The broad ax., 1915-11-20

pen in hand to write to you last week
to inform you of my health, was in
Roanoke, Va, just returning from the
meeting of the Organization Society in
Petersburg, Va, and I stopped over
and spent Sunday with Rev. ]. b.
Burks, pastor of the High Street Bap-
fist church, a man of ability and man
of thought.
DR.. Burks has been complaining for
a long time, but is keeping up. He
walks 10 miles every morning before
breakfast, and is doing other things
to get back his health. 1 hope that
they will be successful for he is Just
one good man, but then L find good
men pass out also. He has erected
one Of the finest churches in Virginia
owned by our people. His church has
decided to give him rest, and it is
hoped that his health will get better.
Being a stranger in that section of
the country, and meeting the preacher,
he thought it would be a good thing to
have me talk little for them, and I
thought so too, so L just tried my
hand and the people just listened to
me. Whether 1 said anything or not
they listened until I was through talk
ing. Before going into the main serv-
ice they have a choir room in which
meets the choir, deacons and pastor,
where they sing, read scripture and
have prayer before going into the main
service. I enjoyed seeing this. Miss
Bessie B. Oliver was the organist, and
she is young woman who is up on
music. She belongs to one of the
first families in the town, and then
they have spent money in preparing
her for work and for service. She is
connected with an insurance company.
They have a lovely home.
Among the business men met were:
Green Penn, a man who has saved his
money and invested it wisely, and Mr..
Pierce, of the hotel. 1 would like to
have the pleasure of telling you about
some more of them, but as have so
much will not be able to do so. You
will pardon me.
After spending Sunday in the city,
Monday morning at O'Clock 1 was
out of bed and headed for another
part of the world. 1 took my place
in my own car or the end of the car
set apart for my people. There is no
particular incident connected with the
ride hence there is nothing to say. In
Bristol, Va.-Tenn., I had to change, and
R. E. Clay, met me at the stable with
a big lunch. This was a nice thing
and believe me 1 certainly did enjoy
it. 1 got on the outside of all this
good eating, and then found my way
toward the stable to start for this
place. The wagon pulled up, and this
time 1 got on, taking the lower berth
that is to say that there was a long
seat and I got on it and stretched
way out and slept all the way to Knox
vile, Tenn. At this place 1 met Editor
w. L. Porter, of the East Tennessee
News, and he treated me just like 1
was a full 1edged newspaper man.
am going to stick to this writing bust
ness little longer.
I spent about two hours in Knox
vile, and then put out on the l.. q n,
for Atlanta, but 1 did not go into
Atlanta, but got off the wagon at Car
tersville, Ga, where 1 waited for the
night wagon for Nashville. Sitting
around waiting I went to the A. M. Z.
Church and found women sitting
around q table with a dish of fish and
some bread on it. They were having
a church supper and each member was
around the table selling fish so that
there was but little space left for the
purchaser. I bought my fish just the
same.
I then went over to the Baptist
church and found the same thing going
on over there. The people just looked
and looked at me. They did not know
who it was or what it was, but I did
not put them next. Going down to
the wagon, got in the wrong room,
and it was almost like getting in the
wrong house. "Look here "Nigger"
you get out of here d-n quick or
will send your soul to where it will
burn forever" came the words from
a little White man.
"I thought I was in that place al
ready" replied, and he looked bust
ness. BE pulled his little smoke