Nebraska Newspapers

    The Monitor
A National Weakly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of Colored
A marl nana __
Pnblla'ied Every Thursday at Omaha, Nebraska, by The Monitor Pub
lishing Company. __
Entered as Second-Class Mall Matter July 2. 1915. at th« **ostofflce at
Omaha, Neb., under the Act of March I. 1979._
THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS. Edltc.
George H, W. Bullock, Business Manager and Associate Editor.
W. W. MOSELY, Associate Editor, Lincoln, Neb.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES, $2.00 A YEAR: $1.25 6 MONTHS: 75c 3 MONTHS
Advertising Rates Furnished Upon Application.
] Address, The Monitor, Kaffir Block, Omaha, Meb. *
Telephone Douglas 3224.
y
FIRST IN
SERVICE
I -Poet's Jngic i)oofc I
1 - i
“EVEN I NTO ME"
i r
5 His clothing was tattered and soiled and torn, X,
V Kis attitude wistful, and wholly forlorn, X
B And I caught the “break” in his voice as he 'aid:
“I’m hungry, kind lady—pleas'- gw - c some b; ad.” g
I gave him some food—the best that I had, g |
5 With a cup of hot coffee—I felt truly glad m '
jj That I had it to give. Be he beggar or thief, ft
The gain was all mine in thus giving relief ft!
g To one of God’s children. In whatever guise K i
8 He sends them, be ready to cheer—sympathize— X
C For hath Fe not said: Unto Me ye have done
The same that ye have unto this lowly one?”
% “THE GREAT ADVENTURE”
£ I am standing in the shadow! and the clouds are hanging low-- X
8 I can feel the chill of twilight creeping on: X
Yet when I lift my weary eyes,
'* To scan the brooding, grieving skies,
£ I know that after darkness comes the dawn. ft
8 I am standing in the shadow! Though life’s sun is sinking fast,
I will not take one backward glance the while.
With Faith and Hope to guide and strengthen, ft
I can watch the shadow lengthen, ft
y And I’ll meet “The great adventure” with a smile. ft
>• —MRS. J. HAMMOND. X
GREAT MISFORTUNE
'T'HE Cooperative Store, a $10<>,000
corporation, owned and operated
by the colored people of this city,
closed its doors a few months ago,
probably never to open them again for
business. It is sincerely regretted by
us all that this once promising enter
prise could not continue. Ihe Moni
tor shares equally, with all colored
Omahans, in the regrets resulting
from this failure. It had been our
fondest hope that it would live, and
we never lost the opportunity either
through our columns or by mouth to
say a good word on its behalf. Its
closing came as a surprise, knowing
as we do its wisely conceived plan of
organisation. Their plan was to dis
tribute their $100,000 of capital stock
among at least 600 families, thereby
virtually obligating this number to
trade with them by reason of their in
vestment. They calculated that in
600 families there would be about
1800 persons who would have to be
supplied in food, clothing, etc., etc.,
which would amount to, at the most
conservative estimate $1.00 per day.
This would total $1800 per day upon
which the company could certainly de
pend from its own members. This was
reasonable and wise. Citizens rallied
to it with great enthusiasm and sub
scribed freely of their money. Des
pite, however, this enormous support
and its splendid articles of incorpor
ation it has completely failed and, this
failure will not be felt alone by the
smaller number immediately connect
ed with it, but the entire Colored Citi
zenry of Omaha. It will be a long
time before we can hope to regain the
position and prestige furnished us by
this organization. Now that it ha§i
failed, people have inquired how, and
why. We are not in position to give
all facts as to this, but it is quite ap
parent that its failure resulted from
one or more of three things, namely,
dishonesty, mismanagement or lack of
cooperation.
We are thoroughly convinced, how
ever, that mismanagement as a result
of incompetence and inexperience ii
large business affairs did more than
anvthing else in bringing about this
misfortune. Lack of proper and whole
hearted cooperation from within and
without the concern no doubt, contrib
uted its share, 1 he Monitor believes
that bad management due to inexper
ience, and the lack of the proper exer
cise of prudence on the part of the of
ficials were the biggest contributing
factors in the failure. We believe the
Board of Directors were honest in se
lecting from among them, those whom
they intrusted with the business de
tails of the store, and experienced
their own sad disappointment in find
ing that the best they had were not
large enough to fill the position. Much
money was wasted in this costly ex
periment, and it is too late now to re
count the mistakes. This project is
closed and it is for us to profit by
their mistakes in our future ventures.
