Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-10
BISHOP TURNER.
He Has Very Little Trouble in Travel
ing on Account Of His Color.

From the Atlanta Journal.
Bishop Turner, of the African Methodist
church, said yesterday:
Il travel a great deal, and have very little
trouble on account of being colored man. /
suppose the great reason is that never push
myself into places where am not wanted.
During the past fifteen years 1 have visited
New York city repeatedly, and when there
always stop at the United States hotel, near
Fulton market. This hotel is conducted on the
European plan. No objection has ever been
made by anybody to my eating and sleeping
there
Last summer during the presidential cam
paign went to Providence. II. l., on business
connected with my church. Mr.. Fisk, the pro-
hibition candidate for the presidency, was adj
vertlsed to speak in a mammoth hall, which
had been fitted up for a grand prohibition
rally. was very anxious to see and hear Fisk,
and went to the meeting. The hall was packed
On entering the hall was recognized and in
vited to take seat upon the platform with
Messrs. Fisk, Dickey. Bascom and other lead
ers Of the prohibition party. Fisk spoke first
and when he concluded there were loud calls
for Turner. made a brief speech which was
well received. After the meeting was invited
to magnificent dinner laid at the most fash
ionable hotel in the place, Two white gentle
men called for me in carriage. The table
was a very long one and the head Of it was in
the former of letter T.. Mr.. Fisk and his wife
sat at the head of the table, and was assigned
to a seat between two elegant ladies on their
left. was made to feel perfectly at home,
and never in my life was better treated or
more royalty entertained.
Not long ago l went into the eating -house
at Danvile, Va. and was shown to seat at a
table. After while several white gentlemen
took seats at the table. The proprietor came
over and requested me in polite manner to
move my seat to another table. did SO with
out the slightest objection and finished my
dinner. On my return trip went to the same
place to get a meal and was told that could
not be accommodated. l said to the proprietor,
"How is this? have been here often and this
| is the first refusal. had begun to think that
you kept perfectly fair place." He was sorry
he said that he could not allow me to eat in his
| house, but would send meal to the car if
desired it. Under the circumstances declined
| the offer and left the place. There was no bad
| feeling though. Everything was pleasantly
| done.
| II usually ride in the smoking car in the
| south and seldom have any trouble. Some
| times when the train gets behind and they are
| the sleeper, paying for the privilege. It is
| less dangerous you know to ride in the sleeper
at such times, in case of accident. 1t is a rare
thing that am requested to move. On one
occasion a brakeman came into the sleeper
| where l was sitting and said: This is not your
| 1ouI Cdi ID wen, edlu III
you want me to move forward you must tell the
| conductor to slacken the speed at which this
| train is running 1t is safer here than in the
| smoking car, and don't care to run the risk
of an accident while riding 80 near to the en-
! gine.'
mo, don't find much trouble in travelling
at the south on account of my color, for the
simple reason that 1 am not in the habit OF
/ pushing myself where am not wanted, and IL
is not hard, you know, for q man of discretion
to avoid places where his presence is not de-
| sired"