davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1940-09-13

Minneapolis came over in a body
one evening. Folk dancing and
singing, invitations to dinner in the
homes of new friends, all helped
enliven the time, and make the at
mosphere friendly and natural.
The climax Of the camp came
when, just before the final evalua-
ton meeting, cast Of racial dis
elimination was reported at che
State Fair, then in progress, in
volving the wife of the Mime
apolis chairman of the N.A.A.C.P.
A noon meeting was hurriedly call
ed which carefully planned sur
vey of all the food concessions on
the fair grounds to be carried out
the next day, Friday, August 80,
the last day of camp. Fourteen
persons showed up for the expert
ment, five of them Negroes. Ac-
cording to plan, each time a Negro
asked to be served at a concession,
one or more of his White friends
happened" to be nearby and noted
the attitude and manner of service.
To the great relief of everyone, no
case of discrimination was found.
Mr.. Newman later attributed this
to the protest which the Women's
international League for Peace
and Freedom had made on We'd
nesday to the secretary of the Fair
Board. Word had evidently gone
out to all concessionaires to live
up to the Minnesota civil rights
law requiring that equal service
be given Negroes in all public
places. A letter reporting the find
ings of this survey, commencing
the secretary for his enforcement
of the law, and tactfully suggest
ing it's continuance was sent by
the Women's international League
to the Fair Board and to the Twin
City press in order to "throw the
light of public opinion on the
breaches where our democratic
system has broken down."
One Volunteer Work Camp may
seem a small effort but if it is null
tiplied a hundredfold, as the
Friends Service Committee are con-
templating with their National
Volunteer Service, its spirit can
transform America.
St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1940-09-13
Harris Complains
Of End of Negro
Fire Department

Editor: About one year ago we
had quite a controversy about the
appointment of civil service ap-
pointees to the st. Paul Fire De-
partment or the Police Depart
ment. At that time a certain Citi-
zens Committee, couple of
Negroes who were opposed to what
they called segregation in the de-
partment of public safety" did
splendid" job of convincing" the
proper authorities that Negroes in
St. Paul did not really care to have
Segregated" all Negro Fire De-
partment, but preferred to have
the privilege of working on any
company in the city. That these
Negroes were sincere is fact in
disputable; the fact that they were
misguided, ill-informed, and entire
ly too mandatory in their actions
is now proven certain without
doubt.
While the committee hailed it's
work in the Negro Press as "the
end of segregation in the city fire
department." it naively failed to
give cognizance to the more SIMS
ter, underlying implications, Of its
shallow muddling; namely, the be-
ginning of the end for the Negro
Fire Department.
There are times when segrega-
ton to a racial minority group is
a devilish thing, there are times
when that same segregation is a
boon. We have not yet achieved
Utopia in the world and men still
shape their lives, their ethics, and
their PHILOSOPHERS by and with
their economic status. And so,
when We were able to preserve a
Negro Fire Department by having
white appointees waive their rights
to allow Negro pass over them in
order to fill a vacancy in the col
ored company-the yearly income
OF perhaps $4,000 or $4,000 was
St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1940-09-13
POETIC THOUGHTS
Morris Gibbs, Sr.
CONSUMPTION

Congress is now meditatng
On some CONSUMPTION laws,
To be enacted for our protection
Even tho they may have some
flaws.
Every one has a fair chance
In a democratic way,
To do his patriotic duty
For preparedness isn't accom-
plished in a day.
Other democratic countries
Had compulsory training for
years,
And it stood them in good stead
To overcome a tyrant's fears.
Let advocates against this bill
Be the first to enlist,
And prove all their talk is true
But to this they'd sure resist.
There are DIRECTORS to everything
But that doesn't discourage men
Whose one desire is security
Since the sword seems stronger
than the pen.
St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1940-09-13

