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. . THE BROAD SCENTS per copy AX The Fort Dearborn He--pital is Still in the Public Eye. i-i VOL. XXVIL CHICAGO. ILL, SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 12, 1921. No. 8 About in Monday, November 7, Which Was Tag Day for the Fort Dearborn Hospital and Training School for Colored Nurses; Whereas If One Thousand or Fifteen-Hundred Colored Women Would Have Tagged on that Day Twenty-Five to Thirty Thou sand Dollars Would Be Laying in the Bank at the Present Time to the Credit of that Institution. lfonda, November 7, has come and passed wto history and it -will in the tnture be known as tag day for the Fort Dearborn Hospital and Train ing School for Colored Nurses. It was ibe hrst time in the history of Chicago that the colored people were etcr permitted to have or to enjoy a at wide tag day and it is not our funeral if those who were actively in charge of the affair failed to rake in a!) the money that their hearts de stred It mut be distinctly remembered tht it was almost solely through the effort- of the writer that the request for a ty wide tag day for the col ored peoph passed through the city coun ' without one alderman voting "nay " for it was Alderman Thomas F Bvmc of the 29th ward, the noblest Roman of them all, and the writer after several of the big City Hall poli ticians, both white and colored, failed or were unable to turn the trick or pot the -thiRR Uiycc-then. ut decided to put the city fathers on record as to their friendship for the colored peo ple Then wc ran down Alderman Byrne and laid our cards on the table nght m front of him and then and. there he promised to introduce our request for a special city wide tag day for the colored people at the meeting of the City Council Wednesday, Nov. 2 and deliver a peech in favor of its passage, which he did. In the meantime we got real busy and on Tuesda and before the City Council met Wednesday afternoon we had come in contact with every member of the City Council and they all promised to fall in behind Alderman Bvrne and put the special city wide ag da over for the Fort Dearborn Hospital. f course, it is understood that Alderman Louis B. Anderson and Alderman Robert R. Jackson assisted in the matter, but the real fireworks came from Alderman Thomas F. Byrne of the 29th ward, who was strongly backed up by the writer. It is claimed by the head managers for the special city-wide tag day for the Fort Dearborn' Hospital that more than seven hundred women had given their word and honor that they would be on hand bright and early Monday morning and assist in the tagging, but when that morning ar rived less than two hundred showed HOWARD'S DEPARTMENT OF DR'AMATIC ARTS AN NOUNCES AMBITIOUS . PROGRAM. Washington, D. C The Depart ment of Dramatic Arts of the Howard Vniversity announces a busy and Progressive program for -this season. Having in one year of activity' won an enviable position in American drama, The Howard Players are ambitious for more notable triomps. A num ber of the leading dramatic critics of the country are enthusiastically call-' mg public attention to their efforts. Mr. Kenneth. Macgowan in "Shadow land" for July 1921 stresses the won derful opportunity fof a Negro drama and points out that Howard Univer sity is making rapid strides in that direction. "Life," 'The Nation "The New Republic," "Ainslie's," and "The Theatre Magazine" are" expected to carry editorial appeals during Novem ber for a larger public support of the work of The Howard Players. This is In line with the University move ment to .secure a handsome auditor ium which will contain a modernly appointed and equipped theatre where the Department of Dramatic Arts may Eighteen Hundred Dollars Was Gathered up. It is asserted that the churches furnished only a few of the taggers; that St. Mark church, Rev John W. Robinson, pastor, and Olivet Baptist, Rev. L. K. Williams, pastor, furnished more taggers than all the other churches combined. It may not be true, but it is said that when Rev. W. D. Cook was requested to permit some of his women members to assist in that direction, simply responded that charity begins at home first and that he wanted all of his women members to bring in all the money that they could lay their hands on for his own church. It was a perfect day, and if there had been one thousand or fifteen hun dred real live women in the field tag-, ging twenty-five to thirty-five thou sand dollars would be stacked up in the Roosevelt State Bank belonging to the Fort Dearborn Hospital, and then its white and colored friends would have been in a position to buy a per manent home for the young colored women connected with that institu