The Washington times., 1901-10-27

| interests in other parts Of the CITY He
| is a director in the Industrial and Saw
| ings Company, and the Capital Savings
| Bank, both of which organizations were
| started and are now conducted bv ne
| groes. Their success, which is quite
marked, is due in large measure to Mr.
Bailey, who is recognized as leading
! man in them. He was a member I'm
1871, of the first jury in the District to
have negro jurymen. This jury, which
was widely known at the time as the
"Millie Gaines" jury, was composed OF
sis white and six colored men.
The barber shop for the accommoda-
tion of negroes has undergone a marked
evolution in the last few years. AL
though shops were conducted in about
every square of the city, colored man
who a few years ago wished the SER
vices of the tonsorial artist found it
necessary to search energetically in
some side street He had TO endure a
good deal Of boisterous badinage among
loafers in the shop while being waited
upon. and the tools were in bad shape
Now, however, there are a number of
shops which cater to his trade, that
are perfectly clean and managed as
carefully as anyone could desire. AS
an evidence of the negro's ability to
conduct business that is wholly de
pendent upon his race for support these
shops are a valuable study.
The Oldest living colored barber in
Washington is Joseph Shorter, called
Familiarity Uncle Joe" who is now
eighty years of age, and lives with rela-
tives at 1881 New Hampshire Avenue.
While he retired from the business five
or six years ago. he still holds the long
distance record on conducting barber
shop at one stand in the National Cap
ital In 1888 he bought from his brother
James. who afterward became Bishop
Shorter, of the African NJ. r. Church, a
barber shop at So Ninth Street. Jo-
seph had already spent three or four
years in the shop as an apprentice, so
that the services of Uncle Joe date from
1884 or 1895. He continued in this shop
till 1873, when the but ding was torn
down, and he then moved to Tenth and
D Streets. in what is now The Times
Building where he carried on business
for seven years. Having the misfor-
tune TO be burned out in the fire of
eleven or twelve years ago, he moved
up further, on Tenth Street, where he
remained till his retirement, about five
years ago. The building in which Uncle
Joe's shop was located for forty years,
from 1885 to 1878, was owned by DR..
Gunton. whose daughter has construct
ed the Gunton Temple Memorial
Church, at the corner of Fourteenth
and Streets northwest.
We'll, this seems like another city
and another world to me rather than
the Washington know said Uncle
Joe" the other day, white warming his
hands before the bright autumn fire in
his pleasant home His eighty years
have used him so fairly that he seems
twenty years younger. Il have seen
every Inauguration Of President from
Martin Van Buren's to McKinley's," he |
continued, and the changes are Won
derful, simply wonderful ! remember |
clearly being pushed aside by an Off |
Ger who was clearing the way for the !
special messenger on horseback who |
was en- route TO Baltimore with Presi- |
dent Van Buren's special dispatches. !
No one then dreamed of the railroads |
and telegraphs of today, and, of
course, the idea of talking to another
person by the telephone had never been
imagined by anybody"
Uncle Joe uses the best of English.
The suaye manner of his gestures and
The rhythmic cadences of his voice
prove conclusively how well he has alb
;orhed the chivalry of the gentlemen of
he old school. He is very reticent as
% his personal experiences in his trade,
and very modestly disclairns the exist
.nce of anything in his tonsorial career
hat is worth relating. The late DR..
iunton. referred to above, and the late
Or. Byron s. Sunderland, were among
lis customers. and Uncle joe says
hat they are the greatest men that
has ever produced. Uncle
-oe' Is by no means in want in his old
.ge. Nearly a half century ago he and
few other colored men joined in a
ng Ground Association, to provide a
uitable cemetery for the colored peo-
lie. They purchased for $500 the square
ow occupied by the Children's Hospi-
al. at Thirteenth and w Streets. A
ew years later the growth of the city
nabIed them to sell the square for
II. 600 and they moved to the country
nd selected for a cemetery plot in
that Is now the fashionable Columbia
Ieights of Washington. The Govern
lent has bought a portion of this at |
lrge profit and the remainder is in
reasing in value all the time. AS a
nanciaI venture the association has
roven a great success and brought to
s members a snug bank account.
THOMAS J. GALLOWAY.
CoURT-MARTIAL TRIALS.
indings In the CEses Of several