeping them off the streets at night. Their plan is to approach the task from the kind ly and friendly interest side, rather than from that of coercion and the ex ercise of police-power. Their method impresess us as being extremely wise, for sweet persuasion generally win* where force fails. Tactful, motherly women can do much ill arousing thoughtless girls to an appreciation of the dangers to which they are expos ing themselves by running the streets at night and freely associating witn youths as thoughtless and unrestrain ed as themselves. That this movement is timely can be questioned by no one whose duties take him upon our downtown streets at night. Giggling girls in their early teens are to be seen everywhere flut tering around and with men, some of these being mere youths, others men of maturer years. They are evidently out for what they call “a good time." What they call “a good time” fre quently ends most disastrously. As yet very few Colored girls are seen on the down town streets, but on North Twenty-fourth in the vicinity of Lake are to be noted conditions similar to those which obtain among their fairer sisters on the down town streets. Those conditions should be correct ed. Mothers and fathers in the first place should see to it that their chil dren, both boys and girls, are kept off the streets at night and from places where their morals are in dan ger. Men and women who realize the temptations and pitfalls which beset our youth should make it a matter of conscience to speak kindly to these boys and girls in an earnest effort to help them do right. In “saving the girls,” we are sav ing the boys, too. Let us all do our best to help our boys and girls grow into strong, clean and noble manhood and womanohod. And, boys and girls, The Monitor appeals to you, confident that you are quite anxious to do right, to do your part in helping one another to avoid any conduct, and word or deed which will bring you suffering and regret. Beys, help “save the girls;” girls, help “save the boys.” For the boys and girls of today will be the men and women of tomorrow, and upon the kind of men and women that wre are depends the safety and perpetuity of the nation. BY NO MEANS IMPROBABLE A leading member of the Commercial Club of Nashville, Tenn., a few weeks ago was holding conversation with a gentleman of our acquaintance in one of the well-appointed rooms of that influential organization. Our ac quaintance is a New Yorker and in the employ of the Government. Their conversation was concerning the co-' operation of all classes of American citizens in the winning of the war. Among other things the Southern gentleman said: “If we are frank we must admit that we have much to learn and do in our own country for democracy. We are going to learn a great deal before this war is over. For example, we must get a differ ent view on the race question which so largely affects our life in the South. There must come h better understand ing between the races. Before this war is over, I expect to see members of the white race and of the black race meeting together in this room to exchange views and to discuss plans for solving the common problem in • which they as well as we are deeply interested. We must meet as men each anxious to do a man’s part. Strange as it may seem, impossible as many may think, I expect to see such a conference held in this very room.” Please remember that this conver sation was held in one of the rooms of the Commercial Club, of Nashville, Tenn., and that the gentleman who made this statement is one of the most influential men of Nashville, and a Southerner of the Southerners. His statement is significant of the growing recognition upon the part ol the best minds of the South of the ( fact that the Colored American has something to contribute towards the solution of the problems of democracy. Wher: it is recalled that the unex pected happened in Nashville a few months ago, the views of this gentle man are not so visionary as one might be disposed to think. At the great Red Cross meeting in that city represent atives of both races sat on the same platform and the large mixed audi ence was thrilled by the eloquence of both white and Colored speakers. It was an unusual, and we believe, an unprecedented civic meeting in that section of the country. From such a public meeting to a privte conference between representatives of both races in the Commercial Club rooms is not a very long step, is in? But it is a giant stride towards the recognition of true democracy. A GRACIOUS ACT OF CHARITY It is the habit to read and to be lieve that American business corpora tions are soulless, but if this be so one local firm must be absolved and re ceive the thanks of the public for an act of real charity and liberal gen erosity. Four weeks ago a Colored man by the name of Sylvester Keyser came to Omaha on transportation and went to work with the American Smelting and Refining company. Ke ’ ser aiso brought his mother. Last Friday Keyser took ill with acute appendicitis and was removed by the company to St. Catherine's hospital. Sunday Keyser died. He had no money, his wages over ex penses going South to assist the rest of his family. He still owed the smelter $25 on his transportation and it was