Oakland sunshine., 1915-09-18
N. A. A. c. p. PRESENTS LOVING
CUP.

northern Cal1tOrnla DrdHCn Oh the IN.
A. A. c. p, met at the residence OF
Mrs. Tobe Williams on Chestnut
street to pay farewell respects to Mr..
Christopher G. Ruess, former presi-
dent of the Branch, who will leave
Oakland for the interior Of the State,
to engage in other duties. Mr.. Ruess
has geen a most potent factor in the
life of the organization in trying to
create a healthy sentiment in favor
OF fair play for the Colored American.
When the great fight was on fol-
lowing the bill introduced in the
House by Representative AnsWell OF
Louisiana, providing for the segrega-
ton Of white and black governmental
clerks under the Civil Service, it was
Mr.. Ruess whose personal direction
in the matter caused the recognized
activity of the Northern California
Branch. Mr. Ruess notified members
of the Executive Committee to meet
at his residence and thereupon advised
a method of procedure which caused
the National body to take cognizance
Of. He has approached business and
professional men of Oakland, Alamo
da and Berkeley on behalf of this
great humanitarian movement and up
pom the files of this organization are
letters in reply, not alone to our rep
resentatives in Congress but from per-
sonal friends Of his such as John +.
Holmes and John Millholland of New
York
These are items Of concern to us
that were never brought before the
Association, showing that he was in
terested in a cause which needed assls-
tance with no desire for comment. He
has met the Executive Board from
time to time, offering suggestions IN
many issues which concerned the
Colored people to which we were
either not alive or sorroWfully lnd1t-
ferent. The 100 letters sent by the
Branch to candidates for the Leg1s-
lature asking them for an expression
as to their attitude in favor of justice
and fair play for the Colored Ameri-
can in the State of California, were at
the suggestion of Mr.. Ruess.
The Executive Committee of the
Board felt that it would be expressing
the sentiment Of the entire Colored
populace Of Northern California I'M
showing substantially Our appreciation
of the man who in his active life ex-
emplifes the lines of Walter Foss:
Il would not sit in the scorners 5,
seat nor hurl the cynics ban
But I'd live in my house by the side
of the road
And be friend to man"
So this was the evening selected to|
present to Mr. Ruess silver loving'
cup, inscribed Presented to Christie
pher Ruess by the Northern Califor-
MIA Branch of the n. A. A. {. T.
The president, Mr.. W. A. Butler, in
his Introductory address wisely
brought out the thought that Life is
short of blossoming, and he realized
that we must garner while we can and
this great movement which is but the
clamor for human liberty and human
rights had appealed to him as no
other had.
The members Of the Committee who
responded with expressions of appre-
ciation were Rev. David R. Wallace,
Mr.. T. M. Jackson, S. F.; Miss Char
lotte Anita Whitney, Miss Suplee and
mother, of Berkeley; Miss Eva Jones,
Mrs. Chas. Tilghman, Mrs. E. Brown,
Mrs L. Gilbert, Mrs. Tobe Williams,
Attorney Fowler, Mr.. Leonard Rich
ardson, Mrs. H. E. DeHart.
After an instrumental selection the
President, with appropriate remarks,
presented to Mr. Ruess the loving
cup. Mr.. Ruess was moved by this
touching tribute OF esteem and his
response was worth the hour Of atten-
ton
Mrs. A. Craig, Mrs. Mabel Burns,
Mrs. Breedan, Messrs. Wagner and
Calhoun, assisted the hostess in max
ing this the one event of the season.
The delicious and bountiful collation.
was in keeping with the spirit of hos
pitality for which the Williams home
is noted.
MRS. DEHART,
President.