The Washington bee., 1909-09-04
City Metropolis

Louisville, KY, August 23.-FlVe
hundred men and women, typifying
the beauty, culture, manhood and
substance of the race, sat down to
an elaborate banquet last Friday
evening at spacious Liederlranz Hall,
9th and Walnut streets, given by the
local Bushes League in honor of DR..
Booker T. Washington and the visit
ing delegates to the National Negro
Business League.
1t was, by far, the most notable
function of its kind ever given by
the colored people in the City of
Louisville, and marked the high
water mark in their social life.
Liederkranz Hall is specially
adapted to large affairs, and the
beauty and taste displayed in the dec
orations, the smooth dancing floor
and the elegant setting of the ban
quet room all attracted widespread
attention and evoked many sincere
compliments. This was the first time
the hall has been opened to our race
for an occasion of this kind, and the
liberality of the managers in thus
extending, al welcome to the stranger
within the Falls City's gates we
warmly commend.
The grand march was led by DR..
and Mrs. Booker T. Washington,
Professor and Mrs. w. H. Steward
and Mr.. and Mrs J. c Napier, and
the scene presented as the elegantly
gowned and flower graced ladies and
gallant gentlemen repaired to the
banquet room. was one like unto a
leaf taken from the arabian
Nights. ." 1t was a picture of daz-
zling splendor and evidenced the re
markable progress of the Negro in
the artistic, the ethical and idealistic
world
The toast master was DR.. ]. A c.
baltimore, the capable and entrgetic
chairman of the committee that made
the banquet such a monumental sue
cess. His introductions were models
of tasteful rhetoric, quiet wit and
polished humor, acquitting himself
throughout with a distinction that
amply vindicated the wisdom OF
those who selected him for this re-
sponsible task. The speakers and the
sentiments to which they responded
were as follows:
Mr.. F. d. Patterson, of Ohio, "The
Spirit of the Negro Business Man :"
Rev. Robert E. Jones, of Louisiana,
Editor of the Southwestern Christian
Advocate, Optimism in the Race
Situation;" Mrs. Edwina Kennedy
Thomas, of Louisville, Kentucky,
'The Negro Business Woman" Mr..
| ]. E. Bush, of Arkansas, "Our
ladies'" Mr.. Emmett ]. Scott, of
Tueskegee, Alabama, "The Press"
Miss Irene L. Moorman, of Brooklyn,
New York, "The Woman in the FL
nanciai World" Mr.. Jesse Binga, of
Chicago, "The Negro Banker" Rev.
E. P. Jones, of Mississippi, "The
Sunny Side of Lodge Life" Mrs. J.
c. Napier, "The Home Life of Our
Women" The closing toast was de
livered by DR.. Booker T. Washing
ton, whose subject was louisville"
President Washington praised the
city from every viewpoint, lauding its
public spirited citizens, its fine
schools, churches and prosperous
business enterprises, and noted with
no small degree of interest that prob
ably 90 per cent of every visiting
man, woman and child he had met
here had either been born in Ken
lucky, had secured a life partner in
the "Blue Grass State" or was in
some vital relation identified with the
people OF Kentucky. Kentuckians,
he said, stand together no matter
where they may later on make their
homes, and hold family reunions
whenever the opportunity presents
itself Il was to this fact that DR..
Washington attributed the wonderful
success of the Louisville meeting Of
the League, why it had outshone all
other cities in attendance, depth of