The courier-index., October 19, 1917, Image 11

About The courier-index. (Marianna, Ark.) 1917-current

Image provided by: Arkansas State Archives

                
PBuy a Liberty Bond?
One of the hardest working boys
in Marianna came into our Bank
and said he wanted to deposit
$5.00 toward the payment for a
$50.00 LIBERTY BOND.
1 Fi __ l j ■■
Iasi. Because ne warned 10
SAVE HIS MONEY.
2nd. Because he wanted to
BACK UP THE BOYS IN THE
ARMY.
This young man gave all the
good reasons.
— 'T—■ 1 » 1 ■! "" ■! ■ ■ ■■!■«»— Ill ■■■■ —
SAFETY AND SERVICE
LEE COUNTY NATIONAL BANK
CHAS. McKEE, President S. GOLDSTEIN,(Cashier
HAS CAMP PIK7 A NEQRO
QUESTION? YES AND NO.
Little Rock, Oct. 1G.—Twenty
thousand young men who show a
preference f<> mess call three times
a (lav, agree mat it has. but if you
question each man regarding his
personal feelings, and he would sig
nify a willingness to continue with
a olack fringe at the extreme south
ern oorder of the ramp. In other
words, the negro just simply belongs.
‘Come on, let's go see the negroes
drill,” shouted a ruddy faced rookie
Tuesday, as he darted from a com
pany barracks. By the time he
reached the black belt there were
dozens who were following his lead.
Arriving there they found hundreds
had preceederl them. Within the
hollow square formed by the spec
tators. dozens of grinning specimens
of Africa in the pure, and Ethiopia
■ in the yellow took official cognizance
j if the fact that they were performing
I and no one ever saw a negro who
I did not revel in a sh( w.
War, or the prospect of war, and
the many hours a da/ drill has no
effect on the negro, so long as he
has an audience, and if the 5,000 or
more negroes at Camp Pike are any
different from other negroes, they
fail to carry the signs.
The white boys he, e been raised
, with the negro. They know him,
appreciate him, and if the truth be
I told, absolut ly love him. This af-1
! fection is mutual, tho gh not display
ed in terms of endearment, nor by
outward sign, i ut you cannot keep
a southern hoy away from the negro,
nor the negro away from the white
boy. The negro knows his place,
and the white hoy of the south
knows how to keep him in it. This
is why southern training camps are
ideal lor the task of transforming
a. good field hand into a strutting
bit of ebony in a uniform.
The negroes arrive at Camp Pike
by the ' hundreds. Most of them
come to Little Rock on special trains
and when one of them reaches the
camp, it is the cynosure of all eyes.
There are all shapes, sizes and
colors, from the light khaki to the
moonless night. Their apparel is
everything from the tatters of the
farm negro to the red tie, the sporty
hard boiled hat, and other apparel in
keeping that is worn by the town
negro.
Immediately after being registered
the negro is given his first shower,
accompaned by a free application of
a soap that is warranted 99 per cent
pure. Then, unlike the white boy.
Shoes of the present day quite naturally divide them- jj
selves into three classes; style, service and comfort shoes. jj
The great variety of our shoe models, together with j|
patterns of countless designs, enable us to fit YOUR j[
feet correctly, whether it be STYLE, SERVICE or COM- (j
FORT shoes desired. Si
Our shoe manufacturers have always led the shoe jj
world in style creations and today, in keeping with the jj
timep, are leading in the production of service shoes for jj
both men and women. jj
Therefore, whether it be S1YLE, SERY ICE or COM
FORT shoes you require, we are now in a position to jj
supply your demand at once. |]
Wlien passing look at the shoes we are showing in p
our window, then come in and let us prove to you ou^
ability to please. j
I „ . '
I r “A □ DEAL FOR YOUR 0$,” is Our Motto,
Grove-Reed Co.
General Merchandise
_________
%
the negro is uniformed without de
lay. The white men are permitted
to go through the ten day quarentine
in loose fitting garments, but Uncle
Sam, or Major general Sturgis, or
someone here displays a knowledge
of the psychology of the negro. He
knows that the best way to put a
negro through his paces is to dress
hint up. and all dressed up like a
Thanksgiving turkey is Mr. Negro
Man when he comes from the supply
depot.
