davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05
Propose Lynching to End
Move to White Section

DAYTON, Ohio. (PNS)-A lynch
ing bee and mob violence were pro-
posed in a mass meeting here held
by white residents to organize
against what they called the en-
croachment Of colored folk in their
territory Friday.
The meeting was outlined by its
chairman as formed to hold the
white boundary lines which they had
established. 1t also developed that
all but few building loan assJcia-
tions had agreed to re.a-e to loan
money on property bought by col
ored people.
One Of the speakers declared that
Negroes who bought property in the
white residential areas should be
shot. Others yelled to "horse whip
the hide off 'em."
"If few niggers, get a good,
sound beating they will know their
places"
In the gathering were whites re-
garded as pillars of the church and
respected citizens.
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05
BY II. Il. Meneken

Most of the educated Negroes of
my acquaintance seem to be con-
vinced that attentions now being
lavished upon their race in New
York represent only transient fad /,
and that in a short time the colored
lion will be out in the cold again
I doubt it. The plain fact is that
New York, or, at all events, Man
hattan--has gotten to be so cosmopol-
itan a town that all its old social
distinction and prejudices are in de-
cay and can never be revived. There
Is no longer any formal Society
there in the usual American sense.
Any one who is presentable may go
anywhere. Some of tho current
Afroamerican pets are highly pre-
sentable ;others are surely not. Tie
latter, no doubt, will soon return to
the Harlem whence they came, but
the former will survive.
The New York of today, indeed,
is far too worldly wise to accord
much authority to caste artificialf-
ties 1t long ago admitted and EN-
braced the Jews, and so far as /
have been able to observe, 1t suffers
from no regrets. In all circles, high
or low, the Jews who get in are
among the most amusing people to
be encountered. They lack alto
gether the dull conventionality of
the so-called Anglo-Saxon. They do
not take life too seriously, and now
that the old bars against them are
down, they have ceased even to take
themselves seriously Their presence
in large numbers helps to make
New York the most diverting of all
American cities. It is noisy, bla-
tant and uncomfortable, but it is
certainly not a bore.
The colored brethren, now that
they go everywhere, add great
deal to its charm. They turn cut.
in the main. TO be dignified, WELL
hammered and amusing fellows, and
not at all over-impressed by their
new triumphs. Their wives. in many
cases, are very good looking. Male
or female, they seem TO say, Take
us or leave u.s., at the same time
favoring one another with Wise
winks behind the door. My belief
is that New York having taken them
in will be very loath to lose them.
True enough, those admitted con-
stitute only small minority OF
their race. But that fact Is OF no
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05
Kelly Miller Says Negro Should Command
Trucking Industry Of the Pacific Coast

I the legislature finally, though re-
luctantly agreed to rescind these dead
letters OF the law which the Four.
teenth Amendment made inopera.
tive. A people who sleep on their
rights will have the same ignored
or overridden.
No Separate Schools, No Negro
Teachers
There are no separate schools in
the two states, although a mining
company from the South sought to
establish such in their concessionary
area. But here again the vigilance
of the Negro peoples frustrated the
practice, even in Oregon.
l could not learn that there is a
single Negro teacher in the public
schools of the two states. This,
however, is the fault of the colored
people themselves. The colored
girls do not qualify under the law.
In one instance at least colored
graduate of the State University
was offered work in the public
schools of Seattle. but preferred ser
vice in another field.
AS illustration of the general good
feeling prevailing in Seattle on my
first visit to the state, l was made
the chief guest of honor at the
weekly dinner of the Chamber of
Commerce of Spokane. A similar
honor was extended at Everett. The
mayor of Seattle met me at the
station and drove me to my stop
ping place in the official machine.
On my recent visit, the mayor, who
by the way, is woman, welcomed
me to the city on the evening OF
my lecture.
l visited the State University and
held an interesting conference with
the dean, who happened to be the
husband Of the affable mayor. But
my wide experience has led me to
.differentiate sharply between such
instances of courtesy and the gen.
eral policy of the community as to
the place of the Negro In the social
scheme.
Negro Contingent Near Zero
Between Portland. Oregon, and
Sacramento, California, there is a
region of seven hundred miles. Dur
ing this long stretch ! did not see a
single Negro except the crews on
the Pullman and Dining cars. San
Francisco and Oakland, and the
region round about constitute the
second part of the Pacific Coast so
far as our people are concerned.
In San Francisco, the Negro con-
tingent Is as near zero as in any
large city in the country. There
are less than five thousand Negroes
in this great metropolis; this gives
the smallest proportion of Negroes
in any great city Of America. They
Continued ON Page 81
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05
BABIES DIE OF
STARVATION In
FLOOD REGION

