The voice. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1946-195?, September 22, 1949, Image 1

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Harry T. Burlei& *
Name Among The
Great In Music
Composed Over
50 Spirituals
BY ALVIN E. WHITE
NEW YORK. (ANP). Harry T.
Burleigh will be remembered as
long as people sing, Chief, and
his death recalls two interesting
events concerning him which I
will always remember.
I first heard Mr. Burleigh sing
when I was a shaver down in
Richmond. Some theatrica.'. group
called the “Frogs” was on tour
and they presented Mr. Burleigh
at the old auditorium on Carey
street. It was a gala affair as
you might well imagine. The big
barn-like place was jam-packed,
and of course, there were whites
in the audience to hear the noted
colored baritone.
Know what? Harry brought the
house down singing the “Torea
dor Song” from Carmen; “Two
Grenadiers” and “Danny Deever.”
Man alive, it was the first time
I had ever heard those last two
songs, but they were given the
masterful Burleigh touch. As an
encore, Mr. Burleigh sang a cute
little thing, “Why Adam Sinned.”
Never heard it since but as I re
call it, Adam never “had no
mammy to take him on her knee.”
Well, that has been so long ago,
I don’t even remember when it
was, but I do know it was an
event that stirred Richmond as
nothing else had done, not even
the concerts of the famous “Wed
nesday club.”
My other recollection of the,
great artist is not so laudatory, I i
am afraid. It concerns Marian
Anderson’s appearance in Harlem
for a group called the “Young
Men’s club.”
Marian had just started her
sensational climb when this group
—some of whom were working
with George Harris’ old New York
News—brought Marian to Harlem
to sing at Rev. Cullen’s Salem
church.
I believe they were to pay her
three hundred dollars for the con
cert. But the chaps were unable
to raise all the money in front
and offered Marian what they had
and a promise to pay the balance.
Miss Anderson sat it out in an
ante-room of the church waiting
for the contracted sum—three
hundred dollars. I don’t know
how much the fellows had in
hand, but it wasn’t three hundred.
After a couple of hours when
it was evident that the crowd
would not bring that much at the
door and the young men didn’t
have the cash, Marian left the
church and those who had paid
for tickets were given refunds.
It was said that Mr. Burleigh ad
vised Miss Anderson not to sing
until she got all of the contracted
money.
One thing for certain was that
Mr. Burleigh came out of the
church behind Miss Anderson.
But Harry Burleigh’s name will
live in music as long as people
sing. His music knew no racial
influence, although some of his
strongest and best known compo
sitions are protests.
His long service at St. George’s
Episcopal church here has been
seldom equalled and never ex
celled.
Start to School
The Healthy Way
By O. M. Whittier, M.D.
Six-year-old Jimmy Bradley
made a mistake when he tried to
ride his older brother’s big two
wheel bicycle. When he fell to
the pavement, he bruised and
scratched the skin on his face,
legs and arms. His mother hur
ried with him to my office because
she thought that his painful swol
len nose was broken.
Fortunately, Jimmy’s nose was
badly bruised, rather than broken.
I set to work treating the tear
ful boy’s cuts and bruises to re
lieve his pain and prevent infec
tion.
“Honestly, doctor, it’s not easy
raising boys,” said Mrs. Bradley.
“Jimmy is supposed to start school
in a few weeks and I figured if
he was badly hurt, we would
have to postpone it.”
I assured his mother that Jim
my’s would be healed in time for
school. Mrs. Bradley then said
it didn’t seem possible that Jimmy
was old enough for school and I
agreed. I had treated Jimmy for
minor illnesses when he was
smaller, but it occurred to me
then that I hadn’t examined the
child in over two years.
I asked Mrs. Bradley if Jimmy
had had a physical check-up in
recent months. When she said
he hadn’t, I reminded her that it
was important, especially since
the child was planning to start to
school. Mrs. Bradley hadn’t
thought of it, since. Jimmy ap
peared to be in good health, but
agreed that it was a sound idea.
