The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-21
BISHOP GAINES
SAILS FOR EUROPE.
Noted Negro Divine Will Lecture
on Condition of Negroes
in America.
TALKS OF HIS SLAVE DAYS
Robert Toombs Was His Master
and Was Saved by Him
at the Close of the
Civil War.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
New York. July 2O-Bishop Wesley ].
Gaines Of the Seventh District of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church. who
lives in Atlanta. Ga. is journeying toward
London on the steamer st. Louis. He will
lecture in England. Scotland and other
countries on the condition Of the negro in
the United States. In discussing the social
condition of his race before sailing Bishop
Gaines touched upon his own career. say
Ing:
II am now 81 years old. was Is years
old when became free man. My slave
days were spent on the estate Of Robert
Toombs. learned to read and write dur
ing my slave days. and in rather an inter
esting manner. To a very young member
of the Toombs family owe those accom-
plishments. He was 80 small that I had
to carry him many miles tc take my les
sons 1t was permitted to slave to learn
to read. you know, but 1t was against the
law to teach a slave to write.
my little teacher was between 8 and 10
years old. He taught me to read first. ]
then had crazy desire to learn to write.
but In view OF the law upon the subject
feared to ask him to teach me. But finally
l conceived long-headed scheme. in
weighed him to where there was some nice.
smooth sand. In as skilfful q manner a. ]
could command led up to the subject.
! Write out the alphabet here in the
sand finally asked Of him. To my sur
prise he did 1t promptly. BY a little more
diplomacy I managed to make him forget
the letters in the sand. and managed to get
him away from the spot and to his home
| again. You may be sure got to that al
phabet as quickly as my legs would carry
mo oftov 7 had the hov home a1afn
Upon a second occasion 1 asked him to
tumble the letters into words. which he did
Other lessons followed. until was able to
write as well As to read. But had to keep
FINALLY it came to my notice that Mr.
! Toombs's overseer was defrauding him
was selling his grain to private individuals
| 1 made so bold as to write Mr.. Toomhs Z
letter telling him about II. After MI;
-Toombs had gotten over his surprise that
| the overseer's dishonesty. told him thu
| name Of the man to whom the overseel
| had been selling. and the upstart Of 1t wa
' I'm the civil strussie did not FORGET Wnai
owed my master. When in one instance
! he was in danger Of his life drove him
y mile: or eese out i. q ~.
I pistol. saying that II / saw that he was Il
/ danger Of being captured by the enemy 4
was his I'D desire ell to die was offered no les,
was. S'ss' ~ -
IT am not in favor Of any radical meas
| ures to improve the condition Of the neGrn
1 We must work out our salvation by Dc
! grees.
II have perhaps a novel theory along
this line. It Is that the negro shall initiate
in Saratoga objected to TIE Jews a. guests
| You know what the Jews did? They 6ough
the hotel That's what I preach to M,
people. Be saving. educate yourselves, b
iaw-abiding. become substantial citizens
and you viii one day have . power the.
| can't wrest from you"