YAZoo CITY, Miss. Aug. a.
The worst catastrophe that has
grown out of the great flood which
swept the Mississippi Valley region
during April, is taking place here in
the death of many colored babies
from starvation. Nine have died in
the delta section of Yazoo County
and scores of others are on the
verge of death.
Inability of the relief bodies to
see that the deplorable conditions
were looked after has been startling.
A survey made by the American Le-
gion Auxiliary indicates that 104
Negro babies were in starving con-
dition, due to lack of milk.
Appeal has been made to four of
the eountry's largest powdered milk
manufacturers and they have indi-
Gated that they will respond by send
ing milk. Small committees are
working in an effort to relieve the
situation, but ii offers a task that
is almost beyond their ability.
The .-sest -ca,es of starvation are
being reported from the Louise and
Bayland regions. 1t is stated that
Race babies were being fed on mo-
lasses as a substitute for milk which
is almost unobtainable.
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05
The COlored Brother By Mencken Stirs
Colored Brothers And Sisters, Too

significance. II will be time enough
to invite Pullman porters, colored
preachers and witch doctors to din
ner when white Turkish bath rub
bers, orthodox rabbis and chiroprac-
tors are invited.
The acceptance of the educated
Negro socially removes his last
ground for complaint against his
fate in the republic, and leaves him
exposed to the same criteria of iudg-
ment that apply TO everyone else. 1T
will be interesting to see what he
makes OF himself. Hitherto he has
derived very considerable advantages
from the fact that he was an out
cast: 1t seemed marvel IL he made
himself heard of at all. But here
after he will have to produce the
goods or shut up.
So far, IL seems to me, his accom-
plishments have been very modest.
Even in those fields wherein his
opportunities for years past have
been precisely equal to the white
mans, he has done little of solid
value. ] point, for example, to the
field of music. II may be, as they
say, that the Negroes Invented rag
time, and jazz after II, but certainly
1t would be absurd to say that they
have surpassed or even equaled the
whites in writing the new music.
The best jazz of today is not COM
posed Of black men, but by Jews
and l mean best in every sense.
Why did the Negro composers wait
for George Gershwin to do his
Rhapsody in Blue?v Why. indeed.
did they wait for Paul whiteman to
make jazz serious matter?
The spiritual is another musical
form that the Negroes are supposed
to have invented. Passing over its
obvious origin in the Methodist
camp meeting hymn. let us admit
that theory But where is the Ne
gro composer who Is writing spirit
uals today mean good ones? II
he exists he is not heard Of. Ger
tainly there is plenty of opportunity
here-and 1t has been permitted to
go to waste. The spiritual, as Il
comes down to us traditionally,
could be considerably improved. It
might be developed into something
resembling cantata. II might be
given instrumental support But no
Negro composer has ever made any
Continued on Page a
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05
Dining Car Walters
to Buy Farm Produce

WASHINGTON, ID. C. - Cooks
and walters of the Southern Railway
may resume the nearly 40 year prac-
tiee of bringing home fresh eggs,
chickens and country produce pur-
chased in the country along the route
as a result of conference of rail-
way company managers of dining
cars, w. F. Kusch, white, and Rienzi
B. Lemus, grand president of the
Brotherhood of Dining Car En-
ployees.
A month ago an order was issued
forbidding the practice. 1t worked
undue hardship on the employees
and added to their cost of living
without material or other advantage
to the railroad. The order affected
stewards, cooks, walters, and the
brothefheSd's representative also re-
stored the privilege to the dining car
stewards.
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05
INDIANAPOLISIS
SCENE OF new
BOMBING SCARE