This will have its serious and effect
ive reaction. We must be prepared to
meet it with a more united front and
wise conduct. We must still keep try
ing in the commercial field, undis
mayed by failures, just as white peo
ple do. They do not give up because
of one or more failures. Neither
should we. We have still another
big chance right here in Omaha to
prove ourselves to be of the right bus
iness. We have the Kaffir Chemical
Laboratories—, a $500,000 Drug and
Phamaceutical Corporation, which as
striking contrast to the Cooperative
Store has stemmed the tide of this fi
nancial crisis and is at present able to
stand on its feet, still intact. This
has been made possible through wise
management and conservative spend
ing. Thev have suffered severely, it is
true, from the lack of proper finan
cinl support, but have skillfully and
wisely avoided committing any great
number of indiscretions. With our
united support, this could easily be
come one of the biggest money mak
ing concerns in the country. It has
assets amounting to nearly $750,000
on hand, in the form of raw material,
manufactured products and equipment
including a great plant. It onh
needs sufficient capital with which to
put its goods on the market. We ought
to get behind this enterprise and set
to it that success can be had by us in
the business world. We can demon
strate the fact that all big colored
businesses are not doomed to fail.
Let’s sav, “It shall not fail, and it will
not fail.”
BOOK CHAT
By Mary White Ovington
(Chairman of the Board of Directors
of the National Association for
The Advancement of Colored
People)
‘The Upward Path," Compiled By
Marion T. Pritchard and Mary
White Ovington. Introduction by
Robert R. Moton. Published by
Harcourt, Brace & Howe, New York
City. Price $1.35. Postage Eight
Cents.
w E ARE beginning to look about
and decide what we shall get for
the children at Christmas. If they
like books I believe there is nothing
they will enjoy more than “The Up
ward Path.’’
The compilers of this book brought
together stories and biographies, bits
of travel and short essays, peoms and
folk lore tales and last of all charm
ing illustrations, all by colored people.
Here in this single volume is a record
of Negro literary achievement. And
while the book is for children^ every
one who likes to read will be enter
tained by it.
“I have received ‘The Upward
Path,’ ” a friend said to me the other
day, “and have finished the first story
over which I confess I cried. This
opening piece being Paul Laumece
Dubar’s “Boy and the Ravonet,’’ is
the gem among the short stories, but
it has many good seconds. There is
a football tale by Walter F. White,
entitled, “Victory,” two school-day
stories by Lillian B. Witten, and one
of the most charming little fairy tales
of today, Angelina Grimke’s “Land
of Laughter” from her play “Rachel.”
We ail like to read of the brave
deeds of other men, and the colored
child must feel a peculiar thrill when
he or she learns of the great colored
soldiers and explorers. As Matthew
Henson journeys with Peary' to the
North Pole, we learn that they took
n measurement of distance over which
they came. “With my proven ability'
in guaging distances, Commander
Peary was ready' to take the reckon
ing as I made it and he did not resort
to solar observations until we were
within a hand’s grasp of the Pole.’
And what a wonderful thing to have
the black man and the white man to
gether at the spot where the Araeri
can flag was set marking the loca
tion of the North Pole!
One of the great African explor
ers of our time is the Rev. William
Henry Sheppard. Mr. Sheppard we-t
to Africa as a missionary from the
Presbyterian Church and was instru
mental in exposing the Congo atroc
ities. For this he gained the dis
pleasure of the Belgian government
and came near losing his life. His
story of his journeys in the Congo
was printed bv the Presbyterian Mis
sionary Society and might have been
lost to the masses of colored readers
; had it not been for the “Upward
Path” where his wonderful description
of the Kingdom of Lukenga is now
given prominence. One learns that*in
this forbidden land of Lukegna,
guarded against outside influence,
there was a kindly, intelligent gov
ernment that encouraged handicraft,
cleanliness and moral living. Mr.
Sheppard’s story also of animal life
1 in Africa is in the "Upward Path’
and gives us a good idea of what the
traveler mav expect who goes into
equatorial Africa.
' Among the biographies is a sketch
cf Beniamin Bannecker and another
of Paul Cuffee; the first admired bv
President Jefferson, the second a
friend of President Madison. “There
were giants in those days,” and it is
good to read of these early day fig
ures in American Negro history.
The book abounds in good poetry
suitable for recitation at public gath
I erings. There is a little poem by
Cordelia Ray of the Month, which
would make a pretty recitation for
twelve children, each costumed to rep
resent a month and each reciting a
verse.
The book has one delightful bit of
farce, “Travels with a Georgia Mule”
by James Weldon Johnson, whose ser
ious work in his two great poems,
“Fifty Years,” and "Black and Un
known Bards,” are t-Jao in the book.
But you must handle “The Upward
Path” to appreciate it, and to see
the charming illustrations by Laura
Wheeler that makes this collection a
lovely gift book for any child. Again,
do not forget it for Christmas.