camp by well-wishers occasioned
much merriment. A Sunday morn
ing breakfast for the Pacifist Ac-
ton Fellowship helped materially
to reduce the surplus. Some were
"swapped" for oranges at the
nursery school.
Group meditation became a
daily feature Of the morning
schedule and, on the suggestion of
the students themselves, was held
with great solemnity in the baptis-
try behind the church assembly
room. Yoska Brock saw in this
half-hour period the key to the re-
markable spirit of unity prevailing
among the students.
His presence as an exchange
moderate student in the U. S. from
Charles University, Praha, Czecho-
Slovalda, added to the already di-
versifed representation f m
American colleges. The East and
West were represented by Union
Theological Seminary in New York
City and the University of Cali
fornia; the Schools of Religion of
Chicago, Iowa U, Omaha Theologi-
cal Seminary and Manchester Col
lege, each had one representative
while six students were from the
University of Minnesota.
The most important result of
the camp, aside from the physical
work accomplished, was the mutual
growth in understanding of each
others viewpoints and problems
gained by both Whites and Negroes
who came in contact with the camp.
Even the speakers on the carefully
prepared program of open meet
ings two evenings a week gained
much from the intelligent and SYM
pathetic discussion of the subjects
they presented by the audience.
One of them, Mr.. Lathrop Rogers,
who substituted for Mr.. Walter
Ridley on the subject of the
"Negro and Education" remained
to participate as an associate in
the work project and the remain
der of the program. He contributed
uniquely with his informed and
well-balanced mind. Except for
Reverend Roy Burt of Wesley
Church in Minneapolis who dis
cussed the "Place of Non-violence
in Social Reconstruction" all the
speakers were Negroes, and the
problems discussed were those of
an urban, Negro community.
One of the earliest residents, S.
St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1940-09-13

Ed. Hall, traced the coming of the
Negro into Minnesota before and
after the Civil War and the history
Of the Rondo district. Miss Garden
related the activities of the Halle
@. Brown House to the Commun-
ity. Miss Constance Fisher, a case
worker with Family Service, pre-
sented the problems OF family life,
bringing in much information on
unemployment, relief and housing
conditions. Opportunity to see first
hand some of the conditions de-
scribed was also given the students
by trip to the "flats," colony of
''squatters" along the Mississippi
River with whom the House car
ries on project. They spontane-
ously reciprocated- the campers in
terest by later sending up some
workers for the playground pro-
ject.
Negro participation in organized
labor was discussed by Secretary
Boyd of the Sleeping Car Porters,
and President Allsop of the Pack
ing Plant Workers. Another trip
was made to South st. Paul to in
spect working conditions in the
Swift and Cudahy Plants.
Civil Liberties was discussed by
Mr.. Clarence Mitchell, executive
secretary of the Urban League in
st. Paul, while DR.. ]. w. Crump,
physician, showed what opportuni-
ties were open to Negroes in bust
ness and the professions. Mr.. Joe
Albright, a local politician, dis
cussed the Negro and Political Ac-
ton and Mr.. Cecil Newman, edi-
tor of the Minneapolis "Spokes-
man" and the St. Paul Recorder"
showed why there is a need for a
separate Negro press. Throughout
all these discussions the attempt
was made to realistically examine
ourselves, our own attitudes and
prejudices- first step toward i'm
proving the general social attitude.
This program on serious subjects
was interspersed with spontaneous
parties or discussions at the Cen
ter whenever groups of interested
young people came in to see what
the camp was about. The Youth
Group from Wesley Church in
St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1940-09-13

der the Stars and Stripes.
Several months ago while lis
tening to the program of Mime
apolis seed store that claims to
have produced dependable seeds
since 1884," I was surprised to
hear a would-be-comedian refer to
an American of African descent as
a "darky." This embryonic clown
was none other than Clellan Card.
I let the insult go unchallenged
at the time because I felt it must
have been "slip of the tongue" in
view of the fact that intelligent
public men never willfully antag-
onize any section of their audience.
St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1940-09-13


