Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-11-21
FUNERAL SOCIETIES.
Queer Clubs Maintained by Our
Colored Sisters.
One of Their Objects Is to Give n First-
Glass Funeral aud n Shiny CONN An
interesting Chat with "DovO
of Protection"

What the colored woman of Indiapap-
oils most desires is membership in q So
ciety that insures care in sickness and
respectable burial when death comes,
says the Indiana State Journal. Her
chief object in life apparently is to have
her mortal remains disposed Of in good
style. The great majority Of negro
women as we'll as men in this city pay
weekly dues into some 'lodge" treas
ury and sleep sweet dreams of peace in
consequence Thrift in its best devel-
opment they may not have, but fail
ing in this direction is not to be held to
their blame, since for so many genera
tions they were not permitted to de-
pend upon themselves nor required to
take thought for the morrow. Though
in many cases their forethought extends
to the limits named and no further, it is
step in the right direction and an
augury of better things in future.
"Just what do the societies do for
you?" was asked of an old "aunty"-one
of those relics so fast passing away of
the time before the war.
''Ef we done get SICK" was the reply,
"a committee comes to look after us.
Eff we is JUS poorly an fibble, they send
the doctah. Eff we git right down sick
in bald, they send somebody to take
care of us. Eff we up an die, they gives
us funeral"
what kind of funeral?"
"Wha' kind? A good one, a mighty
good funeral. Nice, black, shiny coffin,
cahiages, all the membahs of the lodge
who can anyhow be thar and sehmun.
Laws, yes, got to have sehmun an q
good funeral. Whaffor you reckon we
gwine pay twenty cents a week dues
an not have some style when we laid
| away?"
''If your husband or children are able
| to take care of you themselves does the
lodge do any thing?"
"Jes' the same, rich er pore; the lodge
is boun' to pervide for every membah
who keepe her dues paid reglah."
much trouble about payments?"
'Most membahs is mighty reglah.
Dues is only twenty-five cents week,
and anybody kin git that, though women
with big family o chillun finds it right
hard to spar. / knows heap O. lazy,
trifiin' niggah gals who will wo'k to get
twenty-five cents fob lodge, an then go
bahfoot an raggid rest O. the week an
mebbe hungry"
| "Any men allowed in your lodges%'
"Men? Go awayl Hain't got no use
for men folks in ouah lodges They
done stay wha they b'long, in their own
societies." and the scorn of the male sex
and it's financial aid expressed in the
turn of the ample matron's lip and the
| toss of her head could not have been ex-
ceeded by any member of the Propy-
leum.
what are the names of your lodges?"
'"They's pow'ful lot, an Pm mighty
apt to disreccollect some, but they's
| Stab Temple, Debore probably
Deborah) Temple, Daughtahs of the
| Rising Sun. Sistahs of st. Mary, Sistahs
| of st. Derethe, Sistahs of Chahity, the
Jubaniles (Juveniles), Doves o. Protec-
tion-I'm a dove, honey-Household
Ruth, Sistahs of Samahitans, Nunited
(United) Sistahs, Independent Daugh-
tabs of Honah and Queen Estah's Cou't.
Daughtahs of Honah are branch of the
Sons of Honah, and Queen Estah is a
branch of Odd Fellows. Mighty fine
they think theyselves, layin' back in
cahiages at funerals, with puhple rib
bons on they hats an puhple velvet col
lahs. Mighty fine an biggity. The
Lilies O. the Valley an the Daughtahs
O. the Mohning had lodges in Indi'nap-
lis, but dey done got broke up.
Down in Louisville the cullud ladies
have othah lodges, an Mis- Brown, who
is the CUES O. frien's an resides in
Washin't'n, wha Genl Hahison is, says
they done got some what VIC amt got.
Young Home Sea'ch Daughtahs O. Love,
Daughtah's of the Golden Cha'iot, Low
ing Daughtahs of Pahadise, ana Sistahs
of the Lo'd's Delight S'ciety Mis- Brown
tole US bout. Ind'nap'lis cullud ladies
dom cab fob to have no triflin', foolish
names. Doves is good enough fob us. u
"What do you do at your lodge meet.
ings, aunty%
''We-we-look heah, chile, don yin
try fob get me tell secrets. Doves O.
Protection is secret s'ciety. Me tell
wha' we do in lodge No, no; no, no
Mustn't ask that. Laws no. An eff
don be gwine on with these yer olo'es
won't be no washin' done this day
And away she trudged, singing softly In
minor key as she went what would
presently be heard in louder song in hel
own little home:
FIX yosef as we'll yo' kin,
Pick up vartue, chop down sin,
In the mohnin', in the mohnin'.
Kase you'll need 1t, all yo' got,
fFrrid a ah HNaOA