under no obligation to do any thing in the matter. Had Keyser been employed by any other large local business the chances are that his body would be resting in the potter’s field today. Without solicitation the man agement of the smelters sent his body to the Western Undertaking company, had it carefully embalmed, purchased a casket and robe, and shipped the body back to Pensacola, Fla. Mrs. Keyser, mother of the deceased, was given a ticket so that she might ac company the body home. This is but one instance of many that is making the smelters appre ciated by many Colored Omahans who know. There is no local company employing a large number of men that is showing so much considera tion for its Colored employees, and many of the old timers around are now working for this company. In a future issue it is our intention to re view some of the things the smelter has done and is doing for its Colored men, but at this time we wish only to call attention to a charitable act that should not be passed without mention. RECREATION AND AMUSEMENT — Recreation and amusement are im- I portant matters in every normal hu man life. The young crave amuse ment. Pleasure-seeking has its right ful place. Those who indiscriminate ly condemn all forms of amusement are wrong. It is the duty of parents to give their children every opportunity for legitimate amusement and recreation l at home, or in such surroundings as j will eliminate ail influence which tend 1 to lower the moral tone. If, for example, you have children i who are fond of dancing, give a danc- I ing party for them now and then at home, where their friends and com panions can be invited, and you can know who your children’s associates are. And so with other legitimate forms of amusement and recreation. Encourage them to observe proportion in all they do. NEW' YORK AGE THIRTY YEARS YOUNG The New York Age, the ablest and most influential race journal in the United States, this month celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of its pub licatian. Previous to 1887 it was pub lished first under the name of the New York Freeman, and subsequently under that of the New York Globe. It has had a long, useful and honor able career. In an editorial leader in its issue of September 20 it tells a fascinating story of many changes it has noted in and around New York during its eventful career. Progress has been made along all lines. The Age has played no small part in this progress. The Monitor extends congratula te The Age and wishes it continued and well deserved success. Do your level best wherever you may be employed. Can you stand the acid test? Obvious Observations The U. S. Government has uncov I ered traitors by the thousands, but it I hasn’t found a Colored traitor—yet! As Marcus Aurelius said when he | started to turn on the shower bath, the longest thing in the world to wait for is pay day. Isn’t this lovely weather, Anabell ? Either they aren’t doing a blessed thing on the war fronts, or else the censor is working his scissors over time. Have you dug your potatoes or has someone else dug them before you got a chance ? The common people are sitting tight and watching for the price of coal, bur it is a long long watch. From various bits of animated evi dence it appears that there are enough blind tigers and blind pigs around Omaha to start a zoo that will make Hagenback look like an amateur col lector. The rumor is out that Omaha may get a war hospital. Let us hope, but if Omaha had the things she once had that got away and also the things that she thought she was going to get and never did, she would back lit tle old New York off the boards as a metropolitan burg. What’s the difference between a newspaper and a balloon ? Why, the balloon can stay up on air and the newspaper can't. So please pass the friend coin this way. Thanking you for your ardent at tention, we will now take our vocal lesson. SKITS OF SOLOMON AK-SAR-BEN Ak-Sar-Ben is an annual festival put across by Omahans to let the sur , rounding country know that it is still | on the map. I started twenty-three years ago and ! is now' well past voting age. It is best I to talk about the bad points of things before we start boosting the good ones, and the main bad point about the Ak show is that it always happens I in the midst of chilly weather and rain. The sun usually shines brightly and the winds blow softly up until the beginning of Ak week, and then both renig. People used to hope and I pray that the meterological influences ! would be lovely, but they have gotten j out of the habit now. They now know what to expect. The fine point about Ak week is that it cetrainly aids in the disappearance of money, that is, . your money. The next fine point is I the parades. There are several par- i ades and for the average reader the best part of the parade is the Col ored band. Then come the floats These are magnificent papier mache representations of things as we think they should have looked when they happened. Often they never happened, but that doesn’t hurt the imagination a bit. Another nice feature is that the city usually looks resepctable once a year if no more. The streets are actually cleaned and plenty of red, w'hite, blue, yellow and green, warm up the atmosphere. Another