ALLEN CHAPEL A. M. E. CHl'RCfl
5233 South Twentyfifth Street
0. J. Burckhardt, pastor
You will be made welcome at all
our services. Sunday school 9:30
preaching 11 a. m.; Mr. Rayford’s
class meeting 12:30; Allen League 7
p. m. Sermon on “Dancing” by the
pastor at 7:30, who wants all the
young and old people in the city who
dance to come early so they can get
a seat to hear they have a right to
dance. Last Sunday was a great day.
The Rev. W. S. Metcalfe preached *
wonderful sermon for us.
CAMP EIRE GIRLS MEET
The Ocowasin Camp Fire group, I
which consists of twenty girls from j
the high school and university, held j
a reunion meeting Thursday, December !
1, at the home of their guardian, Mrs. I
L. N. Peoples, at the Maywood Apart
ments. The girls planned a Christmas
party to be given December 21, at Hil
crest, the home of the Misses Ruth
and Florence Jones.
Did It Seem That Long?
Santa Crus News—“She was sixty
nine years of age and she had been
married for more than n century."—
Boat on Transcript.
Oitizen or Sroeria.
(Prepared by the National Geographic
Society, Washington, D. C.)
A sled drawn over the deep snow by
terrified horses, a driver wildly heat
ing them, and a puck of ferocious
wolves breaking in pursuit from a
dark pine forest—this Is a picture that
has given many a person a faulty idea
of the Siberia of today.
An American woman who had
laughed at an Englishman when lie
complained that during his ten days
In New York city he had not seen a
single Indian asked upon her arrival
In Vladivostok if there was nny dan
ger from wolves In the city. As a
matter of fact, one may spend h con
siderable time In Siberia and cover
large areas without seeing a wolf, or
a pine tree, arid what little snow he
will see will probably not he more than
a few Inches deep, though there are
sections where It Is quite deep. And
one may meet thousands of people
without seeing either exile or criminal.
One is not likely to he disillusioned
about the climate. The American sol
dier said. “Siberia has two seasons
—July and winter." This Is nearly
true, for there Is practically no spring;
the foliage does not appear until June*
July Is as warm as the winter Is cold.
The brief fall Is beautiful Indeed, and
there is something very thrilling about
the Intense cold of the winter, when
the temperature goes to 60 and 70 de
grees below zero In some sections.
Everybody dresses nnd prepares for
tlie cold, and on the whole It Is pos
sible to he more comfortable In the
steady winter of Siberia than In the
changeable American winter.
Beautiful Wild Flowers.
Siberia's wild flowers—a feature
which does not fit Into the picture of
a frozen wuste— are worthy a volume
In themselves. There Is a wild rose
Uiat blooms hugely on big, sturdy
bushes. Then there is the mauve and
gold of the “Mary and John,” that Is
loved most by the Siberians. This
lovely flower is named after the Vir
gin Mary and the loved disciple.
Siberia is, above all, an oriental
country. Out there the traveler sees
every phantasmagoria associated with
the East. Oriental sunsets, equal to
any and Inferior 10 uone, thrill the
senses with splendors of color rang
ing from volcanoes of rubles to the
myriad mysteries of the kaleidoscope.
Then one sees all the peoples of the
Orient—Chinese, Japanese, Tartars,
Manchus. Koreans—men und women of
every color and condition.
For the most part the Russians have
Russianized the country. Even so,
one could easily believe tlie Tower of
Babel incident to have occurred In Si
beria, for one hears so many lan
guages and sees so many different na
tional customs. Chinese “sampans”
and Japanese “dambes" ride the road
stead of Vladivostok along with Rus
sian craft and American motorboats,
and on the highways and caravan
routes camels and oxen are passed by
modern automobiles, mostly of Ameri
can'make.
Nativa Life Fascinating.
One gets wonderfully attached to
Siberian life. There Is something
charming and fascinating about It.
The natives, in spite of the scourges
of typhus and cholera, In spite of the
hunger and cold which they have ex
perienced so frequently during the last
afx years, are devoted to their home
land ; yet apparently they are Indiffer
ent to the rich opportunities of their
country.
Siberia Is a land of rich agricultural
potentialities. In spite of the short
ness of the summer season, and even
American table* have been served
with Siberian cheese and butter. But
the most alluring opportunities of the
Mon try are presented In Us mineral
wealth- gold and silver and precious
stones.
There Is so much in Silierla that re
minds an American of our "Wild
West" of earlier days, whether It lie
lawlessness, freedom, opportunity, a
place to live life over again, great dis- j
lances, vastness and gloriousness of
scenery, or barrenness such as Is seen
on the Gobi desert, where the camels
graze.
And there are many features that
may he described In typical American
superlatives. Vladivostok has the fin
est harbor In the world; the rail
road connecting Vladivostok with Pe
frograd Is the longest In the world—
thus the Siberians rave, and not alto
gether madly. Hut they cannot rave
about their roads. The Russian word,
"doroga," meaning “rood." literally
means “had road," and It would he
redundancy to speak of a had *‘do
roga." If merely means a place where
you may get through.
