Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-10
.COl0RED BABIES DAY.
Inaugurated at Exercises
Held Today.
MANY TOTS PRESENT
FROM THE BY-WAYs OF SOUTH
WASHINGTON.
Embarked on Steamer for Trip Down
the Potomac to Somer-
set Park.

1t was inaugurated this morning, and
hereafter it Is proposed that on each sue
ceeding June 10 the day shall be fittingly
observed. The celebrants today were more
than 1850 colored tots from the byways of
South Washington. Attired In their Sun
day best, they embarked on the staid old
steamboat Jane Mosely at her wharf. foot
of 9th street, at o'clock this morning, and
steamed thirty miles down the Potomac to
Somerset Beach.
This outing for the poor children, mainly
of 1.-The other half" was made possible, 1t
Is said, through the generosity of Mr..
Lewis Jefferson, president of the Somerset
Beach Company, who gave the use OF the
steamer and grounds free to Mrs Sarah
Collins Fernandis and other workers at the
Social Settlement. 118 NJ street southwest,
under whose auspices the excursion was
given.
Mrs. Fernandis had the assistance Of a
corps Of workers today in making the free
outing of the colored babies a success. Ca
diets from the Armstrong Manual Training
School, under the watchful eye of DR.. w. B.
Evans, their princi were on hand in
their neat uniforms and did important work
In handling the great crowd and prevent
ing accidents. The teachers of the colored
public schools, too, were there and rem
dered valuable assistance.
Prominent colored citizens were at the
wharf to bid the wee excursionists god
speed and wish them joyous time. No
table among these were DR.. Greed w.
Childs and Dr. Evans. Mr.. Charles Fred
erick Weller, general secretary Of the As
ISOLATED Charities, who is taking a deep
interest in the work of the Social Settle
ment, was also at the wharf and expressed
his qualification at the success of the UNI
dertaking.
Assembled at Early Hour.
Long before o'clock this morning
groups of colored women with their chill
dren assembled about the home of the So
cial Settlement a modest two-story brick
building at 11S NJ street southwest, and
received free tickets for the excursion for
themselves and their children from MRS;
Fernandis There were children of all
ages, from babies In arms to those OF nj,
teen and sixteen years. Their races ana
hands had been washed and their hair
combed for the occasion. and their cloth
ing was neat and cleanly.
1.-THE condition Of these children, salo
DIR. Evans .'as compared with their APP
pearance, say one year ago. Illustrates pet
ter than pen or brush can the enectlVe
work that is being accomplished at the
Social Settlement by Mrs. Fernandls.
Pointing to a gathering OF chiidren In
spick-and-span white clothing. relieved by
sashes and bows of red and blue, Dr'
Evans added:
THAT is not an essay on philanthropic
work 1t is the real thing. The practlcal
results of loves labor well performed
THE alleys Of South Washington must be
depopulated of their children today" said
another settlement worker. AT least 500
of the little ones are out for good time in
Gods genial sunshine and invtgorating
fresh air. This will be great day In future
years, I predict, for the colOred tots of
Washington and their hard working
mothers."i
The expenses Of the outing down the
Potomac today was borne entirely by
cOterip nf uuhlfc-Snirifed cO10red citizens
who have rallied to the assistance Of Mrs.
Fernandis in her efforts to purify the homes
of the lowly and to plant the seeds of
future good citizenship in the babies of the
slums.
Mrs. Fernandis says the idea for the es-
adjustment here of babies day came from
similar celebration at Hampton, Phoebus
and Newport News, Va, when she was
student at the Hampton Normal School
with Booker Washington. The citizens of
the three towns combined and gave the
beach, the Ice cream and other refresh
ments being furnished gratis by the citi-
zens, while the railroad company gave the
cars without cost.
Games Of ALI Kinds.
The program at Somerset Beach today In
cluded games of all kinds and free lemon
ade and cakes Nearly all the mothers car
ried baskets filled with luncheon to be eaten
on the lawns and beach
The committee from the Armstrong Man.
ual Training School which assisted Mrs.
Fernandis today comprised: Carrie Gray.
Maude Crump Hattie Lewis, Lillian Evans
Joe Evans. Mr.. Baltimore. Mona Saunders,
Edith Castin, Roscoe Vaughan, Mrs. Anna
Evans Mrs L. E. Pendleton Miss M p
Murrell, Geneva Crop, Florence Scott,
Henry Weldon, Samuel Chisholm. Others
were: From the Bell School, L. F. Dyson,
principal; teachers, E. Wilson and l. c.
Plummer; Rosa Brown Of the Willow Tree
AlleV Settlement. 7 q Of no
Garfield School, r. Childs of the Bfrney
School. Miss E. Lewis of the Bowen School,
A. V. Saunders of the Giddings School, Mr.
Philip Williams of the NJ Street High
School. Mrs. L. L. Pendleton. Mrs. c. P
Neill. Miss Lula Love and Miss G. Tibbs,
teachers of physical training, Miss More of
the Social Settlement Kindergarten Normal
School. From the Syphax School, j. E.
Walker principal, and s. E. Jackson, NJ.
v. Watkins, M. E. Janfer, l. S. Contee A.
Pinckney, M. Pinn and Misses billiard and
Thompson, teachers. Ambush School, w.
T. Jackson, principal; L. E. Wilkes A. T.
Brown and E. Madden, teachers
The outing today was preceded last night
by the first annual closing exercises of the
classes and clubs of the Social Settlement
at lis M street southwest, at the Mount Mo-
riah Baptist Church at I'd and N streets
southwest. James E. Walker, principal of
the Syphax School, presided, and speeches
were made by Commissioner H. B. F. Mac
farland and others.
Mrs. Sarah Collins Fernandis the resident
worker of the settlement. had presented for
the inspection of the audience which filed
the church. some specimens of the work at
the settlement. After the invoca ton by
Rev, F. ]. Grimke of the Fifthteenth
Street Presbyterian Church, the children of
the kindergarten gave exercise under
the direction of Miss Lillian Moore Dur
Ing the evening there was a drill by the
Boys Club, directed by Mai. j. NJ Saun-
ders, and a chorus .rendered by the Girls
Club. under the direction of Misses Georgia
Lucas and Carrie Campbell Miss lola
Jefferson rendered a piano solo.
brief but earnest address was made by
Dr. Greed w. Childs of the South Washing
ton Citizens Association. in which he paid
high tribute to Mrs. Fernandis and her
work for humanity. He praised the gen.
crosby of Mr.. Lewis Jefferson in providing
free of expense the steamboat, grounds and
other accessories for today's outing.
Mr.. Charles f. Weller of the Associated
Charities made an appeal for funds for the
settlement and was given a liberal re-
Sponse
Mr.. Mcfarland spoke of the gain which
all sections of the city secure from the
advancement of one section. He complf-
mented the work of the settlement and
praised the children's exercises. The
closing remarks were made by Mr. w.
Bruce Evans, principal of the Armstrong
Mammal Training School