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P NEBRASKA’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS
THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor
$2.M a Year—5c a Cepy ~ OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1925 Whole Number 511 Vol. X—No. 41
l
f AH OPPORTUNITY TO
PURCHASE HEW HOME
OH EASY PAYMEHTS
Jno. T. McDonald, Sr., Architect and
Builder, Has Become a Pioneer
In Home-Building Among
Our Race.
WORK BY NEGRO MECHANICS
Carpenters, Plumbers, Painters, Del
corators. Plasters and Cement
Workers All Employed
on Job.
_
Jno. T. McDonald, architect and
builder, is a pioneer in a new field
among our race in Omaha. He is
*!• building a number of strictly modern
up-to-date, attractive 5-room houses
which he is offering for sale at a
lower price than our people have been
paying for old run-down, semi-mod
ern dwellings. These new buildings
are wonderfully complete and arc the
last word in modem convenience.
The Monitor was shown through
three of these (buildings which have
been completed on Evans street just
west of Thirtieth street, and one in
course of construction at 2618 Bin
ney. They were a revelation to The
Monitor. Not only are they attrac
tive, cosy and well-built houses, but
they are in desirable neightborhoods.
All the work on these houses has
been done by Negro mechanics, with
the erception of the electrical work,
as Mr. McDonald was unable to find
any licensed electrician among our
race in the city, so he informed The
Monitor. There are electricians here
but none have taken out licenses. All
work has to pass inspection by the
city building officials and the work
men have to be proficient.
The Nebraska Plumbing Company,
J. F. Allison, manager, has the plumb
ing contract; the painting and decor
ating is in the hands of the Peoples'
Bros., James and Larry N.; the foun
dation, chimney and cement work is
done by O. C. Banks; the carpenter
work is done by J. F. Nunn, foreman,
Y. G. Logan, H. C. Dennis, Thomas
H. Gooden, O. W. Travis and O. C.
Banks; C. J. Irwin is the plasterer;
the cement sidewalks are the work of
Hugh K. Levelle and the excavating
and grading is done by Charles Sol
omon. Mr. McDonald is himself a
carpenter and bricklayer and is him
self on every job. Ail of these work
. men are regularly employed, others
being used temporarilly. The Haney
Electrical Company has the contract!
for the electrical work.
Mr. McDonald says, “For years I
had a dream of building modern |
homes for our people, that they could !
buy at a lower price and as reason- I
able terms as they are compelled to j
pay for old dwellings, good, bad and |
indifferent. After much discourage- j
ment I have been able to put my plan j
in operation. 1 have adopted as my
slogan, “Better Built Homes for LLess j
Money,” and I think you will agree j
with me that they measure up to this:
slogan. I wanted also to furnish work i
for the Negro mechanics and work-1
men who are residents of Omaha.
Having finished a course in structural
engineering has given me an advan
tage in knowing how to construct
large or small buildings from the
foundation to chimney top and I knew
that we had workmen here who could
do the work. All of it has passed
rigid inspection as you can see by the
inspection tags placed here by the de
partment of building inspection. I
hope to finish a good number of these
home between now and November.
These three are finished and three
more are under construction, and next
week I expect to start three on tne
South Side. I feel confident that as
soon as our people inspect these
houses the demand for them will be
COLOI YP1ST MARVEL
M il.j DIAMOND MEDAL
GIVEN BY UNDERWOOD
Cortez W. Peters of Dunbar High
School Has Proven His Ability
by Capturing Prizes in
Many Contests. ,
—
(Columbian Press Bureau)
Washington, D. C.,—April 17.—At
a general assembly of the faculty and
students of Durfbar high school, held
last Monday morning, Cortez W. Pe
ters was awarded the Underwood dia
mond medal emblem for accuracy and
speed in a typing test given at the
Washington office of the Underwood
Typewriter Company on March 26.