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Aug. L.
What is believed to be the workings
of residential protective league" in
an effort to intimidate colored
family which recently moved north
OF 29th street on Indianapolis ave-
nue., occurred early Sunday morning
when vandals hurled bomb from
an automobile to the home of Will
liam Goodwin. city fireman. II
caused little damage, however, be-
cause 1t was only partially explod-
ed. The deep thud on the front
porch awakened Goodwin Immediate
ly and upon Investigation found the
smoking remnant. The police alarm
was sounded and three detective
squads rushed to the scene, but
were unable to apprehend the bomb
ers.
The police were of the opinion
that the act was the work of men
who were not familiar with the work
which they set out to do. This cen
elusion was arrived at when the Inn
provised bomb was examined. 1t
was made of two inch gas pipe
about six inches in length.
A further investigation on the
part of the police department re-
vealed that Lorenz Schmidt, former
owner of the building, had been in
terviewed by several members of
the soscaiied 7"White Peoples Pros.
tective Association, whose primary
motive for being was to take an
oath not to sell any of the property
in that block to colored people.
Mr. Escol, the former owner also
stated that he received many letters,
containing everything from threats
TO entreaties not to sell his property
to "undesirables. The daily press
is said to have made fun of the
whole incident by attempting to
create the impression that some spe-
cial enemy tried to harm the Good
win family.
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05
TWO ARRESTED
In ALABA M A
X. P. SCANDAL


BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Aug. Am
other chapter of the Alabama X. of
p. Lodge alleged shortage of $55, 900
was written Wednesday when fol-
lowing Grand Jury indictments,
Grand Chancellor X. A. Blount and
Grand Treasurer Dr. U. G. King
were arrested, charged with embez-
element and placed under $4,000
bond.
AT the time that the Grand Jury
was voting. to indict Blount and
King last Friday. they were being
reelected to their positions in the
order at the meeting of the State
Grand Lodge in Bessemer
Besides wholesale charges of cor
ruption additional irregularities are
being booked against the grand Of
ficers, and the indictments are ex-
pected to bring to a head the four
year fight for a detailed accounting
of the funds of the organization.
In petition, filed in the chan
cery court last week the states at
torney general on advice of the
states financial examiners asked
that receiver be appointed for the
grand lodge of the Knights of Py-
thias of Alabama.
Charges of corruption and fraud
were made against officials of the
endowment department of the order
IL was disclosed that state examin-
ers had been at work on the books
of the lodge since last year. In
their report they stated that corrup-
ticn had marked the ADMINISTRATORS
affairs in the state for several years.
Officials of the order will be
closely questioned by the state Off
cials as to why 500 was deducted
from the organizations funds for
moving Of buildings from lots pur-
chased by the Pythians, when the
buildings were sold and removed
by their purchasers Blount will
also be asked why thee "loan" of
$4,000 advanced him by the order
was never repaid into the treasury.
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05
HARLEM PASTOR
FLAYS MENCKEN
In Sc R M 0 N

NEW YORK, Aug. 1-Declaring
that III. l.. Mencken is probably peev-
ed over the presence of Negroes In
New York social circles. and could
not hide the cloven foot. the Rev.
John w. Robinson, pastor of ST.
Marks M. E. Church, took the editor
of the American Mercury severely
to task for his recent attack on
preachers, in his sermon. Sunday.
Taking as his text, "T will smite
the Shepherd and the sheep will
be scattered abroad" the Rev. Mr..
Johnson challenged Mencken to show
that the Negro preacher "had led
the race since the war and made a
botch of IL" as he stated in his wide
ly syndieated article.
Has not, he said, the race made
most praiseworthy and commend
able progress in these few years of
freedom? They have reduced their
illiteracy to 26.5 per cent. Their
sons and daughters graduate in our
most exacting colleges, receiving not
only its degrees, but winning medals
and scholarships.
They are buying beautiful homes
in the choicest sections of the best
communities. Their farms are titled
and their crops marketed. Their me-
chanies and artisans are industrious
and frugal. Their poets, musicians
and composers begin to rank with
the best. Their churches, even those
they build, are among the best in
the community and reveal COM
prehension of a modern program.
Dr. Robinson sail:
81 wonder il Mr.. Mencken is very
peeved over the presence of Negroes
in New York's social circles. II is
passing strange that he should use
the realm of the Negro in business,
in which field we have not yet ac-
much, as productive of a
leadership that shall eclipse the in
fluence of the colored pastor. When
that day shall come such men will
be knocking the Negro business
mans leadership. With no word of
praise for Negro poets or composers,
Mr.. Mencken takes a dastardly fling
at the colored pastor He could not
hide his cloyen foot"
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05

