The Portland daily press., 1893-08-19
A BLACK ORATOR
Who Is Also An Eloquent Negro Gentle
man and Well Informed Scholar.

Rev John j. Smallwood, president and
general financial agent, for the Temper
ance, Industrial and Collegiate Institute
at Claremont, near Spring Grove, VIZ
ginia, is one of the best informed young
men in America He was born slave at
Rich Square, Northampton, county, N.
c., September 18th, 1868. He is self
made and is acknowledged both in Europe
and in America, as being gentleman OF
rare culture and eloquence Mr.. Small
wood is very dark negro, with full
bright eyes and broad face. He is very
fine looking and very graceful speaker
Rev. John Smallwood came North eight
years ago, and took up his studies under
the Rev. Ira G.. Ross, pastor of the First
Methodist church, South Portland. Mr..
Smallwood is the sole founder of the
Temperance Industrial and Collegiate In
stitute, and deserves great credit for his
efforts at Claremont.
He has called about him some of the
finest young educators of his race in the
country. Miss E. Celestine Brown is a
young woman 20 years of age, very dark
in her complexion. She is one of the
finest mathematicians..in Eastern Vir-
ginia. Miss Harris is also graduate OF
Hartshorn Normal College at Richmond,
Va. Mary E. Cokley, who died few
days ago, was an exceptionally smart
negro woman.
, Mr. Smallwood says: aThe negro must
do something for himself. He must stop
coming North as a mere plantation
singer. He must come North filled with
race pride, and he must in the spirit of
the times speak for the poor race, to
which we belong"
II am not, f." said the earnest black gen
tleman, sin favor of the white man lead
ing all of the time. believe that the
negro should be taught to lead some him
self. Our school is a temperance insti-
tuition, because we have a recitation upon
the subject of temperance every day in
our class rooms. We are an industrial
school, because we really demand of every
boy and girl coming to us to do some
work, to learn some trade We are teach
ing cooking, washing blacksmithing,
house building, surveying, civil engineer
ing, telegraphy, photographing, short
hand and typewriting, bookkeeping and
all the trades that we can with our limit
ed means.
Mr.. Smallwood's institution has just
closed it's first years work with great
success. Hon. John G. Lane, Manchester,
Mt II
of Concord, N. H., Rev.Ira G. Ross,
South Portland, Hon. DR.. Augustus
Strater, Detroit, Michigan, Mr.. and Mrs.
John W. Peterson, Albion, N. Y, Miss
Sarah H. Howell, Emmett Ellis and Mr..
Miles Ellis, all of Virginia, constitute a
part of the trustee board of the institu-
ton, and are friends of Mr.. Smallwood.
Mr.. Smallwoood, will speak upon tenn
perance, Sunday morning, August Goth,
with General Neal Dow at Old Orchard,
at 7.3O in the evening. The "Black
Cicero" will speak at the Camp Ground,
Old Orchard, upon the American
Negro.
ssMr. Smallwood is leading statistician
upon the Race Problem" in America.
He is the only negro in America that is
quoted by members of both braches of
the United States Congress upon both
sides of the House. He is born orator.
Mr.. Smallwood is the guest of the Rev.
Ira G. Ross in South Portland, and he is
to speak in this vicinity the coming
week. His speech last Sunday night in
the Chestnut street Methodist church,
of which Rev. Mr.. Hughes is pastor was
fine effort.