San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-07-06
Volume Xl--Number IA
AUSTIN LETTER.
Rev. Mack Henson Writes About
His Trip Back 10 the
old States.

WV ouSy hOulcs We lOp " WIN DNN> -
what has so recently passed under our OBJ
%servation. Being by virtue of my humble
position in church, a member OF the Pre-
siding Elders Convention which convened
at Chattanooga, Tenn. June 23rd, took ad-
vantage OF the situation, and switched of
at Biz mingham, Alabama, by boarding
the Georgia Central 10 Columbus, Georgia,
157 miles, and the Alabama Central to
Troy, Alabama, s. miles. Here | met
my mother whom | had not seen
| for 3S years, and three brothers whom
/ had never before seen. The meeting
was full of Joy never to be expressed.
Troy has a population OF near 5000, Situa-
ted upon red clayty sand hills, hot almost
to suffocation, the land looks old and
worn. They use thousands of tons Of
guano to fertilize, each year. Where
this is done, the crops look healthy and
abundant. l spent Sabbath, June 2lst,
in Troy, with Sunday schools and
churches. The people are ~law-abiding
and church-going. However, it is clear to
the eye Of an observer that, they who are
remain rich. Wages are very low, with
cut a possibility of any Increase. The
colored people own town lots,
in size from o~ne-fourth to three acres;
in the country some own smal farms.
They raise cotton, corn, potatoes and pea
nuts and all the garden vegetables.
! Apples and peaches attain greater perfec-
tion than in the southwestern portion OF
our state. But we have a decided advan-
| tage in everything which our soil pro-
| duces. The crops, through Louisiana,
Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama and Ten
nessee are very poor compared with Tex
| as crops for the season., the drouth hav-
ing visited these states severely this year.
l was informed by farmers in the La
tourche country in Louisiana, that they
have not had any rain for ninety
one days until recently.
The recent rains are, as a general thing,
local in extent. The 22nd we bid adieu TO
friends and kindred dear. On to Chata-
nooga, via Opelika, Alabama and ATTAIN
Ia, Georgia. Here we have the Clark
University, and the Cannon school of
Theology. This school was founded by
Rev. E. III. Cannon, who recently added
educational work in the south, among
colored people SCOOP They had nearly
1000 students enrolled this year. Ard
from their industrial department they
sold wagons, buggieS, harness, etc, made
by colored boys, TO the amount of $4,000
worth. A graduate from this department
is foreman in one of the largest wagon
making shops in the south.
The convention assembled at 3 a. m.
in the spacious auditorium of Wiley Mem
orial M. Z. church. Delegates were pres
ent from 16 out of II conferences, COM
posed mostly of colored ministers. Tie
temporary officers were made permanent
on organization. Rev. ID. w. Hayes, ID.
D., president; ". H. Logan, OF Nayasota
district, Texas conference, vice. president:
Rev. j. K. Lowry, of South Carolina, was
elected secretary, and Rev. E. w. S. Ham
mond, ID. d., assistant secretary. Bishop
j. w. Joyce, ID. d., l.. l.. D., being pres
ent, was made chairman, eX-Otficio.
His presence and good counsel gave
strength and tom to this the first
convention of the kind ever held in
the South. The objects were mainly to
unity and solidify our rapid growth in the
South; and push forward the educational
work among our people. IL was diScov-
cred that, we have among other things,
nearly or quite as many members in the
southern states as the A. NJ. Z. and
c. M. E., and A. NJ. E. Zion churches
combined, and educational facilities
POSSIBLY have fifty years hence. We edu-
cate ann ually, over 1900 of our peop,e in
the South. Among these are To be found
real ID. DIS, A. MS, NJ. DIS and Phi. DIS.
Away with all the charlatanry along
these lines. The grand old church,
M. E., IS giving TO the country true
and competent men. She has the
DlSR6SU ItCOIu Ill Wis particular ulItCJlOu
OF any Other colored outsiders, haS made,
and choose 10 continue to make a great
deal of noise about a cOlOred bishop in the
NJ. E. church. But the church, under a
benign providence, will act at the right
ime. She has over $50 schools of high
earning in America; every one of which
her vast youth can enter without diStinc-
ton on account of race, color of eyes, or
texture of hair, with a chance of qualify
ing for distinguished positions, there could
be no necessity for premature eXaltatiOn.
colleges are being notably
supplied with competent prOfeS.
SOrs in every branch of learning
by ebony-hued men and women. Mem
Orable among the gratifying features of
the convention were the ~whole-SOuled
welcome address by the honorable mayor
of Chattanooga, and a very fine address
by the president of the chamber of com
merce, and lastly, but not least, able ad-
dresses by the president and cashier OF
the Penny Savings bank, operated en-
tirely by cOlored men. These enterpris-
ing gentlemen chartered the train and
took the convention in a solid body to the
summit of Lookout Mountain, where a
feast was spread with viandS TO satisfy
the palates of all present, June 25thl.
We returned to the city at 5 p. M, and
went in a solid body TO the Penny Saw
ingS bank, where their books were thrown
open 10 the inspection of our body COM
posed Of gentlemen OF no mean ability.
StenographerS, able professors and sci
entists, after passing upon their business
methods, render a satisfactory verdict
They also rendered a free visit to the
psychlorama OF the battle of Chattanooga
at night. But we could not participate in |
this grand ovation of exquisite delights,
as we had to bush away to the southwest
10 enter upon work where faith must con-
tinue to triumph over all fears.
After we crossed the line which divides
Texas and Louisiana, the curtains fell
which separates colered passengers from
white passengers. The coaches cut into
cell-like apartments render them
uncomfortable alike for the parties
intended. We have always thought