The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-06-09
From the y. Y. Democrat.
REVEI.S- SISTER ELIZA.

The Brother IA the Senate. and the Sister III
The Pdor-hOuse-Hc Is being Lioai-cd
about the Country, While she IL Dtfnq
IN u Pauper HospitaI-Assistanc Need.
ed.
We have previously, I'm showing up the
character OF the negro Senator Reyels, who
is travelling about the country delivering
lectures and receiving the homage of the
Radical party, demonstrated and proven
that the honorable gentlemen l. "A theft
We also posted him a. deficient in the COM
monest attributes OF humanity, by announc-
ing that he leaves his sister, the neglected
inmate of a poor-house, while he travels
about the country farng sumptuously every
day. Many took occasion to doubt the ac-
curacy OF this statement and 10 satisfy them,
Democratic reporter yesterday paid
VISIT TO THE SISTER
in question. An hours ride from the Dem
ocrat Office took Us to Third Avenue and
SiXty-fifth street, from which point short
walk brought us TO the Colored Home This
institution was founded for the benefit Of
INDECENT negroes. and Is mainly supported
by State appropriations. It Is very pleas
antly and BEAUTIFULLY located on the East
river. and has rs much of an air OF comfort
about il, as can be given to a poor-housc-
The buildings are brick, surrounded with
pleasant grounds, and everything about the
place is kept scrupulonsly clean. The floors
of the various wards ar secured down so in
dustriously that one almost imagines them
dangerously thin rs he walks over them.
while bit of dirt would be welcomed as an
oasis IN the desert of dreaTy neatness over
the whole apparently well-kept place there
is a dreary quietness and air OfdcsOlation so
peculiar to charitable institutions.
We presented ourselves at the gate Of the
CoLoRED HOME,
and there encountered a sable sentinel OF
uncertain age, but certain color. We held
parley with this picket, secured admit
lance, stated the object Of our visit TO the
matron OF the Home, a tall. spare white wo-
man, of about fifty years Of age. She readi-
ly acceded TO our wishes, and detailed a ne
gro woman To pilot us TO the presence Of
"Aunty Revels," as she is called by her paup-
er companions.
A snrmounting Of three pairs of stairs
brought Us to the sick ward, where. lying
on her cot. sick and old, surrounded by
paupers as sick and miserable as herself,
lay
ELIZA REvELs, THE SISTER OF HIRAM Il. REV.
ELS.
United States Senator from Mississippi
In response TO our slow do you do aunty -
she said, Not very well. thank We. / don't
'spect / shall live much longer, anyway.
can't even turn over in bed, aud Amt Of no
use to myself at all"
We told her that we come to have little
talk with her. aud she said she "was 80
glad" cause she got so lonesome with no.
body coming to see her, or talk to her. Dur
ing our stay Of nearly an hour she talked al
most incessently, although evidently suffer-
ing bodily pain, and seemed reluctant TO
have us go.
She says she will be sixty-three years old
in July, but her infirmties give her the
appearance of greater age. Her hair j.
white as snow, and she has the appearance
of the matronly negro woman to be met
with on Southern plantations, She occupies
a haftafnud 81 "a. u
ly used in hospitals, one OF the many that
occupy the long sick ward Of the Home
During the interview she gave us the fol-
lowing facts about
THE REvELs FAMILY,
and we state nothing that we did not get
from her own lips. Especially shall we be
particular not TO eXaggerate the neglect on
the part of her relatives, the truth being
sufficiently strong. Her parents, Elijah and
Phoebe Revels. were born ia Georgia. aud
were free at the time Of their marriage
Consequently none OF their children have
ever been slaves. She L. the oldest OF the
children. and has four brothers--Hiram, Eli
jah. Willis, and Absalom.
The male representatives of the Revels
family seem TO have taken naturally 70 the
ministry. the father having been a Metho-
dist minister, and three sons have followed
in the parental footprints. Elijah Reyels,
Jr- Is the pastor OF Baptist church in
NORTH Carolina; AbsalOm shouts glad hal
lelujahs in a Methodist church in Indiana,
while Hiram gave up preaching and steal
ing TO go into the Senate. ION second
thought, we decline TO take the responsible
ty of stating that he has given up stealing)
Willis alone did not 90 into clerical train
Ing, but set up rs a doctor Ia North Carolina.
Hiram is the youngest ofthe children, being
about twenty-five years the junior Of Eliza
He was brought up mainly by MS elder
| brothers, who sent him 10 school.
Eliza Reyels came North a good many
wears ago-she thinks in 1910, or there
| abouts She lived In various places, but
mostly i'm New York city, gaining liveli-
hood as cook in private families. She has
never been married. About five years ago
she became, by reason Of age and infirmity,
unable to work.
HER BRorHREs REFUSED ASSISTANCE,
although she says that Hiram, especially,
was In condition TO do so, as be was az that
time preaching In Baltimore for a good sal
airy. She was, therefore, compelled 20 go
inmate OF the Colored Home. When she
heard that Hiram was q Senator, she sent a
plea 70 him for a little money, but be did
not design any sort OF reply. just abon
that time the honorable gentleman was 80
busy receiying the congratulations OF tns
other honorable gentlemen, that ne could
/ find mo time TO be humna. nc was NOT 70
be expected that when he had refused 10 see
\ hundreds who had sent In their cards 20
him in the Senate, he could brother with his
poor, sick sister, dyingin Poor-house hos
pital. But the
SENATOR BRoTHER AND PAUPER SISTER
IdId eventually meet, and this was the way