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I — i__ New York has a society whose pur-' pose Is to fight against the develop ment of a negro "ghetto" In the American cities. It la the National -League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, whose membership includes many persons socially prominent In New York, together with a company of serious-minded colored people. The , headquarters are at No. 110 West For tieth street. Mrs. William H. Baldwin. Jr., was recently elected chairman of the executive board. Other members of the league are: Mrs. Haley Fiske, George McAneny, Silas McBee, Wil liam H. Maxwell, William Jay Schief felin, Isaac N. Seligman. George W. Seligman, Charles D. Hilles, the Rev. William Adams Brown. Paul J. Sachs, Theodore M. Taft, Albert Shaw, Judge Joseph F. Mulqueen and Major R. R. Moton. The league has affiliated organiza tions in Philadelphia, Chicago, Louis ville, St. Louis. Richmond and Nor folk. Va.; Augusta, Ga., and Wilming ton. Del. Its biggest work, however, is in New York, where the negro population Is now more than 90,000, being more than in any other city in America, except Washington. "Our work here includes many branches of activity,” said Eugene K. Jones, associate director in charge of the local work. "We have a commit tee for improving industrial condi tions, which seeks to organize work ers in the various occupations, and by this means help our people to better things. For instance, we have organ ized one group into the Colored Public Porters’ association, for the purpose of guarding the public against unscru pulous porters. The organization is raising the standard of reliability and efficiency among its members. Work ers in other occupations are similarly organized. iucu we nave a vucauonai ex* change, operated in connection with the housing bureau, at So. 127 West One Hundred and Thirty-fifth street, in the thickly populated negro^section of Harlem. This exchange is being made a clearing house through which applicants for help and for positions may be referred to reliable philan thropic and commercial employment agencies. Positions have been secured for 197 persons.” It takes three seconds for a cable message to cfoss. the . ocean. Of the material success of certain colored men in the south, the Crisis contains this: “Ocala, Fla., has 3.000 colored in habitants, and there are 12,000 others in the surrounding county. This has offered a chance for industrial co operation. There is a thriving sea island cotton factory, considerable ex porting of moss and velvet beans, while colored men have numerous stores and are supporting professional men. Recently the Metropolitan Real ty and Investment company has been organized and has erected a $20,000 building. In this a bank with a capi tal of $25,000 has been located. The president of the company, George Giles, iB a large holder of real estate. The vice-president, Joseph L. Wiley, is the founder of Fessenden academy, and the cashier, F. P. Gadson, is the owner of the largest dry goods and notion store owned by a colored man in the United States. Other directors are Dr. Williams, a well-to-do physi cian; A. S. Richardson, D. W. Good win. Charles Stewart. J. S. LaRocbe, N. T. Brown and S. H. Hadley." By a deal which wag closed last week and In which a consideration of $30,000 was involved, a tract of land near Thornton, 111., to be used for the ,purpose Of a negro cemetery, and to be known by the name of Mount For est cemetery, was acquired, reports a Chicago correspondent In a communication to the Kansas City Star a correspondent, "Lacey,” writes as follows: "Africa Is not the place for the American negro. As yet we have not beard enough to warrant our going there. I don’t think the ne groes of the United States should sac rifice our fifty years of success here to start all over In a barren, half-civ ilized country. Here we have our own churches, schools and colleges. Now comes Chief Sam and asks us to break these up, leave all we have worked for and go back. If Africa te as rich as Chief Sam suggests It will not want for others who will seize ita riches.” It la said that descent can be traced from only 49 passengers that came over In the Mayflower, the rest hav ing died without issue. When George Schwartz, a farmer in Scranton, Pa., cut down an oak tree he found imbedded in Its heart a pine tree shilling dated 1632. Aa a universal danger signal, a Den ver firm has designed and copyrlght - ed sign? hearing a human hand, across the palm of which appear the words " Safety First” Ic. London a