^.^ ii^^ii Zf)t Hiftrarp of tf)C ^nibersitpofi^ortf) Carolina Cnbotoeb bj) tE^lje dialectic ^ijilantfjropic ^ocietieiEi Cj6^Q,'T3'1 ^ UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL " "II 00031717161 This book must not be taken from the Library building. Form No. 471 r/O//// P Gf^EEN. AT SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS OF AGE. FACT STRANGER THAN FICTION SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS OF A BUSY LIFE WITH REMINISCENCES OF MANY GREAT AND GOOD MEN AND WOMEN BY JOHN P. GREEN Rl.WiHL PRINTING COMPANl OUfSVEI^ND, O. U.S.A. FOREWORD If gauged by the hosts of friends who recognize me, and the high esteem and kindly consideration manifested for me by my fellow citizens, of all classes and stations in life, then I feel that, I have not "strutted and fretted" ray hour of life in vain. From this point of view, I have written the following story of my life, for two principal reasons'. First, be- cause I, alone, can certify to the truthfulness of all the statements — ^to the minutest details; and secondly, for the reason that, I have been well nigh importuned, by many of my personal acquaintances to write it; and be- cause I am hoping and praying that, by the reading of it, a stimulus and inspiration may be imparted to ambitious — stmggling youths of both races — especially the colored race, to put forth renewed efforts for success. I, myself, by the reading of the auto-biographies of such colored men as Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington, have derived great encouragement, which has, persistently, sustained me in my life efforts along that "road so narrow where one but goes abreast.*' I desire, herein, to place before the colored youth, of my class, another concrete proof of the fact that, even in the United States, where the handicap of color and for- mer restrictions are so much in evidence, ambition, united with initiative and reasonable endeavor, will surely win success, along some worthy, honorable line. In the preparation of the type-written copy of thi« narrative, I have been placed under lasting obligations to Miss Harriet J. Willis — competent and popular court stenographer, and attorney and counsellor at law; who has, gi-atuitously and beautifully, prepared the same. JOHN P. GREEN. to CONTENTS CHAPTER I ORIGIN OF THE FAMILY, GREEN— **THE SHORT AND SIMPLE ANNALS OF THE POOR." Revolutionary Times — 1793 — John Wright Stanlj — William Gaston — General Nathaniel Greene — Governor Richard Dobbs Speight — Sarah Rice — John Rice Green — John Patterson Green — Ed- ward Stanly, M. C. — ^Temperance Dnrden Green — Granny Bede and the steer — ^White-colored peo- ple — From ignorance to learning — From poverty to affluence — Misfortunes and fall — Death of John R. Green ----_. i-22 CHAPTER II CHILDHOOD DAYS The cottage behind the "grave-yard" — Sad social ^i- yironment — Hunger and cold — Superstitions ''ghosts" defied — ^The red rooster — ^A big-hearted white woman — Little Auntie and Aunt Hannah — Sawing and splitting cords of wood to buy skates — Uncle Balaam Jones and the grind-stone — ^Tor- » turing a slave man — ^The Bragg boys persecute the writer — Opening Court — Old common-law punishments — Branding-iron and gibbett — ^The scaffold-rope and stocks — Hounded by both white and black — At bay — ^What constitutes a bad boy? — Celebrating the Fourth of July— Slave man's visit at night to his wife — John Stuart Stanley^ — Colored teacher — Signs of Civil War — Hegira of colored people to the North — ^The patrols — Pack- ing up 23-50 "My native land— good night!" CHAPTJBiR m BITTER-SWEET Crossing the Bar — Ossa and Pelion — ^The captain's stentorian voice— New York City — 1857 — ^The half-dollar— Fourth of July in New York— 63 years ago — ^My first Sunday School — Colored tyler of a white Masonic Lodge — ^The Erie Rail- road — 1857 — Cleveland, Ohio — First Impressions ^— Oberlin, Ohio— 1857— * Treat 'em rough!"— Nostalgia and seeing mother — A second trip — Supping sorrow — ^Third attempt — ^The pursuit — Capture — Stripped and flogged in the woods — My vow to be free — Daring death twice in ten min- utes—Free! ------- 52-7S CHAPTER IV MAYFLOWER COMMON AND SUNDAY SCHOOLS Severe discipline — Good order maintained — ^My Southern "patois" — Supt. Andrew Freeze — Old Central High — Playing truant — Newburgh chair factory — Eight miles from Cleveland — The stage coach— First sight of John D. Rockefeller, 1858 —Other worthy Cleveland men— Experience with the Shakers, on Shaker Heights — ^Their customs «— Dances — Songs — A *'tramp" in 1860— Mr. James M. Hoyt and our home — Asking work at Post Office door — Rev. Mr. Bittinger — A steady job at $4.00 per month — Hardest work ever — Walking ten miles to witness minstrel show — First acquaintance with great Hanna family — Troy Hill— Pittsburgh— Kind friends give en- couragement and inspire in writer desire for learning ___----- 74-92 CHAPTER V. HOME AGAIN Currying street-car horses, 1862 — Apprenticed to a tailor— The Angler House — ^The Civil War — Re- turn of dead, wounded and sarved from Confed- riii erate prison pens — Wheeler and Russell's Dining Room — Studying "between meals" — Lincoln's re- mains, lying in state — Rev. John R. Warren — Joseph H. Ricks — Captain Joe Richards and the cocktail — J. H. DeWitt & Co. — His prophecy ful- filled — Back to Pittsburgh — Dr. John Wesley Sykes — Sleeping car porter and Big *'4" store- keeper — Mr. Truman P. Handy — Mayflower Sun- day school — Rev. James Eells and Dan P. Eells — My volume of essays — Rev. B. T. Tanner — Phila- delphia — Rev. Dr. Hawes — Mr. Theodore Bliss —Entering the old Central High School, 1866— Dr. Theodore Sterling and others — Sleeping in attic— Studying Greek at 3 A. M. by tallow "dip" — Waiting on table and parties - - - 93-115 CHAPTER VI SOJOURNING IN DIXIE LAND ''After graduation what?" — Humorous incident in Akron, 1867 — Andrew J. Rickoff and Judge Jesse P. Bishop — ^The Union Law College — General John Crowell — W. G. McFarland — Getting mar- ried — Going to South Carolina — Enroute — Pro- fessors Robert and Cicero Harris — Fayetteville, N. C. — William R. Brewington — Bennettsville, S, C. — In dire straits — "Hitting the trail" — Do or lie — ^John G. Grant — A "politician" — Wilmington, N. C. — Adrian & Vollers — Ed. Roper — My groc- ery — ^The hanging — Admitted to the S. C. Bar, Sept. 20, 1870 — Remarkable cases — Political ex- periences — Addressed state convention, 1872, in Hall of Representatives, Columbia, S. C. — Elected alternate to Philadelphia National Convention, 1872 — Jeopardie in Southern politics - 116-146 CHAPTER VII BACK TO CLEVELAND. IBack to Cleveland — In the grip of winter — Bread without butter — Trying to borrow $5.00 — J. R. Hawkins — ^My first Cleveland client — Nominated and elected Justice of the Peace three times, 9 years — Better times — Elected to the General As- sembly, 1877 — "Counted out" — Defending many alleged murderers — Governor "Bill" (Fog Horn) Allen — Frank G. Carpenter and other disting- uished editors — ^W. S. Kerruish and Frederick Douglass — Fighting color handicap — George P. Phibbs— De Scott Evans - - - 147-170 CHAPTER Vin MAKING AND PRACTICING LAW In the Ohio General Assembly — Langston's treatment prior thereto — In the chair — Selected by the speaker to explain causes of Cleveland's growth — Not invited to share in the "Giteau" junket — The Weitzel Bill and Tom L. Johnson— Also, Newton D. Baker— The "Black Laws"— Senator George H. Ely — The writer would not yield to 4 street railway presidents — Defeated of re-elec- tion by them — Professional life for 7 more years — Resurrected by popular-vote plan — Crjdng and praying in arguments in court — Opinions — My seven years* case wone - - - - 171-185 CHAPTER JX SECOND TERM IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY— "DADDY OF LAiJOR DAY." Second term in General Assembly — Defeat of McDer- mot Bill to have separate schools — Fight for Wil- berforce University — Sixteen thousand dollars won for her — Degree of LL.D. conferred on me for successful fight — ^Wrcte and fathered Ohio Labor Day law — Feted three times by Amalga- mated organizations of Labor in Cincinnati, and proclaimed "Daddy of the Day" — The day after- wards made national holiday, by Congress — Re- fused the dining-room at Gibson house — Enter- tained at the Burnett House — Called on by both McKinley and Foraker — Addresses great meeting of railway trainmen at Goodale Park, Columbus, with Governor Campbell of Ohio — ^Tums a "joke" by the Governor on himself — Secures passage of law protecting poor widows . ^ - 186-192 CHAPTER X IN THE SENATE— SUNSHINE AND SHADOW. Sworn in as a Senator of the 25th District of Ohio — Colored vote at that time, in Cleveland small — Presided over the Senate, once — Def acto Lieuten- ant Governor of Ohio — Resurrected and secured passage of street-car vestibule law — Fought for Anti-Screen Law — 'Thereby hangs a tale" — "Dug up" and secured passage of bill to enable financing of our parks and boulevards — Cham- pioned House Bill to allow firemen, in Cleveland, some time for recreation — ^Prevented change of the Smith Civil Rights law — Aided in passage of Senate Bill No. 50 — Mr. Spencer — Confronted meetin gof angry citizens, and gained applause from them — Guest at banquet of Protective Tariff League of Canton, Ohio — Responded to toast — Visited Col. Elliott F. Shepherd of New York, at his home — Wrote letters for the Mail and Ex- press — His treatment of me — His death - 193-20^ CHAPTER XI JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER Olwervations on the personal grandeur of Mr. Rocke- feller — From every point of view — He promoted those whom he conquered in the business arena — First m.eeting — Miss Laura C. Spellman in our schools — Mr. Rockefeller a Sunday School teacher — ^Wordy arraignment of his business methods, by a legislator — Reply by this writer — Invited to his home, three times — Extraordinary courtesies extended to me and family — His gen- osity to me — He pilots the carriage containing Mrs. Rockefeller and guests — Gives this writer carte blanche to drive in his grand and beautiful xi grounds — His father — ^At 9 loss to account for his remarkable social condescension and kind- nesses — How he signed my petition for a federal office, under I\IcKinley — Mrs. Rockefeller's sym- pathy for and kindnesses to the poor — Always the friend of the "under dog" — Letters to this writer — A benediction on I\Ir. and Mrs. Rocke- feller ------- 210-222 CHAPTER XH GREAT BRITAIN Some data — On the ocean wave — In Liveii)ool — In London — Some men of renown — Objects of inter- est — Two letters — Rt. Honorable A. F. Winning- ton — Ingram — L-ord Bishon of London — Freder- ick William Farrar — Canon of Westminster Ab- bey — Ex-Pre§ident Fairchild of Oberlin College —Rev. John Clifford, D. D., LLD.— Rev. Joseph Parker, D. D. — Werner of St. Martin's Tower — In the Tower of London — S. Coleridge Taylor— S. J, Celestin Edwards — Scotland — Switzerland — Senator Roscoe Conkling — The native African — Some great Scotsmen — Mrs. F. M. Saleeby and her sons — Carrubber's Close— "Drawing Rooms" Mrs. Elizabeth Pease Nicholl — Miss Eliza Wig- ham. — John Box Brown — Sir William Simpson — Old St. Giles Church— Edinburgh Castle and the Grass market — Holyrood Palace — Calton Hill — Arthur's Seat— The fish-wife— The Forth bridge —Kirkliston — John Knox Bokv/e - - 222-247 CHAPTER XIII DUNDEE— ABERDEEN— HUNTLEY— GLASGOW James Thompson, Esq., LL. B., solicitor — Mrs. Thompson— The Firth of Tay— The City of Dun- dee — James Thompson, Jr. — Patriot — "Oh dark- dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon !" — The whole Thomson family — Aberdeen — Oats vs. Macaroni — Mrs. Isabella Fyvie Mayo (Edward Garrett) — Dr. George Ferdinands—John Leith — Scottish rii stories — The P. S. A. — "Twilight and evening star" — Mr. Leith's legend — Huntley — Gordon Castle — Bag pipes — Miss Annie Bennett — Mr. William Simpson — Rev. Mr. Templeton — Old "storm king," Benachie — In Glasgow — Mr. Wil- liam G. Smeal— "The deaf hear"— The famous Cathedral, where Rob Roy concealed himself 248-259 CHAPTER XIV. WILLIAM McKINLEY McKinley Governor — Some of his generous charac- teristics — Politeness, like George Washington — At the Tod House — In the rink — At the Congre- gational Church, in Washington — Dr. J. E. Rakin — Compels Speaker*s Committee to put me on the "stump" — ^Wires Chairman William Hahn — I discuss and defend his protective tariff pol- icy with M. Testolin, in the Piazza St. Marco, Venice, also with the London Daily News, which is cabled to the U. S. — He orders the P. M. Gen- eral to place me at head of a bureau — Gives Sen- ator Pritchard of N. C. place promised to me, to save G. 0. P. in N. C. — ^Was assailed in convention of colored men — Supportel by me — Conference with him in White House, before it was opened to the public — ^Was true friend of the colored people — Intei*view with liim, as to lynching in Lake City, S. C. — Remarkable illustration of his policy as to lynching — "You shant be shocked!" Roosevelt — Geo. B. Cortelyou — "Bully for you!" Bully for you!" — Arch Pishop Ireland — Booker T. Washington — Hon. M. A. Hanna — Samuel Coleridge Taylor — Dr. George H. Richardson — Some prominent colored citizens of Washington, D. C. — Confirmed with wife anl daughter in St. Luke's P. E. Church— On the Vestry - 260-27^ CHAPTER X\^ CLEVELAND— EUROPE Old friends at home — At my law practice — The Wade Leigh case— Horace Neff , Esq. — Case of Dr. John xiii L. Hoyer A mooted Xe^aX question — Dr. Har- ris R. Cooley — Honorable Newton D. Baker — Opinion of the Law Depaitment of Cleveland — My dissatisfaction — ^My Writ of Mandamus gains my point, before Judge Charles J. Estep — Elected by colored people of Cleveland, in mass meeting assembled, to go to Congress — My service sue- cessful — Con^essman (Judge) Burnett of Ala- bama — Isaac Watt — Off acrain, for Europe — ^The Azores— The Madeiras — The Rock of Gibraltar— The Gulf of Lyons— Genoa— The U. S. Men of War— The Campo Santo— Naples and "Nick"— Vesuvius and Pompeii — "Mounting" Vesuvius — "Nica Italian lady" — *Tn tlie jaws of death — Into the mouth of hell!" — Do\vn again — ^The lovely Bay of Naples — ^The remains of Pompeii — En- roiite for Rome ----- 279-295 CHAPTER XVI ROIVLE— FLORENCE— VENICE— VIENNA The Campagna di Roma — Romulus and Remus — The Corso — The Coliseum. — Madam de Stael — ^The Ap- pian Way — The Via Sacra — The Roman Forum — The Catacombs — The Pantheon — Trajan's Col- umn — St. Peter^s Church — Church of Saint John Lateran — Mount Pincio — Meeting the Pope — Bishop John P. Farrelly — Rev. Fr. William Mc- Mahon — ^l^Ionseignor Bisletti — Scala Pia and Cortile S. Damasco — ^The Swiss guards — Gorge- ous tapestries— The reception — Pope Pius X — Mother Bolden — Rev. Fr. MaMoy — In beautiful Florence — A narrow escape — The river Arno — Picture (art) galleries — Bennett, Jr., of the New York Herald — In Venice — The gondoliers — The Grand Canal — Palaces bordering on the same — Piazza Saint Marco — Doges Palace — Wonder- ful paintings — Bridge of Sighs — The Rialto — St. Marcs Cathedral — Campanile tower — Vienna "the beautiful" — Recognized, in a crowd — Chas. F. Brush's opinion of her beauty — Gothic architec- ture and wonderful art galleries — ^The beautiful xiv blue Danube — Grand Duke Maximilian and oar Monroe Doctrine — A few of numerous canvases, and groups of stauary ► - - • 29G-B14 CHAPTER XVn THE TYROI^PARIS— IRELAND The Alps and Appenines — Lon.? tunnels — ^Removing Mountains — About "cow-catchers" — Beautiful Switzerland — The writer grows poetic (?) — Zu- rich and her lake — Paris — The Latin Quarter — Trilbyland — Dance hall and brasseries — Grisettes et al — Notre Dame and the Hotel Dieu — ^The Morgue — No "trickle, trickle, trickle," now — Bells and gargoyles of Notre Dame — Notable ob- jects of interest — Ireland — The "Emerald Isle" — Some of her great men — -Blarney and her Castle — ^The Lakes of Killarney — ^Tipperary — Leaving for the U. S, — ^Dublin — Some innocent Irish CHAPTER XVIII HOME AGAIN A confession — Politics on the ocean — Kier Hardie, M. P., and the writer — \\Ti.Ht Judge Burke said — Mr. Theodore Bliss— The Rt. Reverend W. A. Leonard, Bishop of Ohio — Rev. Fr. Southern — Poetry — "An Evening Prayer" — Letters to me, from distinguished men — J. A. Garfield — Hon. John Sherman — Hon. Myron T. Herrick — Booker T. Washington, LL. D. — Daniel Murray, Esq. — Congressional Library — Chas. F. Thwing, LL. D. — Mayor Robert Blee, of Cleveland, Ohio — Judge Thomas M. Kennedy — Frederick Douglass, John Clifford, D. D. LL. D., of London, England and Senator Warren G. Harding— In "Tom" Johnson's tent — The patriotic Perkins family — Edwin R., Joseph, Henry B., Jacob B., Captain Ralph and Old Simon Perkms — Som.e family reminiscences of a domestic nature - - S3,^U858 XV CHAPTER I. ORIGIN OF THE FAMILY GREEN— "THE SHORT AND SIMPLE ANNALS OF THE POOR." John P. Green, the subject of this sketch, was bom in the old town of Newberne, North Carohna, on the sec- ond day of April, 1845. His parents were John R. Green and Temperance Green, both of whom were free colored people of mixed blood, and highly respected by the people of both races in that community. John R. Green, the father, was the reputed son of John Stanley (spelled by him, Stanly) of North Carolina, who was the son of John Wright Stanley, of the same place, and who, during our Revolutionary War, for a long period of time, maintained a fleet of fourteen privateers, in the vicinity of the West India Islands, which preyed upon British Commerce, quite successfully, until, being attacked in its West Indian harbor of refuge, by a portion of the British Navy, it was thoroughly destroyed, and Stanley betook himself to commerce and merchandise, in the old North Carolina town, at that time, the capital of the state. This is the same John Wright Stanley upon whose head, with that of William Gaston,— a gi^eat Revolution- ary patriot of the same state and community,— was placed a premium, by the British military authorities, during that war, and who, in the darkest days of the War of Independence, loaned General Nathaniel Greene the sum of forty thousand pounds, w^hich* I may say, v/as never repaid to him, and when we consider the scarcity of money at that time, and that forty thousand pounds was as valuable then, as two hundred thousand pounds is now, we can form a correct estimate of the pa- triotism of that "Son of the Revolution." It may interest the reader, in passing, to know that, Gaston was murdered, by British spies, for the bounty v/hich was offered for his head: but Stanley lived to see the end of the war and enjoy the blessings of Liberty, for many years, under our glorious Stars and Stripes. John Stanley, my reputed grand-father, was widely noted for his legal lore and successful practice at the Bar of North Carolina. It was said of him that, he "never lost 2. case," but, as to the truthfulness of this statement, I am somewhat incredulous; unless it be a fact that, he had very few cases, or that, he was so uniformly success- ful in practice that, it became a proverb, that, he lost no cases. That he w^as a great orator, politician and states- man, was well known, — he was, for seven consecutive se:>sions of the North Carolina House of Representatives, Speaker of the House, was in Congress once, and fol- lowed and sustained that great party of which Henry Clay was the famous leader, known as the Whig party, and stood for '* America for Americans," and the protec- tion of American industries. This John Stanley, in the early part of the last cen- tury became involved in a quarrel with Governor Richard Dobbs Speight, of North Carolina, one of the original signers of our National Constitution, and, accepting a challenge sent to him by Governor Speight, they fought a duel, in which the Governor was killed. This was a so- cial and political calamity in the "Old North State," for a 2 long time deplored, and did much to bring into hatred, scorn and contempt, a system of so-called "honor," which was finally outlawed, under a heavy penalty. Herein, peculiarly enough, lies the explanation of this writer's name being John Green, rather than John Stanley. My father's mother, Sarah Rice, a woman of African descent, had, for years, been a "good and faithful maid servant" in the home of the unfortunate Governor Speight, and had exercised over the little girls and maid- ens of that august southern family almost maternal care. A condition of affairs which, I suspect, few persons, in the North, East and West, can adequately conceive of, unless they lived in the South, during the slavery era, and became familiar with it, so close was the association between the Negro and mulatto nurses and their little wards, that, even down to the present day, we often hear the scions of old southern families and some of the elderly ladies, from the same section, refer to their "Old Black Mammies," with accents of love and affection. Such was the love and affection for Sarah Rice, on the part of the Speight family, that, they "set her free," manumitted — emancipated her, — giving her, at the same time, the sum of two hundred dollars, as required by the law of the State, at that time. Previous to this important event in the life of this favored nurse, she had been delivered of a wee boy baby, whom she had named for herself only, — Johnnie Rice, not daring to disclose his true paternity ; but, subsequent- ly, having attained her freedom, she called him Johnnie Green, for a little boy whom she had nursed ; for, Johnnie, having been born when his mother was still in the bonds of slavery, followed his mother's slave condition ; and, not having been manumitted with her, he was still the slave of the Speight estate ; and to let it be known that he was the "natural" son of John Stanley, the fatal ball from whose pistol had killed the Governor, would, in all proba- bility, have sealed his fate, adversely. So, Johnnie Green became, in later days, John R. (Rice) Green; and this writer, his son, has flaunted the green flag, as John P. (Patterson) Green, ever since. Sometimes, really, "fact is stranger than fiction." Having stated it as matter of fact that, my father, John R. Green, was the reputed son of John Stanley, a "son of the Revolution," the skeptical may demand the proof of this fact ; if so, I submit the following data : a — Sarah Rice, John R. Green's mother, declared that Stanley was his father; b — John Stanley, on his "dying" bed, sent for my father and to him in person, acknowledged his paternity, giving him at the same time, a steel engraved likeness of himself, — which we still have, in our family ; c — My father, it was generally conceded, bore a more striking resemblance to Stanley, than any other of his sons, — except that, he was a shade darker. d — It was common rumor, in that community, that, Stanley was his lather. To the best of my knowledge, the most illustrious son of my grandfather John Stanley, was the Honorable Ed- ward Stanley, M. C., who was leader of the Whig party, in Congress, in the "Forties." This gentleman and scholar was, later on, the first nominee of the Republican party for governor of Califor- nia; and afterwards, during the reconstruction period, subsequent to our Civil War, was appointed by President Andrew Johnson "provisional governor" of North Carolina. I have gone into this matter somewhat minutely, be- cause I am proud of the fact that I can trace my descent from a family so distinguished, in both "camp and state ;" and, also, because it furnishes to the student of society and social standards, in these United States, a concrete example of how ''fearfully and wonderfully" a large per- centage of the colored people here are made. I shall end any further consideration of the Stanley family, by submitting the following epitaph, from the pen of the late William Gaston, of North Carolina, who was the son of that William Gaston, the friend and associate of John Wright Stanley, who died a martyr in the cause of American liberty. This William Gaston, who wrote the epitaph, was noted in his day, — and down to the pres- ent, as having been one of nature's noblemen and the greatset Chief Justice and jurist his state ever produced. He was, from the first, John Stanley's close personal friend (both at the Bar and in the political arena), and well knew whereof he spoke. The following is the epitaph: "John Stanley, eldest son of John Wright-Stanley and Ann, his wife, bom 1774, died August 2d, 1833. Few persons in any com- munity have occupied a more prominent station; few have exercised a more powerful influence than this dis- tinguished individual for many years held and exercised in our town