for the disagreeable sound Of the
word segregation" Let US weigh
the differences between a company
of colored men, steadily employed,
receiving substantial incomes, own
ing homes, raising families-and
the agreement reached by the Citi-
zens Committee, whereby Negroes
are assured "no discrimination"
but, strangely enough, also receive
"no jobs"
While the committees agree
ment sounds nice, so far it has
bought "no bread" Whenever a
civil service examination does come
up (Which is seldom enough) there
are six or seven thousand whites to
perhaps 70 or 100 Negroes who
take it. The law of percentages as
sures US that at best no more than
IA or Is Negroes can hope to reach
the eligible list. The pairing down
process can easily be completed by
physical examinations, oral exam
nations, and by whatever other
methods prejudiced authorities
might see fit to use,
While we all realize that group
leaders must have the support of
their followers in their various un-
dertakings, we do not approve of
mandatory, ill-advised and hasty
actions taken by our leaders. The
retirement of Captain H. C. Jones
will be followed by the appoint
ment of another white employee to
our once all Negro department.
This is another step in the gradual
dissolution of that company. There
is perhaps no way now to check this
dying out process, but we can
guard against future blunders of
this kind by taking an increased
interest in our civic affairs.
R. A. Harris,
878 Marion St.,
St. Paul, Minnesota.
Editors Note: Either through laziness
or sheer wish to comfort the facts. Mr..
Harris has failed to give the real picture
of what is wrong with the St. Paul Fire
Department. There is nothing to stop any
Negro from taking a civil service examina-
ton and getting into the department if he
passes high enough.
We do not join with him in advocating
segregation and even if we did it would
be impossible to have it under the present
civil service regulations in St. Paul. Under
the law. anyone who valves an appoint
ment for a position for which he was ex-
amined automatically is dropped from the
that white persons. in these days of great
economic stress, would be so foolish as to
do anything like that.
We have never, and never will advocate
giving Negroes paternalistic kind of
ENTHUSIASTICALLY under civil service.
If Mr.. Harris wishes to correct the situa-
ton in st. Paul he knows, as well as we
do, that the answer Is to have Negroes
take the examination and pass high enough
to be appointed as Walter Coins did.
It might interest Mr.. Harris to know
that Mr.. Coins was twice appointed to the
fire department to work at one of the most
important stations. He did not accept be-
cause he also had passed a postal service
examination and did not want the fire job.
cause the columns of this paper are al
ways open to our readers. Nevertheless we
reserve the right to point out errors made
either Intentionally or unintentionally.
St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1940-09-13
Letters From The People .

RAPS CLELLAN CARD FOR
"DARKY" STORIES
Sept. s, 1910
My dear Mr.. Newman:
Editor: Living within the range
Of Twin City radio stations are
hundreds Of Negro families, who,
being American citizens of many
generations standing, live and act
much the same as do other Ameri-
can citizens. On the whole they are
no better nor any worse than their
neighbors, hence feel that they
should be accorded every respect,
right, privilege and opportunity ac-
corded every other American IN
St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1940-09-13
To One Who Has Crossed
the Line
By Violet G. Haywood

By Violet G. Haywood
I see the blackman climbing ever
up.
The way is hard and steep and
rough and long
And hot blood from his weary,
bruised hands
Falls on my upturned face like
tears.
A neighbor seeing asks, "Why so
you weep?"
I shake my head and smiling turn
away.
He must not know that though
my face be white
My fathers were as black as
Africa's night.
(Alas! This is the reason that
weep
l was afraid to climb a hill so
steep.)
St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1940-09-13

"Let not your hearts be troubled"
For Uncle Sam will do,
Just what he did in seventeen
Made soldiers of US until he was
thru.
St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1940-09-13
News Despatch

London 9(APThe air ministry appealed tonight for
pilots and radio operators
the maximum pilot from 81 to 81
This Associated Press despatch tells graphically that
the planes which defend it
from Nazi invasion.
ought awaken the prejuded
who keep qualified Negroes from joining the
air forces of country
England pleads ptfuly pilots may glad
black pilots but late after the country under
fire from foreign invader.
The governorshp results has lot of he folks" tree
all indications Coach Bernie Berman pretty good
Gopher They say gloomy days. which
good sign for a football coach
Many Twin towards Des Moines the African
Mhodists the Northwest the St. Paul
for the Methodist brethren depend the Presiding Bishop
does about the St. James AME church pastorate.
St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1940-09-13
EXPERIMENT IN BETTER
RACE RELATIONS

Continued from Page y
ject. Adaptation of menus to the
varieties of food donated to the
St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1940-09-13

One of the earliest residents, S,
Imperial Valley press., 1940-02-26

,'dllu lew HllIlllUto ldItl VI dollCl'
head-on into car mile west of
Holtville. -Four persons were in
jured in the second accident.
Otherwise motorists observed a
fairly sane weekend, Captain Frank
OSWalt said. TWO other accidents
occurred during the tWo-day hol-
days.
AS John Lee, 72, Douglas, Arlz.,
stood in the driveway of a service
station on Fourth street Ell Centro,
Short drove into the driveway and
stopped his car on the old mans
foot.
I'm sorry l ran over your foot
but l had to get in here. 1 had a
flat tire Lee quoted Short as
| saying before he sped away.
A few minutes later Short crowd
cd several motorists from the high
way as he headed eastward toward
Holtvllle, Highway Patrolman Till
man Daley sadi.
In spite of F. A. ShoSser'S efforts
to avoid Shorts car, ShoSSer told
Daley, Short crashed head-on into
the ShOSSer car.
Mrs. Ed McQuain, Sc, passenger
in Shosser's car, suffered a broken
leg and three other passengers
Mrs. Shosser, 81, McQuain, Sc, and
Tommy Gates, 20, were injured.
One car was pitched into an irri-
cation canal and another damaged
when the two machines collided
600 feet south of Curphy'S turn
Saturday night.
Arthur Morrow, 36, Ell Centro
driver of the car in the canal, cS-
capped injury but two of his passen-
gers, Mrs. Morrow and Mrs. Anna
Eldridge, both of Ell Centre, suf-
! fered slight injuries. Pedro L. Perra,
AZ FL Centro, drove the other car
involved.
A car driven by an unidentified
man missed a turn and turned over
on the highway a mile west of Mt
Signal carly Monday No one was
injured, officers said.
Imperial Valley press., 1940-02-26
Police Seek Dead
Girls Clothing