motor bus proprietor has to comply with between 60 and 60 condition'' before he can obtain a li cense. Writing in the Baltimore American, the Rev. J. U. King, pastor of the Union Methodist Episcopal church at St Michaels, McL, has this to say: “To be successful in the develop ment of the soil we must have scien tific training; thus well-equipped agri cultural cdtteges for the negro are-in dispensable. The day of the ignorant and superstitious farmer has passed. Superstition 1b being replaced by sci ence, ignorance by knowledge, ineffi ciency by efficiency, "If the white man, who to nearing the top of the hill of our great ma terial endeavor, needs the advantages of a well-equipped agricultural college, how much greater are the needs of those who only yesterday, like goods and chattels, served as a medium of commercial exchange; who stand at the very foot of the hill struggling to ascend? This efficiency will not only be of benefit to all of those whose racial identity I bear, but more far reaching than the average person would Imagine will be the benefits de rived by the white people as well. Ob servation alone has evidently taught every thoughtful white man that the increase of mental, moral and material efficiency on the part of the negro means the decrease of ignorance, idle ness and crime. WTe live side by side with our white neighbor, and be our contribution to this great social fabric helpful or baneful he is affected ac cordingly and commensurately. "Is it not, therefore, the highest wis dom on the part of every constituent part of a community to welcome cor dially every means that will perma nently establish the criterion: All men up, and not some men down?” More’* been accomplished with a good set of nerves then by the feller* what gits by on their nerve. Organization of an Omaha branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is now being completed. Over 25 peo ple, most of them colored, have Joined the local movement, which has for its purpose the economic, political and so cial advancement of the American ne gro. John H. Grove of the Grove Wharton allied business interests, was one of the white men who helped the association to establish a branch in Omaha, and he has been elected treasurer. The other officers, all col ored. are: Rev. William T. Osborne, pastor of St John’s African Methodist church, president; Thomas Reese, 2723 Miami street vice-president; Samuel L. Patton, 2420 Patrick ave nue, recording secretary; Jesse Mer chant, 712 North Twenty-eighth ave nue, corresponding secretary. Meet ings have been held monthly at St. John’s African Methodist church since the organization began here three months ago. Dr. C. M. B. Mason of New York, national organizer for the association, helped to promote the new branch In Omaha. Rev. John Al bert Williams, rector of the colored church of St Philip the Deacon, is also an active member, and says that membership is open to all persons, either white or colored, who wish to participate in the national move for the advancement of the black man. Hereafter meetings will be held every two weeks, and an executive commit tee will be chosen to assume active charge of the association’s work in Omaha. It shore would be a fine thing if this rest cure business was for them as really needs it. An Interesting story of how preju dice against a race can be removed by learning to like one of its members comes from the Provident hospital, in Chicago’s "Black Belt.” It began as a negro enterprise and has graduated. 118 negro nurses. A white boy was recently hurried to the hospital terri bly ill with pneumonia. His mother, a southern woman, telegraphed from the east, urging his removal to some other hospital. It was too late for (hat. The doctors gave him up. But the negro nurse did not. For thirty six hours with not a moment's rest she fought for his life, and won. Tho boy's mother is no longer prejudiced against negro trained nurses. Fuel oil consumption this year by the United States navy is estimated at 30,000,000 gallons. More than 10,000 boys under sixteen years of age were Injured In mines in Great Britain last year in such a way as to disable them for more than a week. There are about a million coal mine workers altogether, one worker in every seven being killed or injured last year. Carlsbad by law requires all build ings to be as nearly fireproof as pos sible, with the result that the city's firemen earn most of their wage* aa chimney sweeps. * A Norwegian company has patented a secret process for producing 98 per cent, nitric acid from