The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-09-23
COEDS DRAW COLOR
LINE TIGHT
Refuse to Mix With Negro
Students in Residences
CBy Associated Press.l

women need apply In future for room
and board in the two halls Of resi-
dence controlled by the Women's
Educational Aid association at Evans
ton That decision was arrived at
finally last week and came as the con
summation Of almost years trouble
some consideration.
The association has control of Chap
in hall and Pearsons hall. buildings
provided for the accommodation Of
young women wishing to attend the
Northwestern university. The insti-
tuition is to some extent charitable for
the fees paid by the girls are not sup
poseu OF do more than pay the actual
running expenses; repairs, furnishing
and so forth are provided from a trust
fund of $40, 900 donated by well wish
ers of the work Neither OF the halls
are officially connected with the uni
versity, however, and consequently
the decision does not in any wav bind
the faculty, who are disposed to regret
the action Of their unofficial assist
ants. There is another hall, Willard
hall which the faculty has charge Of,
where the question has not yet arisen,
though when IT does, it is probable,
If common report speaks true, that
colored girls, white girls and girls Of
every hue and race will find them
selves on an equal footing and pos
sessed Of equal rights and privileges.
Girls object to Color.
The matter came before the Wo-
mems Educational Aid association in
this way, Last fall a Miss Ellis, of
Texas, applied for room and got it.
When she arrived it was discovered
for the first time that instead Of the
white skinned AngloSaxon who had
been expected she was a beautiful
yellow octoroon There was no ques-
tion of manners, no suggestion that
she was unfit for the polite society
of the other goods; il was simply and
EoleIy a question of color; but the
shade of her skin caused fu.ter in
the dovecot which seemed momen.ar-
lily like the harbinger OF a general mi
grafton.
Following the general custom, the
management had selected a roommate
for her and made such o-her arraag,-
ments as are usual When she turn
ed up and her beautiful dark eyes and
soft yellow skin proclaimed her Afri-
can ancestry the roommate protested
She would not cleep with a niger.
Other girls took her part and object
ed to eating at table with a member
of the desplsed race or performing
the household tasks which fell to their
lot with one whose skin was not as
white as theirs. The revolt once be
gun spread alarmingly til, Il is said,
thirteen of the girls threatened to
leave the hall if Miss Ellis was allow
ed to stay.
Somehow however the trouble was
smoothed over. The management fell
that they could not well turn out the
girl whom they had already lei a
room and accordingly so managed
rnaJ she had a room TO herself for a
year instead of sharing her apartment
win another.
Refuse Second Application.
This year Miss Ellis applied again
for quarters and the charitable wo-
men who look after the welfare of
the institution gathered themselves
together in committee to decide what
was to be done. AT this meeting
there is said to have oeen no actual
mention of the color question at all
though none of the six members of the
board who were present seriously pre-
tendeu to consider that any other
question was involved There is q
sort Of unwritten rule that only stu
dents taxing the regular university
course should be entitled to the priv
ilege of the halls and as Miss Ellis ha.
only been studying music this rule
was called into operation and her ap
pica'ior refused.
The board consists of thir,eea wo
men, but at the meeting which de
scided upon Miss Ellis expulsion less
than half We're present
The meeting consisted Of:
Mrs. W e. Clifford in the chair
Mrs. Amos Patien. wife Of the may
or
Mrs James Pa ten, wife OF Profes
sor Patten
Mre. n Fl Gage
Mrs. T Bradley
Mrs Clifford brought TIE matter IL