The Cairo bulletin., 1905-01-31

and in 1862, when very young, he
entered the navy as wardroom stew
ard on the Clara Dalson, a receiving
ship which was then lying at Cairo
He served a year on the ship. and
since then has spent his life at Cairo
and East st. Louis.
Says RE Is Poor.
Several years ago Scott was a well
known character at Cairo. For a
/ long time he conducted one of the
largest negro gaming houses in the
country. In connection he had a bic
saloon and boarding house and made
considerable money, He invested
largely in Cairo property and real es
tate. Some of that property remain
in his possession. but he says he is
poor now, and is without sufficient
cash IA keep up his rented houses.
1t was at Cairo that Scot became
Democrat His change of politics
offers no interesting fate.
AT times" said Scott today. y
was called upon to furnish large
| bonds, often amounts as large as So
900 and s. 600. My work for the Re
publicans Identified me with Repub-
lican leaders. who professel friend
ship for me. and naturally these were
the men ] sought as bondsmen. First
i one would fell me he bad promised
Ibis wife that he would not sign +
bond; then another would say that hi
and his partner had agreed not to q
upon a bond for anyone. Usually il
was suggested to me that try thi
man or that man. and nearly always
the man suggested was Democrat.
once, when | was up against II
| went TO Capt Halliday. Certainly
he said when ! explained what ]
wanted After that it was always
Hello, Bill-what you got there?
Well, let me see it; and get me thai
! pen over there
Becomes a Democrat.
1T told on me and before long
got to working for the Democrats ir
local matters, and was something
of a power at that time, too. own
ed the first colored newspaper in the
United States and ii was influential
That was the Cairo Gazette, estab-
lished in 1882, and | have been pub
fishing newspaper ever since. For
long time | had the Cairo city print
| ing. and with my other things that
was remunerative and added consid
esable money to the small fortune
! was then amassing. For the past
(, four years. have been the editor OF
the East ST. Louis Leader"
At this point in his tale, Scott
proudly produced a copy of the Lead
er, dated November. 1904 He talked
about the patent inside and called az
tention to the fact that three of the
eight pages were "all set matter"
Now Sc years old, Scot refers with
pride TO his long membership in ne
/ gro secret societies, many of which
he helped to organize He is a past
grand master of the negro Masonic
fraternity in Illinois and is thirty
third degree Mason, having passed
the Scottish rite. and is Shriner. He
Is also a past grand master of the
lnegro Odd Fellows Of Illinois and q
past International vice grand mentel
Of the Order of Tabor.
His Democratic Record.
In talking with Scot ii is hard t.
determine whether his greater pride
lies in his long affiliation with negro
societies or in his political career
He was the first chairman of the Ne
gro Democratic league that conven
cd al indianapolis. Ind, in 1888
Among other negro leaders presen
1T that time he mentioned the names
Of ]. Milton Turner of ST. Louis, Pet
er II Mack of Cincinnati, o., and 7
E. Fortune. nov the editor Of the Ne
gro Age, published in New York City
For eight years Scott served as pre-
ident of the league. L. E. Mannini
succeeded him and served foh
years. and George Taylor succeeds
, Manning. Taylor was the last pres
LIANT. being elected at Kansas City
j little more than four years ago an
m Tho late cauanairyu the lcagtlp BIZ