The colored American., 1900-09-01

Boston, Mass, Spec i2l-The Business
Convention was monumental success.
No one who looked into the earnest
faces of the 80 delegates present, OF
saw that surging. anxious thrnng that
stood in front OF Parker Memorial
Temple awaiting the opening of the
doors, filling the street from curb TO
curb, and that large auditorium within
five minutes after the door was open,
or saw what interest the convention
aroused IN the community and the
space given to the reports of its nro-
ceedings by all the newspapers OF Bos-
ton and vicinity can doubt that An
other thing the leadership of Mr..
Booker r Washington was aekno WI
edged. The most ardent and pertinent
carper and critic WAS silenced Mr..
Washington and the Convention car
Fied Boston by storm. At the morning
session the Hon. John J. Smith of B 1s
ton welcomed the dele gates to the city
and in the evening Mayor Hart came in
aud in most pleasing and encOurag'
ing speech surrendered the KEYS to the
city. A notable feature OF the ccnven
tiOn was this: There was no crying
about prejudice or railing against con-
dItiODs The speeches were all manly.
The Convention was called to order
by DR.. Samuel f.. Courtney, chairman
Of the local committee. Hon. Lewis
f. Baldwin, former councilman and 8
successful real estate dealer of Cam
bridge was made temporary chairman.
After the appointment OF the proper
committees on credentials, resolutions.
etc. Mr.. Andrew F Hjlyer Of Wash
inQtOn, d c., was introduced TO Te8d
paper on the COlOred American in Busl.
ness MIR. Rilver is q graduste of the
university of Minnesota. He was one
of the founders and for many years
director NJ the Colored Building associ-
alton Of Washington, where be now re-
sides. He has com piled and published
thBee editions OF directory of '..colOBed
business men and women of Washing
ton, and was the foundeF and frat pres
ident of the Union League nf cnlnred
business men Of that city. Mr.. Hilyer
has been a close student Of the indus
trial and business status Of the race,
and has had exceptional opportunity
to study the question at first hand.
His address was full of statistics
showing the business status nf the race.
He said that the census Of f690-twen'
tyfive years afteremsncIpattOn showed
more than 90 900 colOred business men
and wOmen-besides manV more whose
business was such that the census did
not separate the 'pro prietOFs" fr nm
those following that Occupation" On
his trip South last winter as the agent
of the Negro exhibit at Paris he had
personality visited 143 first.class places
of business kept by persons of color in
- cities and towns-PrOf Du Bnis he
said, has collected statistics of 1906
sHch places. and estimates the amount
of capital invested by Negroes IN bust
ness to be over eight and three quarter
millions Of dOllars.
Mr.. Booker Z. Washington was elect
I'd permanent chairman. Mr.. Lewis f
Baldwin Vice-chsirman, presiding
throughout the deliberations ~ the con-
ventiOn with great ability; Mr.. Il. Il.
Chopper, secTataTv.
Mr.. Giles B. Jackson Of Richmond,
Va. read carefully prepared paper on
The Negro ia Real Estate" In open
ing his pauer, MI. Jackson said that p
Negro bank in Richmond, Va, loaned
that city 800 900 in order TO pay the
school bill. The Negso as real estate
dealer is gaining property IN the South
Que twentieth of the property in seven
counties in Virginia is owned by Ne
gIOes.
Turned loose on the Sd day of April,
1865, without one foot of land or one
dollar to purchase it, now In these 30
years the Negro has accumulated and
owns One'twenty sixth Of all the land
Ia the State: he owns one sixteenth or
all the lands in Virginia east Of the
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