An injunction obtained by the
Benevolent and PROTECTIVE Order of
Elks, white, against the Improved
Benevolent and Protective Order OF
Elks of the World July 90, 1908,
was temporarily suspended last Fri
day by Supreme Court Justice Geo.
II. Taylor to enable the convention
to be held in New York City.
Justice Taylor reserved decision
on the motion TO vacate the injunc-
tion. He said that he would i'm
mediately get in touch with Supreme
Court Justice Joseph Morschauser,
who granted the injunction, and
would probably pass upon the uues-
ton OF vacating the Injunction en-
tirely this week.
Legal Bar
The existence of this Injunction
was regarded by j. Finley Wilson,
Grand Exalted Ruler of the Improy-
ed Benevolent and Protective order
of Elks, as legal bar to the hold
ing OF the annual convention in
New York City.
IL restrained the colored Elks
from using a name so closely re-
9SHpiihb tudt VI tue Wnlte ElkS as
to be calculated to mislead and de-
ceive the public and persons having
transactions with either oreaniza-
tion.
The motion 10 vacate the injunc-
tion was made by Imperial, Manhat-
tan and Monarch lodges of New
York City, which will entertain the
convention. Grand Exalted Ruler
Wilson and Perry w. Howard, Grand
Legal Advisor. representing the
grand lodge. Joined with them in an
effort to have the injunction vacat-
ed. Justice Taylor issned a rule upon
the white Elks to show cause why
the injunction should not be va
Gated.
Whites Policy Moderated
The white Elks offered no oppose
tion. The officers OF the Benevo-
lent and Protective Order OF Elks
would not permit their attorneys to
sign consent decree dissolvlng the
injunction, but sept letter in which
they stated that their policy toward
the eolored organization had been
..
William T. Phillips, secretary of
white Elk's lodge in New York testi-
fled that he knew of no reason why
the Injunction should not be va
Gated.
CONTINUED on Page 81
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05
"Ji111 CrOzv" In Il. S. Pension Office
New Cabins Built for
Mississippi Refugees

JACKSONVILLE, Miss. (ANP)-
This city has been selected as one of
the distribution points for the 5000
or more new houses to be supplied
by the Red Cross in the flood dis
triet. Many houses were swept
away, leaving only chimneys to mark
their sites as the average cabin has
no foundation.
The majority of the cabins will
be needed in Arkansas, Louisiana
and Mississippi, while again Negroes
who are the ones chiefly homeless
will be the principal beneficiaries.
Large forces of workmen with der
ricks, trucks, jacks and building ma
chinery are operating in the district
repairing houses which were dam
aged or swept from their accus-
toned site.
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05
BY Kelly Miller
Enterprise Correspondent

NEnteTpr1Se correspondent
I spent two weeks on the Pacific
slope extending from Seattle to San
Diego. My observations cover a suf-
ficiently wide scope to make book
I can only set down fragmentary
incidents in this brief release. At
tention will be confined to the Ne
gro contingent.
So far as the colored people are
concerned, the Pacific Coast like all
Gaul, may be divided into three
parts. In the Northern division, we
find them in Seattle. Everett, Ia
coma and Portland. There are none
worth mentioning on the farms.
They are engaged in the ten finger
ed industry, mainly OF the menial
type. There is little or no indica-
tion in the direction of self-proprie-
torship. The numbers are relative
ly small so that they do not consti-
tute factor which the. business
world is compeMed TO reckon with.
There is little or no attempt at
residential segregation. The race is
so thinly scattered throughout the
whole population that they cannot
easily get together for any concerted
enterprise either of business or So
cial improvements. And yet race
prejudice in its generic character
operates the same here as else
where. The race forms a separate
social unity, the same as in Missis-
sippi or Massachusetts. Negro
churches. hotels, barbershops and
eating houses abound. However
few Negroes there may be in a com-
munity they must worship in their
own churches and shave in their
own barbershops. If there we're
only one Negro in a town, as ! ac-
tually found on one occasion, he
would have to shave himself and
cut his own hair.
Race Prejudice In Oregon
II is interesting to note the differ
ence in attitude of the whites of
Washington and those of Oregon
touching the political and civil
rights OF the Negro. In Washing
ton there is no question on this
score. On the other hand Oregon
carried on It's statute books the rae
ial distinctions of 1910, down to this
very year Of grace.
Il was during the week of my
visit to the state that the legislature
eliminated the absolute provision
denying Negroes, mulattoes and
Cinnamon the right to own property
or 10 vote in any election. There
is still a strong sentiment TO this
effect as evidenced by the fact that
a third OF the voters still insisted in
retaining these disabilities.
II might be said that II was upon
the insistence of colored leaders that
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05
Servants Decrease
Only One Per Cent

