The colored American., 1903-05-09
A SON OF ETHIOPIA MAKES GOOD
AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY.

who is now ompleting gradual course
at Columbia University, having earned
quite a reputation for himself at q
dramatic reader and interpreter of
literature was asked by the Choral
Union Club, of Columbia University
to interpret Colridge-Taylor's WED
ding Feast of Hiawatha," which was
recently given by the club at the Uni
versity, in the Horace Mann Audi
torium. There was present the regu-
lar highly cultured university audience
which filled the auditorium to over
flowing. Mr.. Wood had a very hard
task to perform in the rendering of
this piece, by reason of the fact, that
the rythm of the poem is very diff
cult to sustain in a reading. Mr..
Woods dramatic ability was perhaps
never used to better advantage. The
piece selected by the Choral Union
strangely enough, is set to music by a
colored composer, and this fact may
have suggested the idea of having Mr.
Wood. a coIored student to render it.
Be that as it may, when the entertain
ment was finished, Mr.. Wood was fair
ly deluged by faculty, students and
visitors, whose praises were sounded
in no measured termsfi his wonderful
magnetism and other artistic powers
having so completely won the audi
ence, that the other hundred and
quarter members of the club were al
most forgotten. The fact of his rich
voice, flexible gestures and splendid
ability of expression, forming the topic
of discussion the remainder of the
evening, prompts one to conclude that
if one is master of a quality worth pos
sessing. it don't matter after all if he
be black.
Hon. Wilfred H Smith, of $50 Mas
sau st. is receiving many compliment
tary expressions from the regal frater-
nifty on his mastery presentation Of
the Alabama case to the United States
Supreme Court. Although the decis-
ion of Mr.. Justice Holmes was a re-
verse one, Counsellor Smith is not
discouraged in his attempt to solve
this momentous phase of the race prob
lem. With characteristic modesty, he
refuses to be interviewed on the sub
ject, but his friends say that he will
no doubt take the matter to Congress
in his determination to force the is
sue through.
The Mt. Olive Baptist church OBJ
served their 25th Anniversary on Sun
day the 3rd inst. In the morning
Rev. Clue filled the pulpit and spoke
from John, 5th chapter and oath erse-
Rev. Frank Morse presided. DR.. Nc
Arthur, pacJOr or calvary BapI1SJ
church as one of the principle speak
ers. He touched principally upon the
emigration of the Negro to New Mexi-
co. Rev. Granville Hunt, of Mt. Yer
non. made an address on THE Singu-
larity of the Present Age followed by
Rev w. H. Brooks, D. D., pastor of
ST. Marks NJ. E. church. and Rev.
Charles Morris, of the AbysSinia Bap-
tist church. The evening service was
held at Carnegie Hall, 57th & 7th ave.
The pastor, Rev c. T. Walker. preach
ed the anniversary sermon. The house
was crowded TO suffocation, and many
had to be turned away. DIR. Walker
spoke principally along the line of the
"Negro's Progress" The collection for
the day was $2,44S.51. According to
Mr.. Rockefeller's promise that if the
church would raise $4,000 at the ami
versary he would give $1,000; the trus-
tees are expecting a grand total of So
500, which sum will go to pay off the
mortgage on the church.
The second meeting of the Young
Peoples Improvement League which is
composed of young peoples societies of
Greater New York and vicinity, was
held at Bethel A. NJ. z. church, West
Twenty-fifth street, on Thursday eve
ming, May 7th. There was large aud
ience present and Mr. John z. BruSe,
t(Bruce Grit delivered am address on
the Concentration of Energy"