The Denver star., 1917-02-24

Ing time. when the family would be
gathered In the drawing room and Mr..
douglass would take up his violin and
play the sweet Scotch airs Of Bonnie
Mary Of Argyle Within a Mile of
Edinboro' Town. Annie Laurie
Put on Your Bonnets of Blue, Lad
dies etc. He would tell US Of the
good, warm hearted Scotch people and
how they paid for his freedom. For
their goodness to Mr.. Douglass l have
always felt a special regard for the
Scotch people. How often I have
heard Mr.. Douglass quote these famil-
lar lines, and as l would look upon
his 'feecy locks as he would shake his
leonfne head he would seem to be the
embodiment Of the poets thought:
"Fleecy locks and black complexion
Cannot forfeit natures claim.
Skins may differ, but affection
Dwells in white and black the same.
Sometimes between his selections
ON the violin he would tell US of Ole
Bull, the great violinist, with whom
he was intimately acquainted, and Of
Jenny Lind, and Alexandra Dumas,
and Ira Aldridge, all of whom were
his personal friends. Those were rare,
good evenings for q child to be priv
ileged to enjoy.
Loses Wife at Cedar Hill, Washington.
when death invaded that happy
home at Cedar Hill and took that dear,
faithful wife, who had stood by his
side through all the years from his
young manhood until monarchs and
Drpaidents bod doI;Ubto1 70 bonor bino.
she who had cheered and comforted
him, encouraged him when he needed
encouragement; who by her thrift and
economy had enabled him to save a con-
siderable competence; who had lived to
see their children grow up and marry
and their grandchildren to enter their
early teens, it seemed that the prop
and mainstay Of the homestead had
gone. and as l followed her dear re-
mains to Graceland cemetery, even
though a child, l felt my loss deeply
and grieved sincerely.
II fear that coming generations will
not be able to know her true worth.
Because of her modest. retiring dispo-
sition and the complete merging of her
individuality into that of her husband
the unblemished superiority of her
sterling virtues will not be recorded.
ALTHOUGH l still visited Cedar Hill,
1t never seemed quite the same. The
magnolia tree that stands by the south
window of the library, although 1t
bloomed annually. never seemed as
beautiful as it was before her death.
Marshal Of the District of Columbia.
"After having been marshal Of the
District of Columbia Mr.. Douglass was
made recorder of deeds. had al
| ready been employed in that office as
copyist by General George A. Sheri-
man employed in that Office. General
Sheridan in very complimentary
| speech relinquished the office to Mr..
| Douglass, who was the first colored
man TO hold that office. 1t was an ex-
| ceedingly lucrative office at that time,
| being an office of fees. not a salaried
office. There were some years when
| the fees amounted to as much as ST.
600. After it had been occupied sue
cessively by colored men 1t was de-
cided by the government to make it a
| sdlaiISu oihtS. dINA Tic cuAAAy "oS hA
ed at $500.
mfr. Douglass made several changes
| in the personnel of the office and ap-
pointed many young colored men and
women as copyists. as well as a few
whites. Among the appointees were
| William Calvin Chase, editor Of the
Washington Bee; Miss Kate Moten.
Mrs. Rosetta Douglass Sprague, Lewis
! Fl. Douglass. Miss Helen Pitts, who
afterward became Mrs. Douglass, and
/ many others 4 remained for about
three years in the office during 'Mr.
Douglass recordership. studying elo-
i cution during that time. and made my
debut at Marini's hall, Washington.
Mr.. Douglass int oduced me to large,
distinguished audience.
Douglass at Equal Rights Convention.
During the session of the equal
rights convention at Louisville, KY,
Mr.. Douglass introduced me to that
great body of representative men. My
appearance there put me in touch with
the leaders of the race at once. There
was an ambition among some of the
younger men to be made chairman Of
that convention, but the old guard
stood by Mr.. Douglass, and he was
unanimously chosen. l had never be-
fore nor did I ever again see Mr..
Douglass show so much of that old
time fire Of oratory, such as must have
distinguished him during his work for
the abolition OF slavery.
AT Chicago during the Worlds fair
Mr.. Douglass had charge OF the Hal
tian building He gave Paul Laurence
Dunbar. the poet, position there. pay
ing him out of his own pocket. Mr..
Douglass was always helping some
young cofored man or woman OF
genius to attain recognition. He did
1t in an transformations way and as n
matter of course.
Il was in the far west when the