The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-10-01
HIS DEAR DEAD FRIEND.
The Mayor of Atlanta Speaks at thu
 Funeral of a Negro

The Mayor of Atlanta Speaks at the
 Funeral of a Negro.
 The funeral of Richard J. Henry, col- ored, for so long time the porter and private servant of his Honor, Mayor Livingston Mims, embodied in its pro- gramme an episode that is too notable and too altogether pleasing to be omit ted from a special comment. #a'st
 His fidelity, his courtesy, his intelli- gence and his effective service had en- deared him not only to his master and employers, but to all the numerous company of white men of all degrees who came in contact with him. Large sums of money were intrusted daily to his care for transmission to the bank, and it is estimated that in this position he had carried upon his person millions of dollars At his funeral the respect and regard of the white friends of this admirable negro were every where in evidence. They made large representation in the large audience.
 The funeral, conducted by high off, ficials of Henry's own church and race, was most impressive and full of high tributes to the character and record of the deceased. The Mayor of the city and his accomplished wife occupied front seats in the church during the services, and when the ministerial of fees had progressed to a certain point the Mayor of the city, who was also the employer of the deceased, was called upon to speak.
 Without any special time for prepar- ation, and mainly upon the impulse and suggestion of the moment, Mayor Mims, who has long been held one of | the most accomplished and aristocratic gentlemen of the South, cavalier and a Bourbon of the most pronounced type, arose and said:
 "Your call on me to speak on this oc casion was certainly unexpected-and yet while so heartily commenting all that has been so feelingly and elo- quently said in reference to my dear dead friend-my friend of more than a | third of acentury-I cannot refrain from expressing the genuine grief and sor- row that his death has occasioned me Indeed, a sorrow that my entire family shares: and I know, too, it will be felt by the large number of his friends and mine who knew him so well in the con nection he had with the business ir which have been engaged for so many years, and I might add his many white friends in this city who respected and admired him for the splendid qualitie: that he possessed. He was ever doing charity and kindness to all sorts of peo' h,,cl claor r,s
 and father, a good citizen, and loya
 and devoted friend, and Christian
 gentleman.
 ITO me his offices of concern ant
 thoughtfulness were constant ant
 grateful. In the course of nature h.
 should have survived me, and I alway!
 felt that if he did there was no living
 man on whom I could better rely fol
 kindness and care for my family. T can point to no one whose dail,
 life and character afford 8 better ant
 more commendable example to all mel
 to emulate than this.
 'He we'll deserves all the comforts
 blessings and promises of the holy re . Iigion he professed and which the dis tinguished reverend clergy has, on thi ,' solemn occasion, so ably administered. T care not, though, for creeds fl
 that unknown country from who's bourne no traveller returns-and t which his pure spirit tends-for fee
 that the good man who sleeps in all tn
 awful majesty of death in wonder cof
 fin carries with him acceptable creden
 tials to all the happiness that pertain
 to mortals after death. His memor will be treasured. From the Atlant
 News.