The child and his mother came
back the following week. Jimmy’s
height and weight were satisfac
tory for his age and build. I
could see he was getting the foods
he needed for health and growth,
and the proper amount of sleep
and rest.
Jimmy’s vision was sound too.
But when I examined the boy’s
ears, I found an accumulation
of wax which could impair his
hearing and which had to be re
moved. Mrs. Bradley seemed sur
prised at the news and said she
had always been careful to keep
her children’s ears clean. I ex
plained that the wax in the outer
ear is nature’s way of protecting
the delicate hearing apparatus
against injury and infection. But
sometimes too much wax accu
mulates and should be removed by
the doctor to restore a person’s
hearing efficiency.
The accumulated wax in Jim
Atty. Gen. Jas. Anderson
Explains Gambling Order
Physically
Handicapped
To Be Helped
WASHINGTON, D. C. (ANP).
—President Truman last week
opened the 1949 drive for greater
employment opportunities for the
| physically handicapped by signing
the annual proclamation and re
ceiving members of his committee
at the White House.
Speaking to the 225 visitors, in
cluding representatives of the gov
ernors of some 25 states, the
President said he was doing
everything he could “to restore the
physically handicapped to the
point where they can be self-sup
porting and also to prevent phys
ical handicaps from happening.”
The Proclamation called upon
the people and “the Governors of
States, the mayors of cities and
other public officials, as well as
upon leaders of industry and labor,
of civic, veterans’, farm, wom
en’s and fraternal organizations,
and of all other groups represent
ative of our national life, to lend
their full support to the observ
ance of the Week.”
Stressing “equality of opportun
ity” for the handicapped, the
Proclamation said that “contin
ued employment of these workers
will prove beneficial not only to
them but to employers and society
as a whole.”
Mary Bethune Literary
And Art Club Holds
First Fall Meeting
The Mary Bethune Literary and
Art club held its first regular
meeting of the fall season Thurs
day afternoon at the Lincoln Ur
ban League. The fall program
will include a special project
taken under consideration for ap
proval by the club. Extensive
discussion was heard about the
need for an outdoor fountain at
the Urban League. Several
money-raising projects were pro
posed, the first of which will be
a pancake supper to be given at
the Urban League the evening of
October 14. Mrs. Mary Burden
Davis was appointed chairman.
The club went on record, after
much discussion of the ‘no gam
bling order’ as being in full agree
ment.
October 6, will be the next regu
lar meeting to be held at the
home of Mrs. Dorothy Lewis, 1970
T street. Mrs. William B. Davis
is president of the club.
my’s ears was removed. If his
ears had been neglected, his hear
ing would become impaired and
serious ear trouble might have
developed.
Jimmy did get his clean bill of
health to begin his school days.
But there are many children who
are not so fortunate. Because
their regular physical examina
tions are neglected, children all
over the country start school with
poor eyesight, impaired hearing,
undernourished bodies, nervous
disorders or other physical handi
caps. (ANP).
New Hampshire and Indiana
are the only states which no
mottos.
Anti-Gambling Ban Applies To
Every Form of Illegal Gambling;
No More ‘Cease and Desist Order’
Special Days
Quinn Chapel
Women vs. Men
By Dorothy Greene.
Sunday, September 18, marked
the close of the rivalry between
the men and the women of Quinn
Chapel A.M.E. Church. The rivalry
began Sunday, September 11,
when the men had their day and
Sunday the women of the church
observed women’s day.
On the morning program the
speaker was Mrs. Rubie W. Shake
speare. Her topic was “Rediscov
ering Life’s Happiness.” Music
was furnished by a choir of ap
proximately 25 voices and a lovely
solo by Mrs. Izetta Malone, “I
Walked Today Where Jesus
Walked.”
In the afternoon Mrs. Golden
Brooks brought the address en
titled “Portrait of a Woman,”
which was very inspiring. Others
on the program were: Readings
by Mrs. Rachiel Fields and Mrs.
