Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-02-26
PLAIN TALK,
By a colored Man to White
Republicans.

EDlToR:-
From December the 18th, 1865, to
December the 25th, 1885, that being
the day and year they were set free
to 20 into the vineyard and bat
tie for sweet life with no experience
as how to make contracts, no capital,
no land, and no education, there
was not one colored man in the coun-
ty that owned one quarter of an acre
of land, they too, were almost friend
less; but who has he lived with, and
what has he done in these twenty
years? The writer will try to show
you in this brief sketch his progress
financially, religiously, educalionally
and politically in the past twenty
years.
The first day school was opened in
February 1866 in the Virginia Street
Colored Baptist church, in Hopkins
vile by Kit Malone, Steward Nelson
and Mary Moore. These three being
the only colored persons known of in
the county that could read aud write,
they had no knowledge of grammar
and arithmetic, and the different
sciences that it would take to COM
plete an English education. The
text books for the whole school were
the blue back spelling book and Nc
Guffey's first and second readers.
The following year similar schools
were opened in different parts of the
county. The colored people bought
lot east of the fair grounds and the
Government erected a school house
for them on it in 1875, the State Leg
islature passed an act known as the
colored school law, this gave the col.
ored children from 6 to l6 right tC
enter school free of charge. In that
year there were only five districts
formed, five schools taught and only
500 children in the assessors report
of 1875. Judge GA. Champlin, thu
County Commissioner, deserves grea
credit in the manner in which he ha
worked up the colored common
schools from five districts to 45, from
five schools to 40, from 500 pupils Il
5,95S, an increase of 40 districts to Al
schools, an increase of 5,45S pupil
down to 1885. Number of children
by the assessors report 5,95S; mum
Der of teachers employed Sc; amour
of money raised for the aid of com
mon schools $S4, 1877; value of schoo
house property $5,l5S; value of fur
niture in school houses $768; tota
value of school houses and churche
used for school houses $9,740; nun
Der of children actually ATTENDING
school 1858. The attendance is YER
near equal to the whites. Most G
the teachers now employed were Dor
and raised in this county, and mos
of them are holding frst-class certiG
Gates. The writer has been teachin
school for four or five years, mostl
in the southern part of the count
and has met with great encourage
ment from the white citizens
everything that would be for the W
building OF the colored people. The
have donated literally for the built
ing of school houses and in many il
stances gave the ground for Il
erection of school houses al
churches.
The writer prays the blessing
heaven upon our white citizens fl
the many kind deeds they have dol
for us in the past twenty years.
SOCIETIES.
The Union Benevolent Society, Q
ganized in 1868. Henry Simn
President, Secretaries, Alex Thorn
son and j. r. Hawkins; this socie
has accomplished great good in Il
way of taking care of the sick al
burying the dead. 1t has bought al
paid for cemetery, and is now
flourishing order with money in t
bank. The Grand United Order
Odd Fellows was organized in lS7
by Rev. A. Allensworth, of Bowlil
Green Lodge, with James Allen
worth, N. g., and e. w. Glass, G.
This society is charitable society,
takes care of the widows and orpha
of its members, sees after the 81
and buries the dead and has sig
and passwords so that the membe
can recognize each other upon al
continent. The knights of the Wi
Men was organized in 1880, wi
James Allensworth, E. A, and
M. Coleman, G. S. This society ca
ries policy of $1,000 upon the dea
of every third degree member al
pays to the widows and orphans $.
900, and has paid $4,000 in this cou
ty to two widows and orphans. v
have also the Good Samaritans al
many other good societies whiC
would be too tedious to mention.
MECHANICS.
We have colored men representC
in every trade from the boot-back
the fine master workmen, who we
fully represented in the constructic
of the fine business houses on Ma
street and DIR. Rodman's fine pala,
on South Main and many other fiji
buildings in the city. Also busine
men. we have business from Il
small tents on the corners to the ST.
QUO building built in the latest mo-
ern style. Billy Glass runs barb
shop for the patronage of his color
friends, and Jim Henry Quarlt
Lewis Gladdish also, and W. '
Gray & M. l.. Young run first-cla
barber shops for the patronage
their white friends. James liza
greaves and Nelson Cross, also San
Hawkins, who has just received thr
fine BARRIERS chairs of the latest mo
ern style, at the cost of fifty-fve dc
lars each, presented to him by N
John G. Latham, of New York, al
also a set of fine chandeliers presen
ed TO him by his white friends.
GRoCERYMEN.
Mr.. j. r. Hawkins carries a stot
of flrst-class groceries and shares u