The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-09-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.
FROM Owosso Pre- s:


FROM Owosso Pre- s:
Washington begins to lose a little of it's
intense heat, and the nights are quite
, comfortable. The steps in front of the
houses are filed after dark with those who
have been inside during the day. These
dooryard groups are the nocturnal feature
of the city. The whole town is out of
doors after pightfall. Indeed, there is
very little household privacy at any time.
Every family takes "roomers." People
who have no means to rent large dwell
ing do so by subletting apartments and
managing TO get the price out of their
tenants. Rent. is enormous. 1t is said
that one can rent house in the city of
Baltimore-40 miles distant-for enough
less to defray the expense of travelling
the distance daily. 1t is only an hour
from here to that town. After 8 O'clock
There are very few white people on the
1streets, but they swarm with colored peo-
pie. Black, tan, mahogany and white
darkies of all ages, sexes and conditions
come out like night birds. They fill the
seats in the parks, monopolize the street
cars, and stand everywhere with great
frmness, on the civil rights bill. 1t is
mournful that most of the crime is COM
mitted by them, but perhaps little more
could be expected from them from their
Ignorance. They have several churches;
two or three of which are Catholic. Oc-
casionally you will pass one who is whittier
than some of our white women, with
great mournful eyes, which seem to be
filled with grief at the curse that dooms
them to the exclusive society of race so
nearly alien to them that they have not
more than twentieth of its blood in
their veins For her there is no alterna-
tive must accept the negro. Society
has forever walled her out from the eau
casian-from her own flesh and blood
So does bit Of shame, like particle of
indigo in water color all around it. 1t is
the "dirty drop" as the Irish call it.
1t is not so hard, however, on its VIC
Tins as it would be if, for only one day,
they were permitted social equality and
intercourse with the white people. They
are under the ban long before they have
any realizing sense of such matters and
+ become accustomed to their environment
before they have had time to revolt at it..
/ sometimes think that this social con-
domination drives them nearer to the ne
gro people than they otherwise would be.
Their sympathies are enlisted for those "a
fraction of whose blood has cursed them.
They love the subtle cause of their ostra-
y. cism. 1t is not only easy but one must
y make friends of those whom he is COM
PEELED to live with.
On the corner of the patent office block
there daily stands blind negro asking
aims. The other day | saw one of these
qu1tite girls cross the street on purpose to
put piece of money in his hands Tied
to an outcast race she must either love or
hate it, but she cannot hate IL and li0e!
The Coxeyites came and waited and
went. Coxey, as might have been ex-
pected, deserted them. Such specimens
of "reincarnation" are revolving to the last
degree There were some few sensible
men fooled by him, but the bulk of the
aggregation were deadbeats and cranks OF
the worst type. They all had family
resemblance-the mouth was big and the
breath smelled of whiskey! was sitting
on a seat in a park with a gentleman
n from Michigan when / saw creature
coming toward u.s. with an old caved-in
plug hat on, and very little else, and who
bawled out before he reached us, This
government is blotch and blight, and
ought to be segregated to the conclusive
CONSERVATION of hell Two thousand
here already! One hundred thousand be-
fore spring Keep off the grass, hey?
Well make grass of the capitol and tramp
it into the immutable indignation fvast'
ness and obscurity Yes, you may SET
there on that seat and grin, but the hosts
of the commonweal are gathering to the
last contest of the absolute condition OF
creation with the universal tug of desper.
alton! Can you buy anything to drinks
Hurrah for Christ !"
Just then policeman came along with
the laconic explanation, "GetW The he
70 of the commonweal went on immedi.
ately, murmuring something about tyr.
~ amy.
Great preparations are making for the
Pythian meeting and before this reaches
you it will be in full blast.
JEROME w. Turner.
Washington, Aug. 25, 1894.