The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-10-26
Cordial
s..
Reception
WAS THAT TENDERED WASH
lNGrON PARTY BY THI,IV-
ING LITTLE TOWN.
Large influence
Welded by best EIenent of Negroes
over White People and Relations
Between tho Races are Cordial In
COrsicana Where First Colored
School Was Erected.

''N'oOl w NS ILIStlCu.
Corsicana, Texas, Oct. 17.-Al-
though it was Sunday when DR..
Booker T. Washington, on his recent
tour through the state of Texas, Wis
tied the little city Of Corsicana, the
whole party met a reception, that for
Wholesomeness and genuine cordial
ity could not be eXcelled in a larger
town. According to the last census,
Corslcana has population Of about
nine thousand, but enthusiastic res
idents place it at about fourteen
thousand. 1t is the centre of the
great cotton market of Central Texas.
and its glory and prosperity is shared
alike by black and white.
Here in Corsicana, are a multi
plicity of examples, such as Dr.. Wash
ington calls the kind worth while.
indicating that kind Of progress that
ne often insists upon as being of the
character most worth while Scores
of instances can be. pointed out right
here where Negroes from very hum
Die beginnings have succeeded in an
admirable way in commercial enter
prises. TO be sure, none of them are
captains of finance, but in their hum
Die way, they have solved the bread
and butter question, have bank ac-
counts, own their own homes, are
good citizens and Il number Of them
are very large tax payers.
rho pO1nrnl
off cotton raising and by working in
the manufacture Of it's Dy-productg,
and large number Of them own
thelr homes. AS in all towns, there
are a few leading colored citizens
who have large influence with the
best element OF white people, and
who are regarded as of the best eIe
ment Of their own people by the
whites. TO a corresponding degree,
they are looked upon by coiored peo-'
pie as the real leaders Of the people.
In his address at Corsicana, Dr..
aSh1ngtOn pointed out, as at some
other places, that in certain callings
IN the South black people were ina
large measure being replaced by the
whites This remark, upon investi-
cation was not found to have particu.,
lar bearing upon the situation at
Corslcana, and especially as II re-.
lates to the barber business. In
Corsicana. it is true that the Negro
BARRIERS hold their own, and here in
this small town, one will find tho
pest paying shops, the most cleanly
and neat In appearance run by Me-
Sroes. or this class there arc three,
one by Robert H. Durham, the other
by Johnson and Mckinney and the
third by w. w. Mckinney.
r. II. Durham, perhaps stands in
the lead. He has been in the busi%
ness for nearly thirty years, land
came TO COrsicana broken down In
health and with the stupendous cap
ltal or eleven dollars. He has
clean, up-to-date business, is regard
ed by the whites as a sober-minded
clear-headed man and by the blacks
rs a leader. Mr.. Durham has a good
~ amount Of real estate, a comforta.
bic nome and is educating hts Child
rem. He was one Of the leaders in
the reception accorded Dr.. Washing
ton and his party. His success. as
well as that Of number of colorei
men in this town show conclusiyely
the folly Of despising the day Of small
things -
IN going the rounds Of the cify
Mr.. Durham calls the attention to
a large number Of men who had be-
! gun on nothing Such, for example.
! IS the case OF S. j. Chestnut, one Of
the largest retail grocers in the city,
who does business that approaches
ten thousand dollars per year. Mr..
Chestnut started in business on $3.50
which he borrowed from his children.
IN novel way he has laid aside five
cents per day for each Of his three
children, and when the amount
reached s 80, this sum was borrowed
from them to 90 into business.
Another man borrowed thirty-fye
dollars from Mr.. Durham with which
TO open Il small eating house. This
man, Henry Smith, now owns and
operates general merchandise store,
a first class restaurant and moving
! picture show, and as money goes
among Colored people, is rated in
pretty good circumstances. 4 young
man and a cripple, Wo0ddie Hall.
started as vender Of popcorn and
| peanuts. lie nov runs grocery
store with good line Of trade, and
has not set given up his popcorn!
After three years in business in
populouS Negro district Norton
Brothers. twO unlettered and uncshoot-
ed men, butmen with a lot Of hard.