the Vs* mr cent acid It has been making front atmos pheric nitrogen. * ’ ■ • Ain't it ftjnny that ther hens lay ther most at a time when eggs Is so cheap? IIP TO THE STYLE 9. No Gossiper, But Tells All About the Bonnet Deacon Bag . shot Bought By HAYDEI. CAHRUTH. Says Pickelson, looking at me as 1 set In his store by the stove, says he: "Jeb Hatch, you do seem to know everything that's going on in Hawley* burgh, and that's a fact. Now wot’s , the rights of all this talk 'bout Dea j con Bagshot got for his wife—1 hear ' various and mizellaueous and non* agreeing stories?” | “Pick,” says I, "I leave gossip to them as takes pleasure in the same. I'm no talker, and you know it. 1 don’t have to take no course in these here physical culture schools with , the big arm muscles to be able to keep my mouth shei. Not, however, that I’m no wonderful phenomenob, fit to be showed afore the crowned ■ heads of Europe, as can keep my ears shet Them are always open. Pick," says I, "but these here lips are hermetrickly sealed on gossip.” Then Pickelson went back and begun sprinkling the brown sugar and didn’t say no more, and I kem home and am VU TV A i 1,0 UUV VUVU1 lOVVO >U VWM nection with the bonnet. It being my lgee to sell 'em to the nooepapere. You see, old Deacon Ilagshot took a notion to go down to New York for a little visit. Hadn’t ndver been there before. Few of us has. Dangerous place Wot with them there cable i cars chasing each other 'bout a foot j apart, and them elevated cars hopping off the track and the engine exploding on the sidewalk like a torpeter, and the oughtohmowbeels getting their ; backs up and running away, and the ! policemen a-swlDglng their clubs, and I these here green goods men waiting > for you and scandalously overcharg j Ing you, and the whole place dug up ; holler with tunnels, it’s no place for an honest man. j However, old Deacon Ilagshot said : he had business there and he was ' a-golng. Mrs. Bagshot ’lowed she'd | go along, too. "Now, Mercy,” says j the deacon, "don’t you want to get no such romantic notions Into your head. You just wait till I go down on pleasure some time, and you shall go along. This time I'm going to fool ! around none. You just stay to home and I’ll fetch you back something— 1 most anything you say In reason." "Why,” says Mrs. Bagshot, "I ain't ' overly sot on going. Expect I’d get scart out o’ my wits. But I thought j I’d just like to pick me out a new ! spring bonnet and have the latest ■ thing for once in my life—dbwn at ; the store I do believe they get far 1 ther and farther behind the style ' every year." "There, now. don’t you say another word,” says the deacon. ‘Til get you a bonnet—latest thing." "Why, what do you know about bonnets?" says Mrs. Bagshot. “Well, no great heap, that's a fact.” says the deacon. "But I'll just go to one of them big stores and I'll tell the manager that I want the latest thing In bonnets for my wife, and he'll know just wot to give me.” > i ne ena oi u w as mat. sne saia an right, and be started off. Well, now it ain't for mo to say. me not being no talker, nature hav ing certainly give me a way to keep still, bat jnst as certainly having neg lected to provide any trapdoor for my ears, I can’t help knowing a thing or two. As which the deacon did stay t a week longer than he let on he should and hia business called for. That he did certainly take along $12 more than his expenses could possi bly eat up, counting in the extra week. That he did certainly get home dead broke and without a red cent in his pocket. That he did certainly look thin and drawed when he got back, and his eyes was red. By which, put ting two and two together and get ting the result, and none to carry, and proving the whole operation, and looking up the answer in the back of the book, d do find that the deacon had been having a gay time in New York, and losing sleep and drinking shandygaff and stuff and smoking ci gars. All of which I don’t say a word about, but which I know well enough. Well, when the deacon at last ap peared In the buzzum of his fambly you better believe Mrs. Bagshot looked at him some. "You ain't here, are you?" says she, regular sarcastic. "I didn’t forget the bonnet, Mercy." says the deacon, not letting on as h<s heard her outrageous observation. "Well, you took time enough to think of a whole millinery store," says she. "It cost,” says the deacon, "like all get out, but I was bound you should have a good one. It’s the latest thing. They’ll be cheaper-after awhile,’’ and the deacon sot the pasteboard box on the