and throughout our state. Long in the af- fectionate and grateful remembrance, of all, will live his genius, his learning, his courtesy, his eloquence, his vir- tues, his personal characteristics and his public serv- ices." GASTON. My mother, Mrs. Temperance Durden Green, was a quadroon, by blood, and was a direct descendent, on both her father's and her mother's side, from those Scottish and Yorkshire Englishmen who followed the flag and fortunes of the last ^'Pretender," — descendant of the unfortunate James II, of England, in 1745 ; and after having met disastrous defeat, at Derby, almost at the gates of London, were expatriated and in large numbers, found asylum in North Carolina, — notably, in the coun- ties of Cumberland and Sampson, where, by thrift and economy, they left a numerous and wealthy progeny, as may be seen by tourists and others today. In the latter part of the eighteenth century, 1792, to be specific, there resided near the town of Clinton, in Sampson county, North Carolina, — about thirty miles from the city (then town) of Fayettsville, in the same state, a family, containing two beautiful daughters, of which a man, Chesnut (or Chestnutt) by name, was the head. This pater famihas was a well-to-do farmer; and, with his wife and daughters, was known and re- spected, far and wide, by persons of his class ; moreover, since his daughters were young and comely, they were, frequently favored by the calls of young gentlemen, in the vicinage, who, socially and financially, deemed themselves their superiors. In the course of time, the young ladies became great- ly enamored of two of these young men; but, since they did not hasten to make to them proposals of marriage, they had recourse to the advice and services of a *'likely" young colored man (the slave of their father), who advised them, in the premises, with the result that, ere long, each became the mother of a little colored girl; one of these baby girls was named Obedi- ence, which was transformed to "Bede;'' this one was my grand-mother, born in the same year as my father, 1793 ; the child of the other girl, sister of this first moth- er, was name Alice, but, invariably, as long as she lived, called "A-lice." A glance will suggest that these two babies, being the offspring of one father by two sisters, were, at once, sisters and cousins!! This condition during the woman- hood of these two colored girls was doubly complicated, when each girl presented to two white brothers, severally, a child, one of whom was my mother. If the foregoing is proof of a low moral status amongst both white and colored persons in that portion of these United States, at that time, place the odium where it belongs, not at door of the poor slaves; nor should we forget that, as far back as the time of Homer, when bondsmen were of every nationality and race, it became a maxim that, "Jove made it certain that, whatever day Makes man a slave, takes half his worth away." Moreover, it seems to be a natural inclination governing dominant and oppressing men, to take unjust advantages of unprotected females and others ; as, — witness the Ro- mans, under Romulus, taking, by force, the Sabine vir- gins and carrying them into captivity ; and a more recent proof of my contention may be found in the conduct of the German warriors and the ''Reds'* of Russia, who have disregarded every sacred right of conjugal, maternal and virginal purity; under such conditions those damnable doctrines,— "Might makes right," and, "To the victor belong^ the spoils," are an unspeakable curse. It may interest the reader to know that, both those colored girls lived to a "ripe old age." Bede, my grand- mother, lived to be nearly ninety-seven years of ?.ge, and, had she not yielded to dread pneumonia, she would, probably, have rounded out a century ; Alice was almost ninety years of age, when she died. Both left behind them a numerous pr^ny, thus proving the fallacy of that "scientific" dogma — that Mulattoes cannot reproduce their species; for both were mulattoes, — having white mothers and a Negro father. "Granny Bede," was, in her youth and young woman- hood, a very strong and active woman, as the two anec- dotes which follow, concerning her, will abundantl.y prove. When she was between eighteen and twenty years of age, she had, to some extent, the care of the cows and other cattle belonging to the farm on which she was reared. On one occasion, it became necessary to put a 7 rope around the horns of a powerful steer, which was cortaoed in the pen; but, this being at a time remotely aciterior to the herding of cattle on our western prairies, aeid skillful lassoing of the same by our doughty ''cow- boys," the men failed of success, and, after repeated ef- forts and failures, appealed to "Bede," their keeper. "Here's Bede," they said; "they know her; let her try." No sooner said than done; for, in a "jiffy," she vaulted over the fence of the pen, and, noose in hand, dauntlessly, approached — confronted, the steer. Lower- ing his head, the beast rushed at her! In this supreme moment, "Granny" did not scream and faint, but, grasp- ing his horns, she held his nose to the ground until re- lieved; when, she triumphantly climbed back over the fence, the cynosure of all eyes, the heroine of the mo- ment, and even down to the present day, in the estima- tion of this writer, and others. The other incident follows: In 1872, when she was in the seventy-ninth year of her age, I visited her on a farm in the suburbs of Bennettsville, Marlborough County, South Carolina. The little cabin in which she then resided, was on the roadside, at the edge of a fifty- acre cottonfield, and, it becoming necessary to call one of the "hands" to his dinner, she did not ring a bell or sound a horn, but with a stentorian voice, called "Lewis! ■0, Lewis'!" I can hear her to this day. "Come to din- n^rl" Needless to say, Lewis heard the gladsome sum- !::^.on3, &nd, dropping his hoe in his tracks, ran, as the '^xvow Hies" to that refreshment which his manly labor ^.ntitlaai him to, and which made a mere dish of "coraed lyaef-and," more palatable to him, than any nectar brewed hy a fabled god. My dear mother was a born Spartan, with not the Ti'ighte^t suspicion of xA^frican blood traceable in features or comp'eKion, v/ith brov/n eyes, auburn hair, high cheek Maes, high forehead, straight nose and thin-compressed 8 lips, she was a study for everyone who was introduced to her, as a colored woman; and yet, she married a colored man, not disowning her descent, and, to her death, in her eighty-first year of age, she commingled with her colored friends. Some conception of my mother's energy and deter- mined spirit may be gained from the fact that, when she was about twenty years of age, she walked from Clinton, Sampson County, N. C, to Fayettsville, N. C, in less than one day, arriving in Fayettsville in a foundered con- dition, carrying her shoes in her hand. When she arrived in Cleveland, she had occasion to transact some business with Mr. Blair, who owned the extensive real estate on the south side of Prospect street, just east of Thirtieth street. Mr. Blair said to her: *'0f what nationality are you?" Mother answered, "I am a colored woman." 'Well," replied Mr. Blair, "I wouldn't tell it!" Mother could wash and iron, cook, make any article of wearing apparel, for either man or woman, — from a shirt to a 'Trince Albert" coat ; in addition to all this, she had been taught and thoroughly understood how to ''card" wool or cotton, spin with the wheel and weave at the loom. She could gather the cotton from the stalk in the field, and with her own hands, without assistance, card, spin, weave and manufacture it into a suit of clothes. She could even knit the stockings of the family. The first kite ever flown by me was attached to a ball of twine which my mother had manufactured for me out of the "raw" cotton. When, she, a comely lass of twenty-four summers, marned my father in 1837, he took her to a beautiful home, which was still standing in 1897, when I last visited "Old Newbern Town," and was in use as a parsonage for the Presbyterian pastor and his family. The interior decorations of this house, by the carpen- ter, in the ''thirties" cost in cash eighteen hundred dol- lars, an amount which would purchase then what five thousand dollars would to-day. Having given a survey of the Stanley family and others of his ancestors, I will now proceed to give an outline of my father's brief but useful and remarkable life; and here and now, I dare assert, that, taking into consideration the time and place of his birth, his en- slaved condition, his absolute handicap in the way of ob- taining even the rudiments of an education, his was one of the most remarkable careers that stand attested, by any other colored man, of his age and generation. It is a peculiar and interesting fact, which I may mention, in passing, that my father and I, together, have lived in portions of three centuries — the eighteenth, the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries : Father was born, as I have said, in the year 1793 ; he lived until No- vember, 1850 ; while this writer having been born in 1845, in the 19th century, is still living, in the 20th century. In addition to the foregoing, it may be noted, that, we each, have lived in two centuries ; my father in the 18th and 19th century, and this writer in the 19th and 20th centuries. My father, having been born of a slave mother — be- fore she was maumitted, his estate followed that of his unfortunate mother, — he was a slave! Ye gods! fancy the son of a Stanley in slavery! yet, stranger conditions than this have existed in the southern states of this country — the ''natural" colored sons and daughters of many slave masters have been openly sold, on the auc- tion block, and the proceeds of those sales have gone to line the pockets of their un-natural parents ! ! ! Little "Johnnie Green" was of such small and deli- cate frame, even up to the time when he entered his "teens," that, it was somewhat of a problem, what dispo- sition should be made of him, — a laborious occupation for 10 him was "out of the question ;" and as for a professional career, that was not to be thought of. Finally, it was determined to apprentice him to a tailor; and the resolution was no sooner adopted than executed. At the age of thirteen, in 1806, when, by rea- son of diminutive size, he was dubbed ''Jack, the weazel," he first crossed his legs, on the ''board" and commenced a career, which continued for forty-three years, when death ended it. Father related many instances of shameful treatment of him by some of the apprentice boys during his appren- ticeship, who frequently "picked" on him; but to his last day he spoke in terms of superlative gratitude of the protection often extended to him by a Frenchman, Du- rand by name, whose memory I laud and magnify, to this day — who can tell the limitation of "Little deeds of kindness, little v/ords of love?" He also, often spoke of his meager supply of food, when old Aunt Hannah, his care-taker, would, at times, pre- pare and serve him "Cush/* a dish which I suspect few of the present generation know anything about. Having been served with the same dish in my childhood, I hereby submit the recipe for making that inexpensive and pal- atable dish: Take crusts and crumbs of cold cornbread; moisten them moderately, put them into a "spider," (fry- ing-pan) containing a modicum of hot grease, — and let them fry, until all are nicely browned; then, Voila! a dish for a hungry boy. We think we are experiencing "hard times" in our day ; and we are, in many instances ; but, what will you say when I avow to you that, the mis- tress of his salve cousin, Maria, often, before sending her out into the street to perform an errand, would grease her lips in token of the fact (?) that, she had been eating meat! 11 Father, considering his direct lineal descent, was in reason, — necessarily, an apt pupil; and, in the course of a year or two, he began to earn money, by doing extra work, during his spare hours, and by occupying some of the hours allotted to him for sleep, in this way. At the age of twenty-one, when his apprenticeship was ended, he was the proud possessor of one thousand dollars, which he ultimately used in buying his freedom ; for, he related that, after he had married a free wife, he could no longer endure the yoke of slavery. When he attained his liberty, he had already learned to read and write. In fact, he had, to some ex- tent, mastered the three R's. No school door swung open, or even ajar for him; he learned the alphabet in some mysterious way, for it was a crime to teach a slave to read and write; in this re- spect, he was in a sadder plight than the great Frederick Douglass, for he, before he escaped from slavery, had some ''side'* instruction; but father, had no instructor, save a copy of the then, Webster's Elementary Spelling Book, which was his inseparable companion, by night and by day; and, with the assistance of a blind man, whom, at times, he led through the street, he was gradually in- ducted into the mystery of reading. The method in practice between my "Daddy" and the blind man, was as follows : Dad would call the letters of a word, and the blind man would tell him how to pro- nounce it; and "Jack-the-weazel," like his forebears, being naturally clever, ere long was reading, in the same little book, the monosyllabic sentences, beginning, — "No man may put off the law of God." It may sui-prise the reader to learn, that, in after years, without any additional schooling, my father kept the "single and double entry" books of accounts, used in his business ; that, at the time of his death, he owned a large collection of books, amongst which I can, at this 12 late day, recall, The Life and Speeches of Henry Clay, The Church Register, which contained thorough accounts of nation-wide transactions in the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States ; A History of the World, by Sir Walter Raleigh; Rollings Ancient History, and many others; in fact, so choice, and, in some instances, rare, was his collection of books, that, when, by order of my mother, they were sold at public auction, the bidding was spirited and the competition noteworthy, to obtain pos- session of some of them, even amongst the wealthy slave- holders who were in attendance. Unquestionably, my father possessed a great desire for literary attainments, and did his utmost to reach to some excellence, along that line. This talent on his part was recognized during all his life. Men of learning and discrimination sought him in his store and engaged him in conversation, to such an extent, that much of his valuable time was lost, in this way, and even the Bishops of the Episcopal Church (of which he was a member) — Bishops Ives and Atkinson, respectively, always visited and con- versed with him, when they made their episcopal visits to old Christ Church, in that town. In this connection, it may not be amiss to state that, although born and reared a slave, and residing in a slave-holding community, my daddy, so deported himself as to merit and receive kind and courteous treatment, from all. He owned and occupied with his family, a pew in Christ Episcopal Church, which was the most wealthy and aristocratic congregation in that part of the state ; while the other members, with two exceptions, sat in the galleries ; and as proving how tena- cious he was of what he conceived to be his rights, it may oe stated, that, when the Reverend Doctor Buxtoii, (white) a clergyman of the Episcopal Church, married lim and my mother in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in L837, and did not wear his clerical robe, he would not give lim a bill which he carried in his vest pocket for him. 13 I may add, in passing, that, my father who never as- pired to be called a poet, in any sense, yet,, undoubtedly, was possessed of the afflatus, to some extent, for, he read the higher poets with avidity and had committed many excerpts to memory, which, in animated conversation, he often repeated. As an illustration, I will here record one, which I have carried in my memory for sixty-five years, and during that time, I have never seen it in print : "Where are those names which set the world on fire? \VTiere does the pride of Rome and Greece retire? Caesar's dread name now marks the butcher's dog; While Cato saws wood and Scipio drives the hog. Seek ye for Pompey? — Search the tanner's yard. While Nero, you'll find your kitchen's faithful guard." As tending to show that father was possessed of a keen sense of humor, and could on occasion extemporize a little rhyme, I will give the following illustration: One Sunday afternoon, when he and some of his boon companions were promenading, one of the principal streets of the town he noticed that one of them, ''Bos- ton" by name, was wearing a coat which had been made in his tailor shop, and that it had been dyed l)lack. Like a flash he slapped ''Boston" on his shoulder, and exclaimed, "This coat I know, it once was brown, And shone all o'er this Newbem town; But now, alas, this coat is black. And shines upon poor Boston's back!" It is needless to remark that, this thinist drew forth much merriment, at the expense of "poor Boston;" but, since it was confined to the friendly group, it was taken for a joke, as was intended. The following epitaph written (composed) by my father, was engraved on the marble headstone placed by 14 him at the head of his first wife's grave, in grateful and loving remembrance of her. She died beloved and even revered by the whole community, in which she was bom and passed her useful and devout life. ''Sacred to the memory of Sally Green, who departed this life March 29th, 1837, aged 45 years, 6 months. A constant friend, a tender, loving wife; Prudent in all the needful cares of life; And when arrested by the hand of Death, In faith and hope resigned her mortal brreath. Her soul, we trust, doth dwell with God, above, And there drinks in the copious streams of love." In the course of father's long experience as a tailor and merchant tailor, he had many apprentices, some of whom became quite noteworthy, by reason of their at- tainments and mercantile successes. The most conspicuous of these was, the late Rever- end William J. Alston, a native of Raleigh, N. C. ; who, for eight years, was under my father's eye, and finished his apprenticeship — "cum magna laude". ^William", as he was called, was, for years, bubbling over with animal spirits ; he was rude, boisterous and un- tidy ; and, more than once, had to be disciplined. It was the general opinion of William that, he was a "ne'er do well," and, that, he would come to no good end. On one occasion, he tied up his small wardrobe in a bandana handkerchief and shipped to "sail before the mast;" however, he was intercepted, by my father, be- fore the departure of the schooner, taken, with his lug- gage, back to his home, soundly "flogged", and given some wholesome advice, for his government, in the fu- ture. Shortly thereafter, he was invited to participate in the exercises of a singing society, which held Sunday afternoon sessions. He accepted the invitation, became 15 -r a regular and most interested member, and, ultimately, announced his intention to study theology, for the Epis- copal ministry. This resolution having been received with marked favor, by his father, the late Oscar Alston, of Raleigh, N. C, he was, in a way, matriculated in an institution at Chapel Hill, N. C, where he was prepared for college. After that, he was graduated fiom Oberlin College in the later fifties ; and, finally, at Gambler, Ohio, became a full fledged priest in the Episcopal Church. In many years, this true and tried sei^vant of God, as Rector of both Saint Phillip's Church, New York City, and Saint Thomas' Church, Philadelphia, preached "Jesus Christ and him crucified;" and his sweet exem- plary life was as a beacon light, to many who, perhaps, otherwise, would have been stranded and lost. The follovving anecdote, related by Rev. Alston, to my dear mother, in my presence, goes far to prove the al- most intolerable conditions which prevailed, even in re- ligious educational institutions, in the United States, prior to the Civil War. Being the only colored student in Kenyon College, prior to the abolition of slavery, Alston was the cjmosure of all eyes; and, at times, not a little at a loss for com- panionship, and even association. To such an extent was this true, that, on one occasion, while taking a stroll, in the suburbs of the old college town, he was confronted by a cow, who honoring him with a friendly stare, turned out of his way, — gave him "gangway" (as the vulgar expression of our day would have it) ; delighted at the unusual recognition and courtesy shown him, by the humble brute, Alston saluted her and exclaimed, — "Good morning, Mrs. Cow!" It goes without saying, that, we had a hearty laugh over the incident. Another story, related by him, at the same time, is recalled by the former. During a summer vacation, while 16 exerting himself to add to the contents of his niea^^er purse, he shipped as a waiter on a steamer plying be- tween Cleveland and Lake Superior ports. On arriving at Duluth, Escanaba or some one of the other •'sea- port towns," he left the steamer and went in search of some other remunerative employment. The older reader s of this narrative will recall, that, during the later part of the ''fifties," the whole country was in the giip of a most trying panic, which made it almost impossible to procure remunerative labor, at any price. "William," in that remote section, soon made this discovery ; and, since the boat had gone, and funds were extremely low, he was ''open" to any job that presented itself. He soon found it, in the shape of a small mountain of earth which had been formed by the excavation of a large hole, to be osed as a cellar. The owner of this mountain offered to pay him the sum of thirty-five dollars, and furnish him with a shovel and wheel-barrow, if he would remove it. In a jiffy, he accepted the proposition, and v/ithout delay, having "peeled" of his coat, disregarding his flaccid muscles and tender hands, he bent to his task. At the end of two weeks, he had finished the undertaking and received his compensation, which he had in his pocket, when the boat returned to convey him. back to Cleveland. Another of father's apprentices, who was graduated with honor, from his workshop, was the late Jerry Har- vey, of Boston, Mass. Mr. Harvey, near the close of his apprenticeship, had the sad misfortune, while playfully, pointing a gun at a comrade, on Christmas day, to kill him, by its accidental discharge. In North Carolina, in the "thirties," such an occur- rence was an exceedingly grave affair; for the old crim- inal "Comon Law" of England, with only slight modifica- tions, was still in vogue, which made the condition of the 17 offender vastly different than now, under our enlight- ened and merciful regime. However, my father went to the front for him; and, as usual, he received a respectful hearing, in behalf of the unfortunate young man; and the matter was com- promised, by allowing the defendant to leave the state, not to return again. Without any delay, Mr. Harvey be- took himself to Boston, where he followed the trade vv'hich had been taught him; and, being very successful, along this line, his name became well known, especially amongst colored people, in all sections of New England. At that period in the history of the South, Mr. Harvey might with propriety have paraphrased our well known school declamation, beginning. "Banished from Rome (Newbera)! What's banished — (but set free, From daily contact with the things I loathe!" My father was a man of generous, impulses; he really, at times, when pressed to bestow a favor, could not say "No," and since the homestead exemptions to heads of families, in that state, at that time, were ex- tremely scant, the usual result followed — he was com- pelled to meet the defaults of others by exhausting his earnings and sacrificing his properties. Added to this was the fact that, on two several occasions his establishments were destroyed by fire. On both occasions, he was the victim of neighboring conflagrations. It is, scarcely nec- essary to say, that, the amount of insurance recovered by him at that time, was of slight value; hence, his was an almost total loss. Twice, he bought some of his relatives, when being sold at public auction, being entreated by them to save them from the speculator. NOTE — The "speculator was a person who traveled from one loca- tion to another, buying slaves for resale and speculation, in the cotton, cane and rice producing sections of the Gulf States. 