The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-01-08
DRAWING
COLOR LINE
IN SCHOOL
Attempt TO Keep Negro Children
by Themselves Results In
the Burning Of a Building.

Sheffield. Mass. Jan. s.--Thermometers
In the Berkshires have been registering
from II below to S below zero for the
last few days, but i'm tais particular hill
town the excitement OF the row over the
negro school children has kept folks
warm enough. The superintendent OF
schools and the school committee are
determined 10 put the negro children of
IN a school by themselves. and the blacks
are determined not to stay put.
That is the question and this is Berk
SHIRE county. Massachusetts-the old
Bay state. the state OF William Lloyd
Garrison and Wendell Phillips. the home
OF the Anti Slavery society and the main
stay OF the aboitionists OF a half cen
tury ago The town school committee.
with the approval. OF n member OF the
state board Of education. has said that
the negro children must 20 TO one school
and keep away from another. where the
white children go. regardless Of what
the negro parents may wish.
THREE ARRESTS MADE
But all the school officials are denying
account Of color The two oldest ne
sroes here grandfathers OF big broods,
who are fighting the committee, fought
In the civil war as members OF Col.
shavs famous colored regiment. toe
Fifty fourth Massachusetts,. the achieve
ments OF which are recorded on bronze
tablet on Boston common. A negro mefn-
Der of the Massachusetts, legislature has
taken up the fight and has warned the
school committee TO beware OF a color
line.
Three negro parents have already been
arrested and held as the result Of the
school committees activity. and n dozen
pickaninnies backed by their mammies.
have caused Truant Oficer Benjamin a.
Clark more trouble In the last week than
have the last three generations OF hockey
playing white boys.
AS told recently. the trouble took a
sensational turn when the Jim Crow"
school was burned at O'clock In the
morning on Jan. 2. or course the fire
was incendiary. The building was re-
mote from all other structures and there
had been no fire In the school house
stove since the day before Christmas.
After the fire big footprints were found
In the snow crust from the school house
site 10 the road leading to New Guinea.
That Is what the negro settlement on
the snow were not necessary to con-
vince all Sheffield that the frebug was
black man The broad grins I'm New
Guinea whenever the destruction OF the
school house is mentioned seem TO In
dicate the same thing. The state fire
marshal Is coming here in a day or so
TO make an official investigation. There
may be an arrest on n charge more Sc
rious than that OF keeping children away
from the Jim Grow school.
PEOPLE ARE sHIFTLESS.
"The best evidence OF the innocence
Of New Guinea" said F. J. vosberg. lis
that every darky over there Is too lazy
TO get up at o'clock I'm the morning
even 10 burn school house"
Another citizen added:
The only thrifty darkies that are
ever seen In Berkshire county are the
parlor car porters on the express trains
from New York TO Lenox and Pitts
field"
Those two Jokes on the situation are
an accurate indication of the towns
feeling toward the negro hut dwellers.
Superintendent A. j. Collins OF the
school department expressed the same
sentiment In another way, when he said
II have had to do with colored school
children and their parents in four states
but nowhere else have I found them so
dense so squalid and lazy and generally
worthless as they are right here I'm Shelf
field. There are a few exceptions. but
the bulk OF the towns negro population
Is as bad as IL can be. The fathers have |
no trade and their industry Is spas
modic. They work at odd jobs long
enough 10 earn a little money and then |
loaf until IL is all gone