Mr. Peters is a graduate of the De
partment of Business Practice of Dun
bar high school and in the test main
tained a net speed of one hundred nine
five-stroke words a minute for thirty
minutes, the requirement to qualify
being only one hundred words a min
ute. The medal is 20-K white gold,
platinum-plate, with alternating dia
monds and emeralds, and crown-set.
Mr. G. W. Ward, assistant manager
of the Washington office of the Un
derwood Typewriter Company and the
students’ friend, presented the award
and stated that Mr. Peters was the
first student, and the only person in
the District of Columbia ever to win
it.
Mr. J. C. Wright of Dunbar facul
ty, who discovered the latent typing
ability of Mr. Peters and trained him,
was awarded the corresponding Un
derwood teacher's diamond medal em
blem. Mr. Peters als* has won the
Underwood gold button insignia of
the Order of Accurate Typists; Rem
ington gold pin and a Remington
standard typewriter; Royal gold pin;
Woodstock gold jewel pin; and is
known among the boys as the “speed
king typist.” Under Mr. Wright’s
coaching he is now in training to en
ter the international typing contest
for world’s championship, to be held
in New York next October.
CITIZENS' MILITARY TRAINING
CAMPAIGN
Forty-nine hundred youths, from
schools, farms and factories, scattered
throughout the states of Arkansas,
Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, North Dakota and South
Dakota will be enrolled this summer
for the Citizens’ Military Training
Camps in the Seventh Corps Area, Lt.
R. L. Williams announced today. This
figure represents the largest number
for civilian training assigned to any
corps area.
Camps will open August 1 and con
tinue in operation throughout August.
Every student is to be a volunteer and
must pass the mental and physical
tests adopted by the War Department.
Students in basic courses will range
from seventeen to twenty-four years.
As a result of experience gained in
conducting boys’ camps during the
past four years In all parts of the
the War Department plans numerous
improvements designed to make the
training and recreation programs
more attractive to the young men at
the 1925 camps.
Admittance, however, will be under
the same conditions as during other
years, Lt. Williams said. Food, uni
forms, railroad fare to camp and re
turn, athletic equipment, and all camp
facilities, besides medical and dental
treatment while in camp are furnished
by the government without expense
to the student.
It is planned to give individual at
tention to the physical training of
each student to correct unfavorable |
tendencies in the growing youth. Data |
compiled from records of camps of
previous years is now being studied
by the War Department with this end
in view.
The object of these camps, Lt. Wil
liams declared, is to bring together
young men of high type from all sec
tions of the country on a common ba
sis of equality and under the most
favorable conditions of outdoor life;
to stimulate and promote citizenship,
patriotism and American, and through
expert physical direction, athletic
coaching and military training, to ben
efit the young men individually.
Lt. Williams urges all qualified
colored men to take advantage of this
opportunity.
heavy."
Mr. McDonald is building good
houses, furnishing employment to a
number of our people and should be
generously supported in his laudable
work. Persons contemplating the pur
chase of a home will learn much to
their advantage by inspecting the cosy
and attractive houses being built by
this pioneer in a new field among us.
COLORED SINGER
HAS WONDERFUL
CONTRALTO VOICE
A large number of Beatrice folks
gathered at the A. M. E. church last
Thursday evening to hear Mrs. Fan
ny Russell of Omaha, state president
of the Colored Women’s Federated
Clubs, and a reader of note, who ap
peared in a recital.
Mrs. Russell came in the interest of
the state federation, which she repre
sents, the proceeds of the entertain
ment were used by the local club as
their apportionment to the state fund
for building for aged colored people
and orphans. She was well supported
by local talent and presented a pro
gram that has not been surpassed in
its line for some time in this city.
Her numbers were of a heavy drama
tic type and she portrayed unusual
talent in her vivid word pictures, hold
ing her audience in rapt attention
from thojfirst to the last line. Her
selections were: “The Convict,” “The
Feast of Belschazzar,” “The Maniac,”
and “The Gambler’s Wife.”