18 The amounts thus advanced by him, it is needless to say were never returned to him. Being importuned by two frail mulatto youths ap- prentices of his, for whom he entertained regard ' and sympathy, be bought them, on their promise to repay him the money advanced, in installments: Sad to relate both these young men died, of tuberculosis, before they had paid to him a tenth of the money advanced-one thousand dollars, for each of them; here, again, was an additional loss of two thousand dollars, which, we must not forget, was, then, worth at least, three times as much as at the present time. Ultimately, of course, he was stripped of all his earthly possessions, save his honor; and, broken in body bereft of his redundant humor, good cheer and genial' whole-souled, winsome conversation, he betook himself to his bed, from which he was never to rise again. The sheriff came, levied on everything, save the sad and downcast widow and three forlorn children, ranging m age from eleven years to nine months. This writer being second in order, was five years of age, small and weak for the age. "Lift me up and let me die!" he said to our dear mother, after a lingering illness; and so died John R Green^ of Newbern, North Carolina, of whom it may be said, "He loved not wisely, but too well." The more I reflect on the current of my father's eventful life,-of his early struggles for existence,— his social limitations— his vaulting ambitions, his consuming zeal, and his unspeakable disappointments, the more I wonder at the phenominal successes which attended his efforts. He was broad and cosmopolitan in his views and altho he was a colored American, in a slave state, carry- ing on his shoulders all that incubus of caste proscription which characterized the time and place in which he lived 19 yet, he counted amongst his friends and quasi-associates, many of the wealthy as well as the poor whites, in the place of his residence. It was no uncommon occurence to meet jr> his place of business illiterate persons of the white race, who took advantage of his literary attainments, to procure **beg- ging-petitions" and other documents, for public use ; and, after his death, I was accosted frequently, by persons of both races, who would ask me, — "Whose boy are you?" I would answer, "I am the son of John R. Green." Then, invariably, the reply would be, "Well, son, you must be a good boy, for your father was a good man!" Father was very fond of aquatic sports. If a "vessel" was to be launched or any race rowed on the river, he was sure to be one of the spectators, and as for swim- ming, boating and fishing, they were the acme of his out-of-door pleasures. The town of Newbern, North Carolina, is located in the triangle formed by the juncture of the Neuse and Trent rivers, where they unite to form Pamlico Sound. These rivers, as well as the Sound, are well stocked with many species of most delicious seafood, not omitting oysters, clams and hard and soft-shell crabs. So fond was he of sea-food, that, when the hegira of colored people from the South to the North was at flood-tide, during the decade prior to the Civil war, and especially during the debates in Congress, about the year 1850, and he was asked, whether or not he intended to join in the proces- sion, he answered, that he would never leave North Car- olina, until he could carry the Neuse and Trent rivers with him. And, it is a notable fact, that, as long as we re- mained in that state, he was the only person who, know- ingly, had ever walked over the frozen surface of the Trent river, at Newbern, where it is from a half to a mile wide. This feat he daringly accomplished during the winter of 1833-4, as my mother informed me. 20 As a workman, my father, was without a superior, in that section of the state. He designed and executed all styles of clothing and uniforms which the trade de- manded, even going back to old continental styles and theatrical costumes. In closing this brief sketch of the life of my dear father, I shall, use the lines of Lord Byron, as dedicated to a poetic enthusiast of his time. White, by name, only paraphrasing a word or two to make them applicable. ''Unhappy soul, when life was in its spring, And thy young muse just waved her joyous wing, The spoiler swept thy soaring lyre away, Vy-'hich else, had sounded an immortal lay. O, what a noble life was there undone, When science's self destroyed her favorite son! Yes, she too much indulged thy fond pursuit. She sowed the seed, but Death has reaped the fruit. 'Twas thine own genius stnick the fatal blow. And helped to plant the wound that laid thee low. Like the struck Eagle, stretched upon the plain. No more through rolling clouds to soar again, Viewed his own feather on the fatal dart, And winged the shaft that quivered in his heart. Keen were his pangs, yet keener far to feel He nursed the pinion which impelled the steel, While the same plumage which had warmed his nest Drank the last life-drop of his bleeding breast!" Here begins, in an humble way, an epic, to end when and how^ God, in his great wisdom, power and mercy, wills it to end. We follow the little sombre hearse by twos, in the direction of Christ-Church Cemetery (now popularly known, there, as Rock Cemetery). Mother, supported on the arm of a true and tried old friend, leading the cortege, this writer clinging to the arm of his elder sister, next; a few friends following. The beautiful burial service of the Episcopal Church having been read, and the final, "earth to earth, — dust 21 to dust," having been pronounced, forlorn and needy, we turn away, to confront and fight, — to "strut and fret,'' our more or less gloomy way, — widowed, and fatherless, for many years to come. Mother, glum, demure and determined as ever Spar- tan mother showed herself, turns from her palatial resi- dence of yore, mahogany furniture, cut-glass, silver serv- ice, the ministration of maid servants and hosts of friends, and repairs, with her little biood, to a rude cottage, in an obscure section of the old town; confronted, on the opposite side of the narrow street, by the ancient "grave yard," gloomy with its "weeping" willows, funereal cy- presses and moss-covered cedars; and flanked, on either side, by dwellings, tenanted by persons, the like of whom she had never known as associates; and who, on occa- sions, would publicly proclaim, in clarion tones, "It makes no difference how high the Eagle flies in the air, he's got ter come down ter git 'is support!!" As the Immortal Bard puts it: 0, what a falling off, my countrjmien, was there!" 22 CHAPTER II. CHILDHOOD DAYS. "Is the road dreary? — Patience yet; Rest will be sweeter if thou are aweary; Then bide a wee and dinna fret." In commencing the first chapter, I stated, humorous- ly, that I was "born with a silver spoon in my mouth,'' and rocked in the cradle of luxury (a mahogany cradle, to be explicit) . But now, all is changed, save that mother still retains a few pieces of the furniture, and broken sets of silver-ware, rescued from the flames, — grim re- minders of the fact that, the besom of destruction had passed by, and the merciless hand of fate was weighing heavily upon us. In that sad predicament, some of her friends v/on- dered that she, being still in comparative youth, DJid pleasing to look upon did not accept several offers of marriage made to her, especially, since her only means of existence, for herself and three fatherless children, was the use of the needle, which, at that time and place, was a source of very small remuneration. Her cui*t an- swer was that, she would not place her children under any step-father, to be treated in accordance with his whim or mood. 23 My domestic environment was, apparently, all that could have been wished, for a poor boy. Far better than that of Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass or Booker T. Washington, at five years of age, for, my food, tho scant at times, was sufficient to sustain life, at least. I had a feather bed, still, to sleep upon, in cold weather, and mother, by extraordinary efforts, managed to pre- serve for me a "Sunday suit of clothes." In addition to the support which we derived from the industrious use of the needle by our mother, we had, in our garden, which was intelligently cultivated, a source of much assistance. In addition to a few plum trees and a large fig tree, all of which yielded abundantly, in season, we raised fair crops of sweet corn, collards, and the medics! roots and herbs which, a century ago, could be found in every well regulated truck garden. Southern people and those native to the soil, will recognize in the term "collard," a plant greatly resem- bling the cabbage, down to the time when the cabbage 'lieads". The collard is of a greener tint than the cab- bage, and never heads, save to the size of a small orange, in the center. When the frosts come, the leaves of the collards are streaked white and, v/hen boiled, in a big iron "pot", hung on trammels, placed in the big fire-place, with a piece of bacon, pork or corned-beef, to- gether with the well known "corn-dodgers," they fur- nished the dish de resistance, placed before a half -fam- ished boy. I can't see, at this writing, what on earth would have become of us, had we not been in possession of that Uttle garden, and a few chickens, which furnished us with an occasional egg to vary the monotony of our diet. In order to procure a piece of "fresh beef," or a f*ouiiid of liver, it was necessary to arise with the lark sM hie us to the market house, which, with the Court 24 House, stood at the junction of the two principal streets, and formed an imposing group. Let it not be imagined, however, that our dear mother was, in any sense, remiss or lax in providing for the future, for denying herself fine clothing and all the adornments of the body, so much coveted by many women, she dedicated her whole life to the support and partial education of her children. During the summer season, she would save, as best she could, a dollar now and then, for the purpose of buying a pig, for the remainder of the year, and then, when the weather was sufficiently cold, she would purchase, on the market, one of the weight of a hundred or a hundred and fifty pounds, and impose on this writer the task of wheeling it home. I have a very pleasant remembrance, in this connec- tion of a friendly-generous act, performed, in my behalf, by a noble white lady, during the winter of 1855-6, w^hich goes far to prove that, neither true gentlehood nor true womanhood is always to be found in the palace ; nor must we search for them beneath ''robes and furred gowns." Now listen! Miss Arete Ellis, a maiden lady of culture and refinement, was the matron of the Griffin Academy, an institution founded for the nurture and education of poor white girls, in that section of North Carolina. She was an Episcopalian by religious faith, and attended Christ Episcopal Church, at the head of her group, every Sunday morning. She had known my father all her life, and she had seen me and my elder sister, in our pew, invariably, every Sunday morning. On the occasion I am now referring to, I was wheel- ing, in a wheelbarrow, a dressed pig, weighing about a hundred and fifty pounds. I was ten years of age, and weighed exactly fifty pounds. Placing a fifty pound weight on one side of the old market scales, I would then stand upon the other side, and they w^ould equally 25 balance — as the slang phrase of the present day would have it— it was ''fifty-fifty." The day to which I have referred, was one of the coldest I had ever seen or felt, and I was minus an over- coat. I had stopped at about half the distance to my destination, to rest my muscles (?) and recover my breath, when along came Miss Arete Ellis, nicely and warmly clad, carrying in her hands a few parcels which she had just purchased from one of the dry goods stores where she had been shopping. Slackening her gait, she beamed upon me a counte- nance full of sympathy and compassion. 'Toor little fel- low!'' she exclaimed, "Are'nt you very cold?" "Yes ma'am !" I answered. "Well, take my parcels, and let me help you," was her rejoinder. Suiting the action to the word, she handed me the things, seized the handles of the wheelbarrow, and trundled it along the public street, almost to my mother's door ! Here was, in very fact, an angel in disguise. Her name was Arete, a Greek word, which, in the original Greek signifies talent, skill, fitness, courage, etc., and surely, on this occasion, she proved that she was worthy of the name. Miss Ellis has, long since, been gathered into the bosom of her Lord and Master whom she loved and served. It has been sixty-five years since this unselfish deed was done, "Unto one of the least of these." But, her face and form and kindly act, lives and blooms perennially, in my mind and heart, never to be forgotten; and, v/hether there be erected monument or tablet in commemoration of her useful, virtuous and noble life, I know not; but, here and now, I pour out to her all the gratitude and esteem of an appreciative heart hoping that a knowledge of her goodness may stimulate others to "go and do likewise." Returning to mother and her struggles : Sometimes the "bacon" would be exhausted before the next pig 26 would be purchased ; at other times, work would be acarce and the purse would be almost depleted. On such occa- sions, the strictest economy would be required. Once in a while we would put some cornmeal into a bowl, sprinkle some salt in and upon it, pour in some hot water and stir it thoroughly. After that, we would place it on a "giiddle," with live coals under it. When it browned on one side, we would turn it over and brown it on the other side. Then we would divide it into four equal parts, of which each one was given a portion, to eat or let alone, as the humor moved us. Judge John R. Donald, the widower of the late daughter of the former Governor Richard Dobbs Speight, of whom I have spoken, had a mansion about half a mile distant from the humble abode of my m.other. Here were sei-vants galore, and food in abundance. Several of the servants were related, by blood, to my deceased Father, and they sympathized with us, in our forlorn condition. One of the poor slave women, for whom father had done a kindness, could not endure the thought of my elder sister doing the family washing, and be it said to her everlasting honor, that she came to mother by night, and begged permission to do the washing, rather than that my sister should do it. Mother, in her stern, positive way, said, "No, Sarah has got to work for her living, and she may as well be learning now as later on." That ended the matter, and for years after that, while mother sewed, sister in her teens, assisted and did the washing. Amongst Judge Donald's maid servants, were two, one whom we denominated, ''Little Auntie," and another known as Aunt Hannah. Each was domiciled on the premises, in adjoining rooms of an out-house. ''Little Auntie" was a cousin of my father, and, quite reasonably, regretted the great misfortune which had befallen us, and in her poor way she told mother to send me around 27 there in the night time, and ^he v/ould give me some milk to carry home, and such oth^r, little articles of food as remained over from the table of the great-house. Of course, we eagerly grasped at this opportunity of satis- fying the cravings of hunger, and it became my duty to go to Judge Donald's, every night and fetch home, the bounty dispensed to us. This was, at times, a source of much assistance to us and we made the most of it. Indeed, so jubilant was I over the trend of affairs, that, I v/as wont to exclaim, in superlative glee, — "That woman that you call Little A-u-n-t-i-e, has a p-1-e-n-t-i-e!" 'That woman you call Aunt Hannah has a p-1-e-n-t-i-e!" And so, these poor slave women, grateful for kindnesses which our big- hearted daddy had bestowed on them, in the day of his abundance, found now their opportunity of re-paying, almost in kind, what their true hearts had always been grateful for. In those days, I was little more than seven years of age, and, frequently, the streets through which I wended my way to Judge Donald's were as dark as Egypt. How- ever, I quailed not, and when I could not see the route, I tried to feel it, as best I could. Sometimes, Aunt Hannah would sigh, and say, "Ah (air) Johnnie, I haven't got nothin' fer yer ter night 1" On such occasions, returning home empty-handed, mother would say: "Well, go to bed and go to sleep, and you will forget your hunger!" This I did, on more than one occasion. We had our bright days though, for on Christmas, mother always secured a little turkey, and during the summer season, we more than once enjoyed a lusciojRs water-melon. As soon as I was strong enough to use a wood-saw, I was given charge of sawing and splitting the firewood. A cord of hickory, oak or ash wood would be thrown over our fence. After that, the trouble began. However, 28 as I look back to those days, and the benefit which I de- rived from my contact with those wood piles, in the way of developing muscles and general physique, I am per- suaded that, the criminal branches of our courts would have less to do, had every boy a wood pile and "buck- saw" in his back yard, over which he could preside with honor and profit. This recalls the fact (which I am very proud of), that, in the winter of 1858, when I was thirteen years of age and weighed just sixty pounds, I raised the money to buy me a pair of skates, by sawing and splitting and piling up three cords of wood. Two cords I sawed into three pieces, and one cord, I sawed into two pieces. It required much walking around the streets of Cleveland, in order to find the wood, and I regret to relate it, after buying the skates, I used them only a few times, before I was seized with pneumonia, and sold them for about one-half their purchase price. What limited skating I tried to do was without pleasure, for, I wore shoes, while the other boys wore boots. My shoes were too low for the proper strapping of the skates on, and my ankles would ever and anon turn over, and cause me to fall. Another task which I had imposed upon me, while I was yet a little boy, in Newbern, was that of turning the grind-stone, for Uncle Balaam Jones, a cooper, who would recompense me by supplying some portion of our firewood. Every Saturday afternoon, I would go to Planner's cooper sho^ about half a mile distant from our home, to perform this function. I was too light and weak for the work, but mother permitted us to eat no "idle bread." At times, when Uncle Balaam would bear down with considerable weight, the grindstone would cease revolv- ing. Then he would "let up" for a few moments and al- low me to rest a little, before proceeding again, and, when, finally, the adz, the broad-axe, the drawing 29 knives, the chisels, etc., etc., were properly sharpened, I was well nigh exhausted, for, be it remembered, that I was conditioned like "hungry Jake," in the Minstrel show. The interlocutor said to him, "Brace up!" Jake answered: "How kin I brace up, when I aint got nuthin to brace up on!" Many times I went to perform the task before I had dined, (?) for mother w^as loth to lay her work down before she had accomplished a given task. The grinding being completed, then came my recom- pense. Uncle Balaam would select some defective ash "heading," split them to convenient sizes and fill my deep tray which I had carried there for the pui-pose. After this, he would assist me in placing the burden on my head. I had no little four-wheeled wagon to draw it home in. Then I would start for home, half a mile distant. In the course of four or five minutes, the pressure upon the top of my ten-eleven year old cranium, would cause my eyes to feel that they were beginning to bulge out; and my neck w^ould pain me severely. In such an emergency, I would "sidle" up to the nearest fence and ease one end of my tray onto the top of it ; having rested a while, I would proceed on my course, repeating the act from time to time, until I reached my home. On the route leading from the cooper shop to my home, resided a family by the name of Bragg, — father, mother and some seven sons and daughters. The father was a tailor by trade — carrying work to his home and perform- ing it there, with the assistance of his good wife and other members of his family. Two of the boys, Cicero and Edwin, both of whom re- sembled white boys, seemed to "have it in" for me; and since there was no other route I could take, in returning to my home, from the cooper-shop, I was compelled to pass the residence of the Braggs where these two boys, switches in hand, invariably ^waited me. Both were my superiors in age and size; and there was no alternative 30 for me, but to "grin" and bear the whipping, which they administered to me, as I quickened my pace, with bulging eyes and aching neck ! The complaints of my mother had little effect in stopping their brutal sport, for it would ever and anon recur. The irony and cruelty of this torture which they im- posed on me was all the more conspicuous from the fact that, my dear deceased father had, to a greater degree than anyone else in the world, been instrumental in se- curing Mrs. Bragg's freedom from slavery; — even ad- vancing some portion of the purchase price, which had not been returned to him, at the time of his death. Here is one sequel to what I have just recited. About twenty years after the occurrences between the two Bragg boys and me, Edwin and I were both residing in the City of Cleveland, Ohio, my present home. I was a lawyer and Justice of the Peace of the Township of Cleveland, while Edwin was a barber. Edwn committed a larceny, and was indicted for a felony. He was without means, and I defended him, gratis. I put forth every ef- fort at my command, to save him from the penitentiary, but all to no purpose. He was convicted of grand larceny and sentenced to serve a term in the State Prison. In sentencing him to the penitentiary the aged and learned Judge Foote com- plimented me on the energy and interest which I had evinced in defending the young man. I told the judge that, he was the son of one of my deceased father's friends, and the playmate of my childhood. Whereupon, the judge expressed great surprise; and animadverted on the fact that, he had fallen so low, while I had followed another course. Later on in life, his form crossed my vision; after that he was swallowed up in the human whirl, and was lost to me, entirely. On one occasion, while I was turning the grind-stone, 31 for Uncle Balaam, an incident occurred which, to my ''dying day," will haunt my memory. Mr. Hancock, the "town sergeant," came into the cooper-shop and exclaimed, "I want one of your men to make me a paddle!" The men, one and all, knowing the purpose of torture that the paddle would be put to, stout- ly refused to make it. This they could do with safety, at that time, for they were slaves, and knew that their masters would uphold and protect them in the refusal. It is not so in the south now. "Well," said the official, "give me a drawing knife and a brace and bit, and I will make it myself." He was "as good as his word" ; for in a jiffy, he had the instrument made and bored full of holes. He then took his departure, caiTying the paddle with him. I fol- lowed him, — at a distance ; for I was curious to learn the sequel. From my coign of vantage, I saw him go to a remote spot, up the shore of the Neuse river, which coursed near the location of the cooper shojf and stop under a cypress tree which reared its head in the rrjidst of the pure white sand. There, stood a group of white men, with a young negro, in their midst, awaiting him. As the sergeant busied himself in removing a portion of the unfortunate Negro's clothing, tying his hands behind him and partially swing- ing him to one of the lower limbs of the tree, by a rope attached to his wrists, behind, I improved the opportu- nity in securing a position from which I could see every movem.ent of the posse and hear the exclamations and groans of the tortured victim. "Tortured?" yes, tortured, for, if it be not obvious to the most casual observer, that, a human being, suspended by a rope attached to his wrists bound behind him, must suffer excruciating pain, then let him try it for one minute, as an experiment. By reason of the peculiar posture of the victim's body, 32 the brows, with the perforated paddle, were administered with the utmost facility,— and with much force; which first blistered and then wounded the body, as I after- wards ascertained, by going to the spot and viewing the sand, which, at first, white, w^as now crimson with the blood of the poor slave,— helpless, in the hands of his tormentors. 