St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-10-12
Observations
In Duluth
BY Rev. Clarence T. r. Nelson

beauty in and about Duluth is not
surpassed by any that we have seen.
We were in Duluth the third day
before we saw a colored person.
We were told that there are about
$50 Negroes in the population OF
more than a hundred thousand and
they are scattered all over the city.
On Friday, Mr.. and Mrs. George
Adams came and took US for ride
over the city. Mrs. Adams is a
native of Duluth. Her father and
mother, Mr.. and Mrs. Richey, came
to Duluth as newlyweds. Mr.. Adams
is a veteran postal emloye and we'll
known in civic and fraternal circles
in Duluth and in the Twin Cities.
We had the privilege in visiting
that afternoon and evening several
homes with the Adams.
We were pleased to notice that
practically, if not all, of the people
of our racial group in Duluth own
their own homes. 1 have an idea
that the usual handicap of Negroes
not being able to rent in desirable
places has worked to the advantage
of our friends in Duluth, who have
purchased their homes. All of the
homes we visited were in good re-
pair and we'll furnished. Our first
visit was in the home of Mr.. and
Mrs. Edward Nichols. Mrs. Nichols
told US that she had been taking
things easy for the afternoon, rest
ing up from the trip that she, Mrs.
Adams, Mrs. Ann Solby Albright
and Mrs. Wallace Rodney had made
to st. Paul to attend the state meet
ing of the Young Women's Chris
tan Association on Wednesday and
Thursday.
Mrs. Nichols asked me pertinent
question that I was unable to an
swer satisfactorily. She wanted to
know why so few of the Negro
women of the Twin Cities took an
active part in the work of the Young
Women's Christian Association.
The Negro women of Duluth are
very active in the Duluth Y.W.C.A.
Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Nichols are
members of the board, while Mrs.
Wallace Rodney, Mrs. George
Dozier and Mrs. Albright are men,
bers of various committees. We
visited briefly in the home of Miss
Francis Watts, who is the only
Negro Nurses Aid at the St. Luke's
hospital. We also visited the Mobley
home, which is located next to the
Watts home.
The Adams very proudly showed
US through their beautiful little
church, the st. Marks A. M. E.
Church. This church, which was
erected about 1918 is constructed
Of red brick and was as clean inside
as almost any church could be. We
were quite amazed when we were
told that in spite of the fact that
there are just about six active adult
members that they had paid the
pastor thirty dollars a week! The
Adams spoke very highly of the
work of Rev. M. Boyde Patrick,
who had served the church for three
years and has recently been ap-
pointed to a church in Madison,
Wis.
AS we came out Of the st. Marks
Church, Mr.. Adams saw a Mr..
Greer, who is an officer of the
Calvary Baptist Church, which is on
a corner opposite the st. Marks
Church. Mr.. Adams called Mr..
Greer and he came and took US
through his church, which is also
in good condition. The loyal men,
bership has installed new furnaces
in the church and in the commodious
parsonage, next door. The Calvary
Church has just recently lost its
pastor, Rev. L. C. Harris, now of
Minneapolis. I was told that the
members of both churches cooper
ated in very fine way with each
other. That is the way Christian
people should do, I think.
We were the guests for supper in
the Adams home. Mrs. Adams real
ly can prepare a good meal in a
very short while. After the de-
licious meal, Mr.. Adams and I had
a laugh on our wives-or maybe
they had a laugh on us (who went
to sleep? well, it is a postwar
secretly. After supper Mr.. Adams
drove us to the Miller Memorial
hospital, where we visited Mrs.
Marie Glenn. It is not usually in
spring to visit a hospital, but it
really was inspiring to visit this
patient. Mrs. Glenn has been I'M
able to speak for six years, having
suffered stroke, but her handshake
is firm and her smile so very pleas
ant, that you cannot help knowing
that here is a person "who is living
VIGOROUSLY in spite Of great handi-
caps" The Adams told US of how
Mrs. Glenn's daughter, herself a
widow, has been so faithful in car
ing for her mother through these
years of her helplessness.
Our last visit for the evening was
In the home of Mr.. and Mrs. George
Dozier. Mr.. Dozier is the secre-
tary of the Duluth Branch of the