John Favors, Omaha, and Miss
Martha Hammonds, a student in
nurse training at Bryan Memorial
hospital, and the choir which in
cluded the Mt. Zion Baptist
church choir, totaling about 35
I voices. They sang several excellent
spirituals including “The Year of
Jubilee,” and “Search My Heart.”
Others on the program were Mrs.
Margaret McWilliams, Mrs. Frank
Williams, Mrs. Sara Walker, Mrs.
Mary Burden Davis, mistress of
ceremonies, Miss Ada Coffey, Mrs.
J. A. Shelby and Mrs. J. L. Hum
bert and i large number assisted
in various ways.
Mrs. Rubie Shakespeare was the
chairman of the women’s day pro
gram and Mr. Clayton Lewis was
chairman of the men’s day.
The results in every phase of
the program proved the women
could top the men.
Mrs. Hazel Wilson was in charge
of the choirs.
Your Civil Rights
Book Released
CHICAGO. (ANP). Publica
tion of the handbook, “Your Civil
Rights,” by the Chicago Commis
sion on Human Relations was
announced last week in a joint
statement by Augustine J. Bowe,
chairman and Willard S. Town
send, vice chairman, of the com
mission. The handbook, the first
publication of its kind to be is
sued by an American municipal
agency, gives in total all state
statutes and city ordinances cov
ering civil rights for all citizens.
Emphasizing the basic purpose
of the handbook, Bowe and
Townsend stated:
“A democratic nation and a
democratic city must be con
stantly alert to ensure the same
privileges, observe the same laws,
and receive the same services.
The rights of one group of people
cannot be violated without
threatening the freedom and lib
erty and security of alL
Wide-open gambling no longer
exists in Nebraska, and it won’t
come back as long as the state’s
laws and constitutional prohibi
tions against gambling remain
in effect.
Thdse two points highlighted a
statement realesed Saturday night
by Attorney General James H.
Anderson just a week after he
announced a campaign to end
gambling throughout the state.
And the attorney general em
phasized that the crackdown is
aimed at all forms of gambling.
He said there will be no more
“cease and desist” orders, but
that any further appearance of
gambling will be prosecuted and
gambling devices will be confis
cated and destroyed.
The statement by Anderson in
full:
“At the end of the first week
of our anti-gambling drive, this
office finds that its efforts and
those of the other law enforce
ment officials of the state have
hao most encouraging results.
The overwhelming public ap
proval has been extremely grati
fying.
“As the reports from local law
enforcement officials pile up, all
indications are that for all prac
tical purposes wide-spread, wide
open public gambling in Nebraska
is a thing of the past. We know,
of course, that there are doubt
less some infractions of the gam
bling laws still taking place in
scattered areas and as rapidly as
possible, such violations will be
sought out and prosecutions in
stituted. We know our program
will have to be one of constant
watchfulness and strict enforce
ment for the future. You don’t
wipe out a multi-million-dollar
gambling take and not run into
plenty of opposition, and we
know there will be many at
tempts by the groups interested
to nullify our efforts.
“Let me make one thing clear.
The anti-gambling ban applies to
each and every form of illegal
gambling. There are no excep
tions. There have been apparent
attempts to confuse the issue by
claiming that we have banned
only certain types of illegal gam
bling and are, therefore, guilty
of partiality. Such statements are
either the result of ignorance of
the facts or deliberate misrepre
sentation. Even a cursory read
ing of our proclamation discloses
that it is all-embracing and ap
plies to every type of gambling
with the exception of pari mutuel
horse racing, wjiich the people of
this state have exempted by con
stitutional amendment. The lan
guage is clear and unequivocal.
“There is one more matter
about which we especially desire
no misunderstanding. There will
be no more ‘cease and desist or
ders.’ Any further appearance of
gambling will be prosecuted and
any and all gambling devices
confiscated and destroyed. Let
no one be misled into believing
that there is anything temporary
about the anti-gambling ban. As
long as the constitution and
statutes of this state prohibit
gambling, this ban will be and
remain in full force and effect”