The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-08-14
SING SONGS OF JOY
WHITMAk'S JUBILEE SINGERS STILL
DRAWING GREAT CROWDS

He ID Stirring Up the Religious Feeling OF
the Colorsd People and 10 Furnishing
the White People with Some Fine Free
Music-He Talks About His Company
and Says They Sing - the Brooks sing.
They Sing for the Greatness and Glory
of God-He was Once . Slave Himself
and Talks About the Old Days
The concert at the auditorium last
night surpassed anything OF the kind
ever given in Wichita The house
was packed and the way they appreci-
ated the singing was clear from the
fact that every selection given was
encored; some of them two and three
times. II may be fairly said that there
has never been nor is there now an
other such company OF musical talent
among colored people as the Whitman
Jubilee Singers. Every one OF the
company is an artist and they are all OK
them absolutely unsurpassed in the
history of song.
The appearance OF Mr.. Whitman in
Wichita with such a famous company
OF singers creating such unusual IN
terest led a reporter of the Eagle TO
ask him some things about himself and
his singers. OF his troupe he said:
They are the children OF slaves, all
of them and every one OF them Is a
natural child of song. They sing as
the birds sing. They are as Joyous
naturally as the running waters. They
are happy lives all OF them" The re-
porter suggested that II might be that
N tho and find IN hSrfAr To
sing your company altogether and
abandon the evangelical field.
Not by any means" said the evan
gelst. Il am a preacher from my
heart and my singers sing from the
heart. 1 have dedicated them to God.
They are to sing for His glory and for
the uplifting of their race. They are
not wandering Ministries: they are the
children of freedom having IN their
hearts the genileness and patience. the
tenderness and pathos Of their fore
fathers in bondage and now aided by
the light of the schools they are nobly
fitted to sing the songs that all the
world will hear. They Will continue
to sing and give concerts occasionally.
In reply to a question concerning
his own history the evangelist said he
was born in Hart county. KY, May 30.
1851, which would now make him lit
tie the rise of IL years old. He was
born a slave and his most vivid recol-
| lections dates back to those times. and
when he compared the conditions OF his
people then and now, he hardly knew
how to express hiself in the thankful
ness and Joy of his heart. "a most
splendid example," he said, Ito be
looked upon is the company OF sing
ers / have here in your city. all Of them
the children OF former slaves" The
evangelist said ne had been for two
years engaged in his present work.
Before that he had been a travelling
preacher in the A. N. F. church for
twenty-one years. During that time
he had served churches as pastor in
Springfield, o., GAINESVILLE, O.. Louis
vile, KY. Memphis, Tenn, Little Rock
Ark, Dallas, Tex, and many other i'm
portant cities but he liked his present
the best.
Tonight Mr. Whitman breaches
again for the masses and his company
will sing. When everybody is cordially
invited. Many OF their most beautiful
religious selections will be rendered
little Essie' will sing by request.
Where u My Wandering Boy To-
night"