The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-04-06
work and interviewed their leaders. He

ed negro to see it he would be allowed at
the best hotels and restaurants.
Sheldon says: "We first went together
to highly respectable restaurant. and
we're received and served. so far as could
see exactly alike. To avoid the possible
advantage of our going together, we next
agreed that he should 60 alone to the next
place and would come in later. We
went to two places and were well received. !"
Sheldon says: my friend disposed OF his
third meal with no disturbance except pos
sibly to his digestive apparatus. We then
made move on the city Y. M. c. A., and
that Negro applied for full membership
in the association, while waited in the
reading room. He gave satisfactory refer
ences, but after some conversation was
politely refused admission on the ground
of color, and that only" The week that
he spent with railroad men he had per
nit that allowed him the privilege OF rid
ing on switch engines and freight trains.
A week was spent with the doctors and
one with the lawyers looking up cases; at
tending medical discussions; then week
with representative business men; the last
week with the newspaper men. l will let
him describe;
II applied for position as reporter on
the Topeka Daily Capital, and was de-
tailed to do the depots. hotels, and suburban
work. wrote several columns for the
paper, made circuit of the city, did up
the suburban news and the depot arrival.
besides several runaways. personals, one
editorial, and numerous local items. l
spent one night in the composing room
and stereotyping and press departments.
I interviewed everybody. from the editor
iu-chief to the devil. and closed my labors
Saturday night, very thankful that was
neither one or the other"
The results of his studies he presented
successive Sunday evenings in his own
church. He sums the results up in the
article from which have quoted, under
three heads: Results to himself, to those
that he lived and talked with. and the re-
suits to his church. He believed that it
gave his church larger outlook. greater
desire to get men to Christ and lessened
the feeling of UNCONVENTIONAL competition.
He says: Il did not seek spiritual con-
versation. or religious as you may call it.
Neither did avoid it. In great many
cases asked men to tell what their defini-
ton of life was. More than one man said
no one had ever asked him that question
before. 1 can not help thinking that a
great many persons with whom I talked
and lived, were helped into more
thoughtful, prayerful living"
Speaking of the results to himself he
said: 1T has broadened my thought of
men needs. / am less inclined to judge
men harshly or hastily. 1 find myself put
ting myself in the other mans place.
think that another result to me is a hrmer
belief in the power of an applied Chris
tianity to reach men everywhere. So far
as met men, did not find one who did
not speak of Jesus Christ with respect.
Many man sneered at the church and
found fault with the preacher, but not one
had word to say against the Carpenter
of Nazareth" Finally he says: II re-
solved to make of the Christian ministry
the broadcast possible Interpretation of
manhood, making it first and foremost, a
building business; the great motive
power of the preacher being his close,
heartfelt sympathy for humanity, his
Identification with it, and his application
of the Christ Spirit to its needs. His
closing words written nine years ago are
significant in view of the fact that the
world is today talking of the author.
One outcome of Mr.. Sheldon's study of
the city has been his work among the
Negroes. He found good deal of dirt and
restitution. He started kindergarten
Soap and water we're the first requisites.
The clothing was so dirty that large
aprons were put on over the dirty clothing
and some of the children cried at having to
take the aprons off when they went home.
This was followed by library and read
ing room, sewing classes. Village I'm
provement society was started in spite of
the protest of one Negro woman who was
afraid they would not allow her to keep a
pig. Prizes were offered for gardens,
flower beds, yards. alleys. A sort of fair
was held to encourage excellence in cook
ing, sewing and gardening. AS result of
these efforts the condition of the Negroes
in the part of the city known as Tennessee
town is greatly improved. There is a
small Congregational church among the
Negroes where Mr.. Sheldon preached, but
when he found that there were only two
Congregationalists to SAT of other de-
nominations he stopped preaching lest his
work seem to be sectarian. There is a
Junior Christian Endeavor society. 1t is
seen that Mr.. Sheldon is no theorist. 1
suppose that all are familiar with the
origin of the experiment that has set all
the world talking. There has been in the
-