The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1920-05-08
CHAPTER II.

AS related in our last chapter, amid
the enthusiastic goodbyes of a large
number of the representative citizens,
men and women of Memphis our "spe-
cial" left at S:45 p. M, for our next
top-Birmingham, Ala, where after
an uneventful run, we arrived at 700
a. m, Sunday morning and were met
by a large delegation of the leading
business and professional men Of that
city and escorted to the Elk's Rest,
beautiful and commodious hall on one
of the principal thoroughfares of that
city. Birmingham has been termed,
'"The Chicago of the South" and to
an outside observer it lives UP TO its
name. The Colored people are very
progressive and they have some splen-
did business institutions that reflect
credit on the race. We we're par
ticularly pleased to notice the SEEM
ingly splendid and cordial relations
that exist between white and colored
people OF that city and large corpor-
ations there who employ thousands of
our people seem to be putting forth
unusual effort to retain the confidence
of their employees and make them
satisfied with their employment. 1t
is here the great Tennessee Coal and
Iron Corporation is doing remarkable
work for the betterment of the social,
moral, and intellectual development of
their employees of which we shall
speak later.
After being escorted to the Elks
Club where delightful breakfast was
served, we were allowed an hour or
two for our. correspondence and to be-
come acquainted with those Of the
receiving party, after which the mem
bers of the delegation were taken to
various churches over the city where
quite number were called upon to
remark. A larger part of the delega-
ton attended the 10th Street Baptist
Church of which that brilliant and
popular pulpiteer, DR.. A. c. Williams,
is pastor, and heard very able SER
mon by an evangelist of New York
who was conducting a series of meet
ings for Dr. Williams. The Editor
being an old friend of the pastor was
called upon for a few remarks; also
Drs. ]. w. Hurse and c. G. Galloway
took part in the preliminary services,
DR.. Nurse filling the pulpit at this
historic Church at the night services.
In the afternoon the delegation was
the guest of the Elks at their annual
memorial services and witnessed one
of the most beautiful parades we
have ever seen participated in by
more than 100 uniformed Elks head
ed by splendid band of high school
boys. By the way large delegation
of Elks will be in Kansas City at
their National Encampment in July
and we have no hesitancy in saying
that the delegation that excels them
will in the Vernacular have ito go
some" At this service remarks were
made by DR.. d. NJ. Miller, DIR. e. B.
Ramsey, DR.. s. H. Thompson and Mr..
Il. B. Watkins all of whom are men,
bers of the fraternity.
On Monday at 900 A. M. tour OF
inspection of business houses was
made including the famous Pythian
Temple, then a tour of fifty miles in
automobiles was taken through the
Blue Ridge mountains and the beauti-
full properties of the Tennessee Coal
and Iron Co. There was a distinct
revelation in this great tour. The
men were able to see the new condi-
tions of labor standard brought about
by a change in sentiment and the
migration to the North Of so many
hundreds Of thousands of Negroes. 1t
has been very wisely observed that,
in any event, it is necessary to bring
about better living and educational
conditions If 1t is hoped to retain in
the South sufficient number Of
Negroes to perform the necessary Ia
Dor, skilled and unskilled to maintain
. the commercial prestige of the sec
tion. 1t is a. difficult job at least,
in face OF certain conditions known to
exist. but the Tennessee Coal and
Iron Company has made wonder
full step in advance, which is certain