River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-02-11
Letter from the South.
Montgomery, Ala, Jan. %, I

count of my journey SO far as have
got at the present. Leaving home
on the 5th of January, | spent few
days at ST. Paul, La Crosse, Sparta,
and Milwaukee, in the interests of
our Southern work, and on the 10Th
left Milwaukee for Alabama via
Chicago. Having from nine in the
morning until seven O'Clock at night
to spend in Chicago, took the op-
portunity to see if things had
changed much since | was there
eight years ago. 1t is such a little
town, you know, that any one could
see a change, yet couldn't. Among
other points | went to visit was
that death-house, the Iroquois thea
ire, to which, even now, people are
attracted. had no thought of get
ting inside, as it was carefully
guarded by a force of policemen,
but after having viewed the front of
the building at it's main enterance
on Randolph street, | went around
to the rear on the alley, where quite
a crowd was assembled and we
opening out from the stage and
galleries, through which, had they
only been opened, there was abund-
an opportunity for hundreds of
people to escape down, not perpen-
dicular ladders, but perfectly safe
steel steps guarded by ratings,
literally stair cases from top TO bot
tom on the outside of the building.
After l had been here a few minutes
l saw an officer open the highest
doors (where the famous ladder
bridge was thrown across the alley
to another building and where wom-
en- and children crawled across to
safety, some fifty feet in the air)
and make motion to a couple of
gentlemen near me and seeing that
they were about to get inside, |
came to the conclusion that there
was possibly my chance too, SO as
| saw the other two disappear at
the highest landing of the fire es-
cape | made motion to the officer
which meant me too" and l COW
cred the sixty feet between the
ground and that door in short time,
and soon found myself in the very
galleries and among the very seats
where that terrible loss of life took
place. Around me were parts of
ladies dresses where they had fallen
from the corpses as they were taken
from the ruins. We went down to
the stage and saw the bunch
lights" and where the fire had start
ed. Then the officer took us to a
sort of balcony and showed us a
plush settee upon which was found
little boys body and there on the
bright red plush was to be seen the
figure of the little fellows leg and
foot as he lay upon his side and
breathed his last on earth, and his
spirit took it's flight to it's heavenly
home. No tongue can describe the
feeling of awe as one stands in this
death-house and realizes from these
evidences around him, to some ex-
tent at least, the horrors of that
awful hour, when hundreds of peo-
pie were hurried out Of this life and
yet with only a half inch Of steel
doors between them and safety.
Leaving Chicago at seven in the
evening, saw little more until the
next morning l found we were we'll
down into Kentucky and no snow
to be seen, as we moved on into
Tennessee we came to where the
farmers are beginning their spring
work-plowing, etc. We hurried
through Nashville, Tennessee, and
Birmingham, Ala, to Montgomery,
Ala, my first stopping place, ar
irving there about twenty-four hours
after leaving Chicago. The day af-
ter my arrival here called on
Pres. w. B. Patterson, head of the
state co1ored Normal school here,
to whom had references. The
balance of that day and the next
were spent mostly with Mr.. Patter-
son in going through his schools
where over a thousand colored stu
dents are enrolled, and in driving
about the city.
Montgomery is one of the finest
cities in this part Of the south, hav-
ing a fine state house and many ele-
giant homes and substantial bust
ness houses and large number of
factories. Here, as may be expect
ed, we see the negro in every phase
of his life. The first day here /
called upon a negro truck gardener
and farmer who is now worth $780,
900. This same man was owned as
slave in the city before the enamel