The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-15
uDR. WIRE RETURNS.
He Brings Back Vivid I'm
pressions of the
South.

people of the south say. They nave NOT
heard anything like it for many years,
Thus spoke DR.. George E. Wire libra
rian of the Worcester county law Ii
brary, yesterday afternoon, anent the
eloquent tribute of Rev. DR.. A. z. Con-
rad of the Old South church to the
memory of Henry w. Grady at Allan
ia during the Congregational Sunday
school convention.
DR.. Wire returned yesterday after
noon from Atlanta, where he was a
delegate to the American Librarians
association, which held its 21st annual
convention in that city last week. DR..
Wire addressed the association, and his
paper has won most favorable criticism
from the librarians all over the coun-
try. The paper in question, what books
to be selected for libraries, was pub
lished in The Spy, and 1t has attracted
attention abroad. There were present
at the convention or conference $50 IL
brarians, Mr.. Putnam of the Boston
library, now librarian of the Congress
sional library, representatives Of the
Congressional library, being present
during the convention.
The librarians confined themselves to
consideration of matters purely in
their line, and the convention proved
eminently successful The delegates
were Loyalty entertained in Atlanta,
and a series of receptions was given in
their honor. They had the honor of
meeting the daughter of Gen. Joe
Wheeler, Hoke Smith and civil and mil
itary dignitaries of the city and state.
DR.. Wire speaks in the warmest
terms of the treatment accorded them,
and he and the other delegate had full
opportunity to know the courteous
temper of the Southern people.
Worcester's librarian has very de-
lightful Impressions of his visit in the
South. While coming through Charles
ton, the party was delayed and ham
pered in their railroad connections ow-
ing to the fact that 80, 900 Confederate
veterans had gathered at that place to
hear the address of Gen. Joe Wheel
er. Dr. Wire did not see the hero of
the Cuban war personally, but was
pleased to hear his name upon every
lip in the South. The people of the
new South have made him their idol,
and every move of his is sure to meet
with an ovation.
The Industrial situation Dr. Wire
finds to be excellent. All along the
route, nonh, especially in the belt of
the cott1n manufactures which are
now being rapidly opened up by nor
thern capital, the mills are running
night and day to supply the demand.
DR.. Wire does not think that this will
have any marked effect upon the
northern market at present, as the gem
eral business tone is high, ad then the
mills of the south which have not so
skilled labor produce an inferior arti-
Gle.
Tho Con, TJoca afrocitv was vet the
subject of talk when he left Atlanta
at the close of the convention. The
best people of the south are theoretic-
ally against lynching, but the hatred
against the negro is intense. In At
lanta 81 per cent of the population
comprises negroes, or people with a
predominant strain of negro blood.
The people of the south say that
hanging after trial or plain shooting
have no effect, but to the Doctors mind
lynching did not seem to have any
more deterrent influence over the ne
groe's mind.
One of the most curious illustra-
tons of this, as was made evident at
the convention, is that there is strong
effort to have separate libraries in large
southern cities for the whites and the
blacks. White people object to the ne
groes using the same books as they,
and opinion has run strong to have
libraries entirely disconnected, one for
the white people and one for the col
ored. DR.. Wire found that the negroes
were receiving reasonable opportunity
for education. There are now four dis
tinct institutions for the education in
Atlanta, where few years ago there
was but one, established under the
American missionary board. The
schools in general in the south are
good, but not up to the standard
One of the most gratifying results of
his visit was to hear the words of
praise accorded the tribute to Grady,
which were delivered by DR.. Conrad.
The echoes of it still vibrated through
the city when DIR. Wire left, and the
people of the city yet felt its eloquent
thrill, appreciated much the more, as
the tribute come from a northener.