An army uniform is a new toy to
the negro when he first receives it
and he has so many thumbs that
he fails to get wholly inside when
the command tomes to march to
his barracks. A queer parade it is,
They file out of the building two
and two like the animals from the
Ark. Each carries the clothing he
wore to the camp under his arm.
Three out of every four has his
army hat beneath the cap or hat for
which e now has no use. Only one
out of ten has his leggings on, leav
ing a two inch gap of army hose
between bottom of trousers and army
shoe. Along goes tne dusky recruit,
studying the roots of th« buildings,
like a child in Wonderland, his shoe
laces clicking along behind, and
every small obstacle in the path a
stumbling block. He has not yet
learned to pick up those feet, but he
will.
In fours the negroes are taken in
hand, non-commissioned officers from
the regular army being assigned this
task. It is the first day of drill that
brings the white boys to see the
fun. Feet are the things the negro
has not bothered with before, but
feet is the big item in drilling a
soldier. Many drafted negroes have
taxed the supply depot to unearth a
pair of shoes large enough to fit
them, but when even the small footed
negro gets out for first drill his
feet are number 17’s.
Within two or three days the negro
is able to swing to right or left, in
columns of four or eight with the
best of them, and by the end of a
week he is ready for drill with a
ruie. i ney are Dy no means more
adept at learning than the.whites,
but they having only the one idea,
display, the officers are making the
most of this. For this very reason
it would be surprising if training
grounds “over yonder” do not soon
report the arrival of the first con
tingent of negro troops.
Camp Pike lias no negro officers.
One arrived in the drafted army,
holding a commission as lieutenant
in the medical c» rps. Ho was im
mediately permitted to go his way
to a place where there are others of
the same standing.
There are thousands of youths at
Camp Pike who can be safely classed
under that familiar southern title of
‘‘hot heads." If dire venegeanee was
contemplated, with the negro as the
victim, it might rightfully be expect
ed to come from these. Instead,
these men show a disposition to
grant the negro the right of being
a soldier. And the privilege of tak
ing part in the world's war for
Democracy. At the time hundreds
of young officers now holding som
missions at Camp Pike were gradu
ated from the officers’ training corps
at Ft. Logan H. Roots, s6me joker
threw a scare into some with the
insinuation they were to officer negro
companies. Finally one who was
more familiar with military life than
the rest, remarked:
“That won't bother me; I would
be king of my company. Regular
army oificers who have had negro
troops prefer them to others.”
And now there are doaens of young
officers, from prominent southern
amilies, who are hoping the negro
companies do not run out before
their assignment is reached.
"What would you do if you met
a negro commissioned officer?” a
youthful decendent of a follower of
Lee and Jackson asked another, as
they sat in the shade of a peach
tree,, for that portion of Camp Pike
was at one time a well kept orchard.
I’d salute the very best I know
’iow\” promptly came the reply.
“I wouldn’t be saluting the nigger,
I’d salute that uniform no matter
what had it on.”
And strange as it may appear,
that is the disposition on the part of
twenty odd thousand men and offi
cers at Camp Pike. They are for
the flag, the uniform, and the
country—not right or wrong, but the
right, as they krow it will ever be.
The negro question, it must be
admitted, has caused no end of
worry to high army officials, bu if
southern people had been consulted
, hov U’/Mtlil hn tra tlin m»ii.
out of headquarter foreheads quite
early in the garde. They want the
negro trained in the south where he
will be t 'i"l humanely and right,
by people vv T.'mow how to get the
best there is in him, out in the most
useful way.
“Littl « Rock has never protested
against Mi' training of the negroes
from Alabama, Arkansas. Louisiana
' and Mississippi at Camp Pike,” de
clared Mayor (’has. E. Taylor “To
the contrary, we have always expect
ed him. and we have maue prepara
tions for his coming. We do not an
ticipate any trouble with the negro
soldier. He understands what he
must do when he comes to town, for
the uniform does not permit him to
take liberties, but he knows it. The
negro is as proud of his uniform as
any race could lie, and he takes pains
to exploit it as the garb of a law
abiding citizen.”