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 26. CUP)-
Police today planned to take John
Frank ReaviS, 25. blacksheep mem
bcr of a prominent indianapolis
family. into the Hollywood hills
to search for the clothing of Mrs.
Alice Jerry Burns, 17-year-old
former Fort Worth, Tex, girl, whom
he confessed Staying last Dec. %.
The girls nude body was found
spread-eagled in a dirty coal yard
is the industrial section of the
city, Beneath the body was a bright
red artificial rose.
Reavis, captured last week in
San Diego, confessed to police he
stabbed the girl seven times with
butchers boning knife and re-
moved her clothing to hinder iden-
tificatiOn. He said he hid her cloth
ing somewhere in the Hollywood
hills.
Imperial Valley press., 1940-02-26
Doctor
Reveals
.A|ibi
Defense Presents
Witnesses
MurderCase

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 26.
(UP)-Dr. George X. Dazey,
Al, Santa Monica physician,
was in his office comforting
with an insurance agent un-
til after 6:30 pm, the night of Oct
3, 1925. when he found his wife.
Doris, dead of carbon monoxide gas
in their garage at Gas pm. defense
testimony contended today.
Trial of Dr. Dazey, accused of
the perfect crime murder of his
beautiful actress wife. was resumed
after a four-day recess, with the
defense calling witnesses in rapid
succession and the defendant sched-
uled to testify late this afternoon.
Lieut.. Col. Norman Grimstitch.
insurance salesman, testified he ar
rived at DR.. Dazey's Santa Monica
office about pm. waited an hour
reading magazines, went to a near
by drug store at about 6 pm. had
a cup of coffee, returned in about
20 minutes, and remained until
after $50 pm.
1T was after dark, I remember.
when l left" Col. GrimStitch testi-
fled.
Mrs. Dora Van Horn, who was
maid at the Dazey household from
Oct. | until a month after Mrs.
Continued on Page 6; Col. 81
Imperial Valley press., 1940-02-26
Two Arrested for
hatchet Staying

MAR4SV1ILE, Calf. Feb. 26
'UPp-Sheriff C. j. Mccoy of Yuba
county said today that Franklin
Stokes 20, admitted participation
r the hatchet Staying of Bertram
stuart an English recluse. but
charged that Malcolm Finley, II
killed the man in a lonely noun
tain shack. Finley denied the char
uCs
Stokes told him. Mccoy said. that
FINLEY tied the 47 year old man to
q chair. struck him with a hatchet
and shot him twice. Finley then held
a gun on him, Stokes said, and made
him assist in dumping Stuart's body
into an Abandoned mine shaft.
Mccoy said Stokes had admitted
making trip into the mountains
ON his motorcycle over narrow
rocky trails. A gold watch Identified
as Stuart'S was found in Stokes pos
session, Mccoy said, and blood
stained clothing was in the tent
where Finley was arrested.
Imperial Valley press., 1940-02-26
Construction on
Exhibits at Fair
Rushed TO Finish
Booth Decorations Go
Up as Opening Day
Draws Near at Imperial

Actual construction work
on commercial and nOn-cOm-
mercial exhibit booths was
started at the Imperial coun-
ty fairgrounds Monday in a
rush to complete construction be-
fore the opening of the annual
agricultural show on Saturday.
Framework for booths in the
main exhibit building has been
completed, according to Dorman
Stewart, secretary, and the more
difficult task of decorating the
booths has begun.
Outside the main exhibit build
ing there was much commotion to
complete work on the concessions
at the northend of the grounds, and
there was considerable activity at
the southend to put livestock barns
in shape for early fair arrivals.
The Playground track was being
conditioned for Saturday after
Moons Tin Lizzie Rodeo and Sun
days derby as we'll as for horse
races and the horse show later in
the fair week.
Coaches at four Imperial Valley
high schools announced their re-
lay teams ready for the annual
14-mile marathon relay from Holt
Vile to Imperial to officially open
the fair.
A report from San Diego indicat-
ed that plans were complete for
the caravan from San Diego to at
tend San Diego day on the closing
day of the fair. Nearly 500 cars
are expected to make the trip this
| year.
Imperial Valley press., 1940-02-26
San Diego Railway
Builder SucCumbs

