The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-19
CHANGING HIS COLOR.
4 NEGRO CLERGYMAN WHOSE SKIN
Is SLOWLY TURNING WHITE.
IL Puzzles the Physicians-UnnbIe 20
Furnish n Scientific Explanation
in the Case-Simfiar Instances Are
on nccord.

ON hecord.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
Among the members OF the Washing
ton conference OF the cOlored Methodist
church. venerable clergyman has Of late
attracted attention by the Wilderness OF
his skin. He is a fun blooded Afro-Amer-
lean. and proud Of the fact: yet the SUI
perficial observer win be inclined to re-
gard him a Caucasian. the more so as
his physiOgomy does not recall the dis
tinctive peculiarities OF the negro race
TO any noticeable degree. He has a pale,
intellectual face, exhibiting a few black
spots, which are generally accounted for
as remnants OF the carbonic matter that
originally lay between his true skin and
the outer cuticle. That impression, how
ever, is erroneous; the marks are the re-
suit Of skin disease contracted by the
missionary while engaged in preaching
the gospel i'm Africa.
A counterpoise to this extraordinary
case is offered in the statement recently
made in religious journal that the Rt
Rev. William Taylor bishop of the Meth
odist church of Africa, was born a negro,
whereas he is really a son OF Northern
ireland. Mr. TAYLOR has spent twenty
years Of his busy life in the tropics and
mas grown very dark In the face the lines
OF which have softened and broadened.
me clergyman from the Washington con-
ference on the other hand, has lived in
the United States all his life. with the
exception or short season when he trav-
eled IN the Dark Continent.
from these facts il would appear that
cllmatic influences are more or less re-
sponsible for color in the human skin
but the argument, aside from its con-
Trajectory scientific and medical aspects
hold tfa aa4nf
application, for. while the Washington
negro has changed color all over his eau
caslan origin by simply turning up the
Mr.. Ross Taylor. editor OF Africa, who
has also lived for some time on the other
side OF the mediterranean, says he OBJ
served complete change affecting an
English sheep imported into after its ar
rival, lost its coat of WOOL and gradually
began to develop one OF hair. For several
years ~ grew on ITS back hair as well as
wool, finally losing the capacity for wool
production altogether and becoming a hair
bearing sheep after the manner of its
species esticated in those parts. Here
We have the most direct counterpart to
the Washington case: both man and beast
obviously cOnformed to climatic influences
The change in Bishop Taylor's appear
ance, on the other hand IS after all but
remarkable example of tanning by the
hot sun, such as we observe In the Hin
docs OF India, who constantly work In the
tropical sun without mead covering, ana,
in consequence, have the appearance OF
negroes, while their priestly caste. the
Brahmans, who lead indoor lives, are of
In the case of the Washington Metho-
dist preacher quoted, the change was a
natural one. unaided by artificial means
Of any sort Indeed. the reverend gentle
man is a negro by choice, as well as by
birth; and the freak of nature, to which
he fell a victim is to him, source of con-
tinual annoyance. Three Of four years
ago he noticed that his skin was begin
ming to lose it's black luster. AS the trans
formation was mot accompanied by symp-
toms OF I'll health. he thought nothing Of
it; but when In the course of time, he OBJ
served that the distinguished feature of
his race was slipping away from him, he
resolved to counteract 1t. II possible. by
taking up his residence In the tropics
where his ancestors had sprung. The re-
suit was discouraging. The bleaching
process continued with undated Vigor,
and at the same time a painful skin dis
ease manifested itself, which, however,
had no connection with the progressing
evaporation of the pigment underlying his
skin, but was clearly the consequence OF
local unhealthful conditions.
The writer has records OF a similar
case which occurred in Laurel, Del In
the town named an 1S-year-old negro be
gan to turn white without any apparent
cause. His poverty would not allow him
to procure quack medicines, and his trade
forced him to live out Of doors almost
contlnuously-lacts that discount some
theories on color metamorphOsis hereto
fore dwelt upon. The change of color.
1t appears began at the end Of 1892 In a
small spot, and gradually spread all over
his body, until the lad has by this time
developed In to a notable specimen of the
white Afro-American. His brand new
white cuticle Is as clean and healthy as
that of child, and no pain, nor any SEN
sation, attended the transformation.
1t should not go unnoticed, In this con-
nection, that the Delaware negro was
the offspring of black parents. both OF
whom are noted for their intelligence.
The male members of the family seemed
TO have followed learned professions for
the last thirty or forty yearS-a circum-
stance that has not been without refining
influence, as eXemplihed in the forma-
ton of their skulls and their general APP
pearance. Taking these circumstances
into consideration, 1t may be argued that
the whitened negro was naturally pre-
disposed for a change of condition. The
cries of evolution point that way, al
though the results of chronological re-
search oppose 1t.
The color of the negro is attributed
to the deficiency. Of oxygen in the air
he has breathed at the races cradle Ow-
ing to a weaker respiration, produced by
the deficiency of oxygen, deposit Of car
bon was made in the skin, and the car
bonaceous matter not being sufficiently
consumed, the tissues were laden win
IL, as a chimney Is with a defective
draught Is choked with SCOT. The liver,
whose function is to secrete from the blood
the carbon not carried off or exhaled in the
form Of carbonic gas by the act OF respira-
ton is In the tropics frequently exerted to
the point of disease. AT any rate the pig
ment or substance that lies between the
true skin and the outer cuticle of the me-
gro Is almost pure carbon.
Accident, as the examples quoted prove,
still plays a considerable part in the mat
ter of the color Of the human skin. A
story is reported from Shelbyviile, Ind,
to the effect that Rita Glass, a 15-year-old
girl. has been declared Caucasian by the
courts to which she appealed. The girl, 1t
appears, was adopted al a very early age,
by the negro family whose surname she
bears, and was kept In ignorance Of the
fact that she was merely her reputed par
ents' foster child. She grew up In the
assumption that she was negress, and,
strange to say, her skin and general APP
pearance favored this conclusion.
Some time ago Rita discovered that
she was descended from white people; and
as Mr. Glass was unwilling TO release her
from household obligations she began
suit against him. Glass. when brought
into court, offered prodigious amount
Of evidence to prove that the girl was a
negress, as her appearance indicated.
There was even some medical testimony
10 that effect, but the records Of the or
phan asylum from which he had been
taken the girl. Offset all his statements,
and in consequence the judge ordered that
She be allowed 10 seek new associa-
lions, BETTING her Caucasian origin"
Climate, quackery, exceptional individ-
uai propensity and gradual assimilation
ha We been mentioned as factors In Whiten.