0, how earnestly I did plead with my dear mother, on my return home, to follow in the tracks of the Martins, the Hancocks and the Stanleys, all of whom had, re- cently left their native "heath?" and gone in quest' of a modicum of liberty, into the great, free North, East and West! However, the time was not yet ripe for this im- portant undertaking, and we must needs bide our time. The reason assigned for torturing this slave man was, that, he and another had conspired to ''blow up" the dwelling house of a prominent citizen of the town. The victim of the torture had ''confessed" to placing (like another Guy Fawkes), a keg of gunpowder under the res- idence and laying a train for its explosion, to it; but no threats or tortures could force him to incriminate any- one else. When the resounding blows of the instrument would cause more blood to flow from the wound, he would exclaim, ''0, Lord ! !" Nobody but me an' Jeff ! !" • but who ^'Jeff" was, if, in very truth, "Jeff" existed, no one could find out. Here, perhaps, is the place to give some account of the administration of justice (?) in "The Old North State," at, that time, in the history of our country. In the old Court House, which was located in the heart of the business section of the town, was construed and, to some extent, applied, a m.odified form of the Eng- lish Common Law, as it existed before the days of Peel and his co-adjutors, who pulled many of the fangs out of The Court House had been there "from that time 33 whereof the memory of man ran not to the contrary;" and (with all modesty) , it resembled quite closely the old Court House which we found standing in the southwest section of our Public Square, on our arrival, in 1857. Within this North Carolina court house, all the busi- ness of Craven county was transacted, even to the cast- ing of ballots for all officials, from president, down to the least elective office. To this temple of justice (?) trudged (or stalked) the ''grave and potent" member of the bar and the honorable Judges, — sometimes, carrying a green bag containing a volume of ''legal lore," — at other times, followed by a dark-hued slave, carrying the same. The court being duly opened, in a formal way, by the sheriff of the county, who, generally bearing (not the fasces, but) a rod or pole of authority, would proceed to execute the preliminary orders of the court. Sometimes, the Court would say, "Sheriff, call Milly White!" Then that august official would raise a window, (or if in the summer time, stick his head out of a window) and, in stentorian tones, call,— Milly White! Milly White! Milly White!" "0, yes! 0, Yes! 0, Yes! Come into Court! Come into Court! " etc. Another name which comes down to me, through the seventy years, since I heard it, is that of "Irish Jimmy! Irish Jimmy! Irish Jimmy! 0, Yes! 0, Yes! 0, Yes! Come into Court! etc." The 0, Yes, 0, yes," is a corruption of the old Norman French, "Oyez, Oyez — hear ye, hear ye, which, for centuries, prevailed in Eng- lish courts of Common Law, after the Conquest. It was my fortune or misfortune, to be in the Court room, one morning, when condign punishment was meted out to a person (v/hite) who had been convicted of man- slaughter. The sentence was, that, the prisoner should be branded in his right hand with a hot iron, bearing the letters, M. S. (signifying manslaughter) ; the iron not to be removed until the prisoner should exclaim, three times, "God save the State ! God Save the State ! God Save 34 the State!" I watched, almost breathlessly, the Sheriff bind the right hand of the convict, securely to a small column which was one of the supports of the ceiling of the court room; then he drew from the stove which fur- nished warmth to the room, a "branding iron," which was quite hot. Without delay or more ado, the official pressed the hot iron against the thick portion of the prisoner's hand; — there was a sizzling sound, — smoke curled up into the air, and there was a smell of burning flesh, while the convict exclaimed in rapid succession, three times,— "God save the State! God save the State! God Save the State!" Immediately the iron was withdrawn; and I de- parted, in haste, to disclose to my mother and sisters the scene which I had witnessed. It was not an uncommon sight to witness, in passing the jail yard, a man standing in the stocks, with his wrists and head fastened in the holes of the same. It was fortunate for the men who were punished in the stocks, that, they were within the jail yard, which had a fence around it; for, the historians of England tell us, that, in times not so very remote, convicts, in the stocks, in the City of London, were entirely at the mercy of heartless mobs, who would often stone them, and sometimes pelt them with rotten vegetables, "over-ripe" eggs and decay- ing cats : to such an extent was this persecution carried, that, frequently, the victim lost his life. All persons convicted of capital offenses were exe* cuted upon gallows, which was erected, when needed, in an old neglected field, not so very remote from our resi- dence. I saw a white man, John Tillman, by name, haled through the street in which our residence was located, in a tumbril or cart, which was preceded and followed by an armed guard and hosts of curious people. Afterwards, standing at a respectful distance from the gallows, I witnessed the "black cap" drawn down over his face, and his body "swung into eternity." The reader 35 will readily infer, from what I have already written, that, there was not much "going on," in that old town, on land or on water, in those days, which I did not see. If there \vas to be a sale or hiring of slaves on the auction block, I was near at hand, to note every word, cry or movement ; if any one was to be lashed, at the whipping- post, there was this writer, to behold it. At home, fre- quently, I would meet a warm reception on my return, after having neglected some domestic duty, in order to keep tab on the varied county and municipal affairs. Mother was, at times, quite severe in her treatment of me, and I have always entertained the opinion, that, from her lack of proper educational facilities, she was not keen to discover temperamental differences, and to differentiate in the treatment of persons. Now, mother was as cold and sangfroid of temperament as any Scotch- man of the Highlands ; and, as a matter of fact, she could not or did not discover that, I was a mere little bony bundle of nerves — that like my dear deceased father, I had to "do or die." To have kept either of us still, would have entailed upon us, saint-vitus dance or epileptic fits. All the boys of the town knew me — white and black. The white boys scorned me, because I was not white ; and the black boys despised me, because I was not entirely black. They would '"pick" quarrels with me, and I would, with either my fists or weapons, defend myself. I had no "big brother" or other person to "take my paii:," and it devolved upon me to "hoe my own roe," which I may add, in all truth, I proceeded to do, — to the best of my ability. On one occasion, a crowd of white boys chased me, like a pack of hounds, baying a stag ( ?) ; they did not give up until they had seen me enter my mother's door, in safety. On another occasioin, that same "Milly White,'' a colored woman of the town, (whose name was called by the Court crier), assaulted me, in the Academy Green, on my way homeward, carrying a tray of sweet potatoes 36 on my head; it was not the first time; and happening to have a small knife open in one of my hands, I defended myself, by letting' her "have it," in one of her hips. It was her last assault on me. That was the nearest I ever cam.e to being* arrested; for, she made complaint against me to the authorities, who sent the same Town Sergeant (he was our police force) to investigate; he, on hearing the statements of my mother and myself, said, the wom- an had received no more than she deserved, and dropped the matter. The colored women, of the lower class, seemed to be piqued at my mother, because she had never associated with them; and, even in her changed and humble condition she carried her head high, and, scorned the association of all white or black, who were not congenial or fit. One of these Colored Amazons, who wished to make me the ''scapegoat," once upon a time, when I was about nine years of age, got me cornered in such a way that, no choice was left to me except to fight or be soundly beaten. In that emergency, I picked up a stone, closed my eyes, and, like another Macduff, 'laid on." When my antagonist called a halt and ceased her struggle, I opened my eyes, to find her pretty thoroughly covered with blood. This struggle against great odds, on my part, was viewed by an old friend of m.y deceased father, who de- clared that, I was the "worst boy in town!" a declaration which made a lasting impression on my mind ; and is still ringing in my ears. I have often debated the question, — "Did Mr. Green state a fact, or was he ignorant of condi- tions and biased, for some unknown reason, against me." What are the characteristics of a bad boy? I assert after an experience of fifty years, as an attorney-at-law, much of the time spent in defending persons indicted for, and charged with felonies and misdemeanors, — persons ranging in age from ten years of age to old age, that, to 37 be a bad boy or a bad man, one must have an evil-mali- cious heart ; and his deeds must be the offsprings of such a heart; but if, on the contrary, a person's heart is free from "envy, hatred, malice and all uncharitableness," he is not, in any sense, "bad." I have known boys to lie, cheat and steal ; to delight in causing pain and suffering to both man and beast. I knew a boy, once, who derived pleasure from seeing a chicken suffer, after he had cut off its feet. I saw a young southern "blood," on one occasion raise his gun and shoot to death a beautiful spaniel dog, his good friend, because he failed to obey his command, and come to him directly ; and I personally knew a young fellow, who dared his companion to place his wrist on a block, in a meat market, and when the youth placed it there, with one forceful stroke of the cleaver, he severed his hand from it. The foregoing acts, I regard as being malicious, — bad ; but, v/hat must be said of a boy who could not look at a wound without shuddering; — and whose every fibre was shocked at the recital of acts of cruelty and tales of woe. True, this writer was a "live vvire," in the slang of the day, and gloried in being conspicuous, — in leading a boisterous play, and in performing deeds which called for more or less courage; but, it is not on record, nor does the man live who can cite one instance of barbarity or destructiveness on his part: he confesses to the indict- ment of visiting, with another boy, his senior in age, Mr. Small wood's vineyard, one one occasion, and then and there, without permission, indulging, quite generously, in the luscious scuppernong grapes which cumbered the vines; but, this was an extraordinary proceeding, on his part ; it was an act which was not repeated ; for, while the Vv liter made a safe and speedy exit, his companion, who was less fleet of foot and expert in vaulting fences paid the penalty of being detained by a viscious dog, until a goodly portion of his trousers had been sacrificed. Hence, 38 I deny the arraignment of my father's old friend, — long since gone to join him, in the gi^eat beyond. Of one fact, every one will bear witness, — I was pa- triotic to a fault, as the following anecdote will prove: On a certain Fourth of July, I arose betimes and hurried down to the ''New County Wharf," to pai-ticipate, by sight and by hearing, in the firing of the Day-break Na- tional Salute, only to learn that, there would be none fired ; and that, the celebration of the Glorious Fourth of July would be duly consummated at Trenton, in an ad- joining County, — twenty miles distant. Later on in the day, the monotony becoming unbear- able, and having no horse and saddle-bags, like another "John Gilpin,'' with which to ride to Trenton, I concluded that I would walk there. Now, here is an exemplification of one of the reasons which actuated the old gentleman to dub me "the worst boy in town;" for, truly, I was the only boy, of all that town, who dared to walk to Trenton, after eight o'clock in the morning, to assist in celebra- ting our Nation's natal day. At about three o'clock in the afternoon of that day, I made my obeisance to sundry musicians, cooks and wait- ers, who were functioning a great, patriotic ball, being given in honor of "the day."' I was tired, dusty and both hungry and thirsty. Of course, every one heard with as- tonishment of my adventure and the successful termina- tion of it ; but, as the procession had, long since "broken ranks" and the participants had betaken them.selves to the banqueting hall and ball-room floor, my efforts to view the parade were in vain, — abortive ; and I found my- self in a condition closely allied to that of the King of the French, v>'ho, with "thirty thousand men, marched up the hill and then marched down again." However, the kind and sympathetic colored waiters would not allow the pa- triotic "hero" of the hour, to languish and to stance- for, they plied him with bits of roast-pig and other deliea-^ S9 cies; not to mention a dish of ice cream, which was, at that time, somewhat of a luxury, and seldom in evidence. To express my unbounded happiness, would require a pen more facile than mine, after I had thoroughly gorged my- .seii, and lent my ear to the dulcet strains of the orches- iL-a, proceeding from the ball-room. Ere long, however, the ''shades of night" began to fall, the merry-m.akers, "by twos, by fours and by sixes," began to depart for iheir homes; then the little speck of a cloud in the dis- tance, which at an early hour had shghtly dimmed my vision, began to draw near and hang over me in threat- ^alng form; and ever and anon, in my mind, I could see the forked flash and hear the reverberations of thunder, ijc tokening a coming storm, on my arrival home; more- over, hovv^ was I to get home ; for, the road was long, dark aiid dreary. Just here, the kindly fates came to my rescue; the orchestra, which hailed from Newbern, knew m.e, — knew itiy mother, and had known my father; and, again, with that generous, kindheartedness for which all colored peo- ple are noted, they came to my assistance, and invited me ■to return to my hom.e with them, — in the ''band wagon." "Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!" I was .Aved! Through the sands and the intervening forests, tlie languid horses progressed, until far after the break of day ; but, finally, they drew up in front of my mother's fiome; — she, standing in the door, anxious and doubtful, mo'L soul! not knowing whether the coming of that wagon was, for her, an omen of good or evil tidings ; for, more than twenty-four hours had elapsed since she had seen or heard from me; and who could say that, I was not drowned in the Neuse or Trent river, or even had been kidnapped by vultures, for the slave market? "We have brought your boy home!" exclaimed the ieader;" and we charge you a dollar!" "A dollar!!!" V.^e gods! a dollar from my poor needy mother, in 1855! 40 How could she spare a dollar, as one of the results of a silly escapade on the part of a wayward boy! *1 have no dollar for you!" Mother exclaimed, in her positive way, that carried conviction to their minds and hearts. Nothing more was said. I dismounted, and the team, with a steady trot departed; but, with me, as I entered the gloomy portal of that home, the thought uppermost in my mind, was that one which has vexed the ages, — "To be or not to be!" Am I to be threshed, within an inch of my life," or am I to be the subject of maternal love, af- fection and f orgivenness ? The latter prevailed — the weight of fear, doubt, per- plexity and grief having been removed from mother's shoulders and heart, she welcomed her erring boy, return- ing like another prodigal, with outstretched arms, and, gave him no blows. There was no fatted calf killed or suckling pig put upon the spit. The remains of all these were left behind at Trenton. It may be of interest to my readers, to know, that, in returning from Trenton, after midnight, for ten miles, we had the association of a stalwart slave man, who walked by the side of our wagon and engaged in the con- versation ; he had walked to Trenton, ten miles from the plantation where he was employed, to visit his slave wife ; now, he was returning, walking another ten miles, so as to be able to answer the morning bell, horn, reveille, or what not. Such is fate ! Educational opportunities for colored people, in any portion of the South were very poor, as may well be imag- ined, when we reflect on the fact that, it was made, by law, a felony to teach a slave how to read and write ; but, North Carolina was, perhaps, the least proscriptive of all the southern states, in that behalf; for, many free colored people, especially, in the eastern cities of the state, enjoyed fair educational advantages, under the cir- cumstances. There was a school at Newbern, of which, 41 the late John Stuart Stanley was master; it was famous, all over the state, for the reason that Mr. Stanley was thoroughly equipped for his office. He v/as a son of John C. Stanley, (a barber) , who. in turn, was the natural son of that John Wright Stanley, Son of the Revolution, mention of whom is made in the first chapter of this narrative, and half brother of that John Stanley from v> horn my father descended. John C. Stanley (colored) was ''vrell to do," and gave to all his sons and daughters all the education that could be obtained for them, at that place, — ''for love or money" ; and John Stuart, his son, was, in all English studies, the peer and, the superior of a m.ajority of the Vvhite men of that section. Whether or not he had any acquaintance with the ''dead" languages or modern tongues, besides his vernacular, I cannot say, as I have never heard that phase of his education discussed. As a reader, speller and penman, he was not sur- passed; and in all the studies, pertaining to a thorough English education, he was the. equal of the best. I recall that, in 1856, when I was eleven years of age, the books of Mr. Alexander Mitchell, the leading whole- sale grocer of the to\\Ti got out of balance, Mr. Stanley was employed to audit them; a task which, in a reason- able time, he consummated, to the entire satisfaction of his employer; after which, he took charge of the ac- counts, until he left the state to take up his residence in the City of Cleveland, where he died, many years ago, leaving behind him here, a large, intelligent and pros- perous family. Mr. Stanley was a grand-good man. Colored students came to Mr. Stanley's school from all parts of the state ; and were well instructed for a very reasonable compensation. This writer, in his sixth and seventh years, was grad- ually inducted into the mysteries of Webster's Elemcn- 42 tary Spelling Book, which was, at that time, in use all over the eastern part of this country, and elsewhere. To the best of my memory, Mr. Stanley carried me through my A, B, C's, and my ab's, even to the lesson be- ginning with B-a- (ba) k-e-r (ker) Baker; after that, his good wife, Mrs. Fanny Stanley, one of the most faithful and industrious of wives, and loving and affectionate of mothers that ever lived, took me in hand. She had vis- ited Ohio, with one of her daughter (Mrs. Sarah Stanley Woodward), to place her in Oberlin Preparatory School, and on returning to her home, brought with her a set of the McGuffey school books, than which, it is difficult to imagine better; notwithstanding the numerous changes which have taken place, since their publication. Seated on a stool at her knees, by the side of her beautiful little daughter (Fannie), she laid the founda- tion of such education as I now possess, and for which, in deep gratitude, I shall always revere her name and memory. This branch of John C. Stanley's descendants was always conspicuous, — noteworthy; their reasoning and education, even in that old slave state, in the midst of a slave holding community, was on a par with that of the "best families" of the state; and, in many respects, the treatment accorded to them did not differentiate from that accorded to the'elite of white people; saving, only, that, they were not accorded domestic, social con- tact ; which, I may say, the Stanleys never sought after ; since our colored social circle m Newberne vras satisfying and uplifting. There was not amongst us any of that, squeamish- ness with respect to the varying shades of color; all that was required of a person knocking at the door of our social circle for admittance, was — fitness ; my dear father who was one of the leaders of the colored society, in the old town, always stoutly maintained that, persons seek- 43 ing association with others should be congenial and mer- itorious; and this theory was acted on, until the emigra- tion of the families composing the circle annihilated it. One of the well to do and most highly respected of the families which affiliated with that social circle was, Mr. Richard G. Hazle, a man of pure Negro blood, and his family. Mr. Hazle was a blacksmith by trade, and also owned a small bakery, which was managed by his worthy wife and daughters. One of his daughters was a student, and graduated from Oberlin College, during the latter years of the "fifties." Color did not make the status of that social group; — fitness, — merit, only; this, it would seem, should be the criterion, the world over. During the Buchanan-Fremont campaign for the presidency, in 1856, the slaveholders became greatly ex- cited and quite fearful that, if the Republican party elected its first presidential nominee, their favorite, de- grading, institution of slavery would be jeopardized; and properly so; for, despite the fact that their smart men in Congress, had wrung from the great North, East and West many concessions, — such as the Missouri Compro- mise, — The Fugitive Slave Law and the *'Dred-Scott De- cision," it was easily apparent that, the *Twin relic of barbarism" was doomed; and that with the enlisting of men, drilling of soldiers, searching of colored residencces for firearms, and cruelly whipping the owner, v/hen an old fowling-piece" was found, a reign of terror seemed im- minent. Thereupon, a majority of self-respecting colored families, in all parts of the South began to "sell out, pack up and get out," while, as one expressed it, "the getting was good." This was especially true as regarded the col- ored families, long resident in old Newbern ; they "stayed not on their going," but, sold their possessions and went — some to New York, some to Philadelphia, a few to Bos- ton and New Haven; but the majority to Cleveland and 44 Oberlin, Ohio; whence, they began, without delay, to write persuasive letters, to the dear ones left behind, ex- horting them to follow their example. My dear mother was persuaded, by the late John Patterson of Oberlin, Ohio, to sell her little home and come, with her children, to a ''land of freedom." The fact that mother feared that I would, later on, in life, leave her there, as her elder brother, William Chestnut, had left his mother and settled in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1835, whither he had ridden "on a little clay colored mare," had much to do with influencing her to follow Mr. Patterson's advice; but, especially, the petty persecutions and insults she was constantly subjected to by her crude neighbors, fully determined her to take the step. As an indication of the extent to which she was sub- jected to these petty annoyances, I will here record the true story of the treatment of our game old rooster, — **01d Dick," which I have often related in my talks to children, as an example of "nil desperandum." — never give up — never despair. My mother, in addition to her helpful garden, had a few chickens, amongst them was a game rooster of the genus now denominated Rhode Island Red, We called him, "Old Dick," for, we found him on the premises when we moved in, five years prior to the incident I am about to relate. Others of our neighbors also, owned roosters, of which they were proud, and in behalf of which they were ready to contend. Aunt Betsy York was one of these; and, since her "bird," as ours, each, metaphorically, carried a "chip on his shoulder," and frequently contended for the mastery, but with varying success, Aunt Betsy looked with much disfavor on Old Dick, and vowed vengeance on his head or body. One morning, mother, in the usual trend of her ma- 45 t^raal duties