table. Mrs. Bagshot opened the box ahd takes out the bonnet, and holdf It oil and looks at it. “Well, now,” she says, “It looks a little old-fashioned to me." "Oh, of course It is In a general way,” says the deacon. "All the old fashions have come around again.” -'‘Yes, that’s so,” says Mrs. Bag shot Then she gets up and trlea It on before the looking glass and says she: "Well, maybe the way It comes up around my face is rather becoming, but 1 don’t think bloo is the color for me exactly." * "They’re all bloo this spring," says the deacon. "Why, good land. Mercy, that’s an Imported bonnet right from Paris," "Too dont tell me,** says hi* wife, taking It off and holding It at arm’s length, being some scandalized, as well <tlie might be, Paris being such a wl'Cken place. But she put It back on and said she reckoned the color would do well enough, after al*. and that If tt was the latest thing it must be all right, and that she would wear It, even if It did come from Paris, with all Its tarnation wickedness. Well, we may be some in the woods, and fashions and them things may penetrate into our midst slow, but when wo do get hold of some thing new we Just take right to it, ’specially our women folks do. Of course there was some talk at first when it got noised around that Mrs. Bagsbot had got a bonnet from Paris, and there was them that said it was scandalous, not only on ac count of ParlB with its b’iled down and concentrayted wickedness, but on the p'lnt that the deacon couldn't Afford to buy no such expensive con trivances. But the first Sunday Mrs. Bagshot put it on and sailed right down front at church and sot there firm and cool’s a toad under a cab bage leaf, and that settled It—every woman wanted one just like it. Not another word about the wickedness of j Paris or the expense. They Just all , made a dead set at their husbands for : a bonnet like it. Well, If you re a married man you ; know how it Is when a woman gets her mind sot—might’s well throw up your hands and surrender. Which the men done, and come to toe dea con and asked him where they could get some more bonnets of just that i particular breed. But the deacon he j shakes his head and says it can’t be done, that being a special importa- 1 tion and there being no more of the kind In the kentry. Which satisfied the men unannermouB, but only made the women rampage all the | harder. And Mrs. Polkberry and two or three others ap'lnted themselves a committee to wait on the deacon and rastle with him on the subject. She catches him at home, Mrs. Polk berry does, and says she: "Deacon,” says Mrs. P., "so you think there couldn't be no more of them bonnets got, do you?" "Ah, no, Mrs. Polkberry," says the deacon, smiling sort o’ superior like. “I took the entire Importation. Bound Mercy should have the best, you know, she having been a dutiful wife and raised a large fambly of young 'uns, and fetched ’em through the measles and them Infant ailments suc cessful.” "But don’t you think more bon nets like her’n could be Imported?" says Mrs. Polkberry. "Well, now, that might be," says the deacon, looking sort o' far away and an Igee seeming to come Into bis mind. "That might possibly be man aged. I s’pose I might perhaps if 1 waa to go down to the city again meb be get some more of ’em brought over to the kentry-, you see." "Could you give us any notion of the coat?" goes on Mrs. Polkberry. “Well, now, speaking of cost," says the deacon, still mighty thoughtful and deep, “it might be a right smart sum. though mebbe not more'n 'bout five dollars apiece, say. if I got sev’ral, or around sev'ral some where more or less," and all the time him looking out the winder and doing some mighty close figuring In wardly. "Ueckon I might agfee to ’em for a passe! of yon at five apiece If I went down and seen about it pus* sonally,” him still thoughtful. wen, use women wan t a nu nan- j bergasted by this, but said they'd take ’em, and the deacon promised to start the next day. And Mrs. Bagshot | brought out her own bounet and was a-trylng it on again, and the women was a-admlrlng it, when In wallwi Cynthia Ann Clark, darter of old Dyir'* K. Clark, Just come up on tho ‘stage for spring vacation from the Water town Female academy, and she looks at the bonnet and says she: i^'Well. I declare to goodness. If you jjkln't got one of them Salvation Arm/* bonnets with the label off " And Mrs. Bagshot she rlz up. and the rolling pin being rigljt handy, and she being a firm woman which had raised a large fambly and fetched ’em through them there complications of childhood successful, she Just brought the deacon one with the said rolling pin. him looking guilty and showing by his face that he knowed wot the bonnet was all the time; ai,J | him I may add for the next week liv- . Ing at the General Jackson hotel, she not allowing him to come near his own fireside, and Doc Tucker saying that two pounds more steam behind the pin would a-fractured the dea con's skull sure as guns. All of which happened, but none of ; which I talk about at Hawleyburgh. not being no band at gossip, but hav*. i lng the use of my ears, one on each j sldo of my bead, ae aforesaid. (Copyright, by Dally Story Pub. Co.)