WASHINGTON, ID. C.-That the
race group is maintaining its aver
age in domestic service is revealed
by report recently released by the
United States bureau of labor sta
tistics.
According to this report those
working in domestic service de-
creased less than 1 per cent during
the period from 1900 to 1920; dur
ing this same period the native white
domestics decreased from 80 per cent
to II per cent; native whites of for
eign parentage, from 80 per cent to
16 per cent, and foreign-born whites,
from SO to 35 per cent.
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05

Four colored examiners on July 29
were removed from the floor on
which they had official contact with
white examiners. The men removed
are Rev. Wallace McCary, E. L..
Webster. Pierre Albert. an attorney,
and Examiner Coombs. Fer more
than 80 years they have served as
examiners of pension claims. They
are the remains of an examining
force which at one time included
more than 25 colored examiners, all
Of whom were rated as experts.
Those immediately responsible for
the segregation of tbnae employees
are section chief ]. of an
examining d 81 -sott,
commits me ~. w.
Morgan, deputy commissioner of pen
sions.
Late reports indicate that segre-
cation may be put into force thru
out the entire Interior Department,
including the General Land Office,
which has a large Negro force of
clerks, typists and examiners, in-
Guiding such veterans in the Gov
ernment service as l.. M. Hershaw,
M. Cohran, David Utz, DIR. Arthur b.
Curtis. Preston Harris and others
who have been in the Federal en-
ploy for many years.
DR.. Hubert Work, Secretary of the
Interior, who is regarded as one of
the broadest men in the Presidents
cabinet on the race question, is out
OF the city and II could not be learn
ed whether the. segregation institut-
ed in the Pension Bureau has his
approval.
I'm all my yeayx af service with
the Government, this Is the greatest
humiliation have ever suffered"
an aged colored pension examiner
declared when segregation was put
into effect in the Pension Bureau
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05
browns in Lake

PORTLAND. = Luther Wright,
about 35, was drowned late Wednes-
day while swimming at Crystal Lake
Park. He had gone to the park early
in the day to attend a Sunday school
picnic.
After being pulled from the water,
he was. taken to the Sellwood hos
pital where attendants summoned a
pulmotor All attempts TO resusci-
tate him proved futile. Mr.. Wright
was employed as a dining car waiter
by the Union Pacific Railroad Com
pany. His address had not been
learned. The body was turned over to
the coroner.
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05
Negro Jew Representative

NEW Y0RK.-When tho doors of
Emanuel Temple, Jewish house Of
worship for GO years, were closed for
the last time Saturday, among those
present was Rabbi Jacques Faitlo-
witch, in charge of the spiritual well
fare of the Fasha, or race Jews in
Abyssinia. The structure, which is
on the corner of Fifth Avenue and
d3rd Street, will give way to q mod
ern office building. ti
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05
Woodmen in Washington

WASHINGTON ID. C.-Hundreds
of delegates are in attendance at the
district convention and encampment
Of American Woodmen which opened
here Monday. The meeting includes
districts in the eastern and midwest-
ern states. 1t win close Saturday.
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05
New Potato King

MUSKOGEE, Okla. - George
Doakes, Oklahoma. potato king, bid
fair to break his potato sales record
of 1926 this year. The Muskogee
county farmer, who sold II carloads
of potatoes last year for $4,000, Is
already several carloads ahead Of his
record this year.
The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-08-05
Porter's Stumble May
- Cost Road SIS, ,00C

Los ANGELES, Cal.---Charging
that a porter stumbled against her,
knocking her down and causing in
juries, Mrs. Cynthia J. Reed, "a,
white, filed suit in the district court
against the Santa Fe railroad, asking
for $4,000 damages.