The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-02-24

ness; some are self educated young men
who have obtained their places by COM
petitive examination, entirely through
merit. It cannot be denied that until re-
Gently many Of the colored clerks were in
efficient. but these nave been weeded out to
a great extent and the colored clerks in the
departments at the present time are, ger
e-al'y speaking, capable. In the pension
office, where there are quite a number of
them. there are several OF marked ability.
There are also several colored chiefs in the
departments. The surgeon generals office,
in the war department., has more colored
clerks than any other government office,
and they have given satisfaction: indeed,
the finest clerical record in that Office was
made by a coiored clerk.
While they hold department. places, nine
tenths of them study a profession. Some
pursue theological studies, but by far the
larger proportion studies medicine or law.
Once a government clerk alwaysa govern
ment clerk ID a saying which cannot fairly
be applied to the negroes. A fair proper
ton of those who study professions, having
saved up sufficient money to support them
selves for a limited psriod, resign. Those
who have been admitted to the bar do not
find Washington a good field. There are
coiored lawyers around the police court and
there are q number of cOlOred claim agents.
but the former do not enjoy a lucrative
practice and the latter hardly rise to the
dignity of lawyers. The colored lawyer
ind il to his interest to leave Washington,
and it is greatly to be feared that not a few
of them become politicians in the south.
In medicine, on the other hand, they find
a considerable practice among the cOIored
people of the city. Their patients being
for tie most part poor, they do not, as a
general thing. charge the regular fees. but
content themselves with moro moderate
compensation. It would SEEM that in this
field there should he a really good opening,
bat. unfortunately, not all cOlOred people
are willing to employ coiored doctors, n
the r of tho medical profession are
not SO fascinating to the ambitious colored
man as are the honors of the law. As a
consequence more become lawyers than
physicians. Among the highest class of
negroes in Washington there is q growing
disposition to rely upon Themselves, but
among the masses there is a distrust of the
ability of their own race in the professional
walks of life.
Probably the most important and wide
spread interest %pervading the negroes is
their interest in the church. Their religion
enters into their daily life adm ls q genuine
comfort to them. Just as among the whites.
there arc .'swelf' negro churches and select
negro congregations. Perhaps the most
highly cultivated colored men in Washing
ton are the rectors of these parishes. They
number among them several university
graduates. Alexander Crummel. for ex-
ample, rector of the colored Protestant
Episcopal church. is q graduate of Cam
bridge College. England, and his sermons
are logical and scholarly. They would
compare fayorably with the discourses of
any white clergyman in the CITY. The
Christianity that carries into the house Of
worship the class distinctions of the parlor
and drawing room is prevalent among the
negroes. II ls a very common mistake
for white people TO suppose that in social
life all negroeJ rank equally among
themselves. Nothing can be further from
the real state of the case. They have their
swell set, their old Fashioned set, their ex-
elusive set. and the set that Mr.. Ward Nc
Aliister has termed 'smart." They give
parties and balls. not oniy of the plantation
style. with the banjo for the music, but en-
tertalnments very similar to those Of tho
white people. Such leading lights of the
race as b uce. Douglass. P~inchback and
Purvis. give dinner parties. There would
be no valid excuse if the entertainments of
the higher ciass negroes were not Elegant,
fer some OF them are men OF considerable
wealth. =
III" increase ia the value Of the CITY prop
erty III Washington has been the cause Of
the acquisition OF large fortunes by n num-
Der OF persona who had the good sense TO
buy business lots years ago. In this ac-
crssion of wealth the coiored population
has had n full SHARE. Many Of the finest
building lots IN the northwestern section Of
the city are owned by coIored men, and
more were until recently their property.
The Capital City bank. in + street. near
Eighth, In nm institution run exclusively by
coIored men. The president, directors,
cashier, all are coiored, and the clientaRs
of the bank 10 drawn from the eolosed pop