tion. Early on Monday morning we struck the downtown district, just to see with our own eyes just how the white citizens would take to colored women taggers for a colored insti tution and when wc beheld German- Americans, Irish-Americans, Polish- Americans, Jewish-Americans, mount ed policemen, rushing or walking along the streets wearing tags, and even Italian street sweepers with tags on them and with dozens of the friends and readers of this paper waiting and watching for a chande to be tagged. We were more firmly con vinced than ever that Chicago is the most Cosmopolitan city in the world; that its white citizens are friendly disposed toward the colored people; that the great mass of them are more than willing to help the colored peo ple in a substantial way whenever the colored people make up their minds to wake up and help themselves; that on Monday, November 7, 1921, the Colored people of Chicago lost a golden opportunity to anchor one of their public charitable institutions on a solid financial foundation, which will never come again, or at least, not until after the present generation of Colored people, residing in Chicago have passed away, and crumbled into dust earnestly urged to become active in this attempt to place the University at the forefront of American colleges in the field of dramatic art. The season's offerings of plays by the Department of Dramatic Arts is of even more interest than the mem--,M nrrvYnetions of last year. The Players will introduce to the public a new dramatist a public school girl of Washington, whose drama, "As Strong as the Hills," has been en dorsed by leading" critics. It is a Persian historical romance and its rich and colorful setting is combined with a plot teeming with love and action. c.:mon the Cyrenian" will be pro duced in special performances for visitors and delegates to Uie winicr ence for the Limitation of Armament. Patrons of the theatre will be pleased to know war utii, "; - n...n.'i! Greatest tragedy, will also be produced this year at Howard. This generation of play-goers nas ou no" opportunity oi srcui6 - , ---acted in which role Salvini, Kean, Booth and Henry Irving reached their greatest dramatic success. The Department of Dramatic Arts is in a better position this year than previously to realize its ideals Prof. rAntcromerv Gresrorv the . Director; Mrs. Marie Moore-Forrest,-one of the nation's leading- authorities on' dra matic art tantUMr. UeonAnrowj! morton, TnTcaTD&ector of WThe OR? MRS. Mrs. Elizabeth Lindsay Davis, who has been prominently in the public eye in this city and in many parts of this country for some years, was ushered into this hustling and breath ing old world with all of ist pains and sorrows, joys and pleasures at Peoria, I1L, and she is an honored graduate of the Princeton High School of this state. During the first years after emerging from high school she taught in the public schools of Louisville, Ky., New Albany, Ind., and Quincy, 111., and in 1893, she and her husband, Dr. William H. Davis, landed in this great city, where they have resided from that time to the present. Provincetown Players of New York Citv. will aeain be associated with The Howard Players this year. Miss Evelyn Lightner and Mr. T. J. Hop kins will assist in the execution of the costumes and scenery. DR. GREGG OF HAMPTON PAYS TRIBUTE TO NATALIE CURTIS BURLIN. Weil-Known Student of Folk Music and Folklore Is Fatally Injured While in Pans. "Mrs. BurHn Was a True Artist" Hampton, Va., Nov. .Natalie Curtis Burlin, well-known student of musical lore, song-Poetry, and decor ative art of the North American In dians and. of folk-lore and music of Africans and American Negroes, was recently injured fatally while in Paris. Dr. James E: Greggr principal of Hampton Institute, recently paid a warm tribute of honof and'effection to the memory of Mrs. Burlin, who was a devoted friend of Hampton, of American Negroes and Indians, of Africans and of struggling men and women, regardless of race or creed. "Natalie Curtis BurHn," said ur. nmnr.ln bis address to the Hampton staff of workers' and'stndents and to H ttySfiftE. Tot Hk ELIZABETH LINDSAY DAVIS President of the Phyllis YVheatley Woman's Club and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Phyllis Wheatley Home, 3256 Rhodes Avenue, Who Has for Some Years Been Active and Prominent in Civic and Uplift Work Among the Colored People Residing in Chicago. She almost immediately engaged in women's club and social service work. She organized the Phyllis Wheatley Women's Club 21 years ago, and with the exception of one year, has been its president ever since. She helped to organize the National Association of Colored Women at Washington, D. C, in 