Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-22
THE COLORED ORATOR.
Some of the Particulars Of Clement
MOrgan's Life at Harvard.


Clement Garrett Morgan, the colored stu
dent who is to he class-day orator at Harvard,
Is credit to Harvard in every sense of the
word, says World dispatch from Boston. No
young man at Harvard has manners more pol
ished; none maintains better personal appear
ance; few, if any, use finer English, and when
it comes to intelligence the colored ex-barber,
ex-waiter, son of an emancipated slave, is voted
one Of Harvard's best scholars. That Morgans
name does not appear among the winners of
scholarships is explained by the fact that for q
considerable part of his college course he va
ried his hours Of study with hours of honest
toll to gain money for his support. The campus
Is ringing with praises OF the courageous action
OF the young men OF the senior class, and, save
for narrow-mlnded few the graduates near
Boston applaud the action vigorously.
- Ever since Morgan entered Harvard in the
fall Of 1886 he has lived with colored friends in
Cambridgeport. Latterly he has lived at No.
l39 Columbia street In a neat frame house
occupied by his colored friends, the Banks
family. The house is situated i'll what is called
an unfashionable neighborhood at a distance of
about a mile and a half from Harvard Here is
his study in a comfortable room in the upper
story, with well-flled bookcase in the corner.
The Banks family is one of the best known to
the colored population Of Cambridgeport, and
through them young Morgan made the &C
quaintance of such prominent colored men al
Judge Ruffin, the Balleys and the Baldwins.
AMONG HIS OWN RACE
Morgan has spent most of his leisure time. and
his relations with the students have, except in
rare instances, not been of the intimate char
acter Of student life This is not due to any
hostility among the students toward colored
man, but because he has had little time for
making friendship, so busily engaged has he
been In earning money to carry him through.
One Of the seniors today said that Morgan fire.
quently came to his room and was always well
come there, for he was perfect gentleman,
and always conducted himself with proprlety
The same man ssid that he thought Morgan
held himself aloof from the class because so
Large a percentage OF the members are south
erners, and he preferred not to lay himself or
them or their friends open to embarrassing
complications. Generally speaking while Nor
gan's social status cannot be defined, because
never sought to establish it, he is popular, and
did he SO choose he could make many strong
friendships. He is not member of either OF
the college societies nor did he ever appear
publicly in the class meetings. By disposition
he is retiring.
IN THE BOSTON LATIN SCHOOL,
which he entered in 1884, to prepare himself
for college. Morgan was one of the most popu-
lar men in his class. The Latin school is a
public school and there young Morgan mingled
| among his fellow students far more than at
Harvard The boys all thought he was a good
fellow and elected him adjutant Of the battalion
| in the school regiment, an honor which came
I to the young colored man unsolicited. He made
as fine soldier he did a scholar there, and
in the annual parade Of the regiment through
the city and review on the common before the
mayor and governor, Adjutant Morgan was the
observed OF all observers. He took the regu-
lar course in the Latin school, and was
graduated sixth in the class. His oratorical
| ability won for him the first prize at the
| school graduation exercises. During his connec-
| ton with the Latin school Morgan supported
himself by working after school hours in a bar
| Der shop For three summer seasons he was a
bell boy at the United States hotel, Saratoga.
The first money he made after entering Har-
ward college was earned in barber shop in
East Cambridge. not mile from the seat Of
learning, and near enough to gain the patron
| age of his own classmates. Morgan won the
friendship in Cambridge Of the wealthy Misses
Smith, charitably disposed ladies, who aided
him in finding u congenial place to live and
study, and who, it is said, have aided him in q
financial way. His mode of living has been in
| expensive. He has none Of the vices so COM
| mon with college students.
IN SPITE OF HIS NARROW MEANS
he dresses in good taste. When seen by the
World correspondent he wore q well-fittins
sack suit of mixed gray goods. He is OF
medium height, weighs about l55 pounds, has
! q face smooth, except for luxuriant mustache
and his akin is very black. His face shows
much intelligence, and he talks in . smooth,
fluent, yet forcible style, pronouncing his words
with clear articulation and FRUSTRATING his
sentences with graceful gesture. Standing
erect be makes . striking figure, his
Evolutionary training having taught him
how TO hold himself vhan ON his feet His
oratory ia flushed to q degree seldom found in
one 90 young. As public reader he has made q
great success. The last summer. in company
with classmate, W. Z b Dubois also colored) J,
he made tour of the New England seaside and
mountain resorts, giving readings selected from
the standard workA He carried With him let.
ters Of Introduction from President Eliot end
several OF the Harvard professors. It ID un-