Mrs. 0. P. Washington delighted
the audience with two vocal numbers,
“Ma Curly Headed Baby” and “Who
Knows” by Paul Laurence Dunbar, the
colored poel. Her voice Is clear and
tirdlike and she pleased her listeners
very much. Mrs. Roscoe Weisner,
wife of the minister, is an accom
ficult numbers, “Militaire Polonaise”
by Chopin, and “Juba Dance” by Na
thaniel Dett, the colored composer.
What might be termed the climax
of the program, however, came when
Miss Inez Gordon, contralto, sang
“Jean”, an old spirituel, by H. T. Bur
leigh, colored composer, and "Nobody
Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.” Miss
Gordon has a rich contralto voice,
deep and resonant, and is able to place
the high notes with unusual ease and
flexibility. The sweetness and beauty
of her singing enthralled her audi
ence, who showed their appreciation
of her efforts with repeated bursts of
applause, until she responded to an
I encore.
Beatrice may well he proud of Miss
Gordon, who has a voice inimitable
and of rare beauty, the like of which
is seldom heard outside the opera or
concert stage. She was reared here
and is a graduate of the Beatrice high
school.—The Beatrice Daily Sun.
MAN FALLS FIVE STORIES,
LIGHTS ON HEAD, LIVES
Richmond, Va., April 24.—Davis
Jones, aged 26 years, fell from the
fifth floor of a hotel under construc
tion here Thursday afternoon and
landed on his head in a small pile of
sand on the side walk below. Davis
suffered a fractured skull, but physi
cians say that he will live. He did
not lose consciousness, it is said.
DE HART HUBBARD
AT HOWARD MEET
(Columbian Press Bureau)
Washington, D. C., April 17.—De
Hart Hubbard, star broad-jumper, and
fresh from laurels won at last year’s
Olympic meet, will be the principal
attraction at the annual track meet
at Howard University, which will be
held on May 2 on the university field.
West Virginia, Wilberforce, Lin
coln, Storer, and Morgan colleges are
expected to send their finest athletes
to vie with the Howard stars.
CARNEGIE CORPORATION
MAKES A LARGE GIFT TO
HAMPTON AND TUSKEGEE
(Preston News Service)
j New York, April 24.—The board of
trustees of the Carnegie Corporation
announced Friday that an appropria
tion of $100,000 has been made to the
Hampton-Tuskegee endowment fund,
$50,000 for the endowment fund of
each school, and specified that the in
come was to be used for the general
support and maintenance of and in
struction in the industrial and applied
arts.
Mr. A. J. Burt, commercial artist,
has a studio in the Colored Commer
cial Club. Mr. Burt was formerly
with a white firm down town.
ALL CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS ASKED TO GET
DEHIRD OF OMAHA WESTERN LEAGUERS
■1.
Omaha Will Open Season Next Wednesday With
Tulsa Oilers as Visitors. Omaha Out to
Set Attendance Record
On next Wednes
day afternoon at 3
o’clock Omaha base
ball fans will have
the opportunity of
greeting the Oma
ha pennant win
ning Western
League Park, 15th
and Vinton streets.
The game will start
promptly at 3:30,
but there will be
great festivities be
fore the contest.
These will take
Barney place at 3 o’clock.
Omaha fans should bear in mind in
deciding to attend this game and the
other games this season that the
rather poor showing that the Buffa
loes have made so far this season is
due not so much to having a medi
ocre team but rather to not getting
the breaks so valuable in baseball.
With a little bolstering which Burch
promises to give the team, they will
step right out in the winning column
and ere the summer closes we would
not be surprised to see them safely
resting again at the top rung of the
league ladder.
J. Porter Allen, president of the.
Junior Chamber of Commerce, ably
assisted by Secretary Hans Reis and
Dick Grotte, is in direct charge of the
opening day ceremonies and it is a
real day the^ are planning.
They are making a special effort
to have all civic clubs attend the game
in a body and they have especially
tendered an invitation to the members
of the Colored Commercial Club to
be present with the many other clubs
who will attend the game in a group.