went to the door with some corn and other feed for the chickens, and began to call them up. ''Chickee ! Chickee ! ! Chickee ! ! ! she called. All answered by putting in appearance, except Old Dick; again and again, she reiterated the call; but no Old Dick answered it, in any manner. ''John," said mother, go look for our rooster; I am afraid something has happened to him!" "As swift as the wing of the swallow," I was out, in quest of our treas- ured bird, scanning his usual haunts, peeping underneath the neighboring cottages (all of which were supported by blocks — (underpinning), and making frequent inquiries of persons in the vicinity, gave no clue as to his where- abouts ; finally, I looked into a tar-barrel, on the premises of Aunt Betsy, which was partially filled with pine tar, and there, to my amazement and sorrow, I found the game and courageous old rooster, — submerged as to his whole body, excepting his head and neck, and gasping for breath. In less time than it takes me to write this, I had ex- tricated him and was speeding to my mother's home, a few doors distant. There, we laid him on the ground, and carefully examined him, — diagnosed his case, — which disclosed the fact that, his bill was cut off, to the quick, likewise his wing feathers and his spurs. His feathers, of course, were thoroughly saturated with the sticky tar, all of which left him in such a deplorable condition that, we despaired of his life. However, that Scotch, English, African blood which animated my undaunted mother's being, was equal to the emergency, "nil desperandum, never give up, — despair as to nothing — w^as her motto, and she immediately set to work to save the life of her truly game bird. His bill being severed, almost to his head, it was im- possible for him to pick up corn or any other kind of chicken food; so, she made a ball of dough out of corn- 46 meal, and placed it before him; he ate of it (bit it up) voraciously, until he was satiated; then, he helped him- self to water, as best he could, from a pan, set before him ; thus, day by day, his needs were met and supplied. The next question was, how to divest him of his thick coat of tar; this was done by giving him daily baths in warm "pot-liquor" — the liquor left in the pot, after boil- ing fat pork and collards in it — it was covered with grease, and was warm. "Dick" enjoyed these baths, very much; and, ere long, the bill grew out again (just as a finger nail will grow out, again), the spurs were as long, sharp and menacing as of yore, and instead of close cropped wings, old chanticleer disported himself in a new suit of feath- ers, all over his body, and crowed as lustily as ever. He was "on the job" for all comers, and when, a year later on, we sold him to another, he was treasured as a "fight- ing bird|," ready to m.eet all. Another source of great annoyance to my mother, at this time, were the raids of the patrols, who were con- stantly visiting residence sections of the colored people, in quest of fire-arms, and "war munitions," mentioned by me in the first chapter; they were respecters of no per- sons of color; and had no regard for time or conditions. In the course of their rounds, they visited our home ; late one night I answered the summons on our front door. They unceremoniously entered — "Not the least obeisance made they, Not a moment stopped or stayed they;" But, unceremoniously, they began to rummage the draw- ers of the side-board and bureau. Their first exclamation, in beholding this writer, who wore a suit of homemade pajamas, was: "Hello! what a pretty boy! Who lives here?" I told them it was the home of Mrs. Green — the widow of the late John R. Green! "Well, come on boys!" 47 one of them exclaimed; ''she's all right!" and they took their departure. Our rest was frequently broken by the bleating of goats which wandered into the old "grave-yard," on the opposite side of the street ; they would thrust their heads through the interstices of iron fences surrounding some of the burial lots, and nibble the grass which gi'ew green on and between the graves enclosed. Both before and after midnight, they would make the welkin resound with their pitiful b-a-a-a! — b-a-a-a! as their "fluked" horns would prevent them from withdraw- ing their heads ; they were thus caught and held as firm- ly as if they had been behind prison bars. "John!" Mother would exclaim; "I can't sleep, for that noise; get up and go into the grave-yard, and release that goat!" Without any hesitation, I would slip on my trousers, — run across the street, vault the board-fence and follow the sound, amongst the graves and tombs in the almost pitch darkness, until I found the animal; when, having extricated him, I would wend my way back again, safe and sound. There were slave m.en and women in that town, who declared, in my presence, that, not for their liberty would they perform that feat; so thoroughly, at that time and place, were they saturated with a super- stitious fear of "ghosts." We should rejoice to know that, the light of reason, and educational facilities, now within the grasp of many of the children of those poor deluded people, is rapidly banishing this and kindred su- perstitions from their life and mind. The foregoing and many other annoyances to which mother was constantly subjected, finally induced her to listen to the persuasive appeals of Mr. Patterson and others of her former friends who had gone from com- parative darkness into the light of liberty and justice. Some of her friends, of both races, endeavored to dis- suade her from the act; but, once having given her ear 48 to the siren voice, she was determined to depait with her little ones, in search of a new home, — the land of oppor- tunity, — not only for herself, but for her whole family. In this frame of mind, she requested "Little Auntie" to ask Judge Donald, the son-in-law, of that deceased Gov- ernor Richard Dobbs Speight, to whom my deceased father had paid the one thousand dollars, mentioned in the first chapter, for the bare privilege of ^'calling his life his own," — if he would contribute a small sum, towards the expenses of our journey; he promptly an- swered, "No," and sent this message to my mother: "you had better remain here, amongst your friends." Mr. "Jim" Green and "Ben" came ai'ound and crated the household effects, which had not been "auctioned" off; the premises were sold to the trustees of the ceme- tery, to be included, at a later day, in the "grave-yard" when the time was ripe for its extension; and then, we were ready, without caiTying the Neuse and Trent rivers with us (as my father had suggested), to exclaim in poetic phrase, "My native land, good night!" In leaving this shelter which for seven long yeai^s had been a "snug harbor" from the sun's scorching rays and winter's stormy blasts, my dear mother was leaning on faith, and trusting in God. Her constant motto and solace was : "Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily be fed;" nor did she, during her long life, confide in it, in vain. The manner in wliich mother came into the posses- sion of this rude shelter is woithy of note, and goes far towards proving, that, there are still in our midst men and women who are true and worthy of all confidence and trust. 49 When father saw the inevitable, — that the last ves- tige of his property would be taken from him, to satisfy the demands of his inexorable creditors, before it was too late, he deeded this little cottage to a colored friend of his, Shade Green, by name. After the deluge, while he was reposing in his grave, Shade Green, this honest, gen- erous friend, deeded the property to my mother, and the facts in the transaction were never questioned, in court at least. Had the property been of more value an investi- gation, perhaps, would have taken place, and a court of equity might have annulled the two transactions (for the want of any consideration) for the benefit of creditors. However, as the sale of the premises only brought to her the sum of two hundred and twenty-five (225) dollars, in- cluding some substantial improvements which had been added to the house, it can be seen that, to the average business man, the place was well nigh negligible. This Shade Green was a man of means, an^ well re- puted in the community where he lived ; he possessed on his premises a well of crystal water with a pump extend- ing into it. This water which was used, gratis, by every one, within half a mile, who thirsted for it, was, to make us^e of a homely expression, indulged in by one who knew, — '*as cool as the polar bear." He left a numerous prog- eny, one of whom, Mrs. Hattie Price, has from child- hood, been a resident of this city (Cleveland, Ohio), and a most excellent teacher, in our mixed schools, for many years. The adieus and farewells were all said, the crates and pei*sonal luggage were all safely transferred to the hold and state-room of the good ship Laura Johnson, and now, nothing, remained for us to do, save to take ship our- selves ; this, in the afternoon of the twenty-fourth day of June, A. D. 1857, we did. The ship lay at anchor in the offing, partially loaded, for it was at "low tide;" her "yawl" boat came along-side 50 of the dock and received us; and, in a few minutes, we were snugly ensconced on the single deck of the staunch schooner, casting long lingering glances back upon our former home, — by none except this writer ever perhaps, to be seen again. Si CHAPTER III. BITTER-SWEET. "Twilight and evening star, and after that, the dark, And let there be no sadness of farewell, when I embark; For tho from out our bourne of time and pla^e, the tide may bear — me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face, when I have crossed the bar." At the time referred to, in the last chapter, 1857, no ships or other "vessels," as we called all sea-going craft, drawing more than about twelve feet, which visited New- bem, could enter our port; and, as there was a "bar" in the sound, which every ship was obliged to cross, either coming or going, it was necessary that our good schooner Laura Johnson, should be "lightered over the "bar;" that is to say, a small vessel, denominated a "lighter," carrying her deck load, should accompany her over the bar, and transfer the same (her load) to her deck. This occupied, at least, a day, at that time, and afforded such of the passengers as inclined, an opportunity of visiting some of the small rocky islands which line the coast, in that vicinity, on which very many aquatic fowls were ac- customed to lay their eggs and hatch out their young. On this occasion, two of the vessel's crew and several of the passengers, including my elder sistei", took advan- tage of the invitation, and went "ashore," returning, aft- er an absence of several hours, witli a goodly quantity of €ggs, which the cook prei)ared and sei'\^ed for us. I am 5« not certain that, at this writing, I should care to indulge in the eating of those eggs, for, I was in profound igno- rance as to the kind or species of birds that laid them, or the length of time they had lain amongst the rocks, be- fore they were gathered and served to us. Of one thing I am sure, the flavor which remained in my mouth after partaking of them, was not reassuring. Without wearying the reader with the details of this sea-voyage, which ''skirted the coast of North Carolina and Maryland," until we sailed, serenely, up New York Bay and lay at anchor snugly in the Harbor, on the Brooklyn side, I will remark, that, at times, especially when, we were doubling Cape Hatteras, the so-called ''dread of seamen," we had excitement enough for the most exacting. The monster waves (billows) piled up like Ossa on Pelion ; in poetic phrase : "Heav'd on Olympus tott'ring Ossa stood; On Ossa, Pelion nods with all his wood." Since then, I have crossed the Atlantic Ocean eight times ; but, nothing within my own personal experiences, has equaled what I then endured: — tumbled out of my berth, upon my head, with part of our luggage upon me! "Cabin'd and cribb'd, for days, within our "state room," not very stately, at that; terriiied, when the bil- lows, mountain high, threatened to engulf us; and when our little two-masted schooner, like a cockle-shell, hung trembling on the crest of a mighty wave, I, for one, im- agined that my end had come; and could not, with the un- happy Moor, say: "If after every tempest come such calms, May the winds blow till they have waken'd death! And let the labouring ba^rk climb hills of seas, Olympus high; and duck again as low As hell's from heaven!" One thing interested me very much even amid the i3 thundering of the billows and the stndent sounds of the winds, playing amongst the rigging; that, was the cap- tain, when, in stentorian tones, he gave his commands to the helmsman, at the wheel, which enabled our sturdy bark to dodge the dangers and weather the gale, none the worse, apparently, for her perilous voyage. When an extra heavy wave came thundering toward us, our captain would shout, ''Right about!" and then, after the imminence of the danger had passed, his voice would ring out,— ''A hard lay!" and so, time and again, he would exert his authority and skill, until, after hours, which seemed days, we were sailing, — gliding over com- paratively smooth seas, toward our sure haven of rest. Who, now living, can vividly recall before their minds the appearance of "Little Old New York," in 1857,— sixty-three years ago? w^hen, by the latest census, she contained within her walls, about four hundred and fifty thousand souls! A few less than half the number now credited to the great City of Cleveland! Who can picture the appearance of her forest of masts, and complexity of the spars and riggings, like the ''tangles of Neaera's hair," as one surveyed her spacious harbor, in those early days? Vastly changed. I think, from their appearance in 1837, when my dear father visited that city, for the pur- pose of buying a stock of goods; yet, 0, how different than she is today I It was in the early morning of July third when our ship was moored to her Brooklyn dock, near Washington street, only a few rods distant from the Brooklyn end of the first great suspension bridge. Within the present decade, I have looked down from the great bridge and seen the identical little house in which we spent our first night in that great city. Nor can I ever forget the following day, the first Fourth of July I had ever spent in a northern city. What we saw and what we heard. }x)th by day and by night, 54 almost s tallies me, even now. Imagine then, if you can, what an impression was made on my mind, when I was only twelve yea;:s of age — the first Fourth of July cele- bration I had enjoyed outside of my little native town, ex- cepting only the time when I ran away from my home and walked twenty miles to the village of Trenton, to ''hear the Eagle scream ;" and then, neither saw nor heai'd him ; saw and ate fat pig, instead, and heard the dulcet notes of the violin and the cornet. Before leaving my southern home, my dear mother gave me a half dollar!!! "John," she said, ''you are a big eater; now, when we get to New York, if we are invited out to dinner, by any of our old friends, don't try to eat everything on the table ; eat a reasonable amount, and if you are not satisfied, go out and buy a little something, to piece it out ; but make this half dollar go as far as you can." I fear my dear, good mother lost sight of the fact that, I was, after all, only a patriotic little boy, as the sequel proved: for, before the glare of the rockets and Roman candles became evident, at the setting of the sun, I had invested every cent of that half dollar in a little brass pistol and suitable ammunition for it ! Could I have made better use of it? Could I ever, have bought more happiness, in one day, with it ? I think not ; and although the error of my conduct was called, forcibly, to my atten- tion, at times, during many succeeding years, yet, I am free to say I have never regretted my conduct, in that behalf; for, it stimulated my love for my country and her glorious flag, which is the only one which shelters and protects us, at home or abroad, by viitue of our consti- tution and laws. The next day was Sunday, if I mistake not ; and my baby sister seven years of age, and I attended a Sunday school, in the neighborhood. It was the first time in the Ufe of either of us, that we had ever been seated with 5$ white children! O, how happy we were! and how lustily we did sing, for the first time, those dear little nursery hvmns : "Little drops of water, Little grains of sand," etc. and that other one : "I want to be an angel and with the angels stand; A crown upon my forehead, a hai-p within my hand." This was the beginning, only, of \vhat was to follow, in our little far away Ohio home. "Eye had not seen, ear had not heard," neither had it entered into our infantile hearts, the joys that were laid up for us, in the not distant future. The pleasure derived from our brief sojourn in New York, was greatly intensified by the association of some of our old Newbem friends, one of whom had been a fellow-member with my father, of Christ Episcopal Church, down there. He guided us through the labaryn- thine streets, pointed out to us objects of interest and explained them to us; and when our crated goods were released from the hold of the good ship Laura Johnson, he kindly saw that they were shipped on one of the canal boats of tl\e Erie Canal, en route to Cleveland. His name was Mr. Richard W. Hancock, a skilled carpenter and builder, who had planned and constructed some of the most ornate buildings in our home town, before he de- '^erted it. Mr. Hancock was the only tyler, of a white Masonic lodge, in a slave state, that I have ever heard of or seen, marching, with drawn sword, at the head of a white Ma- sonic procession. Where he was made or how he won rec- ognition in that town, twenty years before the Civil War, is more than I can explain ; and what makes his treatment 56 the more remarkable, lies in the fact that, though not a pure blooded Negio, yet his color was pronounced — unmistakable. On the afternoon of the 6th of July, 1857, accompa- nied and assisted by our worthy friend, Mr. Hancock, we boarded a "day car," of the Erie Railway Company, and, our adieus having been said, we were on our way to Dun- kirk, the western terminus of that railroad, at that time. I say, we boarded a "day car:" yes; for, to the best of my memory and information, there were no sleeping cars in existence, at that time. That there were no Wagner, Pull- man or Doubleday cars on that or any other line, I am quite certain; and persons wishing to dine accommodated themselves from the hampers which they carried with them; and as for sleeping, they were restricted to "doub- ling up" on a seat, or disposing their bodies in the next most convenient manner. We must not lose sight of the fact that, not only the Erie, but most of the other railroads in this country were, at that time, of recent or comparatively recent construc- tion; and as a direct result of that fact, the roadbeds v;ere very poorly ballasted, or not at all. On the Erie road, the riding was rough. There were sections of that thoroughfare, so rough that, one would, almost imagine himself riding in a stage coach; the rails were light, the springs were poor, and the couplings be- tween the cars were so very loose and insecure, that, smooth, easy riding was out of the question. Estimated the distance between New York and Cleve- land, by that route, to have been six hundred miles, we maintained an average speed of about twenty-five miles an hour; for, we were just twenty-four hours in reaching our destination. However, the whole trip was crammed full of pleas- ure, for this writer, whatever may be said as to the other members of our party: and when, at about five o'clock p. 57 m, on the 7th day of July, 1857, our train drew into the first "Union depot," years before our present "Old Union Depot," was considered or planned, our joy exceeded ex- pression. At last, thank God, we were on Ohio soil! Fi- nally, we were in the beautiful "Forest City" of Cleveland, with its population of 36,000 souls,— its grand Public Square and its long, broad ornate streets, cool and re- freshing to look upon. The "bluff" was high and steep, at the northern ex- tremity of what is now West Ninth Street (then called Water Street) ; and, years afterwards, it took a deal of grading to reduce it to its present form. As we reached the summit of the "bluff," there w^ere two objects quite conspicuous, which are no longer in existence. On the right, a few rods distant, stood the Government Light House, commanding a view of Lake Erie, for many miles out, while on the left hand side Bethel Church raised its spire gloriously, in the air. It was warm and very dusty. The lake breeze, then, as now, to some extent, was, continually in motion, and raised the dust from the unpaved streets, to the great discomfort of all pedestrians; but, even then, the young people were in numerous instances, out on the cui*b3 sprinkling the streets, since the water works had, for a year or more been established, and was coming, gi'adual- ly, into use. Superior Street, from the Public Square to West Ninth Street was covered with boards and on the South side of that chief business thoroughfare, from the "square" to Bank Street (W. 6th St.), the buildings were, principally, of wood. The Public Square was enclosed with a sort of fence, on all four sides, while the interior was cai-peted with green lawns, and shaded by beautiful elm and maple trees. The south-western section of the Public Square, con- tained a little antiquated Court House, which reminded 5S me, sti-ongly, of the old Court House which we had left behind, in Newberne. I could go on and mention many of the structures existing in Cleveland at that time, but a mere enumeration of them would tire the reader, I fear. Mr. Freeman H. Morris, one of the most intelligent, conservative and genteel colored men then residing in Cleveland or elsewhere, in the United States, was the pro- prietor of a tailoring establishment, under the Bennet House, a hotel, subsequently enlarged and christened, the Forest City House. On the opposite corner, where now is located Marshall's Drug Store, was located Rouse Block, built and owned by "Deacon" Rouse, one of the most prominent of the pioneers of this city. Rouse Block was, for its day, large and ornamental, and was greatly ad- mired by its owner and community, in general. There was one theatre in the city, — The Academy of Music, of which the late John A. Ellsler was the pro- prietor. He maintained a '"Stock Company," of which he was the leading "star." Mrs. Effie Ellsler, his wife, and mother of the younger Effie Ellsler (who was then a baby), was the leading lady; there was a "Tragedian,'* of much merit, by the name of McCullough; James Lewis, inimitable comedian, and Miss Anna Dickinson (?) soubrette. It was, with other characters, a good com- pany; and played, regularly, for the entertainment and instruction of this community. Occasionally, during the "season," great "stars," would visit the city and entertain the habitues and others of that theatre. I remember well, The Marble Heart, in the production of which the late J. Wilkes Booth (assassin of President Lincoln) was the star attraction ; also Edwin Booth, Couldock, Sothem (father of E. H. Sothem) , now prominent as our interpreter of some of Shakespeare's plays, — and many others. The old building, transposed, still occupies its orig- inal site, in W. 6th street, contiguous, to the old Kennard 69 House — then called the Angier House. The auditor- ium of the theatre, was on momentous occasions, boarded over and used for balls, given in honor of distinguished personages ; it was the largest public auditorium then at the command of the citizens of Cleveland. Melodeon Hall, was another hall, provided with a stage and scenery; it was located on the present site of Mr. Jacob B. Perkins' big building, the Wiltshire, on the north side of Superior Street, near West Third Street. It is the building, used for a post-office while the present post-office was in course of construction. There was also another hall, — a small one, in a building located on the present site of the Williamson Building, called, at one time, Garret's Hall, and another, on the top floor of a building which stood where the American Trust Building is now located, Chase Hall. There were no places of business on either Superior Street or Euclid Avenue, east of the Public Square; and on the north side of the Public Square, the entire space was filled with ornate residences. Prospect Street, ranked second in importance, as a residence street, and