New-York tribune., 1907-10-18
MUST RAISE $500.
Negroes to Pay off MOrtgage or
lose Their Church.

--riess the sura OF $500 IS forthcoming by De-
.sr55er = The Unlon BAPTIST Church, the negro
srrch whose pastor and people have done SO much
- rnrge the c-.! neieNbocnood known as San Juan
t5fI VIII probably be sold satisfy 4 mortgage
isis meeting was held On Wednesday after
-oer n the nome Of Miss Mary y. Shephard No
m West list street, To discuss plans Cor "a ieira .,
.[s money. The pastor OF The church Dr. G II
sre was there. and a number of women attended
sa in one way or another have become interested
!, this negro church. Two Of the latter headed a
rbscriptiCE Ilsr Cor 500 each. II was decided 20
feye rally AT -le church which is at NO ga
west sd street. some time late November or
srI,. in December before the nlortcage comes dr,e
Rocker = Washington viii probably speak at this
r'setinC. on that occasion, or else Il uttle while
T.fore q permanent committee IS 10 be formed the
object Of which viii be 1he bettermelt Of condi-
,i6ns in san Juan Hil-
1t was very small thing TO do: the strange
thing would have been if we had not done il
eai5 Miss Sheppard, when DR.. Sims remarked how
sycouraged he ha5 been by her Offering her home
fo~ the conference when a church is doing the
r-ork the policemen and magistrates ought to be
doing. bUt S1,IS us life becomes matter OF gen
everybody there agreed that the negroes even
,hase Of The worst type, frequently be reached
tv religion. They can he reached in no other vav
~0ur people take 70 religion said Dr. Sims at
wednesday, meeting. IL his soft. negro voice
Tle2 he told 0t one man he had ''jes' picked UP on
-be street This was getting a pTecario,ls
-arfnr ty s-ziuS I'm saloons and dance halls sleep
ing n dooTWa2s much OF the time. and eating none
roo often. "fa had one Of the fines voices yOu ever
bsard" SAID Dr. Sims. I was mos a month get
,ir II him, but al las he consented to come an
sing in the choir. I got him place TO work in a
Hotel over On Fifth avenue; he's chef: they paid
him 50 week. an he was the happiest man YOU
ever saw n les H9din' out what fool I've
been. he say 10 me 'scTapDin' an nghJin' an
lGunsin around. an haIt staTyin' TO death That
man had thought there was nothin else for him TO
90 but TO 81 on pic1in' up few pennies singin'
He's al Atlantic City now, cookin' in hotel. I
got q letter from him 5es' yesterday
II was Dr Sims who broke up one Of the worst
dives in the city Beins unable 10 get evidence
any other way. lie went and lived across the street
from the resort Mos every night somebody Was
sl0t or cut there lie said. Time an time again
We had them IN cot, but they had their friends
and they always got free At las one night I was
lookiu' ON Ct my window, an three men came
ruunin -cf Tie place followed by another man.
This last man shot The three down. one after an
other, an iEeu he fell himself. They'd cut his
throat II TIE GIVE The ambulance came an took
all four 70 Roosevelt Hospital. Then we did get
the place closed It was opened again. an we got
It closed again. an now they don't have it any
no.
There are negro toughs in San Juan Hill an
there are white toughs, an they both have their
friends 10 protect them III the cots an around the
police stations But plenty Of our people that's
triain an bad, Il you get them in the church they
get interested an they mend their ways"
There are eighty thousand negroes on Manhattan
Island there are church accommodations for only
Ten thousand san Juan Hill and HeTs Kitchen.
Just below il. are more thickly populated with ne
groes than any other part Of the city, and they
have more OF the worst negroes Consequently. the
Union Baptist Church IS needed. When Or. Sims
and his people built the church they did so by put
ing three mortgages on the ground and building.
each for SIS 900. II Is the second OF these mort
cages which the holder says must be paid by De-
cembsr Il. Or. Sims finally got him 10 agree,
thougA that II half the amount raised he
would grant extension for the rest Of the sum.
We raised $1,000 at our Ireetin' Sunday befo'
las" Dr.. Sims said at Wednesdays conference.
Las Sunday the people gave $2l1 don know
how much they'll give mex Sunday. / DON know
as they've got any money Ief. I've been gettin'
Worried, he went on II they take into cot,
an sell the buildi, II may get into the hands Of
somebody that dOant think much Of churches.
They might make saloon OF II, or II would make
a handy place for automobiles. So I was gettin'
worried. but when the ladies here called this
meet.n' got a little sunshine in my mind
One Of the women there suggested applying 70
some of the wOmen's clubs which are Interested in
CIVIC betteTmeTt. Another woman CueTied, DO