A pennant winning ball club is a
great help and advertisement to a
city and every one, irrespective of
color or race should support Mr.
Burch’s organization.
Mr. Reis, secretary of the club, told
the writer a few days ago that he well
appreciated the co-operation colored
fans were giving the club and sin
cerely hoped that they would stand
back of the boys again this season as
in the past.
One of the best bits of news that
has emanated from Burch’s office re
cently is the fact that Harry Lee, ace
of the last year’s pitching coprs, has
signed up and will again be with the
team. Harry won 25 games for the
Buffaloes last year and as he has
been playing ball on the Coast all
winter, is in dandy shape and an even
better record can be expected.
Lyman Lamb’s Tulsa Oilers will be
visitors at the h^me lot on the open
ing day and as they are proving them
selves a real bunch of clubbers, a
great game can be expected.
Remember the date, next Wdnes
day, April 29th, at 3:00 sharp.
And furthermore, while on baseball
we might say that Omaha almost cer
tainly will be a member of the Negro
National Baseball League this year,
playing under the name of the Black
Bisons. Games will be played here
during the periods that the Omaha
team is on the road. Mr. Burch is ex
tending every effort to make this pos
sible for the Omaha fans.
Mr. Reis gives out the following as
the most probable line-up for open
ing day:
Omaha Tulsa
Ripperton, 3b Riggert, If
O’Neill, ss Krueger, 2b
Monroe, 2b Mizeur, rf
King, cf Lamb, cf
Osborne, If Roche, c
Griggs, lb Tyrell, lb
Robinson, rf Simon, 3b
Wilder, c Flippin, ss
Lee, p Williams, p
r——-- \
Showers
V_..
TENNESSEE SHERIFF
OUTWITS WHITE MOB
(Preston News Service)
Nashville, Tenn., April 24.—Sheriff
Cromer, of Marshall county, bringing
John Henry Wallace, arrested as a
suspect in connection with an at
tempted burglary and murder of a
white man at Cornersville, Tenn., won
a race from a pursuing mob of white
persons recently when he arrived in
Nashville shortly before noon with
his prisoner.
It is said that more than a score of
automobiles dashed out of Lewisburg
when it was learned that Sheriff
Cromer has spirited Wallace away. It
is claimed that at Chapel Hill the
sheriff’s automobile was less than 2
miles ahead of the pursuit. The can
ny sheriff commahdeered another au
tomobile—a high powered machine at
Chapel Hill and was soon several
miles ahead of the mobbists. The
mob followed in hot pursuit until they
reached Nolensville where they lost
track of the fleeing sheriff and fin
ally decided to give up the chase.
MRS. GRACE M. HUTTEN
GIVING GOOD SERVICE
Mrs. Grace M. Hutten, who was re
cently employed as an investigator by
the Associated Charities chiefly a
mong the colored people of the city,
has proven herself highly serviceable
in an enlarged field. Her proficiency
in Spanish and her knowledge of
French has lead to her assignment to
work among the Mexicans, Spaniards
and other foreigners in the city in ad
dition to her work among her own
people. She is doing good work in
her appointed field.
Mrs. Hutten reports that non-em
ployment has caused much destitution
among all these groups and has given
rise to serious problems. One of the
serious difficulties confronting many
of the colored people is the danger of
losing homes purchased on the con
tract plan at exorbitant prices in
many cases because of inability to
keep up payments. Some have been
victims of unscrupulous exploitation.
Mrs. Hutten was one of the speak
ers Tuesday night at a round table
discussion held at the Y. W. C. A.
under the auspices of the Social Ser
vice Commission of the Diocese of
Nebraska, S. S. Caldwell, chairman,
at which the clergy, social workers,
and labor representatives discussed
vital civic questions.
15-PIECE ORCHESTRA TO
PLAY AT DREAMLAND
The 15-piece orchestra, composed of
picked players from Adams, Des
dunes, Melody Five and Turner’s or
chestras, which made such a big hit
when they played at Dreamland sev
eral weeks ago, will play a return en
gagement there Monday eve, April
27th, when they will feature all the
latest song and dance hits of the
season. As this will be the last op
portunity to hear this splendid aggre
gation of local artists this season, the
committee in charge, L. Gaines, Mrs.