Woodland Avenue, third. There were also beautiful residences on Lake and St. Clair Avenue, up to Erie St. (now E. 9th and also on Ontario St., from the Public Square to the lake.) There was a pontoon-bridge spanning the river at the foot of W. 3d Street (Seneca Street), and a ferry estab- lished, to transport persons across the river, at the foot of Superior Street hill. The Old Stone Church stood, like a grim sentinel, where it stands today; the tall spire had, recently, been destroyed by fire; it has never been replaced. On the cor- ner of East Fourth (Sheriff) Street and Euclid Avenue, stood Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, and in Superior Street, between the Public Square and East 6th Street (Bond Street) were located both Trinity Cathedral and 60 tlie Second Presbyterian Church. The Second Baptist Church, now denominated, '^Rockefeller's Church," was then located on the northeast corner of East Ninth Street (Erie Street) and Central Avenue (Ohio Street). To the north of Ohio Street, and on the southside of the cemetery, was a broad space of land whereon the County Fair, was held, that year. Miss Lucy Wightman, the beautiful and accomplished daughter of the late David L. Wightman, one time Sheriff of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, carried away the prize as the most skilful eques- trienne of all those who contended for it. The Central High School building was located where the Citizen's Loan and Trust Company's building now stands, in Euclid Avenue, near E. 9th Street; while the First Baptist Church (which had formerly occupied a building at the corner of Champlain Avenue and W. 3rd Street) , was then located on the present site of the Hickox Building, N. W. comer of Euclid Avenue and E. 9th Street. There was a pretty little park, located on the bluff overlooking the lake, at the foot of what is now E. 17th Street, called, ''Clinton Park," there is now, little or no reminder of the fact that it ever existed. This was at a time, anterior to the establishment of Lake View Park, when the side of thehill between Lakeside Avenue and the railroad tracks, v/as covered with little "Irish shan- ties." It is a curious commentary on our ephemeral ex- istence, that, both the shanties and the park, have, al- ready jrielded to the march of events. Much could be said of the lire department, of which we (I say we advisededly) drew to the occasional fires, with our hands, the engines and trucks, and pumped with the same power; it was a slow, laborious process, and, often, quite uncertain; but, it was better than none; as well as a source of much recreation. It was mid-summer, and time was winging his flight ; 61 it is a true saying — eternally true, that, time and tide wait for no man," and this writer, was not using it wise- ly ; on the contrary, he was "scouring" the city and its environs, with no useful employment (not even the wood-pile) to occupy his time, at the imminent risk of se ; and so, we reached the middle of July, without accomplishing anything. Then Mother, again, Spartan like, as ever, said: "John, go to the postoffice door, every evening, when gentlemen call for their mail (we had no carriers in those days), and ask everyone when he goes in or comes out, for work." I obeyed her, implicitly, and on the second 86 day, a gentleman of 'the cloth' looked down upon me be- nignantly ; heard my plea for employment, and set me to work hoeing rows of vegetables and weeding the gi-ass from others. My employer was the Rev. Dr. Bittinger, pastor of the "Third Presbyterian Church" — the big church, which was located on the southeast corner of Euclid Avenue and Brownell Street (now East 14th Street) where the great Hanna Building now stands. His residence was hard by, east of the Church. Dr. Bittinger paid me well for my half day's work, and I carried the money to my mother rejoicing. I might add, in passing, that, during the previous winter, I had sold the Cleveland Leader on the streets, mornings, get- ting up before day and walking a mile to the office, to get them; also in the afternoons, I sold the Evening Herald, through all the lower part of the city, even down in Merwin Street, frequently going into the store where Mr. Rockefeller, in his youth, was employed. ^T However, "All things come to him who only stands and waits," and, finally, a "job" came to me, or I went to it. My employer was Mr. William A. NefF, who resided in Doan Street (now East 105th Street) , between Euclid and Cedar Avenues, on the east side of the street. For the consideration of four (4) dollars per month, I sawed and split all the firewood, drove the cow up on Cedar Heights to pasture and return, cared for one horse, per- formed all errands to and from a stone quarry upon the Heights, and to the City (Cleveland) and return, kept a very large garden free from ^veeds, hoed an acre of corn and potatoes, and gathered up in the streets all the "fer- tilizer" I could find to enrich the soil of the garden. Occa- sionally, I stood on the Central Market offering some of the products of the garden for sale. Of the forty (40) dollars which I received for ten months' labor, here, we paid twenty-seven and 50-lOOth dollars of it to Mr, Hoyt, tov/ards the purchase price of that little home. 87 When mid-winter came, a brother of my employer V as given the bed upon which I had been sleeping, and I v-ds relegated to the floor of the same room, and given a bundle of straw upon which to sleep; the bag containing the straw being too short for me, my feet were partly ex- p>sed to the cold, with the result that I was seized with a recurrence of the pneumonia, which had afflicted me two years before; and I came within sight of the ''Valley of the Shadow," at my home. However, notwithstanding the foregoing hardships :id discouragements, "Ike" (as the brother was named) ^^"^-d I, being temperamentally much alike, indulged in a if aw pastimes, which were mutually congenial to us; one of v.iiich is, to this day, fresh in my memory, and tends to disclose the redundancy of spirits which animate the ^ rerage youth, and flow on, with an abandon which not even Niagara Falls can surpass. It is, "as the crow flies," just five miles from Doan \E. 105th) Street, where we resided, to the Wilshire -lulding, where the old Melodeon Hall used to stand. Ike :id I, both were burning with a desire to attend a per- *3rmance of one of the famous minstrel companies, which a5 advertised to appear in that hall, on a cold winter's : ^ght. There were no street cars, in those days, nor any ' isans of transportation for the average man or boy, ex- ' rpt "shanks' mares," as was the slang for walking, then. So, having finished our evening meal, we sallied forth, • li at the expiration of about one hour and a half, we ■ --imd ourselves cozily seated in the gallery of the hall. The program.m.e was long and interesting, — the sing- y, dancing and jokes richly repaid us for all our trouble id expense; and when, at midnight we reached our orp.e, we were thoroughly satisfied. One of the jokes caused us to laugh, inordinately; :vi, although it is, to my knowledge, fifty-nine years old, T will venture to record it : Mr. Johnson: "Bones, can you tell me what a focus is?" Bones : "Ha ! Ha ! Ha ! Can I tell what a focus is ! ! 1 Why, of course I kin; anybody knows dat!" Mr. Johnson : "Well, since you are so sure, what is a focus?" Bones: "A focus is a place where dey raises pigs!" The Whole Troupe: Shaking with laughter and scorn, "Where they raise pigs! Ha! Ha! Ha!" Bones : "Well den, sense you all know so much about it, what is a focus?" Mr. Johnson: "Well, sir, a focus is a place where the rays meet." Bones: "Well, aint pigs meat!!!", with startling ef- fect upon all present. When the spring flowers began to bloom, in 1861, and the call of the birds v/as enchanting, I sallied forth again ; and, in a few days, found myself in the employ of the late Robert Hanna, Esq., brother of the late Doctor Hanna, who v/as the father of that noble group of sons, of whom the late Marcus A. Hanna, great promoter, mer- chant, manufacturer, banker, senator and president- maker, and L. C. Hanna, Esq., late deceased, big-hearted munificent and successful captain of industry, were the most conspicuous. I must add here, that, it will, perhaps, never be known to what a great extent Senator M. A. Hanna, — and through him, our m.artyred President McKinley and the general public, were indebted to the business sagacity, energy and strenuous application of the late L. C. Hanna, in caiing for the grovv^th and success of the great M. A Hanna Co., during Senator Hanna' s political activities and protracted absence from Ohio; thereby contributing towards the grand success of the McKinley administra- tion, — which blessed us all. I remained with Mr. Robert Hanna until the summer of 1862; when, getting ''above my business," I left his, employ and took service with Mr. A. H. Harvey, the step- father of the wife of the late Fayette Brown, Esq., and mother of Hai*vey Brown, Esq., who conducted a large saw-mill on a small island in the Allegheny river, between Pittsburgh and Allegheny City (now a part of the City of Pittsburgh. Mr. Harvey had a lovely home on the summit of Trojr Hill, now denominated, Mount Troy, I think. Fruit trees, strawberries and beautiful flowers, in abundance, feat- ured the place. By working industriously through the day, I found some hours for recreation which were turned to good use. My pay was five dollars per month, de- ducting ten (10) dollars which I paid for a ticket to Pittsburgh and return, which left me an average of, about, four (4) dollars per month. My Christmas present from Mrs. Harvey was a red bandanna handkerchief, while Mr. Harvey gave me a quarter of a dollar. Contiguous to the lot of Mr. Hai^vey, was that occu- pied by the family of Mr. Dewhurst, consisting of several members, one of whom, a noble son, was at "the front," fighting for the life of this glorious Union and Liberty ; he gave his life, which proved his love and patnotism, and, thereby, immortalized his name. A daughter, fair, refined and generous, Miss Anna by name, gi'aced their household, and lent warmth and cheer to all the sur- roundings. She was ever on the alert to detect and re- lieve want and misery; and the sunshine of her smile and the music of her cheery voice, lifted up many a downcast, unhappy heart. IMiss Anna's keen eye readily noticed that, this writer was (in his "cabin'd and cribbed" condition, in that re- mote Troy Hill home, with no companion save the big dog), lonely and, somewhat, forlorn. Without hesitating, she advised him to occupy his. 90 spate moments in reading and studying, for the improve- ment of his mind; and, in order to show her interest in that behalf, she furnished him with sundry school books, for the purpose. During the remainder of my sojourn on Troy Hill, and the ensuing four years, I did not fail to devote all my spare time, assiduously, to the study of such school books as came within my reach, without the assistance of a teacher; a fact which I have never found cause to regi'et. There was another source of inspiration which I have cause to be grateful for, and can never forget. I refer to the late Samuel H. Baird, — a young gentleman and schol- ar, whose home, at that time, was Dequesne Borough, at the foot of the hill on which we resided, along the shore of Allegheny River. Mr. Baird was the nephew of Rev- erend Walter Lowry, a faithful missionary to China, who, in the middle of the last century, was dmwned in the Yellow Sea, by Chinese pirates, while, working in the course of his duties. He was tall and slender of form, with fair hair, blue eyes and finely chiseled features. It was easily seen that, he was not framed to combat the storms and buffets of this world ; and, even in my inexpe- rienced youth, I feared the worst for him. He was so gentle, sympathetic and kindly in his dealings with me, that, for once, and only once, I felt that, in him, I had a brother. It was he who first opened my eyes to the rich m.ine and beauties of the ancient classics ; and, in showing me a copy of Xenophons Anabasis, in the original Greek, he lighted a flame in my brain and heart never to be ex- tinguished. He and Miss Dewhurst (the latter now, and for many years, Mrs. Jehu Haworth, of Edgworth, Pa., a suburb of Pittsburgh) were both devoted teachers in the Mission Sunday-school, on The Hill, where they could be found engaged in their work of love, every Sunday. One of the most helpful little books which could be placed in the hands of an ambitious youth, was given me, as a 91 Christmas present, on Christmas Day, 1862, by Miss Anna ; the book is entitled, The Improvement of the Mind, by Isaac Watts, D. D. I have it nov/, before me, Christ- mas, 1919, — fifty-seven years, subsequent to the day on which it was ^iven to me, and still the truths and vaJ- uable precepts contained in it are as fresh and vital as on the day when I received it. My friend, IMr. Baird, went to his reward a genera- tion ago; but. the good lady, a vigorous octogenarian, surrounded by her children and grandchildren, bides her tim.e, in the full assurance of a rich reward when the Master gathers in his ripened sheaves. "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again, with rejoicing, bringing his sheave? with him."— PSALM CXXVI:6. Upon mature consideration, I have concluded, that my employment on Troy Hill was the most fortunate event for me, during my boyhood days; and coming, as it did, when I was just in the dawn of youth, — a pevi)d when the mind and character are in the foraiative pro- cess, and vrhen I needed the w^arm sympathy and cordial advice which w^as lavished upon me, by Miss Dewhurst and Mr. Baird, without any hope of reward, but solely, "In His Name," it was a veritable God-send to me; and, probabbly, "saved my soul alive/' 92 CHAPTER V. HOME AGAIN. Returning to Cleveland, from Troy Hill, in the sum- mer of 1862, 1 found employment with the East Cleveland Street Railway Company, in its bam, located at Euclid and Wilson avenues, now East 55th street; my spe- cific duties were to wash, comb, rub-down and harness nine street-car horses; but, for the reason that, I feared the effect of the constant dust on my lungs, I did not re- main there longer than a week or two. To please my mother, who desired that I should fol- low in the footsteps of my father, and learn the tailor's trade, I went into the employ of Mr. Henry Cardozo, a merchant tailor, in Prospect Avenue, near its junction with Bolivar Road. Mr. Cardozo was affable and kind, and used his best endeavors to induct me into the mys- teries of his useful trade; but alas! I soon discovered that his efforts, in that behalf, were all to no purpose; for, although I proved an apt pupil, during the three months which I spent in his employ, — learned to make ordinary "pants and vests," yet, so stiffened had my joints become, by reason of the protracted labor which I had performed, that, I could not ''bend the suple hinges of my knees," and squat on the work-board, when I was sewing ; and in my efforts to do so, the strain was so se- vere, on both knees and back, that, I sewed in continual pain. 93 The result is easily seen. I quit the services of Mr. Cardozo, and, quite easily, betook myself to the calling of a hotel waiter. My dear mother protested against this action on my pai-t; but, as we both well knew that the payments must be kept up on the little home, it was no time for the drawing of nice distinctions; and so, I en- tered, the old "Angier House," now, the Kennard House, and donned my white jacket and apron, the pure symbols of my occupation. I was a novice at the work; and since, in those days, that hotel took first rank amongst the other hostelries of the growing city, the menus were in French, — a language with which I was not, in the least, familiar. The head- waiter, at that time, was, Mr. Enoch Gray, who resembled a white man; he understood all the duties pertaining to his responsible position, and was a veritable Martinet, in enforcing the execution of all his rules. I suspect, it was my scrutinizing of Mr. Gray which caused me to slip and spill the consomme, which I was sei-ving guests, on the floor of the richly frescoed din- ing-room, to say nothing of my extreme chagrin at being sprawled on the same. It was frequently necessary for a waiter, during the rush hour, to memorize the French orders of six and sev- en guests, at one time. I did it; but, how in the world I ever accomplished it, is beyond my ken, at this late day. The other boys did it, and I had to follow their example or — quit; — which was not to be considered, for a mo- ment. In due course of time, I found myself, performing the same functions, at the Weddell house; — but, for in- creased pay ; and later on, during the troubulous days of the Civil War, I strove, right manfully, in the labors of feeding the ''boys in blue", on the way to the front, at the call of ''Father Abraham," (whom God had raised up for this work), in the dining room of the first Union 94 Depot, which gave way to the remnant of the present "'Union Depot," about the year 1865. There were stirring scenes witnessed in that old -depot, in those trying times. During all hours of the day, and frequently at night, long seii)entine trains would find their way into that shelter house, with their thou- sands of hungry and thirsty "boys in blue," who had left all that the word **home" means to us, in order to help to save our glorious Union. "Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die," snd, like brave men, they did it. It was one of my duties to sound the big Chinese gong, upon the arrival of trains ; which I did with a will. Sometimes the "racket" was so great that a soldier would order me to cease it; some- times, I must say, while being held up, by the nape of my neck, by a stalwart soldier. At other times, there would be taken from an in- coming train over the ''Cleveland, Columbus and Cincin- nati Railroad," boxes, containing the remains of brave boys who had given their all, for the dear old flag. Such was the case when the remains of Colonels Creigh- ton and Crane were brought back, to lie in state, in the council chamber of the old City Hall, when it was located in a building, still standing, in the southwestern comer of the Public Square. Afterwards, they were laid to rest, with full military honors. At other times, there would alight, from these trains the "halt, the lame and the blind," victims of what Gen- eral Sherman not improperly denominated "hell." Anoth- er class were the almost skeletons of Union prisoners, released from horrid prison pens of the "Southern Con- federacy." Some of these victims were so nearly starved to death and emaciated, that, they could not walk alone. 95 In later ye^rs, while visiting North Baltimore, Ohio, for the purpose of making a ''Decoration Day" speech, I conversed with one of these victims, who survived; and he told me, that, before being confined in the Ander- sonville Prison-pen, he w^eighed one hundred and eighty- five pound§; but, that, when he was released therefrom, a ladies bracelet could have been passed over his right arm, from his wrist to his shoulder, with the elbow joint left out. The dining-room was owned by Messrs. Wheeler and Russell. Mr. Wheeler was in immediate charge of it, while Mr. Russell presided over the one owned by them in Crestline, Ohio. There were, at that time, also, two "coffee houses," in one of which the late W. J. Akers, then a boy, was employed. Among the colored men, generally known in Cleve- land, for many years, and employed in and about the de- pot and dining room, may be mentioned the late George Vosburgh. Mr. Vosbburgh, tho, a colored man, was, for many years one of the most respected men in the city. He owned valuable property in Chestnut and Oregon Streets, and was a leading member of the Wesleyan Con- gregation, which, in those days, worshipped in a church located in Euclid Avenue, near Sheriff (E 4th) Street. The late Thoi-p Holmes, colored, was head waiter in the dining room. He had under him a force of about twenty men, all of whom admired and respected him. This writer will always honor and revere his memory, on ac- count of kindnesses extended to him, by Mr. Holmes, which enabled him to prosecute his studies, during the intervals between the trains, without interruption. On many occasions, he would call a man who was "killing time," by playing "seven up," picking on a banjo, or "cutting the pigeon wing," (as the dance was called), and send him on an errand, rather than interrupt the writer in the pursuit of his studies. 96 In casting a retriepective glance over those by-gone days, it is a sad commentary on the course pursued by that large group of colored men, that, this writer was the only one of them who systematically studied text-books or even read history; and, sad to relate — the only one of them all who changed his career. Stimulated, as I have stated in the last chapter, by kind friends to study for the improvement of my mind, I constantly perused the ''three R's," — studied English, Latin annd French grammars, as best I could, without a teacher, and, thereby rapidly gained the good will of all who knew me. My slight knowledge of the Latin language was, on a very important occasion, a source of much pleasure to me, and infonnation to a numerous group of persons who surrounded nie. It was in this way: The remains of the late Abraham Lincoln, were lying in state, upon a catafalque, near the center of our Public Square ; iind over the top of the cata- falque was stretched a banner bearing the following in^ scription, in Latin: ''Extinctus amabitur idem.'