The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1901-09-14
From the N. Y. sun, Sept. Z.

Prof. James H. Torbert, the assistant prin-
cipal of the Fort Valley (Ga) High and In
dustrial School. is staying at the Grand Union
Hotel in this city for few days. 1t is a
negro school and he is colored man. He is
accompanied by one of his students, Silas l..
Chandler, and also by Charles L. Mahoney
of Philadelphia, a negro employee of c. j.
Hoppe & Son, the piano manufacturers.
Prof Torbert has been in the habit of max
ing trips through the North each summer 10
solicit contributions for the maintenance of
his school, In the latter part of last month
he made trip through the Adirondack region,
aud he encountered so much race prejudice
that he had difficulty in securing food and
shelter. He told Sun reporter yesterday
that he would not go through the same physi-
cal hardship, not 10 mention the personal in
dgnities that were heaped upon him and his
companions, for great deal of money.
After visiting number of camps occupied
by New York men of wealth, the party ar
rived at the upper Saranac Lake. There they
went to the camp of Otto H. Kuhn of Kuhn,
Loeb & Co. That night the representatives
of the eolored school gave a concert for the
ladies of the camp.
After the concert Mr. Kuhn gave Prof.
Torbert check for 500 for his school. They
also received their supper, and then they went
to hotel nearby to spend the night. The
proprietor laughed at them when they asked
for a lodging. They had no right to come to
his place without having made arrangements
with him previously, he said.
The negroes went on to another hotel, the
owner of which had contributed money to the
school. The manager refused to give them
either food or lodging. They offered to eat
in the kitchen, but the manager said it was
too late TO serve them They then tried still
another hotel, telephoning ahead that they
were coming. But the manager of the hotel
to whom they had last applied had telephoned,
too, telling the proprietor to look out for a
gang of negroes who were coming over, so
once again food and shelter were refused TO
the representatives of the colored school,
They pleaded that they were exhausted by
their long walk and would eat anything, any
where, and finally after much parleying each
received a cup of tea without sugar and a
small plate of hash on the grass in the back
yard. For this the proprietor charged them
20 cents each. He declined to give them a
lodging in any part of the premises They
ate their supper with their fingers. As they
were leaving the guests ofthe hotel asked them
to sing. They emphatically declined and
went in search of place to sleep.
They tried farmhouses and were turned
away from each The farmers said that they
were afraid of colored people. Finally they
ueClUeu 10 TOW 10 OdTHHdC Inn. DuJ IL was
raining and the water was rough. After row.
ing eight miles they decided to stop at the
house of S. A. Swinson of New York He
gave them permission to sleep in an empty
boathouse. Then n colored servant suggested
that they sleep in the hayloft as the night was
very cold. By the light of lantern they
climbed up ladder on the side of the barn,
passed through hole two feet square and lay
down. They received some horse blankets to
lie on. They had no other covering and the
roof being low Prof. Torbert had the mis-.
fortune to strike his head against a nail, in
flicting painful wound
The next morning when they left the barn
two colored servants gave them some water to
wash in. For provisions they had to row the
long distance back to the Saranac Inn
At Lake Placid the party had no trouble,
but at Loon Lake the proprietors of the hotels
refused to receive them. At one point they
went for a lodging to car which was standing
on the track, but Kind hearted landlady sent
for them to return to her hotel, and they gave
a concert there that Melted ST.. Several
scholarships for the school were also promised
by guests.
Prof. Torbert feels that the race prejudice
in the Adirondack region is in its worst stage
at present. In the course of the trip, how
ever, he received among other contributions a
check for $3.50 from Cornelius N. Bliss and a
check for the same amount from George Burn
ham of the Baldwin Locomotive Works.