7,. Clark and S. Harrold, are sparing
no pains to make this one of the
swellest affairs of the year. Dance
from 9 p. m. till 2 a. m.
ADMITTED TO GIRLS’ FRIENDLY
SOCIETY—ST. PHILIP’S BRANCH
At the annual meeting of the Girls’
Friendly Society held in Trinity Cathedral
last Friday afternoon the following girls
from St. Philip’s Branch were formally
admitted by Bishop Shayler: Margaret
Dickerson, Ellen Richardson, Marie Bush
and Vera Walton. At the social gather
ing held in the parish house, Miss Made
line Shipman contributed a piano solo to
the program.
BEATH RATE HIGHER—
AMONG COLORER
THAN THE WHITES
Dr. Augustus G. Edwards Gives In
structive Health Talk—Emphasizes
the Importance of Medical
Examinations
SOCIAL DISEASES TOP LIST
Death Rate Among Negro Residents
of Omaha 12 Percent Higher Than
Among Whites—Campaign of
Education Needed
As part of the Health Week program
put on by the Y. W. C. A., Dr. A. G. Ed
wards gave a most instructive health talk
at the North Side Branch last Sunday
afternoon at 4 o’clock. The program had
been arranged by Mrs. Herbert Wiggins.
Mrs. Frederick Divers, chairman of the
Health Committee of the “Y”, presided.
Dr. Edwards took as his subject, “Pre
Clinical Medicine” and stressed the fact
that many people, who are apparently well
hut are not, would be spared serious ill
ness, if they consulted a physician before
they became seriously ill. Statistics show
that 74 per cent of the people have some
minor malady that needs attention. In
other words only 26 per cent of the people
have perfect health. He used a chart by
which he called attention to the vital or
gans which by neglect and abuse become
seriously impaired. He told what a won
derful and delicate piece of machinery
the human body is and how it needs care
and attention. Men have their autos in
spected, overhauled and repaired, but
neglect to do the same with their bodies.
Social diseases top the list in mortality
statistics and tuberculosis has been so suc
cessfully combated that it foots the list.
“The death rate among Negroes in Oma
ha is twelve per cent higher than that
among the whites,” said Dr. Edwards. This
is due in his opinion to ignorance, pro
crastination and self-medication. Many
Negroes try to diagnose their own ailments,
and put off consulting a physician, and
dope themselves with patent nostrums.
The speaker said that money spent for a
thorough medical examination, twice a
year would be a wise health investment
and not an expenditure. He plead most
earnestly that the race should keep itself
physically fit for the great mission that
God has for it in this country by conserv
ing its health by careful and right living.
Musical number were furnished by Miss
Terresa Liverpool, and Mr. H. L. Preston,
Mrs. Reeves being Mr. Preston’s accom
panist. A social hour followed the health
talk.
ADDS NEW DEPARTMENT
TO HIS BUSINESS
Mr. C. W. Williams, a well known
photographer, has added a new de
partment to his business. Knowing
the necessity of home owning as he
does, Mr. Williams has opened a real
estate office in connection with the
studio which is located at 1520% No.
24th street.
In addition he has purchased for
himself three 5-room cottages which
he will rent as an investment.
He has also arranged to build new
five and six room houses which will
sell for practically the same as old
ones now being boilght by our group.
RACE MAN ACQUITTED OF
MURDER CHARGE OF WHITE
MAN IN NORTH CAROLINA
(Preston News Service)
Oxford, N. C., April 24.—Grant Pri
vetto was acquitted of the charge of
murdering Clyde Cannady, young
white farmer killed last Christmas. At
the conclusion of the evidence sub
mitted by the state, counsel for Prl
vette moved for a non-suit. This mo
tion was allowed and a judgment of
not guilty ordered to be entered.