The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1890-12-27
+: JESSE c.. DUKE.
Editor Of the Weekly Echo iof Pine
Bluff, Ark. 8 a
Interesting Sketch Of jesse Chisholm
Duke and the Part He has Taken In
Political, Journalistic, Education
al and Religious Affairs.

Duke and the Part He has Taken In
Political, Journalistic, Education-
al and Religious Affairs.
:" '@ih> Il : - 80 t IS
Jesse Chisholm Duke, was born the
slave of Sol Davis. on the first Monday
of march, 1853, six miles below .Cababa,
Dallas county Ala. His father, named
Abner is a full blooded Negro and lives
within five miles from the place of his
birth. His mother was q mulatto of
Irish extraction, striking in. appearance,,
of remarkable intelligence, high temper
ed and fearless, She was born in Snow
Hill, Maryland, and died in August
1859. At the death of Sol. Davis Jesse
became the slave of Archie Davis. On
his death tho estate was divided, and
Jesse became the slave Of Mrs. J. B.
Duke, sister of Archie Davis, from which
family he received his name. If.
In 1865 he was sent to Cahaba and
hired as servant to family of French
refugees. The eldest daughter taught
school and he received his first lessons
by hearing end watching the children
recite. In 1866 he found home with
DR.. E. A. Smith in Cahaba and attend
ed night school. A crowd ofroughs, led
on by Dunbar Allen, fred into the
church determined to break up the
school. The volley came in at the win
dow at which Duke was seated. He
having grown weary, had fallen asleep
and sunk forward. Had he been sitting
upright this sketch had never been
written. In the family of DR.. Smith
whose daughter was teacher, he re-
ceived Il fair knowledge of the English
language, together with a good moral
and intellectual training. From 1868 to
1873 his career was checkered. Then
he gave up lucrative position to enter
the political arena, and was ever fortu-
nate--on the winning side even when
counted out. He was mailing clerk in
the Selma postofice until 1875, when on
account of poor health he resigned.
For two years after he taught school
and kept store at Winters Station, Ala.
One day he noticed crowd opposite bis
store-something unusual. He grew
anxious when he saw all were white and
that they were heading for his store.
They entered and informed him that it
was their desire that he should close out
his business and leave thatsplaee with
out further orders. Mr.. Dukes clerk
passing bebing him slipped him his re-
volver, which he presented to the lead
or, one Burton, and told him to leave
with al his company, which they did.
In November 1877 Mr.. Duke made a
profession of faith and joined the St.
Phillip Street Baptist Church. January
10, 1878, he married Miss Willie E. Black
of Selma, and five lovely boys bless their
union. In 1879 he left the postofice and
went into the grocery business in Selma.
Mr.. Duke was a clerk in the railway
postal service until April %, 1856, when
he was rem owed as an offensive partisan
to make room for white Democrat.
In less than thirty days after his re-
moval he commenced the publication of
the Herald, the work and reputation of
which need not be discussed here. Suf.
fee it to say. that it took front rank at
tho start as the ablest exponent of the
rights and interests of the Republican
party and the Colored people of Ala
bama. While publishing the Herald,
Mr.. Duke printed an editorial criicising
the whites for their treatment of the
Aln1nrod ooN~10 o~1 %lso h.
forced to leave the state to prevent sum-
mary vengeance at the hands of mob
of Southern hell hounds. He went to
Arkansas where he purchased q fine
farm two and one-half miles from Pine
Bluff, paying $1,000 therefor. It could
not be purchased for three times that
amount now. 1t is we'll stocked and he
raises truck besides large amount of
cotton. 49,. 80 4
Mr.. Duke purchased the Pine Bluff
Weekly Hornet in March 1889 and has
since bought new presses and several
hundred pounds of type. The Weekly
Echo, successor to the Hornet is no
longer a journalistic venture but an es-
tablished, and paying newspaper enter
prise with a circulation of over thirteen
hundred. Mr.. Duke has been recog-
nized by all as worthy leader and en-.
joys the confidence aud respect his fell
low citizens. He was one of three COL
ored men selected by the Republican
State Central Committee to stump the
State. in the late canvass and he is re-
garded as the best Afro-American orator
in Arkansas. -' s-.s5' III
Cape Girardeau, Mo- -s a,.s5
Mr. Allan Eoolos II