Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-02-15
Washington's Colored People.
xY.sh SCn, Va, vnrb Sen i.

Wash. Cor. New York Sun. ss.55s
There are 5000 colored people il
Washington. In no city in the United
States, not even in New Orleans, lis there
d larger colored population. Many 8.
them have settled there since the civil
war ended. A better opportunity car
be nowhere found for stud wing the eff
feet of freedom and the legislation sub
sequent to it than there. The colored
people there enjoy all the social and po'
3htical rights that law can give them
without protest and without annoyance
The public conveyances are open to
them, and the theaters, the jurybox,
the spoils of party power, are theirs.
Many of these men are wealthy, ana
the aggre sate wealth of. the colored
property-owne 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. s% ..''-y.-.
I But the color line is rigidly drawn in
what is known as society. Wealth,
learning, official place, give no colored
family the right or privilege of entering
) the best or the commonest white society
on terms of equality or endurance.
In this respect the colored race
lives as separate and as exclusive
a life as in the days Of slavery.
and, as drop Of African blood WAS once
held to make q man a negro, so now it
taints him and makesa an insurmountahle
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 circles, classes
and customs. First Of all we find that
in this large colorad community social
lines are as rigidlv drawn. as they are
between themselves and the white soci-
ETY. Of the West Fad. There. are three
recognized social classes among the col
ored people. Neither acknowledge the
others, and it is the ambition of those in
the lower to be received in the higher
circles, just as among the whittier.
The upper crust, so to speak, consists
of men of wealth, learning and high po-
litical place. These people exchange
calls, with all the ceremony of the
whites, some Of them driving in
their own carriages, leaving cards with
scrupulous attention to etiquette. They
dine with each other, and are waited
upon by colored servants with whom
they will permit no other relations than
those of master and servant. Probably
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 light-colnplexioned, intelli-
gent looking man. He is said to be worth
about a hundred thousand dollars. He
lives in handsome house that he owns
on M 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 a handsome woman, with not a sug-
g.stion Of her race in her face, and whose
manners are regarded as the consum ma
ton of case, g:ace and courtsey. She
dresses as richly and as handsomely as
any woman in the city. In official cir
cles Mr.. Bruce is always received with
courtesy, and as political equal. but
there the line is dra wn. Mr.. Bruce
entertains his friends handsomely, and
his wife pays and receives calls from
those Of her select set with unvarying
regard for prevailing etiquette. Anoth-
er member Of this social circle is John
District He lives in excellent style and
Gregory. professor of Latin at the How
or,3 opI Tob,, NJ orrctnp
the minister to Hayti, With their fami-
lies, are recognized members Of the best
colored society, while DR.. Charles B.
Purvis' society and that OF bis wife are
eagerly sought.
DR.. Purvls is a very busy man, being
the urgeon in charge of the Freedman's
Hospital, and the professor of materia
medica at the hospital school. Near y
all of his scholars are white. Dr.. Angus
to and his wife also are received in the
highest circles 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 Rep
resentatives, entertains a great deal,
and his wife calls in her own carriage.
r. T. Greener, member of the District
bar and graduate Of Howard, and his
wife, who is an accomp lshed musician.
are much in society. The Rev. DR.. Alex
Crummel, rector Of the leading co1ored
church Of the Episcopalian dsnomina-
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 COZ.
ored man of the District, but he goes
hut little into society. & He lives on his
fine estate on the Eastern Branch OF the
Potomoc. Douglass is worth 5000, 900.
While his wealth and a illty 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 be accuses the whites,
namely, refusal to recognize them or
have personal relations with them.
4 Mr.. M. NJ. Holland, who is an officer
in the Postoffce d department.: is said to
be the best classical scholar in the Dis.
trict, and his attachments bring him the
highest social recognition of his people.
Wormley, of Wormley's hotel, is a
leader OF the best set on account OF his
wealth, repused tosbe $l50,0O0, and his
relations with prominent white men.
s NTH Wormley, one of his sons, is q
large owner Of real estate here, and an
other son has an excellent practice as a
physician. - = = + RI RI
Because of their exclusiveness,w wealth,
learning and prominence, this circle is
not looked uoon with any favor BY the
majority Of the colored people here.
The usual remark, which may perhaps
be attributed to envy or disappointed
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. For
tunately, there are enough of them to
make q sufficiently large circle for the
Eocial life they desire ..5:5Sss e.
There is another and much larger