Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-06-25
NEGRO GIRL GETS HER TICKET
Sister Claims One Also. But That IS
Withheld.

East Orange. June 16.-They had
a bad case OF twitters today did the
young folks Of the graduating class
of the last Orange High School.
chiefly in the matter of race war.
They want &c und erstood that the
alleged race war is not and won't
be. To is a race bicker. For her part
Isabel Vandervall. the colored girl
who has had trouble getting a ticket
20 the class dance. says she's going
90 the party and what's more one
doesn't think she's going with an es-
cort OF somebody else's race. does
one2 Not much.
Isabel Vandervau is Il years old
and speaks with force and precision.
She has been an honor student az.
the high school and the young per-
sons who have been in class with her
these four years say they think well
OF her. She has a sister. Irene. who
is bit older. Irene belonged TO the
class which graduated a year ago. but
she had TO drop back into 1910. The
students declare that Isabel has "a
right 10 a ticket but that Irene hasn't
Just why is a matter decided under
the ancient laws and customs of the
East Orange High school.
John Hermann is the chairman
OF the dance committee. He Is the
son OF Edward +. Hermann and lives
az SEQ Park Avenue. He says that
the whole decision. iu SO far as the
specific instance of Irene is concern
ed, lies with him. but that the abb
straCt principle. &c. under which be-
acts is one of the antiques consue-
tudies OF the school and that the
dance committee and the whole class
believe just as he does.
This fuss that's been kicked mp
over Isabel Vandervall." said ne. us
all tommy-rot. The only reason why
she didn't get her ticket TO the dance
at the same time that the others did
is because she didn't show up at the
class meeting on Monday. To she'd
only been there she wouldn't have
Tuesday. but on Wednesday ] went
90 her fathers place OF business and
left the ticket for her there"
Isabels father is James y. Van
derval. a prosperous colored man OF
this place. and ne wears white side
whiskcrs He used 20 be proprietor
OF the Essex Steam Carpet Cleaning
Works. but lately he retired. he
lives al n Ashland Avenue and has
a telephone in his house. 10 was 20
the Office OF the carpet cleaning com.
pany that young Hermann took the
ticket on Wednesday morning.
That same night Nanderval came
around 20 500 Park Avenue and ask.
cd young Hermann why De hadn't
given tickets TO his two daughters.
Hermann said that ne had left AL
ticket for Isabel at the carpet clean.I
ming works that morning and
wouldn't ne please go there afterI
it2 AS for Irene. she was another
matter and couldn't have q ticket
That was certain.
Vandervall went 20 his old office
forthwith and got the ticket. Them
he went home and tried 90 explain
just why 10 was that Isabel got onel
and Irene didn't. Ii was a hard matt
ter. and the daughters didn't UNDER
stand. They thought IL was in con-
of the spirit of the Four-I
teenth and Fifteenth Amendments
and made remarks TO that effect.
John Hermann says no This Is his
explanation: Irene was a member OF
the class which graduated a year
ago. She got all the senior privi-
leges then. She had a ticket 90 the
dance. TO class DAY and 20 gradua-
ton. But she didn't graduate. She
back into our class The COM
mittee believes that anybody who
isn't q real member of our class can q
have senior privileges now. and the
dv-I
it's always done. The committee did
not have any discussion over Irene.
They haven't met ror a week. I de-
cided the matter and the committee
and the class are behind me"
Young Hermann says il would be
just the same with a white person.
He says IL is not matter of concern
10 the class whether Isabel Wander
vail goes 20 the dance or not. She
is a member OF the class and has a
right 70 90 If she wants 20. And un-
der the rules she can invite any young
man she wants to, be he black or
white.
Take il from me-" said he. "the
dance will go on. All the class viii
be there, eighty couples of EN-"
Isabel Vandervall said she expect
ed TO go TO the dance, and why not?
She believed a ticket would be got
from somewhere for Irene. She didn't
know, 10 be sure, where il would
come from, but she thought her IA
Their would manage TO get it. She sup
posed be would go TO see Mr.. Her
mann again. and If he refused. why
il would be too bad. She wasn't sure
what he would do after that, but he
would do something.
Irene is a member Of our class.
said she. ct isn't true what they say.
She didn't get ticket TO the grad
uation dance OF 1909 and she wasn't
invited to class day either. She didn't
have any senior privileges last year,
and it's not right that she shouldn't
have any now"
1t might be, she said. that she her
self mightn't go to the dance IL Irene
conldn't. but IL was so far from now
she couldn't tell. But as to her es-
cort, she had her mind quite made
up. Pm sure of one thing" she said,
land that is that ] won't go with
anybody of their race. Not l."