Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-09-25
ARKANSAS NEGRO
Gives a Yankee xonduCtor Few Pointers
on Arkansas


the last few days I have been lost
from my friends at home, but | nave
been a good negro. On last Monday
morning left Little Rock on the
Choctaw route for the city OF Phlladel-
phia, Pa, and that the trip was pleas
ant. it was, to put it in the street YER
nacular, 90. X
Our people are the uest people IN
the world When they are pleased. Our
church met on last Sunday and made
us a collection for the trip Of $50 and
on Monday at $50 p. n the good SIS
ters got together and made us up four
baskets and cakes and pies on the'slde
enough to feed me all the way from
Little Rock to Philadelphia. Of course,
we had enough to feed many more and
did so. We had a special palace car
and through tickets and return from
Little Rock to Philadelphia. NO dust
to bother and nothing to disturb us.
At Memphis we stopped oil and TOOK
carriage over this cotton and river
metropolis. Memphis is one OF the
great business cities on the Mississippi
river valley between st. Louis and
New Orleans, and it employs thous-
ands of our people IN menial labor and
other service. Here we waited for
the delegation to collect from other
PARTS of Arkansas. I eyas, MISSISSIPPI
and Tennessee When We left Men,
phis We left with a train of ears, in
number sixteen. with sixty delegates
to each car, making in round numbers
about $50 delegates for the National
Baptist convention at Philadelphia.
At Cincinnati we made a stop OF
about thirty minutes. to Intricate tho
engine and wheels The conductor
soon made US his pets for said he
1T is no use for the colored people to
tell me they have q hard time in Ar
kansas, for | have snever in my life
hauled as fine set and well-kept col
ored men as yon all. and you say you
live in Pine Bluffs E"
"Yes, sir"
'.Do all the people N Pine Bluff look
as We'll as you do?'
"Yes, sir and better, too
Your name Is WHEY ones, a1nt
it,"
mo. sir: Jones is a better looking
man than | am and is much better on
in this worlds effects.
"Well, sir. want to know how you
all get along With the whites down
there"
"Al right, sir. | am resident CT
Pine Bluff and citizen OF Jefferson
county and the state of Arkansas. and
have been for the last twenty years.
and in all these long and pleasant
wears no white man has ever lnSu!ted
me or in any way molcsted ne. be-
vond sCmo little incidents in politics
that more often take place in the
eastern and western cities than they
do in our Pine Bluff and Jefferson
county
We'll" said the conductor. Il think
if the negroes in Georgia. Alabama and
Mississippi and the eastern states
want good homes they had all better
20 to Pine Bluff insteau of cold Den
yer and the Indian Territory and other
places in the far west.
Yes" said the writer. I'VE have in
Arkansas, as to climate, all the heart
can wish. Our lands are fertile. our
waters are good and wholesome and
our laws are judicousy executed.
Our Judges in our state are more
learned and patient and willing to hear
complaint and defense to the utter
most. All in all we have fine jury
system in our state and the colored
people are well provided for in our
cities with city public schools, and
some sort of school is had in all the
rural districts for term Of from three
to six months"
"Well," said the Yankee conductor
"it is better in Arkansas than some
people would have us believe
Eyes" " said l, ''it is only the polite
fans who want to preach themselves
into office who are forever discussing
the negro problem.
Leaving Cincinnati we next stopped
at Harper's Ferry to see the Johr
Brown monument. There all the ne
groes, women and men, got on the
cars and marched around the john