The evening times., 1898-08-03
"a NOBLE NAME.
The Great-Grsndson Of Toussaint
L'ostv>rt.re ii Chicago.

Il
| The Great-Grsndson Of Toussaint
LOsvsrtsre ii CAieako.
The name Sf-1onAsaint L'Ouverture, the
| one great man produced by Haiti, has
been kept alithSln, this country by the
most eloquent 81 the addresses Of the late
Wendell Phpljps:, According to the Chi
cago EveAk.fsst, sreat-srandson. Of
the black patriot is doing humble service
in a Chicago restaurant in order to get
to prosecute ambitious plans to perpetu-
ate the traditions of his ancestry. By day
he 'hands OUT coffee and doughnuts to
hungry board of trade men and at night
pores over his text books with the deter
mination to crowd the four years course
before him in Lake Forest Academy into
two years.
His pride Of ancestry is strikingiy shown
in the fact that he has adopted the Illus
trious name to which his mother was born
as his own surname. His father was
George Mcclure. but the ambitious lad now
signs himself Mcclure EOuverture. and
will have this name legalized at the first
opportunity. His mother. the granddaugh-
ter Of Toussaint L. Overture, is living and
fully approves of his plan to secure to her
son the benefits which may result from
the use Of the name which will forever be
associated with the romantic history of
the BLACK Republic
A knowledge Of the boys plans would
seem to justify this change of name on
grounds other taan those of personal
pride and sentiment. He is not ashamed
to confess that he has a definite career
planned for himself and that he is bending
every energy toward a fixed goal. At the
restaurant counter he said:
Il have already spent some time in the
Lake Forest Academy. where l am TAX
ing the classical course. and hope by hard
study during vacation to make enough
advance to enable me to get through the
remaining four years in just half that time.
Then inter. TO go to England and enter
Oxford University. II possible. Among
my acquaintances is colored man who
attended that institution. and 1t is as a
result of his descriptions of the university
that / formed the determination to go
there. and. II possible. TO graduate. Ac-
cording to his statements there is less
for a person of my race to contend with
there than in almost any university OF
high standing in this country.
III ! succeed In this plan I hope to go
to Haiti and devote several years to re-
search and study preparatory to writing a
biography of my great-grandfather. To do
this well is the end and aim Of my life
and the one object for which I am strjv
ing. OF course realize that 1; is great
task and that Is why I wish to have as
good an education as any person can OBJ
tain by thorough university training"
When asked II he had tried his hand at
literary work. the restaurant waiter mod
estly replied:
Yes. sir; / have earned 500 by writing
verses and articles for the papers and one
or two magazines. But don't depend on
that 10 see me through school l work a;
this business and anything else I can find
10 do. l am nineteen years old now. and
when I am twenty-one ! will come into
possession of a little property in the East
enough practically 10 pay my expenses
at Oxford. Meantime, however, l have 10
hustle. and all l can earn by writing is
so much clear gain. / tell you l was hap
py when / received a check for $50 from
the Black Cat in payment for a story
called The Black Prince"
Regarding the evidences of his descen,
from the Hero of Haiti, young L'Ouver-
ture said:
~ have nothing here in the way Of doc
umentary proof 20 establish the fact that
my mother was the granddaughter of
Toussaint L'Ouverture. although in our
old home in Cnionville. Pa. where
was born. are several letters which moth
er's father received from relatives in
Haiti We also have a little ivory cross
which Toussaint L'Ouverture always wore
This is the only thing that belonged to
him that is In the possession of our
branch of the family. so far as I know
But there are a large number of descend
ants of LOuverture now living on the
island. and they have his sword and
collection Of his letters. besides other rel
les of interest and value. My grandfather
was not well educated and did not ap-
pear to have realized that such things
were worth saving. After he came to this
he did not write to the relatives
in Haiti oftener than once or twice year.
mother says