1896, and was its national organizer for nine years. She served as president of the State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs of Illinois. With the aid of the Phyllis Wheatley Club, she founded the Phyllis Wheat ley Home, which is now located at 3256 Rhodes avenue. Mrs. Davis is many visitors, "was a true artist in literature and in music, and somewhat of a seer as well, discerning inner meanings and hidden spiritual values. Her genius chose folk-lore and folk music particularly as its principal field of exploration and exercise and with respect to the folk-talejs and folk-songs of the American Indian and the Negroes she became one of the first authorities. "Her books are really hers. She is more than a compiler. She may truly be called their author, because the wealth of interpretative comment and its individuality is such as to make these books really her own. They are 'Songs of Ancient America,' published in 1905; 'The Indians "Book,' 1907; 'Negro Folk-Songs,' 1918; and 'Songs and Tales from the Dark Continent,' 1920, recorded from the singing and the sayings of two Hamp ton students Kamba Simango and Madikane Celt "Mrs. Burlin hada strong interest in Hampton Institute and much of her study of the plantation songs was done here. We at Hampton mourn her loss and we shall remem ber her with grateful admiration." The Hampton Institute chorus of over 800 voices sang the following Negro religious folk-songs, which have found a place, in Mrs. Burlin's notable collection of "Negro Folk a member of many women's organi zations among which are the Chicago City club, of which she is chairman of its 2nd ward branch; the League of Women Voters and the Woman's Aid. She served as the colored rep resentative on the Chicago Council of Defense during the World War ac tivities. She s chairman of the Board of Directors of the Phyllis Wheatley Home, and is a member of St. Mark M. E. church. Dr. and Mrs. Davis own a nice home in the 32nd block on Prairie avenue, which they rent out, and they reside in a fine, small apartment at 3710 Indiana avenue. Songs" Hampton Series in four parts, published by Schirmer of New York: " Tis me, O Lord," "Go Down Moses," "Every time I feel the spirit," "Steal away," "I couldn't hear nobody pray," andf'Nobody knows the trou ble I've seen." EVANSTON NOTES. Rev. Cecil Fisher was entertained at a farewell dinner, given on Thurs day evening, October 27th by Miss Margery Wilson of Morgan Park. Rev. Fisher left on Monday, October 31st for his new pastorate in Louis ville, Kentucky. Among the guests present were Miss Elsie Wilson, Rev. and Mrs. Harvey Walden, Miss Cecilia Fisher and Mr. Merrill Cobb. Rev. Fisher is one of our promising young pastors, and his host of friends bade him a fond farewell. The Keystone Club of Evanston, gave an old time vaudeville and dance on Monday, the 24th day of October, the proceeds of the dance and enter tainment went to the Dunbar Child ren's Day Nursery. The week beginning October 31st was a great festival week in Evans ton at the Ebenezer A. M. E. Church. This week marks the third Annual Harvest Week" for Ebenezer. Ac tivities throughout the week in the BOOK CHAT By Mary White Ovington. Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Author of "Half a Man," "Hazel," "The Shadow," etc It was my very good fortune last winter and early spring to travel across the continent stopping on my way to and from California, speaking in all in twenty-nine cities. In many of these places I had the opportunity to address not only branch meetings but clubs and other gatherings of rep resentative people. I found, quite unconsciously, that when I was not telling of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. I was calling my hearers' attention to books and articles on the Negro ques tion. Of course. I would not have kept on doing this, had my hearers not been interested, but everyone was Interested. TwuT nol 'dw'ell hwr tfpotr my white audiences save to say that they were eager to get the names of the latest books, but I want to say how often I was impressed with the love of reading among the colored and their deep interest in learning of the best books regarding their own race. On my return to New York, how ever, when I spoke to publishers of this interest they shook their heads and said emphatically "the Negroes don't buy books. There is no Negro reading public to rely on in marketing a book. We know, we've tried." Now this is very discouraging. Of course publishers won't print books on the Negro question unless they can sell them. Wc can't blame them for that. And outside of a few important names, like Wasington and Du Bois, it is true that books on the Negro