- j The Only Way. ‘‘There Is only one way," said the i cynlo. with a dyspeptic smile, "that I | ever knew of bringing up children, which was never criticized nor con demned by some smart Aleck." “What way?" inquired the distin guished educational expert, "la that way of bringing up children?" "In the elevator," responded the cynic. Hadn’t Bargained for That. "1 thought I was taking an examina tion tor the railway mall service." “You ara.” said the examiner, "you are.” ' ! » * * "They hsk me how far It Is from the earth to the moon.” “What of that?” "Well,” said the candidate, "I hadn’t figured on taking an airship run.” BEF0RE1D MAN” Excuse Bluejackets Give for Breaking Rules. Some of Them Are Novel—A Sailor Drunk on Shore Duty, Blamed Lo cal Malaria Epidemic aa the Cause of His Offense. "Now lay aft to the mast al-M the* re ports." When this word Is passed aboard one of Uncle Sam’s battleships It Is time for the sailorman “on report” to think of his excuse, if he has one, for the "mast* Is the daily court held aboard ship by the captain, and It is there that punishments are handed out to the offenders against the ship's rules for the previous 24 hours. It Is there that the offender is ex cused, passed along for a court-mar tial or given a minor punishment, ac cording to the nature of his offense, the skipper’s humor and his readiness with the "gift of gab.” Many and varied are the pleas put up by the de fense. Some of them would entitle the author to a life membership in the Ananias club, and If the captain Is a good one from the bluejackets point of view he will give you the benefit of the doubt when otherwise anything from a few hours’ extra duty on the quarter deck with a rifle to a short stay in the brig on bread and water will be your portion. At eleven o'clock every weekday morning the "report*" are all assem bled at the mast The executive officer reportB the fact to tho captain. The bugler sounds attention as the "old man" appears on deck, a mental re hashing of stories and a stiffening of backs goes down tho line. The order "reports, salute," is given and the cap tain U ready to hear the first case "Brown. H. R., two hours over leave from liberty," reads the yeognan standing by with the records and re port book. Brown steps forward, salutes, gives hla spiel and is excused or punished, according to the fates and the skipper’s humor. "Well, sir, you see." he explains ‘It was Just like this. I was called late this morning. Just had time to mak" a run for the dock and catch the las? boat for the ship. ( waa coming along straight for the ship when 1 passed the Salvation Army. The band struck up The Star Spangled Banner,' and. of course. 1 had to stop snd stand at at tention until they had finished By ths. time ! had missed the boat * The captain calls for Brown's enlist ment record, looks it over and see* that Brown is a habitual liberty break er. "Young man," be says, "I don't be lieve you, four hours' extra duty with a rifle on the quarter deck," and Brown retreats forward to explain bl* case to his shipmate*. The story is told of a captain, old In the service of the navy and wise In the ways of liberty breakers, who claimed to have beard every excuse that could be offered at ihe mast for overstaying shore leave. Should a man give him a new excuee he declared he would be excused, but for an excuse he had heard before the punishment was to be doubled Before long a man appeared at the mast throe days ove' leave. Sir." he said, "1 heard auout your offer for a new excuse Accidentally 1 broke tny liberty for an hour and I have been over In town ever since trying to think op a new one." iju ivi w m u, en<u mv «■*»**'*' - * The yeoman consults the reporta bock. "Smith, O. E.. drunk on duty ashore." he reads, and Smith, a newly rated pet {y officer, steps forward, eyeing the "£row” on hla right aleeve In a manner that would lead one to suspect that he was fearful It would soon take flight and soar away. 