Cities Handsome but Dirty.
The cities of the Russian "Wild
East" are not very populous, but each
one boasts of sufficient beautiful
churches, government and private edi
fices to give It a noble aspect. First is
Vladivostok, a combination of Gotham
and Chicago. At the other end of the
country Is Omsk, the capital. In he- j
tween and top and bottom ure Tomsk,
Ekaterinburg, Chellablnsk, Chita, I
Xubarosk, Irkutsk, Durbin and Nik- ,
olsk. One of the most objectionable
leal tires about these lieuutiful cities :
Is their filth and the attendant odorB.
Tomsk has an unusually beautiful
cathedral und a great university that
lias produced more than one famous
name, Metchnlkoff, the great bacteri
ologist, being one of them.
Vladivostok, the largest und most In
teresting city of eastern Siberia, owes
much to Russia's loss of Port Arthur,
for that misfortune increased the
tsar's interest in ttie more northerly
seaport until he hud mHde It worthy
of Its name, "Ruler of the East." The ,
one disadvantage of Vladivostok Is
that Its harbor is frozen during sev
eral months of the year. In spite of
this drawback, Vladivostok probably
possesses the second finest harbor in
the world, and it Is elulmed that from
a mllltury standpoint the city was sec
ond only to the Dardanelles.
The city spreads out at the foot of
many hills and rises Into u beautiful
and sudden spectacle us one's steamer
makes a turn in the approach from
the sea. A cathedral with many gold
en domes occupies a place of vantage, i
and everywhere rise huge stone and
brick barracks, nlostly white, with an
occasional pile in red brick for con
trast.
All around the city are barracks,
barracks everywhere. It Is said that
there are sufficient barracks in and
around Valadlvostok to house an army
of half a million men. These barracks
are "substantially built and provide
protection against the heat of July as
well as the cold of winter.
The outstanding characteristics of
the Siberian Russian are his phys
ical strength and stamina and his
gentleness of nature. Most peo
ple will lie surprised at the
second part of that statement, on ac
count of what has been published
about the Bolshevist cruelties. It Is
true that the peasant went from the
extreme of an absolute monarchy to
the most fantastic socialism the world
has known. Nevertheless he is gentle
and forgiving by nature.
Of course. Silierla did nut taste the
full bitterness of Red Bolshevism. The
extreme elements were present, bu'
they never had full swing. Red Bol
shevism In Silierlu never was i*-»rc
than “pink,” and that pink Is b»*f Cl,
lug paler every day.
-
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I 24th and Lake Sts.
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Full Line of Supplies for Bootblacks
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| November Offerings in | ^
[ Black Swan Records |
^ 85 cts.
— Ain’t it a Shame to Steal on Sunday— E
E Good night, Angeline—2016. =
~ That’s my cup blues— E
= When it's too late—2018. ~
E Down Home blues -
= Oh! Daddy!—2010. E
— One Man Nan E
— There’ll be some changes made—2021. E
1 MAMIE SMITH SONGS E
~ Mamma whip, Mamma spank s E
:r I’m free, disengaged, looking for someone to E
E Daddy, your mamma is lonesome for you E
E Sax-O-Phoney blues —
| VICTOR
E Dangerous blues E
■= Royal Garden blues—18798 . 85c E
E Wabash blues a
= Tuck me to sleep in my old “Tucky” home—18820 ..8.7c =
E Ma! E
5 My Sunny Tennessee—18819 . g-,c E
E Say it with music ~ 1
E Sweet lady E *
— South Sea Isles =:
E Rosy Cheeks—18801 =
1 O-KEH E
— Arkansas Blues E
5 Down Home Blues—4446 .8.7c 5
E Wang Wang Blues , ~
E Get Hot—4446 .............85c E
I SOL LEWIS MUSIC PARLORS I
1 24th and Parker Sts.
= .imimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiir:
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| Army Goods j
! Winter is here, there is no denying this fact. Why wait? Now in X
the time to buy your winter supply when the stock is complete and you X
have a big assortment to select from. y
X Sleeveless Sweaters, special .*.$1.68 f.
ff A Heavy All-Leather Work Shoe . 4.95 j
(Genuine All-Wool Army Mackinaw ..10.95 •£
Regulation Officers’ Dress Shoes . 6.85
A new shipment of Army 2-piece All-W'ool
. Underwear at $1.50 per garment y
You are invited to inspect our store and be convinced as to the quality £ 1
and durability of our goods. y
T Bloom’s Army Store f
! 4804 South 24th St. |
All Goods Positively Guaranteed or Money Refunded £
iWWA'WAPWATW.VA'.V
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BAKERY j
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