Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-03

men TO represent the United States in Bo-
Nvfa and at Calais. France. and it was the
Senate that turned them down. Blk. Bruce,
though republican, is still recorder of the
District. an important and lucrative post,
which has been held by negroes ever since
douglass OF the 1900 government en-
ployes in Washington nearly 1900 are col
ored. For example. a recent count showed
that there were Of that race in the Interior
Department "a clerks, 80 coryists. type
writer, 2 transcribers. IL computers. 1 as
sastant examiner. 50 messengers and l5l la
borers.
No other field offers such good opportuni-
lies for the study of the negro problem
which has been exciting SO much interest
lately, as are found in the District of Co.
lunbia- Here. says Senator Morgan. exists
me Most enlightened African population in
the world" The colored people of Washing
ton have had an opportunity to vindicate
their capacity for civilization such as has
never been afforded to their race anywhere
else in the world. They own in this city
over sS.OOo.000 worth Of real estate. There
Il no important respect in which they are
not on equal terms with the whites. They
have their society, fashionable and exclu-
sive. and their clubs.
Colored men have not succeeded as yet
eisty OF the District. Though there are
able practitioners among them, the conserv-
eusm OF the profession has been too strong
IL Is noticeable that the negroes here have
not gone into shopkeeping to any extent
one reason alleged being that they lack the
hearty cooperation of their own people,
VINO prefer to patronize the stores of the
whites An exceptionally enterprising per-
son or African descent has recently started
IN this city a ''house-cleaning bureau" His
prospectus states that he has selected With
great care and pains an efficient corps OF
aole-bodied workmen. and is prepared to
make monthly or yearly contracts TO clean
Old and new houses, wash windows. take
up and put down carpets. scrub floors, or
90 any other work required about a house"
IL IS interesting to observe that in one
Roman Catholic church here whites and ne
kroes worship together. White priests Off
eiate. attended by colored boys as acolytes.
ahe Few coiored people who attend the dis
nnctiVeiy white churches are not approved
Oh oy others of their race. A negro who
marries white woman brings odium on
himself thereby. These points GO TO show
that the colored people generally do not de-
sure to mix with the whites They want
me same rights. but are disposed 10 keen
10 themselves.
superstttions That Prevail.
among negroes Of the lower and un-
tutoreo class in Washington as elsewhere
numerous curious superstitions are cur
feht-some or them doubtless suryiyaIs of
oeHeIs brought over from Africa by their
ancestors For example, there is a market
IN the drug shops here for the fore feet
or moles- These are supposed to assist
teethins and for that purpose are hung as
amulets about the necks of colored chill
dren- A story is current in negro folk lore
tnat the mole was once a young lady. very
vain and idle. She made acquaintance
with witch. who offered to furnish her
WIN the most beautiful and most silky
dress In the world ON condition that she
would consent to the exaction of a price
tnat was to be left to the sorceress to de-
termine; This being agreed to the witch
deprived her Of her eyesight and con-
oemned her to live underground where
admired.
There are several species of lizards in
tnls vicinity which are supposed to possess
supernatural attributes. One of them
known TO negroes as the SCORPION" is
orten seen running along fences. 1t is
pretty 10 look at, but its bite is death
Another lizard is known as the wood
witch. 1t lives in trees and jumps upon
way tarers, killing them with it's bite. Owls
are birds to be dreaded particularly at
night In the woods, when they cali after
people In some moist places grows a
plant with root that looks like a man
and woman. This root is utilized for love
charms and is sold in the markets here for
that purpose. There are a good many
reputed witches in the District who know
now TO lay spells" One way to do this
Is 70 bake an image of dough representing
person and stick pins in 1t, thus causing
the victim to suffer pain.
witch who practices this kind OF black
magic may be disarmed by making her
o. IN III N~-fr
its neck and leaving it to rise When it
Is baked she is strangled so that she can
do no more mischief for a year. at the
end Of which time another bread doll may
pc prepared to continue the influence. On
dark nights IL Is dangerous to walk alone
on the streets, because the night doctor is
abroad He does not hesitate TO choke
colored people to death in order to obtain
their bodies for dissection. The genesis of
this belief from the well-known practice
or grave robbing for medical colleges sew
eral of which are located here. is sufficient
" evident The ambition Of negroes to
initiate white folks is taken advantage of
by INSCRIPTIONS fakirs, who sell to them
at extortionate prices preparations which
arc guaranteed to turn their compilations
white or to make their hair straight The
stun sold for the latter purpose seems
usually to accomplish the result for a
while, as advertised, but after a short
time the hair all falls out and the new
crop comes in as kinky as ever.
The Liberian Colonization Society, the
headquarters or which are in Washing
ton. has recently adopted a new policy
II no longer aids INDECENT negroes to emil
crate to Africa The Liberian government
has protested against having such people
sent out. 1t wants only able-bodied, hardy
Intelligent men. with money enough to clear
land, build a cabin, plant vegetables and
coffee trees and provide fowls and do
nestle animals for themselves. The BUSH
ness Of unloading colored paupers upon the
shores OF Liberia has been carried far
enough In that country there are thou
sands Of natives and others to perform
unskilled labor for a few cents a day
At the office of the society here 1OOO 900 APP
piications for transportation to this sup
POSED promised land are now on file. Near
ly all of them are made by penniless and
nliterate colored people who have proved
themselves failures in the United States
For some years past the society has been
sending out from 100 to 200 negroes annually
Last year IL furnished transportation to
only five. About fifty more went on their
own hook. To each head of a family who
goes out the Liberian government will give
twenty five acres Of wild land, IL the col
onist comes under the auspices of the So
ciety. There is not much to do there except
farm A man can find almost enough food
growing wild to live on. which is an in
ducement TO laZiness. Rubber. cotton and
sugar are grown with success. Coffee is
the mcst profitable crop. however II re-
quires very little capital and no machinery
and the planter can always get a good
price for the product in gold A plantation