The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-05-13
OUR UNSUNG HEROES.
A Reform Crusade Undertaken by a
st. Paul Man.

One of the best examples of progress
siveness, ability and business capacity
found among us is that Of Mr.. Harry
Shepherd, the photographer. Within
the last decade he has arisen from al
most obscurity to the position of the
leading and most popular photograph
er of the city, and he holds number
of medals which substantiate this
statement. He is genius; and, like
most geniuses, he is somewhat erratic
and is not fully understood even by his
best friends and when an idea takes
possession of him he follows it with
a rapidity that absolutely takes away
the breath of his plodding contempt
raries. He has inaugurated number
of new things in the line of his pro-
fession. He is thorough race man
and has made a very thorough study
of the history of the Afro-American in
this country. He saw how their he
roes, who have been present in every
event of historic interest in this cOun-
try were doomed to go down in his
tory "unhonored, unwept and unsung"
and he set about to do something to
bring about a better state of affairs.
He has been evolving his plans in his
mind for years, but only last week
did it burst forth when there appeared
as the result of his labor a large half
tone picture, comprising five different
events in which Afro-Americans have
made name for themselves: viz, De-
Tending the early settlers against the
Indians in 1880; as navel heroes in the
war of 1912; during the Civil War; as
Indian scouts and fighters; and for a
centerpiece, 'the charge at San Juan
HILL" In each corner appears a life
like portrait of "the four leading bene-
factors of the Afro-American; Abra-
ham Lincoln, Charles Sumner, Fred
erick Douglass and Booker T. Wash
ington. The lower margin is filled
with short paragraphs incident to the
subjects in the picture, including the
third clause of the peace commission
ers' proclamation toethe people of the
Philippines, and the Fourteenth and
Fifteenth amendments to the consti-
tuition Of the United States. The pic
t,lre as a whole is entitled: "Our I'm
sung Heroes or the Men Whose Names
Have Been Forgotten It is the ar
lists intention to make a tour of the
United States and Europe in an en-
deavor to place the Afro-American in
a true light before the world, and he
has already arranged for an illustrated
lecture on an elaborate scale, in which
he proposes to portray the injustices
to which those of his race, especially
in the South, are still subjected. In
anticipation of this tour, he has had
an agent travelling throug the South
for the past five years, collecting facts
and accommodating evidence upon the
subject in question.
One slide, reproduced from life, de-
picts an old man protesting against
being robbed of his cotton, and the
companion picture shows the same
man being burned at the stake for an
alleged rape. Another slide, taken by
the author himself, gives a life-like
portrait of Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, stand
ing in the yard of his Southern home.
For the present it will be the en-
deavor Of Mr.. Shepherd to get his great
historical picture in the homes of as
many Of the people as possible and for
this purpose has secured the services
Of Hon J.. Frank Wheaton, Minneso-
ta's first Afr0-American legislator,
who Is to make tour of the several
states and deliver lectures and secure
the corporation of the ministers and
others to that end. The picture is
large and very handsome, besides be-
Ing Of such historic interest, and it
should adorn9 the walls of every
sAfro-American III the country. Sew
.eral thousands of the picture have al
ready been ordered by firms who de-
sire to: handle them. 1T must be seen
TO be fully appreciated.
~ - $3.50 ~ 3 Z :