Few' changes in civic life were
made or even contemplated by city
authorities, because of the influx
of negro troopers. The War Service
Board took charge of this when the
first intimation was give that Camp
Pike was to receive its full quota of
negroes. Several of the wealthy and
respected colored citizens.' led by
Sciplo A. Jones, an attorney; Chester
Bush, officer of a nation wide negro
fraternal order; Bishop J. M. Conner
and others were called into confer
ence. It was explained to them that
race riots were usually caused by
•negro establishments being upon
streets which were much used thor
oughfares. These establishments
draw- also a low class of whites, and
the business houses adjoining which
are patronized by this character of
white people, and the Jostling of one
or the other started fights which re
sulted in riots. These prominent
negroes agreed with the members
I DO NOT HESITATE I
to ask our advice on any business problem that confronts
you.
It is our business to help you if we can, and every facil
ity of this bank is always at your disposal.
The NcClintock Banking Co.
(Not Incorporated)
Marianna, Arkansas |
W. S. McCLINTOCK R. L. MIXON D. S. CLARK
of the committee that it was best
to aosolutely segregate the negroes
from the whites by closing the negro
places in the white district and giv
ing them a district all to themselves.
The wealthy negroes further agreed
that if the negro soldiers were denied
admission to the white theatres and
picture shows, and there were a
sufficient number of negroes at the
camp, they would erect theatres and
provide such entertainment for them
in the negro section of Little Rock.
The committee agreed to such a
program, and it now remains to be
seen if Uncle Sam is going to bring
enough negroes to Camp Pike to
make the business venture remun
erative.
Negro soldiers will be permitted in
Little Rock's shopping section only
to make purchases, but the negro
stoce keepers declare that they will
make this unnecessary. So Little
Rock does not anticipate trouble
with the negroes. The officers at
Camp Pike expect their stay here
to be pleasant for all concerned, t^e
white soldiers expect to receive much
entertainment from the negro and
his antics, and if instruments are
used, oh, Lordy, what a band there’ll
be.
The matter of who shall be drum
major is rightfully a matter of arbi
tration.
-o—
DR. WINTERS HURT
Widener, Ark., Oct. 10, 1917.-—Dr.
W. A. Winters of this place and his
father, J. H. Winters of Moro, Ark.,
were hurt in an auto wreck near
Tupelo, .Miss, last Saturd^. While
rapidly rounding a curve he was un
able to turn the car in time and ran
over a twenty foot embankment. The
doctor was cut about the face and his
lather was painfully hurt, but not
seriously. The car was badly dam
aged.—Forrest City Herald.
-o
LATEST IN TORPEDOES
A torpedo with a corkscrew course
has been observed. If It misses the
port side it turns and strikes the
starboard: sometimes on missing
there it even turns again, striking
the port side. The ship’s officer un
accountably omitted to add that
after the explosion the fragments
reunited and returned to the submar
ine as a complete missile ready to be
fired anew,—New York Sun.
I
REFINED
j “Got a chap yet, Liz?”
“Yes; and he's a regular tiff. He's
manager at—”
* You don’t say so. Why, they tell
se he’s real refined.’’
“Rather! Why, he took me to a
restaurant last week, and when we
had coffee, he poured it into a saucer
to cool it, but he didn’s blow it like
common people would—he fanned it
wdth his hat!”—Lindon Tit-Bits.
---o
QUITE DANGEROUS
Yes, sir,” said the station master,
“Safety First has spread all over
the country. And nobody that comes
to Beaver Hill will ever git no acci
dents for want o’ warnin’ signs
about. Jest look at that now.”
The stranger-gazed appreciatively
at the sign nailed on a nearby
telegraph post. Its stern message
was:
“It is dangerous to walk or stand
on these tracks while a train is
passing.”—Everybody’s Magazine.
-o
The reason given by Josephus for
the Jewish law which prohibited the
wearing of clothing of linen and wool
was that such garments were worn
by the priests alone.
J W FIELDER
Contractor
Concrete Con
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| Sewers, Water
Works
Street Paving
See my work at R. D. Smith’s
residence. Office with John
ston & Hope, Marianna Hotel
Building.
THAT IS OUR BUSINESS I
We represent a large list of the strongest com
panies doing business in America. We study
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to better serve our customers. Wc look care
fully after all risks entrusted to our keeping.
We extend to vou every protection possible -
; under the mose liberal policies.
The Weld-Dupuy-Mixon Co.
PHONE 198