The colored American., 1901-03-23


Pittsburg, and what big, busy, smoky
city it is. 1t is said that there is al
most as much business done in Pitts
burg as is done in New York or
Chicago. Anyway, it is a live, stir
ring city. 1t is situated at the con
fiuence of the MOnOngahela and Ale
ghany Rivers which form the Ohio
River. To watch the waters Of these
streams at their conjunction reminds
one Of the description of Aeneas in
Virgil, where he speaks of the rocks
and whirl-pOOls, of Scylla on the one
side and Charybdis on the other. The
waters seem TO whirI and whirl and
after forming an eddy start on their
journey south. The superstition of the
aborigines must have been based on
the fact that small canoes and crafts
are unable TO pass safely over this
eddy. There is a charm in watching
these waters, and the thought that
these pourings of the great lakes of
the North, fed by the tributaries of
the Allegheny. MOnOnbahela, and Ohio
rivers and those other western feeders,
the Missouri, the Tennessee, and Cum
berland rivers all pouring their bOr-
rOwed and worn traffic TO that mecca
of richness, the Gulf of Mexico, was
inspiring.
l left Washington on the 40 D. M.
train, on the Penn. r. R.. in a sleeper.
and arrived in this busy city at $40
the next morning. My business here
is TO meet a young man, a nameSake,
who will take course in Avery Col
lege and Trade School of Allegheny
City. Having met the object OF my
visit we hied away over the Allegheny
River 10 Avery College and Trade
School. l was surprised, and agree
ably so, by the work done by this in
stitui0n. Prof. J. D. Mahoney. Sec
retary and Treasurer, was there in
waiting and gave me q most cordial
reception. Space will not permit as
full a description Of this school as |
should like 10 give. The school is
unique in that it is the only industrial
school in a Northern State whose
faculty is nearly one-half white and
whose work is almost exclusively in
the hands of the members of the race.
The faculty consists Of the following:
Doctor q. q. Turfey. President;
Joseph d. MahOney. Vice-President;
ThOS. s. Swan, Chairman; Miss Emma
Writ, Secretary; Miss NJ Bryant.
Recording Secretary; Miss Nettie
Johns, in charge of Millinery Depart
ment; Miss Olive Johns, Assistant;
Miss Bond. Instructress in Dressmak-
ing, Mcdowell system; Miss Riggs,
Assistant; Miss Bryant, Millinery De
partment, Primary Department; Miss
Diamond. Principal of School Depart
ment; Miss Writ, Assistant: ThOS
Swan, Manual Training Department;
Theodore ESSer, Tailor; James c.
Gray, Assistant; Robert FOrrece. Or
derly; Prof. q. s. Murry. Musical De
partment, Piano and Voice; Prof. II.
G. Waters, String and Brass InStru-
mentS: John s. Brady. Chef; Mrs.
Bently, MatrOn: Rev. J. W. JeffeTies,
Field Agent; Rev. ". @. Robinson,
Local Field Agent.
In order that the readers Of The
COlored American may get an idea Of
the standing of some of the trustees
I speak briefly Of a few of them. Mr..
JnO. d. Cherry, one of the trustees, is
a prominent wholesale merchant of
PittSburg and a member Of the firm
OF Wolf, Lane & Co. known the cOun-
try over. DR.. @. NJ. ShilIitO. chairman
of the Executive Committee. is PreSi-
dent OF, the Board of Directors Of
Mercy Hospital and resident phySi-
clan OF Allegheny general hospitals.
He is a great friend of the cOlOred peo-
pie. Mr.. Robert Jackson is one Of the
most prominent COlOred citizens Of
PittSburg. He IS Treasurer of Bethel
A. NJ. f. Church and a leading and IN
fiuential politician. Mr.. II. Anderson,
another cOlOred leader and trustee, IS
- on1 irI