* All were anxious to know the meaning of those words; and. ever and anon, they would stop some important appear* ing man, passing by, and exclaim: ''Say, Mister! tell us what that means, will you!" Thereupon the gentleman would stop, read the words and acknowledge his inability to translate the sentence. This was repeated several times; until, finally, I looked up from the grass, upon v/hich I was reclining, and said: "That's Latin, I can tell you what it means!" "Who, you?" some one sarcastically growled: "Yes:" I answered: "Well, what does it mean?" was the reply. "It means," I said, "Tho, dead, he will be loved the same!' " Then, for a moment, I was the object of all eyes, and I felt that, in the single act of translating that sentiment 97 for the gix>up, I had been richly repaid for all the study and self-denial I had endured in order to be able to do it. It was customary with me, during this period of my life, to write an occasional essay, on some subject, — ab- stract, concrete, moral, religious or what not; any subject that came within the scope of my young, un- tutored mind claimed my attention and occupied my time. One of the contributing reasons for this was the fact that, in those days, large and attentive audiences of my own people, were ready and willing to listen to the reading of them, and manifested an enthusiasm which both astonished and inspired me. My revered and kind friend the Reverend John R. Warren, stood "in loco pai-entis," to me ; and his was the only fatherly voice that counseled me, and hand that led me through those days of mingled labors, conflicts, hopes deferred and, at times, well nigh despair. My tempera- ment was then, as now, too nervous. I was willing to work, incessantly, to "bum the midnight oil," aye, to burn the candle at both ends," if need be, in my feverish quest after knowledge. But, I can see plainly, now, that I lacked a preceptor, some one who would, like Philip of old, expound to me the meaning of many things which I blindly followed, but did not understand. I did not know, really, what books to select to i*ead. And for the lack of a well-informed, educated mentor, I wasted much time in "poring over" "books and lan- guages" which I was not then qualified to properly read and mentally digest. However, my dear friend, Elder Warren, who was then, the elder in charge of this distiict and of Saint John's African Methodist Church, but, who, like me, had enjoyed only limited opportunities of gaining an education, by his high regard for me and admiration for my efforts along that line, greatly en- couraged and aided me. It was he, who advised me to read Rollins Ancient 98 History, which I had not previously heard of, and which opened to my eyes so many of the mysteries of the past ; and the same fatherly regard for me, induced him to open wide for me the doors of his church, where I read my labored essays, on occasions when there were gatherings of the young therein. Had my father lived to rear me and advise me in respect of these matters, I would not, to-day be limping along the highway to knowledge, when I should be running and leaping. As an illustration of the interest taken in me by one of the boys who waited by my side in the old dining-room, I will here relate an incident which I shall ever hold in grateful remembrance; since it was the outflowing of a heart full of fraternal love and sympathy. Mr. Joseph H. Ricks, the youthful heir of a recently deceased father, had in possession the sum of one thou- sand dollars, which he had received as his portion of his father's estate; and, feeling that he had no present use for the money, he generously and unselfishly came to me, and tried to persuade me to accept the same, as a loan and without any security, or interest, whatever, to be used by me in forwarding my neglected education. To say that I was greatly surprised at this manifestation of unadulterated friendship, only partly expresses my feel- ing, at that time; and I have never ceased to wonder at the whole-souled magnamimity of this big-hearted coun- try boy. Would that there were more of his kind, to make the *'whole world kin," and add to our mutual helpfulness and happiness! At length, after nearly seven years of yearning and toil, we saw the last payment made on our humble home, the deed executed and delivered, and the mortgage burned. Now, dear mother was assured of a comfortable home, during the remainder of her life; and I was left free to "shift for myself." During all the years, while I had been working for d9 the purchase of this property, my energetic, honorable sisters, Miss Sarah Rice Green (now Skeene) and Miss Kittie Stanley Green, were industriously engaged in supporting niy mother and keeping up the home ; the one working at her trade of a dress-maker, both at home and in the families of the ''well to do," and the other diligent- ly occupying her time at home, in whatever her hands could find to do. Mother, too, "ate no idle bread;" for, what with the transacting of her domestic affairs and sewing on chil- dren's clothes, for some of her patrons, satan could find no mischief for her hands to do ; and so, she lived cozily and, for the most part, happily, in that unpretentious home, for twenty-seven more years, until she was in her eighty- first year of age, when she went to rest in the blessed hope of an immortal life. "Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord!" It is but fair that I should record it here, that, my dear sister, Mrs. Sarah Rice Green (Skeene), after the home was fully paid for, added five or six hundred dollars of her individual earnings to a hundred and thirty-five dollars which I contributed, and enhanced the conve- nience, space and comfort of the old house, where they all lived in love and harmony, for many years. One of my employers, while I was working for the house, was the late Captain J. M. Richards, who, with a gentleman, long since deceased, by the name of Coleman, owned and conducted a combined restaurant, saloon, bil- liard-room and cigar and confectionery stand, located on the corner where now stands the American Trust Build- ing. This place was a resort for the best class of men in the city, and did a flourishing business. During the year 1864, I worked in the dining room and "stalls," for a while, quite to my advantage, and, on one occasion, a 100 humorous incident occurred in which I figured, which was not entirely to my credit, — as 1 now view it. One of the guests of the restaurant section of the place, ordered a cocktail. I went into the bar-room (Cap- tain Richards presiding behind the bar) and ordered two cocktails. The captain made them (as only he could make them) , and gave them to me, and, going into the restau- rant, I gave the guest one and I drank the other. When the captain scrutinized the checks, he noticed that I had turned in a check for one cocktail, only. Coming into the room, he said to me, "John! what did you do with that other cocktail?" I frankly, answered him, "I drank it!" Raising his hands in astonishment, he exclaimed, — "Well by G-d!! and walked away. From Captain Richards' place I took employment with J. H. DeWitt & Co., who carried a dual stock of dry goods and ready-made clothing, etc., etc. My business was that of janitor; and, in that capacity, it was not only my duty to look after the heating of the store, b"^ also to keep it clean, including several hundred square feet of window glass. My desire, even here, to study was so great that I was accustomed to arise at three-thirty and four o'clock a. m. in order to "make time" for my books. I had added to my studies, now, osteology, hoping and expecting, some day, to be a physician. A friendly doctor had given ine the skull of a little child, another had contributed the "transverse" section of an adult skull; and in addition to these trophies, I had obtained, by various means, almost an entire human skeleton. On one occasion, when I was deeply absorbed in my studies, during the hour v/hich I had made, by sacrificing my sleep, a message was delivered to me to the effect that, I must deliver a bundle somewhere in Prospect street. I replied that it v/as not in the line of my employ- ment, and that I would not deliver it. Thereupon, I was 101 summoned to the office of Mr. DeWitt, the senior member of the company. "John," he said, "you will deliver that bundle, or else, go to the cashier and get what is due you!" I said, "All right, Mr. DeWitt, I will take my money and quit, then!" As I left the store, Mr. DeWitt raised his voice and said to me, "Well ! I suppose, after a while, you will want to have an office, and sit in it and read!" This was a cor- rect prophecy ; for, it was uttered in the summer of 1865 and in the fall of 1870 (September) I sat in my own office in Marlboro County, South Carolina, recognized as a m.ember of the Bar of that State. Following my discharge from the employment of The J. H. DeWitt Co., I entered the office of Dr. J. W. Sykes, of Pittsburgh, Pa., as a compounder of his medicines, for chronic diseases, with the privilege of studying, between the period of my employment, with the occasional assist- ance of the good doctor, in my Latin studies. Dr. Sykes, too, was a "self-made" man, with a heart over-flowing with sympathy for every struggling Child of God. I say, "Child of God;" yes, for Doctor Sykes was a member of the Presbyterian Church, in good standing; and judging him by what I sav/ of his daily conduct, dur- ing the six months I was in his employ, he was striving to "glorify God, and enjoy him forever," which is one of the teachings of the Westminister Catechism. Dr. Sykes, when a student at Hamilton College, Rochester, N. Y., "worked his way through; and, para- doxical as it may seem, the lower he stooped, in sawing wood, making fires, polishing shoes and performing any and all menial labor which his hands found to do, the more honored and admired he was; until, attaining his cher- ished goal, he was crowned "victor," by his fellow-stu- dents and all who had watched his efforts. I soon found, in the employ of Dr. Sykes, that, my edu- cation was not such as the studying of medicine required ; 102 and this was especially true as regarded my knowledge of Latin; and the doctor, having been many years out of college, was not, then qualified to instruct me therein; so, we shook hands, expressed for each other gratitude and mutual respect, and separated. Returning to Cleveland, I entered, for a brief space, the employ of the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad Company, as a keeper of the castings and other materials used in the manufacture and repair of its lo- comotives and cars. Taking occasion, once in a while, to make trips between Cleveland and Cincinnati, on a Doub- leday sleeping car (this was before the advent of the Pull- man car) in 1865. The distance from Cleveland and Cin- cinnati, in those days, was given as two hundred and fifty miles, and it required twelve hours to make the trip, one way. But, still, dissatisfied with my lot, I left this em- ployment, in search of a better one. I turned my job over to the late L. A. Wilson, Esq., afteryards a distinguished member of the Ohio Bar, in Cleveland. -^ I now began to cast about for the means of prosecu- ting a course of studies, under competent teachers ; fully determined to persevere, until I had secured a thorough education, for I had no frade or other definite means of living, although I had reached the twenty-second year of my age. I conceived the idea of having printed, in pamphlet form, some of the essays of which I have spoken; but, as I was entirely without financial means, it was neces- sary to find a ''friend in need," or else spend more precious time in, laboriously, earning some. I was well acquainted with one man, who was both wealthy and benevolent, a true and tried friend of the youthful ; and I decided that to him I would go, and make teown my dilemma, fully persuaded that, my appeal woald not be in vain. To have lived in Cleveland, during the second half ot 108 the last century, and not to have been personally ac- quainted with the late Truman P. Handy, would have been a distinctive loss to anyone, especially to a youth in search of a stimulous along moral, esthetic or even finan- cial lines ; for, Mr. Handy was, above all things, the friend and promoter of "boys" and young men. I first met Mr. Handy in the Mayflower Sunday school located in Orange Street, in the City of Cleveland, al- most contiguous to the "day school" of the same name, in the fall of 1857, when he was in the fifty-first year of his age; and from that time until his death, in the win- ter of 1898, I knew him to love and respect him. I can see him, to this day, and hear his cheery voice when, as superintendent of that Sunday School, he would mount the platform and exclaim, "Boys! what is heaven's first law?" "Order!" was the unanimous response, from th« mouths of about two hundred and fifty boys, who were about as disorderly as they could be. The girls, of course, were always orderly. "Well then," retorted Mr. Handy, "let us have order," and, immediately thereafter, there was a delightful calm, — order, if you please. One glance at Mr. Handy gave assurance that he was a Christian gentleman, after the "old school." That is to say, his toilet left nothing to be added to it; his dress was made to fit, and of the most approved style; his de- meanor and general bearing was that of a man unsel- fish, altruistic. He was easily approachable by the hum- blest boy or girl; he wasted no words, but gave a full hearing and thorough consideration to the one addressing iiim ; and, in proper rases, afforded ready assistance. He was a deacon in the Second Presbyterian Church, of which the Rev. James Eells was the pastor ; loved God, and always walked uprightly. He was born in Paris, Oneida County, New York in March, 1807; and, during almost the whole of his life time, was a banker, acting in some important capacity; and he owned large interests in other enteiiorises. 104 At the time of Mr. Handy's death, in January, 1898, he was ninety-one years of age, and was a director of the Merchants' National Bank, which was located on the northeast corner of Superior and West 6th Streets, Cleveland, he having resigned the presidency of that bank, because of increasing age and failing health. He resided and transacted business in Cleveland from 1832 until 1898 — sixty-six years. I may state, in passing, that, for ten years, Mr. Handy was a member of the Cleveland Board of Education and did much towards es- tabUshing a High School for the city; and that, along all educational lines, from Western Reserve University down to the humblest common school he was a constant, earnest supporter, financially and otherwise. A few years before the death of Mr. Handy, Mr. John D. Rockefeller was visited at his home. Forest Hill, in East Cleveland, by a number of the foremost capital- ists and men of business of Cleveland, who sought that method of manifesting to him their unbounded admira- tion and respect for him, as a man and promoter of great financial affairs. Mr. Rockefeller, in replying to the ad- dress tendered to him, took occasion, in his reminis- cences, to mention the name and laudable-generous char- actersitics of Mr. Handy, saying, amongst other things, that, at a time, in his early career as an oil dealer, he found himself sorely in need of the sum of two thousand dollars ; and, after seeking, in vain, to secure the loan of that amount, he finally, approached Mr. Handy, who loaned it to him. This action on the part of the aged banker was entirely characteristic of him, and was read- ily understood by all present Quite naturally, my mind turned to Mr. Handy, in my quest of a person at once willing and able to assist me in my attempt to have my essays published. Gaining access to him, in his private office, in the rear of the Bank, he recognized me at once, as "one of 105 his boys;" although, he had not seen me for several years. I related to him briefly, what I had been doing during the seven years previous, and received his com- mendation; then, I unfolded to him my scheme for rais- ing money to "systematize," what education I had se- cured, — inasmuch as, I had no trade or other definite means of making a living. He gave my plan his hearty approval, provided, the essays were w^orthy of publication; and advised me to caiTy them to the late Professor J. H. Thome, at that time, acting in the dual capacity of Professor in Oberlin College, and pastor of Pilgrim Congregational Church, in this city. Paradoxical as it may seem. Professor Thome, while, in stature, he w'as a small man, w^as, yet, a very large man; it is difficult to express an opinion as to, whether his brain or his heart were the larger; of one fact I am certain, however — he was the friend of the poor and needy of every race, lor, he w^as truly cosmopoli- tan in his thought and action. ''Read one of your essays!" exclaimed the professor; then, bracing himself in his easy chair, he listened atten- tively, while I read, with all the elocutionaiy ability at my command, an essay entitled, "We Are Never Alone." "Bravo! Bravo!" he almost shouted, when I had con- cluded the reading. "That will do." Then he wrote and handed to me a note addressed to Mr. Handy, in which he said, amongst other things, "They are well worthy of publication." ( I immediately delivered the note to Mr. Handy, and he, in turn, wrote and handed me a statement, on a paper containing the letterhead of his bank, which ran, somewhat, as follow^s: "The bearer of this, is an ex-member of the Mayflow- er Sunday School ; I have known him from boyhood, and, have full confidence in him; he is tiying to collect the means of publishing some essays which he has w^ritten, 106 in order that, by the sale of them, he may secure money to assist him towards obtaining an education. T. P. Handy $10 ^'Now," he said, "go to Mr. Dan P. Ells, and others of the Sunday School, and, perhaps, they will also sub- scribe;" and, turning to his desk, he gave his attention to his business ; while I, filled with delight, went out into the world to see how many others would do likewise. I would that I could recall the names of all the kind- hearted men who signed that paper and subscribed sums, varying from five to ten dollars. I can recall that, a very elderly banker, whose hand shook like "an aspen," and last name was Otis, (I think the full name was— W. A. Otis) subscribed ten dollars; A. S. Gardner, a crockery merchant, and E. I. Baldwin, large dry goods merchant, each subscribed ten dollars ; the others, I cannot now re- call. A total of some sixty or seventy dollars was, in this way raised by me; then, I went to Nevin, a "job printer," of standing, at that time, and had the pamphlets printed. They were of thirty-eight pages, fine print, on cheap pa- per, with red, and yellow covers; and had the title of them printed on one side— "Essays on Misccellaneous Subjects," By a Self-Educated Colored Youth. These essays, I offered for sale in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maiyland, New YorJ^, New Jersey and the District of Co- lumbia,— with vary^ccess; receiving for single copies of them, from five cenxs to five dollars. I had two experiences in the City of Philadelphia, during my tour, in selling my pamphlet, which were of more than ordinary interest and a lasting benefit to me. The first was that of meeting the Reverend Benja- min 'F. Tanner, a minister of the A. M. E. Church, who, at that time, was editor of the Christian Recorder, and id his residence over the A. M. E. Book-store, at 631 107 Pine Street. This was in the summer of 1866, when that reverend gentleman was in '*the flower of his youth," and was winning golden laurels by his oratory, in the pul- pit, and his facile, trenchant pen, in his ''sanctum/' Since then, he has reared and educated his brood of children, and grown to a ripe age, as a bishop, in that church. Rev. Tanner was greatly interested in me and my mission; he spoke encouraging words to me, and treated me, in all respects, as a brother. One mutual bond which held us together was, that he was very much interested in the Vulgate edition of the Scriptures ; while I, too, was a student of Latin, in a humble way. Rev. Tanner opened the doors of Old Allen Temple, which stood on the site of the Blacksmith Shop, in which the revered Richard Al- len organized the first A. M. E. Church, and scheduled a lecture for me, on the subject, "There's Always Room Enough Upstairs." The lecture room, which was large, overflowed; and many could not gain entrance to hear my lecture; which enabled me, at its conclusion, to sell a large number of pamphlets. The reverend gentleman also, gave me a letter of in- troduction to whom it concerned, amongst the A. M. E. clergy, requesting them to aid and encourage me, in my efforts to sell my pamphlet, and to lecture; this was the ''open sesame" to numerous churches, and aided me very much. Tanner, the great artist, w^hose canvases hang in art galleries in Europe and America, is a son of Bishop Tanner; and, I doubt not, he derived his afflatus, his genius, largely from his revered and honored father. The other incident was meeting, for the first time. Reverend Doctor Hawes, of the First Congregational Church of Philadelphia, and Mr. Theodore Bliss, brother of the late George Bliss of New York City, merchant, philanthropist and one time partner of the Governor Levi P. Morton, of New York. 108 I called on the reverend gentleman at his home, and he granted me an interview, in which I disclosed to him my plans for the future, and the relation of my mission to them. He did what every true child of God does, — every ''great big man," — he took my hand, — gave expres- sion to words of encouragement and bade me God speed; he did more ; he mentioned me and my mission, in his ser- mon, on the following day, and invited me to meet him in his Sunday School, in the afternoon. The boys and girls accepted the invitation, and near- ly filled the Sunday School room, listening to my plea for assistance, in my chosen way, for the future; and I had the pleasure of selling a large number of my little books, at the conclusion of the address, — some thirty-five dol- lars, if I mistake not, was the aggi'egate amount received. At the conclusion of my address, which ended with a thrilling p^ration (at least, that was the effect in- tended), a large gentleman, of noble mein, arose and, in clear tones, said: "Mr. Superintendent, will you ask that young gentle- man to tell us, what he thinks of Jesus \" This came with great surprisie; for I had not intended to ''preach," but, simply to make an "unvarnished" statement of my plans and hope and — expectations ; nevertheless, I was equal to the emergency. I arose again, and answered, briefly but forcibly, that, neither education, money nor social place could avail a person, if he were not imbued with the spirit of Jesus Christ, as manifested in his daily life. This seemed to satisfy every one, and I left the Church highly elated. The most important result, for me, growing out of this meeting, however, was my introduction to Mr. Theo- dore Bliss, as I have stated above. I was invited to meet him at his office, then in a building in Fourth Street, where he carried on the business of a publisher; indeed, I hold in my hand now a little Greek Testament from the 109 press of Theodore Bliss & Co., which I have owned ever since 1865. Mr. Theodore BUss was what we commonly call a self-made man. He was sent out into the world at an early age, to shift for himself, and that rich, puritan blood which coursed in his arteries caiTied him through, to the end. He was large of stature, with a high, broad forehead and firmly set jaws; which proved him to be a man of high purpose, fixed resolution and great good judgment and energy. His eyes looking out from under heavy brows, were clear and penetrating; marking him as a man, at once, judicious and practical. Mr. Bliss said to me, in substance: "Go home, settle down; find some useful, remunerative employment, to engage your intervals between the terms ; and, if, by fol- lowing my advice, you find yourself in need of the necessi- ties of life, write to me and I will help you." I thanked him and took my departure. Later on in life, while attending school, I once in a while, found my toes peeping out from my "boots," and Jack Frost, "Through each crack and crevice creeping;" upon two or three occasions like this, I notified my friend, and the returning mail invariably brought me a ten-dollar bill, the exact cost price of a pair of new boots. - There was another good friend in Philadelphia, whose acquaintance I made, through the courtesy and kindness of the Rev. William Alston, Episcopal priest, of whom I have spoken at length, in the first chapter, I refer to a large dealer in wooden and willow ware, whose warehouse was located down-town, in Market Street, by the name of Jacobus, if, I mistake not. This gentleman, who was largely interested in the Pennsylvania Railroad, at that time, extended to me an invitation to take a theological course, for the Episcopal ministry, but I declined, with thanks. I have suspected, since then, that I made a mis- take, for, I fear, I spoilt a good preacher (as well as a 110 o-ood doctor) in making a poor lawyer ; subsequently, this same gentleman procured for me a ''clergyman's" rail- road ticket, from Philadelphia to my Cleveland home. Arriving home, I gave my dear mother one hundred and thirty-five ($135.00) dollars, of the money received in my wanderings; and then began to scan the field to discover a school into which I could matriculate, in order to do the "systematizing," of which I spoke to Mr. Handy. I had a consuming desire to enter a class in the Central High School ; but, how could a waiter-boy coming directly from the dining room, where he had been for six or seven years, expect to pass examination and enter that famous school? I say "famous," yes, and advisedly, for then, the chairs were occupied by such ripe scholars as the follow^- ing: Dr. Theodore Sterling, principal; Professor Sidney A. Noi-ton; Miss Maiy E. Ingersall; Miss Emma G. Barriss, subsequently, Mrs. Colonel McAlister, Miss White, Pi-ofessor Carl Kruger, Professor Theodore Hop- kins, and others. And amongst the students were such as Chas. F. Brush, Horace Andrews, Samuel Mather, Dr. John Lowman, W. E. Cushing, Harvey D. Goulder, Joseph Outhwaite, Clarence Stilson, Solomon Schwab, the late Mr. C. 0. Bassett, afterwards, well known and appreciated by me, as the president of the great Forman Bassett Co. ; of Cleveland, Ohio, who by his great business ability, sterling integrity and great good humor, put his house at the head of all similar organizations in Ohio ; and a num- ber of ambitious, successful young ladies. In those days, Mr. Mather's sterling qualities as a student were already quite noticeable; and, even then, his generous impulses, as manifested during his intercourse amongst his fellow- students, forecasted his future life of usefulness and bix)ad humanitarianism. I saw more of Mr. Mather in the Virgil Class than elsewhere; and it was then, easily evident to my mind, that, his superior quality of intellect and his deep touch 111 of nature were destined to stamp him as one of our na- tion's greatest and most useful m.en. I never see Mr. Mather, even at this late day, without recalling the manly port and dignified bearing of his distinguished father. The late deceased William E. Gushing, was also, one of the Class of 1869, who, in after years, became con- spicuous, because of his sterling manhood and profession- al ability. '"Will" Gushing, frequently invited me to visit him at the home of his late father, Dr. H. K. Gushing, in Euclid Avenue, near the Public Square, where we strove with varying success, to unravel the mysteries of Virgil, together. I mourn his loss. My old maxim was, "Naught venture, naught have." or, as we sometimes say, "Nothing venture, nothing win." So, straight to the school I went, and, at a convenient time, I stood in the august presence of Doctor Sterling, who questioned me, as to the nature and extent of the studies which I had prosecuted, and accepted one of my pamphlets, which I offered him; and closed the confer- ence between us, by inviting me to visit him at his home, the evening of that day, for a further intei'view. At his home, in the evening, Dr. Sterling said to me. in substance; "Green, you have done well in your studies without an instructor, as I have gleaned from a hurried perusal of your little book; but, your studies have not been systematically persued, and I am certain you could not pass an examination to enter the high-school ; but, I will give you a list of books which you will need, and you may obtain them and come to the school, tomorrow fore- noon and I wdll see where I can place you." I did a,s directed, and on the following day, in the month of October, I think, I found myself duly installed. in the sophomore class of the Cleveland Central High School, which was still located in Euclid Avenue, near East 9th Street, where the gi'eat Citizen's Savings and Trust Company is now located. 