fine point is the crowd. They are gener- 1 ally nice crowds, only having a pick- | pocket occasionally. They are nice crowds because they bump and jostle you, tread on your corns, tear off your buttons, fill your mouth and eyes with confetti, and burst your ear drums with noise. They would do more to make life pleasanter, only they haven’t been able to invent any more. It is another fine point that it happens only once a year. Once is plenty. * FOOD CONSERVATION — Not only in our homes will our peo- I pie have an opportunity' of saving food, but also in restaurants, hotels I and private families where many are employed, they can do a vast deal to save food. This is tremendously im portant matter. Wanton waste of food means that within a few months this country will be facing starvation. Do not waste an ounce of food. Study where you can save. Subtsitute com bread for wheat bread. Cut down on the amount of meat you use. In every way possible study how and where you can save food. Not only is this a patriotic duty, but it is a duty of self-preservation. Obey the government’s request to conserve food. “There’s scarlet all along the sky: The day breaks everywhere.” W'atch your conduct. i 1 EDI'C VTE THE CHILD I was talking to a mother the other j day w.ho had agreed with her son that ! he did not really need to enter high | school. She held that times were j hard, her boy knew enough to earn i good wages and he’d most probably i be taken to war before he had fin- j ished his four years’ work. I could not convince her that even | though he were taken before com* = pleting his course, each year of study f, made him better fitted to serve his ’ country, and prepared him to better | labor in any vocation whatsoever. Real \ education means preparedness. To educate is not to cram a supply * of information about literature, sci- j f nee, history, or the languages, but | to develop the individual capabilities \ of the child. Scholarship is concerned with what i has been and education is concerned ; with what is to come. Understanding the past helps the f child to understand the present and ; aids it to build for the future. The Latin sourse of the word “edu- I cate” means to be “led out.” Give your child a chance to be “led j out” into a larger existence—“clear . thinking, right living, high principles, \ sound fundamentals.” Educate the child. — My fairest child, I have no song to give you; No lark could pipe to skies so dull and gray; Yet, ere we part, one lesson I can leave you For every day. Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever. Do noble things, not dream them, all j day long; And make life, death and that vast forever \ One grand sweet song. THREE KINDS OF GIVERS Some witty person once said: "Then I are three kinds of givers—the flint, t the sponge, and the honeycomb.” 11 To get anything out of a flint, you must hammer it, and then you get only chips and sparks. „ To get water out of a sponge you must sqeeze it, and the more you sqeeze the more you will get. But the honeycomb just overflows with its own sweetness. Some people are stingy and hard; they give nothing away if they can help it. Others are good natured; they yield to pressure, and the more they are pressed the more they will give. A few delight in giving, without being asked at all; and of these the Bible says: “The Ijord loveth a cheer ful giver."—Ixindon Christian. If.. Thompson, Belden & Co. > The Fashion Center for Women Established 1886 25% to 35% off Come and see us in our new location at 1409 Douglas Street Every garment is new. You know us, we used to lie at 206 North 16th Street. You and your mother bought of us before. Take advantage of our offers this week on Cloaks, Suits, Dresses, Skirts, Waists and Furs. — BONOFF Former Proprietor of the N. Y. Sample Store. 1409 Douglas Street. |\/\ %/ S I KZ AT O Nor I’ N LESS YOU TAKE IIO lUU tAI l YOI'R MEALS AT THE WASHINGTON CAFE Mrs. L. Cuerington, Proprietress 1719 Cuming Street. A Church Where All Are Welcome Services Sunday School, 10 a. in. Preaching. 11a. m., 8 p. ru. League, 6:30 p. m. Florence P. Leavitt Club, Mon day afternoon. Prayer Meeting, Wednesday Evening. W. H. M. S. Thursday Afternoon GROVE METHODIST CHFRCH Ladles' A"1,’ * n,luy Aft®rnoon 22nd and Seward Sts., Omaha, Neb. Refc V 22nd.1 Web.’ 5003 5=^~r"~T=====g ==^=== I_I THIS IS A PICTURE OF St. Philip’s Episcopal Church ON TWENTY-FIRST ST.. BETWEEN NICHOLAS AND PAUL STS. Easily Reached From All Paris of City By Street Cars. Within Walking Distance of a Large Number of Colored People. If You Are a Member of the Episcopal Church this Will Let You Know Where It Is. If You Are Not a Member of the Church, You Ought to Be. Come to the Services Anyway and Get Acquainted. SUNDAY SERVICES Holy Communion, 7:30 a. m. Church School (Sunday School) 10 a. m. Holy Communion and Sermon, 11 a. m. Evening Prayer and Sermon, 8 p. m. Please accept this as a personal invitation to attend services. All seats are free. Everybody is welcome. It’s your Heavenly Father’s House—Come. JNO. ALBERT WILLIAMS, Pastor. __-_— ............-1 II— IM—MUUWI—HW4WO—IW-tHlim—M—■——I—I.HH—UHI — OH—IIIIMIIIII—I—I—I— minium—mimiinn—m—mu—m.nil—iiimnu.iimiimn—i—i—ninnii—m—Ml— IHUIII.IIHIIHIUIIW.HI—I..H.m...m.lll.Hm—IHU—iWI.—IH.Mfc
