The bee., 1883-03-10
OUR PHILADELPHIA LETTER.
CAMDEN AND THE CoLoRED
SCHooLs-fNTBREsTfNa MATTER, &C.

CAMDEN AND THE CoLoRED
SCHooLs-fNTBREsTfNa MATTER, &C.
PHILADELPHIA, March 6, 1883.
My last letter contained briefly an
account of an institution that was
destined to be great benefit to our
people. l do not know that l could do
better than follow up this matter, SO
shall conline this weeks letter to our
sister city, Camden, across the Della
ware. This is the metropolis of South
Jersey, it has larger colored popula-
tion than any city in the State, there
being in the city proper about 200O of
our people, and in the country about
1000 more. In this congressional dis
trict we have at least 5000 colored
voters Among this number the vari-
GUS mechanical trades are we'll repre-
sented, between fifty and sixty are
skilled masoris, thirty skilled carpen-
ters. twenty-five basket weavers. A
hosiery factory, a basket factory and
broom factory, all owned and con-
trolled by colored men, besides some
one or two engineers. In the educa-
tional line there are two fine schools,
the Ferry Road school, Henry Boyer,
Esq, principal, and the Misses Webb,
assistants, the other the Mount Vernon
school, w. F. Powell, principal, Misses
III. L. Sylvia, Anna L. Jones, c. L. Gra-
ham, E. A. Dodson and Mary E. Miller,
assistants. The first accommodates two
hundred pupils, the last has four hun
dred enrolled. In both school build
ings night schools have been conducted.
In the first there has been forty adults
in attendance, in the other 143 adults,
both schools close this week, the first
being under the Miss Webbs, the latter
under w. F. Powell, ESQ.,, and Miss H.
l.. sylvia. There are also six churches,
five of which belong to the various
branches of the Methodist connection,
of which Elder Yeocum is pastor of
the Macedonia A. NJ. E., and Rev.
Abram Anderson. of the Union Zion
Church, and one Baptist Church, Rev.
Moses Wilcox. So your readers can
see that their religious well being is as
well attended to as in your city. In
the political word they are better
represented than in this city of
BrOtherly Love, they are or have
been represented in the Council
chamber in the persons of the
late James Purnell and J. H. Hall,
members of the Board of Education,
the present representative being Chas
NJ. Rol inson. We are represent d n the
Postoslce here, besides being repre-
sented in the Departments in Wash
ington. Messrs. p. T. Colding in the
Postoffice Department, and j. w.
Mays, one of our leading young poll
ticians in the Pension Office. There
are many that own their own homes.
and few who are worth from $4,000
to $40, 1000, among whom l might name
d. ID. Butler, w. L. Sample and brother,
C. n. Robinson, Mrs. James Purnell, |
F. Gould and A, c. Stevens. There is |
one thing that deserves more than a |
notice in connection with the
residents of this city.
They have formed Building A Sc !
citation, which they are now bringing
to a close, it has been in existence for !
about ten years, during which time |
they have disbursed the sum of $780,
600, at times am informed they had |
over 1000 share holders. This money !
they have invested without the aid of |
white men, they have changed their