New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-09-27
AN ECHO OF BROWNSVILLE
Examples of Negro Bravery Among
Idaho Fire Fighters.

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir. Late last week the United states
Forestry Department sent the following let
ter to the officer in command of the 18th
Infantry, which has been fighting fires IN
Idaho:
take great pleasure in reporting. to you
the most excellent and gallant service per
formed by Company G. 10Th InIand{ a =, = sem eI
vice and hearty cooperation with tns = "
estry Department by Second Llsutenan lI
Evan Z. Lewis. The work as whoiS We
most valuable, and. viewing the condltlons
that existed at Avery during the hoIoca,ust.
in retrospect, it is unanimously agreed thdI
the work Of Company any ~a aI,r citizens and
personal property would nave oeen t tt,. ~
vandalism were 1t not for the protective
PVOT One Instance of the fire that stands out
most prominent was at the time the women
and children were loaded on speclaI Tram ram
disaster. Sergeant John James and Fri
Yates Chester Garraud. Wilnam Hosus
Roy Green and Grandwin w. Bright were
stationed on the train TO preseEEe o tc |,
and protect the women and children 10 q
place of safety. gantlet or hrs MaS
run by this train, the heat being OF suCh
intensity that the car windows were e1-
pected to be broken at any time Inese
Soldiers remained faithful at their post on
the exterior of the cars and Weatnerea tLe
storm OF fire. The story OF the nre is re,
pIete with many instances of the troops
faithful and excellent service Inc co
operation of Captain George j. HOGAN Aas
Words are inadequate to express the noSI
efficient service rendered by officers ana
men of Company G, 18th Infantry
Probably few persons who read this mes
sase connected il IN any way with the late
unpIeasantness at Brownsville. Tex There
is nothing in the dispatch TO indicate that
this regiment is composed Of negro troops
and that it is the same regiment against
which Theodore Roosevelt brought the
most serious charges, and of which he dis
missed a battalion from the service without
giving the men q trial. Is not this coinci-
dence characteristics of our treatment or
the negro?
If some poor black outcast had stolen
chicken in South Carolina, the fact would
he heraIded all over the United States, with
mighty headlines announcing his race ana
color. But Just so soon as we have case
of bravery there is not the slightest Whis-
per that the heroes are black men,
Then, too, If there is suspicion Of guilt
on the part Of black men, any black man
that a mob or the President of the United
States can get hold OF is punished, whether
he is guilty or not, and the guilt is spe-
officially and readily fastened on the whole
negro race, but if these same men saved
hundreds of women and children from de-
struction or worse, men are conveniently
dumb, and the nation gets no intimation
either from Theodore Roosevelt or The As
ISOLATED Press that the praise Of these men
is the praise of the whole race.
It. of course, makes little real difference
whether a brave man is black or white, or
whether a criminal is white or black. but If
we are going to publish the color of crtn1i-
nails, why should we forget TO publish the
color Of heroes? W. Z. B. DU BOIS.
New York, Sept. e, 1910