The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-11-20
FUNERAL SOCIETIES.
Queer Clubs Maintained by Our
Colored Sisters.
One of Their objects Is TO Give First
Glass Funeral and n Shiny Cofin-An
interesting Chat with n "Dove
of Protection"


Interesting Chat with "Dove
of Protection"
What the colored woman of Indianap-
olis most desires is membership in a 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 dsleep 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 40 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 fbble, they send
the doctah. Eff we git right down sick
in bald, they send somebody to take
,are of us. Eff we up an die, they gives
us funeral
."What kind of funeral?"
"Wha' kind? A good one, mighty
good funeral. Nice, black, shiny coffin,
sahiages, all the membahs offs the lodge
who can anyhow be thar and sehmun.
Laws, yes, got to have sehmun an o
good funeral. Whaffor you reckon we
gwine pay twenty-five cents week dues
an not have some style when we laid
away?"
eff 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 paymentsp"
'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. l knows a heap o'slazy,
trifin' niggah gals who will wo'k to get
twenty-five cents foh lodge, an then 60
bahfoot an raggid rest O. the week an
mebbe hungry"
"Any men allowed in your lodgesT
'Men9 Go away! Hain't got no use
for men folks in ouah lodges. They
aone stay wha they blong, in their own
Scieties." and the scorn Of the male sex
and its financial aid expressed in the
turn Of the ample matron's lip and the
toss of her head could not have been ex-
seeded by any member Of the Propy-
lnum.
''What are the names Of your lodges?"
'They's pow'ful lot, an I'm mighty
apt TO disrecoollect some, but theys
Stab Temple, Debore (probably
Deborah) Temple, Daughtahs of the
Rising Sun. Sistshs Of st. Mary, Sistahs
Of St Derethe, Sistahs Of Chahity, the
Jubaniles (Juyeniles), Doves O. Protec-
tion-I'm dove, honey-,Household
Ruth, Sistahs OF Samahitans, Nunited
(United) Sistahs, independent Daugh-
tabs Of Honah and Queen Estah's Cou't.
Danghtahs Of Honah are branch of the
Sons Of Honah, and Queen Estah is
branch Of Odd Fellows. Mighty fine
they think theyselves, layin' back in
oahiages at funerals, with puhple rib
bons on they hats an pnhple velvet col
lahs. Mighty fine an biggity. The
Lilies o. the Valley an the Daughtahs
. 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
s the gues' O. frien's an resides in
wha GenI Hahison is, says
hey done got some what we amt got
Young Home Sea'ch Daughtahs O. Love,
Oaughtah's Of the Golden Cha'iot, Low
ng Daughtahs Of Pahadise, and Sistahs
Il the Lo'd's Delight S'ciety Mis- Brown
ole us bout. Ind'nap'lis cullud ladies
lon' cah fob to have no triflin', foolish
lames. Doves is good enough foh u.s."
"What do you do at your lodge meet
ngs, aunty9''
''We-we-look heah, chile, dom yin
ry foh get me tell secrets. Doves o.
Protection is secret s'ciety. Me tell
Vha' we do in lodge! No, no; no, no.
Mustn't ask that. Laws no. An eff !
lon be gwine on with these yer clo'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 her
,wn little home:
Fix yo'se'f as well yo kin,
Pick up vartue, chop down sin,
In the mohnin', in the mohnin'.
hase you'll need it. all yo' got,
Eff yos rich er poor er not,
In the mohnin', in the mohnin'"