SOUTH PASADENA. Cal, Feb
26. tUP)-Miitary rites will be held
here Tuesday for George Washing
ton Howard, 81, Civil War veteran
and builder of San Diegos first
electric railway, it was announced
today.
Howard died yesterday at the
home of his daughter. He was vice
president of the American Railway
union and so years ago helped build
San Diego's first streetcar lines and
was superintendent of the San Die
go and Coronado ferry company
and the Coronado Railway compa-
ny. He retired in 1926.
Imperial Valley press., 1940-02-26
Sumner We|Ies
Starts Mission

ROME, Feb. 26. (UP)-Sumner
Welles, President Roosevelts special
envoy to Europe, today started his
delicate job of Investigating the
state of war and the outlook for
peace by comforting for 80 minutes
with Count Galleazzo Ciano, for
eign minister and son in law of Pre-
mier Benito MuSSolini
Myron C. Taylor. the presidents
special envoy to the Vatican, at the
same time visited Cardinal Mag
lone, papal secretary of state, pre-
paratory to presenting his creden-
tialS to the Pope tomorrow.
Imperial Valley press., 1940-02-26
Arrny's New Rifle
Demonstrated for
Reserve Officers
Weapon Fires so Shots
A Minute Accurately,
alley Men Discover

Fifty aimed shots a min
ute, instead Of the ten pos
siblc with the old Spring
field army rifles, were dem
onstrated Sunday to 85 re-
serve officers of the U. S. Army
from four southern California
counties IN a contact camp to try
out the new Garand rifles adopted
for army use.
The new weapons, tried out over
the army c course as we'll as IN
combat firing, proved far more eff
fcctiVe than guns now in use by
the army They operate automati-
cally. ejecting used shells and
pumping new ones into firing posi-
ton, while with the old Spring
fields time was wasted in manua
operation of a sliding bolt
Officers camped out Saturday
night on the mesa seven miles east
of Holtville near the site OF the
Imperial Valley rifle club range
Present were army men from Sar
Bcrnardino, Riverside, Los Angeles
and Imperial counties.
Camp commander was Col. Leroy
Foster. Calexico, and Capt. Charles
Delp was camp executive Lieut.
Earl Massey was adjutant, Lieut.
Kenneth c. Coffman was supply
officer, Lit. Chan Livingston was
mess officer and chaplain was 1t
D,Von Ellsworth. Camp surgeon
was 1t. Fred Gregg.
Imperial Valley press., 1940-02-26

Charge
Hurled
Government Says
State Officials
Accepted Gifts

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 26.
(UP)-The federal govern
nent today filed a bill Of
particulars charging t h a
valuable gifts were accepted
by state officials and legislators
from Robert S. Odell, president,
and other indicted officials of the
Pacific States Savings q Loan
company.
The bill of particulars was filed
after Federal Judge Leon Yank-
wich granted the request of the
defendants for more specific in
formation on the conspiracy in
dictment accusing them of using
the mails to defraud.
The bill of particulars set forth ::
The defendants and each of
them did corruptly associate them
selves with Thomas M. Cannon,
deputy building and loan commits
SlOner of the state of California,
and Erie Leaf, special deputy build
ing and loan commissioner of the
state of California, and did offer,
and said named parties did receive
inducements by way of cash, pleas
ure trips. profitable investment,
jobs for relatives, reduced hotel ac-
commodationS, settlement of traf-
fic violations, remission of obliga-
tionS, and divers and sundry in
ducements and gratuities which are
better known to the defendants
herein than the government
The bill of particulars further
charged
That it is the position of tht
government that such inducement.
or gratuities constituted a diversion
of the assets of Pacific States Sav.
ings & Loan company at a time OF
times when said company was fail.
ing and refusing to meet the pay
mentS of its matured certificates
and paSsbooks and was failing anC
refusing to make payments to its
distressed certificate holders"
The government asked leave oil
the court to refrain from naming
the public officials and legislators
involved.