question won't sell simply because of the unpopularity of their subject. To make them pay. the publisher must rely in part on a special buying public, that it, on a public that is interested in the subject under dis cussion. Thus, a book on the Sinn Fein in Ireandwfll appeal to a group of Irish-Americans. A Christian Sci ence story has at once a clientcllc of its own and I for one would have sup posed, from my knowledge of the in terest in race matters of the reading colored public that a book on the Negro would also have a clicntelle among the twelve million colored peo ple in the United States. But I am afraid the publishers are right. Judging from the returns on orders of such publishers as I have questioned, not enough buyers are to be found in the colored world to pay for the paper alone in any of the recent Negro books (except Dark Water.) I am afraid there isn't enough to pay for the paper in a chapter. The Negro buying public. I am assured, does not exist Of course there are books, some nature of musical programs and splen did sermons held the undivided at tention of alL On Sunday, Novem ber 6th, the dosing services were held. The usual Sunday morning services were held at 12:00 o'clock M.s In the evening. Miss Martha J. Keys our noted young evangelist de livered a splendid sermon, followed by the "Candle Light Service" and a delightful musical program given by the noted talent of Evanston and Chicago. The grand opening of the Mason Eat Shop of Evanston was held on Wednesday evening,; November 2nd. Mr. Charles Mason, one of Evanston's oldest citizens has-been the proprie tor of the Mason Eat Shop for the of them excellent ones that arc not published in the sense in which I am using the term, books that are printed and sold by the authors, of which this is not true. When the author is a public lecturer and himself disposes of his book, he runs all the risk, but he also gets all the profits. It is of the book published in the regular wav that I speak. Last year there were eight especial ly noteworthy books on the Negro question. I list them alphabetically by their publishers. Appleton The Children of the Mist, George Madden Martin. The Cornhill Pub. Company Rachel, Angelina Grimkc Dutton The Voice of the Negro, Robert Kcrlin. Harcourt, Brace and Howe Darkwatcr, V. E. B. Du Bois. The Shadow, Mary White Ovington. The upward Patlr. A' Headerfoi Colored Children. All selections by colored authors. Harper Brothers The Negro Faces America, Herbert J. Scligmann. MacMHIan Company The Soul of John Brown, Stephen Graham. How many, Gentle Reader, as they loved to say in olden times are in your library, or yours, or yours? Every one of them would interest you tre mendously. But you haven't got them. A few may have one or at the. most two. But there they are good books all, showing the Negro as a man and an important factor in Amer ica. Not always dressed up in his best clothes, but as a living, loving, human being, not as too often for merly a diseased rapist or a buffoon. I believe it is just not knowing how to get at books, a most usual com plaint, and not knowing just what the books are, that makes it possible, for the publishers to say that they do not find a Negro reading public The public is there but the publisher doesn't yet know how to Teach it Now what surer way could there be of reaching it than to tell in the col ored press the local press, that the reading element in the race always sces, what books are, and how to get them? Many people suggested this to me as I went over the continent, and the press has generously respond ed allowing me from week to week space for my Book Chat I want to tell a little of how books are written,, of the book itself and how to get it And in my next paper I plan to start with "The Voice of the Negro," the volunic by that courageous spirit, who dared to urge the Governor of Arkan sas not to murder the Elaine men,. and who has been expelled from his position as professor in the Virginia Military Institute, Mr. Robert T. Kerlin. last fifteen years. Ill health has made is necessary for Mr. Mason to give up his work. Mr. E. McClellan of Chicago has taken over the proprietor ship of the shop. The opening was a beautiful one and was attended by many Evanstonians and Chicagoans as well. The Young Ladies' Culture Club is planning a musical and literary pro Scam for the last Sunday in this month. Talent from the Clah and also outside talent will be the partici pants. All are invited to attend this program and inspire the young- ladies.. The dub- is planning great things for the coming winter and the co operation of all who are interestecTia its -welfare will be appreciated. a l It li Ij--fer.rJ xdk k -&&-&- ..y-