Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-12-19
wAsHINGToN's COLoRED PEOPLE.
Select Social Circles Separate from the
White Society Of the Capital.
Wash. Cor. New York Sun.

tou III HO CITY In the Y nlted states not even
New Orleans Is there larger colored popula.
ton. Many Of them have settled here since the
civil war ended "a better opportunity can be
nowhere found fot studying the effect Of free
dom and the legislation subsequent to it than
here. The Scolored people here enjoy all the
social and political rights that law can give
| them, without protest and without annoyance.
The public conveyances are open to them and
the theatefs, the'jury box, the spells of party
power, are theirs. Many of these men are
wealthy. and the aggregate wealth of the col
ored property-owners in the District amounts to
millions OF dollars. Hundreds own comfortable
homes, and some handsome residences: their
churches are many. including three or four
buildings that are ornaments to the city. AS a
class they are industrious, find plenty to do, and
are beginning to show capacity for thrift and
saving.
But the color line is rigidly drawn in what is
known as society. Wealth. learning. official
place. give no colored family the right Or prv-
! ege OF entering the best orthe commonest white
society on terms of equality Or endurance. In
| this respect the colored race lives as separate
and as exclusive life as in the days Of slavery.
and. as drop of African blood was once held to
make man negro, now it tantS him and
makes an insurmountable barrier against social
| recognition. The most striking illustration of
the tendency of the race to initiate the white
| people Is seen in their own social rules classes
! large coloreu community social lines are as rig
| idly drawn as they are between themselves and
! the white society of the West End. There are
three recognized social classes among the col
| ored people. Neither acknowledges the others,
ana it is the ambition of those in the lower to be
received In the higher circles, just as among the
| whites.
The upper crust. so to speak, consists Of men
of wealth, learning, and high political place
These people exchange calls with all the cere-
mony of the whites, some Of them driving in
their own carriages, leaving cards with sCrupu-
lous attention to etiquette. They dine with
each other, and are waited upon by colored ser
wants with whom they will permit no other rea-
| lions than those of master and servant Prob
| ably the leading family in the highest colored
| society here is that of ex-senator Bruce who is
now the register of the Treasury Bruce is a
| llght-complexioned, intelligent looking man.
| He Is said to be worth about hundred thousand
dollars He lives in handsome house that he
| owns on street. 1t is richly furnished. A
superb piano stands in the reception-room and
choice collection Of books lines the wall OF the
| library. Mrs Bruce is handsome woman,
| with not suggestion of her race In her face
and whose manners are regarded as the con-
| summation Of ease grace and courtesy She
dresses as richly and handsomely as any woman
in the city. In official circles Mr.. Bruce is al
| ways received with courtesy, and as political
| equal, but there the line is drawn. Mr.
| Bruce entertains his friends handsomely. and
! HiS WIG pays anu receives calls from thOSS oil
her select set with unvarying regard for pre-
Valllng etiquette. Another member of this
| social circle is John f. Cook. the collector of
taxes for the District He lives in excellent
style and entertains handsomely. Prof. J. NJ.
| Gregory, professor of Latin at the Howard Uni
versity, and John NJ. Langston, the minister to
| Hayt with their families are recognized men,
bers of the best colored society, while Dr..
| Charles B. Purvis' society and that of his wife
are eagerly sought.
| Dr ico b,1c h,ip In
geon In charge of the Freedman s Hospital. and
the professor of materia medica at the hospital
! school, Nearly all Of his scholars are white
Dr.. II. L. Augusta and his wife also are received
In the highest circle of cOlored society. while DR..
| Augusta, as PHYSICIAN commands the respect
of his white brethren in the profession. Mr.
| Henry Smith, for many years the librarian of
| the House Of Representatives entertains great
deal. and his wife calls in her own carriage. X.
| L. Greener, member Of the District bar and a
graduate of Howard, and his wife, who is an ac-
| compIished musician, are much in society. The
| Rev. DR.. Alex. Crummel. rector of the leading
colored church of the Episcopalian denomina-
| ton, is always welcomed. He is regarded as
| the most learned COlOred man in the District
and is highly respected by the white clergy OF
| his denomination. OF course Fred Douglass
| ranks as the leading colored man OF the Dis
! trict. but he goes but little into society. He
| lives on his fine estate on the Eastern Branch of
| the Potomac. Douglassis worth about $500 900.
| While his wealth and ability make him easily the
| foremost man of his race, he is not popular He
is regarded as guilty of the same sins toward the
colored men of which he accuses the whites,
namely, refusal to recognize them or have per-
| sOnal relations with them.
Mr.. NJ. NJ. Holland, who Is an officer in the
| Post Office department, is said to be the best
classical scholar in the District, and his attain
ments bring him the highest social recognition
Of his people.
Wormley, Of Wormley's hotel, is leader of
the best set on account Of his wealth, reputed
to be $3.50, 600, and his relations with prominent
white men. Smith Wormley, one OF his sons.
is large owner OF real estate here and another
| son has an excellent practice as physician.
Because OF their eXcusiveness, wealth, learn
ing and prominence, this circle is not looked
| upon with any favor by the majority Of the col
ored people here. The usual remark, which
may perhaps be attributed to envy or to disap-
! pointed ambition, that one hears among colOred
people. is that this exclusive set is not good
enough for white society," and too good for that
| OF their own race. Fortunately. there are
enough of them to make sufficiently large cir
Gle for the social life they desire
There Is another and much larger society
| mere that may be designated as OF the second
| rank. While holding no social relations with
| the set Just mentioned, they are equally ex
elusive as regards those whom they hold
| beneath them in the social scale This class
Is composed OF government clerks and OF
people in comfortable circumstances There
are good many colored men in government
employ as clerks. These form the basis of
| the society of the second rank Many of
them own comfortable little homes, and one
or the finest streets in the city is occupied by
them. This is 10th street, between the Scott
statue and the White House. 1t is a splendid
avenue, broad. well paved, and in the heart of
the most fashionable part of the city. Nearly
all OF these colored residents own their houses,
and refuse to sell. The property is very valua-
bic, and must ultimately pass out of their pos
session. These people are very fond of social
life, but they do not find it in entertaining but
rather in sociables, balls picnics and especially
In their churches. They are well dressed, seem
| to prosper. and nre happy. For the great bulk
OF the cOlOred pOpulatiOn-the servants, labor
ers, and the poOr-they have sympathy, but no
more have social relations with them than a
white family would. These latter in the main
are thriftless, living from hand to mouth; happy
if they do nothing, happy if they get Job Their
social instincts are gratfed by the organization
and maintenance of societies Of all sorts, bene-
VIOLENT, patriotic, social and economic. There
| are nearly one hundred of these organizations,
supported almost entirely by the laboring col
! Ored people.
Destruction of Forests in Russia.
From the Pail Mail Gazette. Nov. %.
The constantly increasing destruction of Rus
sian forests is naturally discussed with much in
| terest by Russian papers. In the last hundred
| years the forest area Of Russia has diminished
L