The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1909-10-08

On last Tuesday night there was
assembled in the chapel Of Living
stone Hall, of Fisk University, large
congregation made up of students of
the university, the alumni and friends
from the city. The occasion could
well be termed a reminiscence, the
meeting being held as it was one day
previous to the annual Jubilee Day
celebration. Several of the early
graduates Of the university were
present and few of the original Ju-
bilee Singers who made their first
tour in the interest of the institution
in its early days. One among these
was Mrs. Ella Shepherd Moore. Aft
er the opening of the exercises with
devotions Mrs. Moore was introduced
by Rev. Morrow, who was conduct
ing the exercises and she gave an in
teresting account of the struggles
and privations endured by that group
of young Negroes who started out
from Nashville in the early seventies
under the late Prof. George l.. White.
1t was amusing and at the same time
pathetic story to hear her tell of how
the students lived in the first build
ing occupied by Fisk University and
how little they had to subsist upon,
would bring tears to the eyes of any
one, but they were soon wiped away
as the speaker would IN the next few
minutes tell how jovially the Negroes
in those days would take the situa-
tion, and aside from little apparent
obstacles that would in this day re-
tard many from the effort of receiv-
ing an education. Her ghost story
was amusing in deed, and with that
she said that in those days hunger
was no stranger to the students of
that school and that they made sing
ing a speciality, and it was clearly
brought out that had it not been for
the power of song the University
could not have existed. She said the
first singers that left Nashville in the
interest of Fisk University were Sc.
lected from band of thirty and that
as they made their way north they
were called ''Nigger Minstrels." In
the city of Cincinnati they were
scorned on every hand and had no ap
parent success until they reached the
city of New York, but after they had
reached the metropolis of the coun
try their cause soon reached the ears
of the people and what had appeared
to them the darkest night was turned
into one of the brightest days. She
told how the crowds thronged to heal
them sing in the city of New York
and that the first year those humble
singers returned to Nashville with all
OF their travelling expenses paid and
with cash balance on hand of $25,
600. She read letter from a friend
in Holland who is until this day
making inquiries about Fisk Univer
sity and some of the relics given tc
to the Jubilee Singers while in thai
country It is a fact that is not gen
orally known by all of the people that
Jubilee Hall, that magnificent brick
building, standing as an everlasting
monument, was erected from the
funds accumulated from concerts
given by the Jubilee singers. AL
told, they raised $165,00O, $150OOC
of which was put into Jubilee Hall
and $4,000 was given towards the
erection of Livingstone Hall. Every
Negro in America should look with
pride at Jubilee Hall at Fisk
University for it is the result of the
efforts of those earnest, conscientious
Tuhiinn Ginpnrc who wont mt o1oinci