'Well, young man, what have you to say?” - "You see. sir. It was this way. I was sent ashore on patrol. Yorf know, sir, how the doctor has warded us about the epidemic of malaria now prevalent and the danger of drinking the water ashore. As a preventive I took an overdose of whisky and—" ( 'Twenty-four hours' solitary confine tnent on bread and water. Master at arms, take him away." Poincare and the Chase. The gsandfather of Monsieur Poin care, president of the French republic, was an enthusiastic follower of the chase When the king of Spain was the guest of the president, some days ago, a hunt at Ramboulilet was of fered him. The president does not hunt, so be invited the former pres idents. Loubet and Fallieres. to ac company the royal guest. Some time ago he said to some guests: “I will deliver to you the poultry at Marly, while I go to visit the poultry (a chicken show) at Paris.” Thanks to the foresight of a grandfather, he Is owner of a property which made him eligible to a certain office. I should be an ingrate,” he said, "if I said any thing against the chase. Without It I should not have been general council lor and, consequently, I should not hsve been president of the republic. Rut the truth Is I do not like bunting because my grandfather hunted too much and, jor that, my father smoked too much. I do not smoke at all" t .No Quarrel. “Did your meeting break up in a quarrel ?’’ “No," replied Misa Cayenne. "We carefully avoided that. We kept in session till there weren't enough peo ple on speaking term., to carry on a quarrel." And the oftener you look back, the quicker you won't get there. When a scandal la born la your family watch the neighbors help It grow. Putnam Fadeless Dyea color In cold water. Adv. Many a man's unpopularity Is due to tbe fact that he always tells the truth. If a woman could only make herself look as sweet as her retouched photo graph! _ Mr*.Winslow's {Soothing Syrup for Rblldrse terming, jofteus the gum*, reduces InRsmtrw Soaailsyi pain.curss wind coilcj&o s butt Is le There's no use In worrying—and there Is no use la telling people there Is no use. Precocious Child. "Mamma, why did you marry papaf” •'So you’ve begun to wonder tool"-— Louisville Courier-Journal. Stop that cough, the source of Pneumonia, etc. Prompt use of Dean’s Mentholated Cough Drops gives relief—6c at Druggists. Usual Combination. "Young Jinks, I'm afraid; la a bad egg " "Yes, and he's a fresh one, too.” Curiosity. Maud—Why didn’t you protect your* self when Jack kissed youT Betty—Why, at first 1 was speech less, and then I thought 1 would sew how many times the impudent fellow would dare to do It. ECZEMA BURNED AND ITCHED 203 Walnut Bt., Hillsboro, 111.—'"Sly child had a breaking out on the lower limbs which developed Into eczema. The eczema began with pimples which contained yellow corruption and from the child’# clothing they were greatly Irritated. They seemed to burn, which made the child scratch them, resulting la a mass of open places They made her so cross and fretful that It waa Impossible to keep her quiet. They caused her to lose much sleep and sb* was constantly tormented by sever* Itching and burning. "I tried several well-known reme dies. but got no relief until I got * sample of CuUcura Soap and Oint ment, which did so much good that l got a large quantity that cored her I* ten days after she had been affected for two months .** (Signed) Mrs. Edith Schwartz, Feb 28, 1918. Cullcura Sctap and Ointment sold throughout the world. Sample of each free, with 32-p Skin Book. Address post card "CuUcura, Dept. L. Boston.**—Adv. Orderly 8«rvlce. A Methodist parson, called to preach at an out-of-lb*way town In California was Informed, before entering the pul pit, that ha must be careful, aa many of the assembled congregation were ••roughs," and would not hesitate to pull him from the pulpit If his re marks did not suit them. The minister made no reply, but having reached the sacred deek. b* took from his pocket two revolvers, and placing one on each aide of tb* Bible, gave a sharp glance around tb* room and said: "Let us pray.** A more orderly service was never held—National Monthly. will rrdurr Inflamed, swollen Joints, Sprains, Bruises, Soft Bunches: Heals Boils, Potf Evil, Quitter. Fistula, or any unhealthy aor* quickly wiiui potititc latunuk mmI gtrmlcUt. Ha«nt »o atfi doc# not blinter a«4ei tMod»(t or mote the bill, nod you can wextr _ ik* borre. tl 00 per book. tfatta W YOU —” wmi finif * *“ run ^ l| ilvv^A HPlll(A ■i ■'-■* . * ••, : T . 4* Y *" • ''