Arkansas weekly mansion., 1883-07-21
THE LOUNliER.

| We cup the IollOwing from the st. Louis
| Post Dispatch of the lIth inst:
| THE LOUNGER.
| saw something yesterday that twenty
| five years ago would have been considered
| AN impossi bility-a dream evolved by the
! widest freak of imag mat on nothing more
| than II convention of coiored journalists.
: Owing to necessary limit itations the leaders
OF the cOlored race have until within n few
years been content to exercise their talents
| in the pulpit, and whenever the mass of the
people thought they needed instruction on
| any public question they always sppeaied
| to the preachers; but with growing num-
| bers, wealth anc Intelligence, other engines
| for moulding the opinions of their fellows
| have been eagerly seized upon and as re-
| suit we have in the city now the represent
| atives of At least one hundred and fifty
newspapers owned and edited by negroes.
| In glancing over the assemblage the num-
| ber OF delegates with large proportion OF
| white blood in their veins WAS n noticeable
| feature. Every shade of color and degree
| Of hi xture were there from the fairest Gre
ole tint with only the faintest African
son OF Ham with the thickest Of lips and
| flsttost of noses. The refutation OF the
| doctrine that it requires a reasonable
amount Of C.ucasisu blood to make n leader
| among the negroes, there was u fair pro-
! portion OF the Latter kind in the meeting.
J OF necessity, most of the delegates were
young men, considerably In front of the
turning point OF life; in fact, the majority
we're very young men, representatives OF
the new generation OF the colored race.
| The general appearance of the eonven-
| ton. in poi at Of dress, would compare very
favorably with a similar convention Of
! white newspaper men; in truth, believe
| from what have seen of press conventions,
| the balance would be on the side Of the
negroe. by a small msjority. 1 took occa-
| sion to mingle with the groups that were
| gathered around the entrance before the
meeting WAS called to order, aud l found,
| in the limited opportunity offered to talk
with the members, that they were far above
the average in intelligence. Most OF them
| talked correctly and talked well, and few
| of them displayed unusual conversational
powers and Il knowledge of political mat
ters especially somewhat remarkable in
1 young men. Politics was the main topic,
| and they seemed to think the chief end and
aim of American citizens was to be on top
= in that field of action.
In attempting to keep pace with the age
the woman question has not been forgotten.
One of the brightest members of the con-
vcntiCn was Miss Sadie q. Patton, editress
of the leading journal OF colored society in
Galveston, Texas, which reioices in the
classic name Of Spectator. Miss Patton is
an intelligent and gOOd-lOOking quadroOn.
Her associates showed their appreciation
| of her presence and cooperation in the
| field of journalism by unanimously electing
her secretary. She WAS gallantly led to
the chair and occupied it with grace and
case.
met james T.. Mahoney of indianapolis,
while in the meeting, cOlOred man of con-
| siderable note among his own people, as u
personal friend of Cnarles Sumner and one
OF the statesman's chief cOunselors in his
plans for the Improvement of the condition
| OF the race. Mahonsy first met Mr.. Summer
| in Washington in 1868. and Sumner never
forgot him, but when opportunity offered,
t.a fIln t.lnn Nnf II
| problem A considerable correspondence
passed between them. and Mahoney still
possesses letters of Sumner on important
subjects. for which. he says, he has often
been offered considerable sums of money.
lie is the author OF n book on Summers
life and his work for the negro race, TO
which was an appendix, written by his
wife, called ''Rambles in EurOpc,' he and
his wife having made a complete tour
through European countries. MahOney
has stock of most interesting reminiscent
ccs of his statesman friend and OF his eXpe-
riences on his travels.
1t seems to be the fashion in New York
and elsewhere to write sketches OF the ne
groes who have managed to get n fair share
Of this worlds goods, but no one has taken
the trouble to investigate this field in st.
Louis. There are several cOlOred men In
the city who may be counted comparatively
wealthy. The man who is rsputed to be
the wealthiest of his race in this city and
state is Charles Tyler, one of the proprie-
enth street. The value of his possessions
is variOusly estimated from $4,000 to
$50 900, the larger part of which is invested
in good real estate. He has collected this
sum by his own unaided efforts and by
close attention to business. He also POS
sesses the rare virtue of never indicating
by word or mouth the value of his posses
siOns.
While am on a dark subject I may as
well state that have noticed that the color
line is rigidly drawn in the street cars. L
was riding out Olive street the other oven
ing iL a well-filled car and in the course of
the trip several male occupants had sur
rendered their seat privileges to ladies
with smiling resignation. Before the car
had preceded many blocks, however,
colsred damsel stepped aboard and sus-
pended herself from . strap. She WAS sur
rounded by seated men and 1 saw not the
slightest movement in her favor, but she
was permitted to hang. This probably
goes to prove that woman Is considered
woman and entitled to her privileges only
under certain conditions. This particular
instance was perhaps excusab1e as the
damsel appeared to be we'll able to take
care OF herself, but saw a thousand times
worse illustration OF the same principle,
when feeble, but poorly clad old woman
was permitted to stand for fifteen long
blocks"