112 In this class, which was composed of the sons and daughters of some of the foremost citizens of Cleveland, I was the only colored pupil; but my color, evidently, was not considered, in any way. Dr. Sterling and every mem- ber of his learned corps of instructors, were ''color blind'' and the only watchword recognized by them was merit. The studies which the class was engaged in, as near- ly as I can recall, were Cornelius Nepos, in Latin, Algebra, Geometry, English History, English Composition, Physi- cal Geography, Calesthenics and Rhetoricals. Later on in the course we had (I had) Chemestry, Physics and Greek, — Xenophon's Anabysis, and one thousand lines of Hom- er's Iliad. It took me from October 1866 to July 1869, to devour thefour year's course; and, it was said, I stood at the "finish", well near the head of the class, which contained some names which have, since become famous, but, I have never felt that I was as thoroughly grounded in my studies as the other members of the class were; for, 1 entered the class late; I was not properly prepared for the courses which I studied; I did not have adequate time in which to prepare my lessons; and above all, I felt then and still believe, that some of the students were my in- tellectual superiors. While I attended the High School, Dr. Sterling per- mitted me to leave the room ten minutes before the others were dismissed, at noon, in order that I mjo-ht reach the hotel and earn my dinner, in the dining room, as a waiter ; and during the time I was studying Greek, I slept in a garret, sharing the bed of a man who had a terribly dis- eased scalp, in order to obtain a free lodging, and hus- band my small means. I regularly arose at three (3) o'clock a. m. and by the uncertain light of a small pear- shaped oil lamp with one round wick, I studied my Greek lessons, in order that I might be ready to serv e in the dmmg room, for my breakfast, at the sound of the bell. 113 During the first year of my attendance, in the High School, I worked a second time, in the old Union Depot dining room, for my board. I waited on sixteen (16) depot officials and clerks every morning, and when I sug- gested that, since I received my board only for all this work, 1 ought to be allowed to sweeten my cup of coffee with white, granulated sugar, the head waiter (not Thorp Holmes) forbade me to use it, restricting me to some very dark-browTi sugar. I appealed to Mr. Wheeler. He sustained the decision of the head v/aiter, and I quit him and went to the old Birch House, then located on the east side of West 9th street, near the corner of Frankfort street and presided over by Mr. and Mrs. Gillett, kind and generous people, who, I fear, have long since gone to their rich reward. Mrs. Gillett's father, ''Father Birch" was very old and feeble. I had the honor and pleasure of watching over him the v/hole of one night and, hourly administering to him his prescribed medicine. In his youth. Father Birch had been personally acquainted with Chancellor Kent, whose voluminous and learned commentaries were famil- iar to all students of law, a generation ago. Mr. Byron Hunt, a handsom^e, good natured speciman of manhood, later on, when I was a husband and father, loaned me five dollars, after all other "friends" had failed me. In gratitude, I shall carry the memory of his kind- riess to my grave v/ith me. During all the time of my High School experiences, I devoted a number of my nights to waiting on parties and weddings. I shall never forget, that, when the late Sena- tor M. A. Hanna and his beautiful bride, the daughter of the late Dan P. Rhodes, were married, I was one of those who, in the dining room., ministered to their wants; the same is true as regards the wedding of Col. Harris of the United States Army and a lovely daughter of the late Stilman Witt, a sister, I think, of Mrs. Dan P. Eells, of 114 this city. By the way, when I was graduated and had floral offerings literally rained down on me (37), I wore one of the late Dan P. Eells' discarded coats, given to me by Mrs. Eells. It w^as a dark brown broadcloth coat. 115 CHAPTER VI. ^ SOJOURNING IN DIXIE LAND. On the day following my graduation, I found myself acclaimed in the daily newspapers and by my friends, generally, as being little less than a hero, for my address on the night previous, had been on the subject **The True Hero", and, by all classes of our citizens, without regard to race or color, I was congratulated and praised for such success as I had attained to. There had been a tendency on the part of persons who were friendly to the inter- ests of the Freedmen, to encourage my efforts during my course at the High School, and, if I had not succeeded, it would not have been for the lack of sympathy and good will. A rather humorous incident occurred on an occasion when I was the invited guest of some of the colored people of Akron, Ohio, as their speaker, in 1867 when the late General Bierce was mayor of that, now large, populous and wealthy city. • When the hall was well filled and the time was op- portune, Mr. Morgan, one of Akron's foremost colored citizens, arose and said, in substance, that he was happy to have present with them, a young man who was making a manful struggle to secure an education, after having, i5rst bought a home for his widowed mother. **A true hero!" shouted Mr. Morgan; then, extending his right 116 hand and waving it, in an inviting way, he exclaimed: "Hero, Come Forth!!" Since then, I have been introduced to many audiences but none that I can now recall, carried with it the fervor and admiration of Mr. Morgan's. In very truth, I did not feel, on the day "after grad- uation" that I had accomplished much ; and, for the first time, the true significance of the term, "commencement" as applied to the graduating exercises of High Schools, and Colleges, dawned on me, for, it is the commencement of a course in a college, or of the studying of a profession, for the future, and the individual who, graduating from an institution of learning, imagines that he has finished, is grievously mistaken, for he has only commenced. My old and esteemed friend, the late Andrew J. RickofF, Esquire, for many years, superintendent of the schools of Cleveland, came to me and advised me to study law; "It will be just the thing for you," he said. Also, came the late Judge Jesse P. Bishop, successful and wealthy lawyer, and deacon in the First Baptist church, who extended to me an invitation to occupy a desk in his office, under the immediate supervision of the late Cap- tain Seymour F. Adams ; a gentleman and scolar, for the purpose of studying law. Had I known then what, I know now, that no man need expect to be a successful attorney at the bar, in the full significance of that term, who has no social intercourse with the business world, I would have declined the kind offer, with thanks, and betaken myself to the study of medicine or theology, but, being ignor- ant, in the premises, I "jumped at the offer," entered his office, and, thereby, I suspect, I "spoiled a good doctor or preacher, in making a poor lawyer." I Hterally, devoured Blackstone, Kent, Bishop, Byles, Stephen, Parsons, and other great commentaries on the English and American law, during the ensuing four months, reading, as I truly believe, by day and by night, 117 ^\e]\ nigh as much as the average reader would cover in a year. One fine day, in stalked a man, who from his personal appearance, proved himself to be "facile princeps" — easily first, amongst civilized men. He was tall and of commanding stature, with a frontal and cranial develop- ment which might have turned even Webster green with envy. The remainder of the hair surrounding his bald dome, was thin and fair ; while above his classic features, peering forth from shaggy brows, were his deep set eyes, penetrating and knowing. Meet the Honorable (General) John Crowell, lawyer, ex-congressman — then president and factotum of the Union Law College, located in Rouse's block, top story, northwest corner of Superior Avenue and the Public Square ! ''Young man!'' he said, "what are you doing?" I answered, "I am reading law." "Why don't you come up to the college?" he replied. "Because, I have no money;" I rejoined. Thereupon, he quite generously extended to me an invitation to become one of his class. "And," he added, "when you get into the practice, you-can pay me." Needless to say, I took advantage of his kind offer, vrithout delay. I joined his class, in which I found already entei'ed a number of fin^ young men, amongst whom, I can now recall, Cullen Coats, late a justice of the peace and lawyer of Cleveland To\v]iship; Hon. J. T. Carver, now presiding judge of the Sandusky-Fremont district; Augustus Zehring, successful lawyer and the late R. L. Holden, who died in ministerial orders, in C. W. Fifty-one years have elapsed since those halcyon days glided by, but, I can never forget the great pleasure and profit which I derived from the fraternal intercourse which I found in the midst of those big-hearted, kindly disposed young men. They seemed anxious and willing to aid me in every way. I love the memory of them. I am reminded of a humorous anecdote which, in those 118 days, was related, once h} a while, with the approval of General Crowell, which I will, here, insert ; for great and learned as was "Prexy", he was not "thin skinned." It was in this wise: ''Once upon a time," when the general was a candi- date for Cpngress, he was anxious to secure the friendly co-operation of an old acquaintance, w^ho was not aiding him, in any respect; so, he gave a dinner, to which was invited as many of the "independents" as he could per- suade to attend. The piece de resistance, on the well-filled table, was a "suckling pig," of which the luke-warm friend ate quite ravenously. At this point, the auditors were wont to ask : "General, did he vote for you?*' To which the General replied : "D — n him ! He voted against me with my pig in his belly!" Judge Garver, who was elected because of his merit, as displayed at the bar, and as prosecuting attorney of his county, has proven that the electors made no mistake in elevating him. to that distinguished and useful position. When I visited Fremont, some years ago, he met me at the station, and, in his own private conveyance, "showed me the town," so to speak. A rare treat, indeed. Afterw^ards, he conducted me to his own home, assigned me to his guest chamber, seated me at his dining table with the other mem.bers of his family, and made me, in other respects, quite comfortable and happy. Just fifty years subsequent to our school days at the Union Law College, Judge Garver was assigned by a jus- tice of our State Supreme Court, to preside over one of the branches of our Common Pleas Court in Cleveland, to assist in "cleaning up" our over-crowded docket. When becoming aware of his presence, in my home town, I ex- tended to him, and our beloved Hon. Willis Vickery, one of the judges of our Court of Appeals, an invitation to 119 visit U3 at our home and dine with us and several others of our intimate friends. To our very great gratification, both gentlemen ac- cepted the invitation, and we were all, honored by their presence and society during the greater portion of one pleasant summer afternoon. To say that we were all elated — highly pleased, only partially expresses our feel- ings on that occasion. Speaking for the colored members of the Cuyahoga County Bar, I think I make no mistake in saying that, at all times since Judge Vickery's promotion to a judicial position, he has manifested for us a friendliness which has vvon from us for him, not only profound respect, but feelings of gratitude bordering on love and affection ; for he has generously thrown into our hands thousands of dollars, which were needed, and save for his action, would never have come within our grasp. In the course of a few fleeting months, our course completed, we received our diplomas, duly signed by all the members of the faculty, and carrying the seal of the college on it; and, almost like Milton's description of the eviction of Adam and Eve, from the Garden of Eden, we t^ok our leave of the General and his College: "The world was all before us where to choose Our place of rest, and Providence our guide; We, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow. Through Cleveland took our solitary way." During the time I attended the law college and '-ead in Judge Bishop's office, I supported myself by work- 1 ng in the restaurant and confectionery of N. Heisel & Son, underneath the judge's law offices; and also, by doing the :anitor work, for the late W. C. McFarland, in his law Tice. A portion of the time I slept on a couch in the ' nk of the late George W. Wright, banker, broker, etc. 120 Now, I had two diplomas; but, as yet, no "visible means" of support, other than that of waiting on table. I almost blush (?) to tell it; but truth is great, etc. I married when I was in my twenty-fifth year of age, and with only three (3) dollars at my command; and the happy bride was the fortunate possessor of the sum of three and 50-100 dollars ; but, she, like me, had a place of useful employment ; and we were happy and hopeful, in the love and confidence of each other. Before long, a dear cousin of mine, residing in the "Palmetto State", South Carolina, having heard of m:^ varied successes, but being ignorant of my marriage, wrote to me, extending an invitation to me, to come and be his guest, until I could select one of three places of employment, then vacant, and awaiting my arrival; and elated by the prospect of entering upon speedy and remu- nerative employment, my little wife and I began to pre- pare to exchange our residence, temporarily, for that of the mild and sunny south. Some of my old school-mates and well wishers, of both races, hearing of our proposed removal, tendered us a reception, in a hall, near the Public Square ; and, in re- turn for music and oratorical pyrotechnics, contributed a snug httje sum, which we used for the purchase of tickets, as far on our route as Wilmington, N. C. I shall never forget the impression which the white sand made on my mind, when, in the gentle moon-Hght, our train stopped, in the suburbs of Wilmington, on one January eve, 1870. We both thought it was snow, al- though in the car, we were quite comfortable; but, im- agine our suii)rise, when on alighting, we discovered it was beautiful white sand, instead. As we were being driven to the residence of our hospitable friends, — the Sampsons, long time residents of Wilmington and intelli- gent and wealthy, withal, we preceived that, instead of 121 being frigid, as we felt it, twenty-four hours before, in Oeveland, the atmosphere was delightfully balmy. These good people, former friends and associates of my deceased father and my mother, tendered us a royal reception; which put us perfectly at our ease, and per- suaded us to believe that the longer we remained their guests the better they would be pleased; thus manifest- ing the proverbial hospitality of the southern people of both races. The late Mr. James Sampson, founder of the family^ was a colored man w^ho was held in high repute and re- spect, even by the slave-holders, before the emancipa- tion ; and they not only permitted him to v/alk the streets of the city after the "cuifew bell," but, respected passes signed by him for other colored persons. He was a build- er, by trade and profession, and himself occupied with his family, one of the most comfortable residences there, which I am informed, is still standing. One of his sons, the late Professor Benjamin Kellogg Sampson, who was graduated from Oberlin College, in the latter "fifties," was a scholar and an orator of note; for several years in the "sixties," he w^s principal of Averj Institute, located in Pittsburgh, Pa. Subsequently, he took charge of the colored schools of Memphis, Tenn., where, after many years of faithful sei-vice, he died re- gretted and mourned by all. John P. Sampson, another son, was a minister of the Gospel, and served faithfully, many years, with honor and success, at Orange, N. J. Then, there were Joseph, who was recorder of deeds, of Wilmington, during the re- construction period; and James, George and Nathan, all worthy men; also, Susie, Fannie, Mary and Minerva, all well and happily married. Uix>n the whole, the Sampsons were one of the most honorable, successful and conspicuous families that ex- 122 isted in any of our ''slave states" before, during and sub- sequent to the Civil War. Mr. and Mrs. Duncan Holmes, were very dear friends while we remained in Wilmington, and did all that big- hearted, generous people could do, to make our visit both comfortable and pleasant. There was a gentleman, long since deceased, William Kellogg, by name (the father of Mr. John Kellogg) , for many years, trustee and chorister in Mount Zion Congregational church, of Cleveland, Ohio, who was elected one of the aldermen of the city of Wil- mington, which we all considered an honor: for to be one of the city "fathers," is an honor conferred on any man. Now, Mr. Kellog (a colored man) had, for years, been in the employ of 0. G. Parsley & Co., merchants, in some subordinate capacity; and when, after his election, Mr. Parsley addressed him as plain "William," he took excep- tion saying, "My name, now is Mr. Kellogg." "Well then/' replied his employer, "if your name is 'Mr. Kellogg' you can get out of my place ; for I don't want any 'Mister' doing the work which you are employed to do!" and Mr. Kellogg, thereupon, left the ^tore of his old employer. We colored friends, considered Mr. Parsley's treat- ment of Mr. Kellogg, unjust and uncalled for. But, I suppose, v/hen one considers that, the knell of the "South- era Confederacy" had, so recently, been sounded, the slaves manumitted, and, in some instances, placed in official stations, the conduct of that gentleman was quite natural. On invitation of two former associates, Messers Robert and Cicero Harris, who had gone from Cleveland to Fay- etteville, N. C, where they founded the State Normal School, I sailed up the Cape Fear River, to that old and noted city. Fayetteville was doubly endeared to me by the dual facts that, my dear parents, were married there in 123 1837 and there were a host of good people, residing there, to whom I was related, by ties of blood. The reception tendered me, by everyone who knew me, was more cordial than I had anticipated; which is saying much, and the memory of it will always remain £Teen. When I appeared on the platform, in the church where my lecture was delivered, at a signal from Mr. Robert Harris, the principal, the large audience, consist- ing, in great part, of the students of the school, began to sing, lustily: "Johnnie Green has come to town! "Johnnie Green has come to town! Ho! Ho! for Johnnie Green!" By this manifestation of regard and sympathy, I was greatly pleased; and considered myself highly hon- ored and the result of the collection which was "lifted," enabled me to pay our fare the remaining distance to our South Carolina destination. Mr. Robert Harris, the prin- cipal of that noted school married a beautiful little lady, an ex-member of the school, whose name was Mary Green. I regret to state that, he died in the flower of his man- hood, while he was engaged in the performance of his truly valuable educational duties, so essential, at that time, for the welfare of the colored people of that state; his brother and assistant, Mr. Cicero Harris, subsequent- ly, became a minister of the Gospel ; and, by reason of his extraordinary intelligence and conspicuous piety, was or- dained a bishop of the A. M. E. Zion church ; which posi- tion he held and actively served, until his recent death. Those who knew Bishop Harris best, who v/ere most closely related to him in his life work, declared that, they had never heard escape from his lips a word which would have offended the ears of the most refined lady or gentle- man. This was the testimony of Mr. Charles W. Ches- 124 nutt, the famous author, who, in his boyhood and youth was under the daily instruction of the two brothers ; and^ who, ultimately, succeeded to the principalship of the school ; and, also, of this writer, who Imew and associated with them both, when they resided in Ohio. Returning to Wilmington, after my delightful visit to Fayetteville, we speedily packed our trunk (it was not large) , and bade farewell to all our friends, who had cared for us, so unselfishly and, I might say, lovingly. We left them with genuine regret ; some of them never to behoia again. We were fortunate, while in Wilmington, in being of the invited guests, at the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. George W. Sampson. Mr. Sampson is now and for sixty- two years has been a useful and respected resident of the city of Cleveland, Ohio, where he and his wife have reared and educated tv/o sons and a daughter. The eldest is Pro- fessor George W. Sampson, Jr., an alumnus of the West- em Reserve University, located in Cleveland; and, for many years, principal of important educational institu- tions in Ohio and Florida. Mr. Fred Sampson, engaged in useful employment on one of our great "trunk" railroads ; and Mrs. Hattie Sampson Dale, the beloved wife of Doc- tor Ellis A. Dale, one of the skilled and useful physicians of Cleveland. A slow, jolting ride of one hundred miles, carried us to the station of Laurinburg, N C, the only excuse for the existence of which, is, so far as I could see, at that time, was that, it afforded a watering place for locomo- tives and a shipping and receiving station for the farmers in the neighboring territory. Here we were met by two of our numerous cousins ; Mr. William R. Brewington, long since deceased, presided over a horse and buggy, while his brother, James Brew- ington, in his employ, "curbed and restrained" the mule team attached to a wagon. William R. Brewington was, 125 in some respects, a uniqe personage ; for, since I was bom, although I have come in touch with many quaint and curious people, yet, have I never seen his * 'double," either physically or temperamentally. William, when a mere child, had been "bound out," as the expression was, "down south," in those days, to a caipenter and builder, ostensibly, to be taught the trade of his master, but, practically to fill the position of a "factotum" — a do all. My dear mother, w^ho knew of his hardships and ad- versities, through the eight trying years of his appren- ticeship, before he reached his "majority," used to tell us children of the lack of proper and sufficient clothing during the cold winter days; the cravings of hunger which every half -fed boy experiences; the undeserved floggings inflicted on him by his cruel task-master; and much else, until even before we ever saw him, we grieved for him, through sheer sympathy. And now here he stood in our very presence, the master of his trade, a resepect- ed contractor and builder, the owner of broad acres, as well as a residence, a little grocery store, a horse and a mule team; to say nothing of a pretty wife and several interesting children. Yes, here he stood; his "arms outstretched, as he would fly, to grasp in the comer," and his countenance beaming with smiles, welcoming us to Laurinburg, the gate-way from North Carolina to South Carolina, Ben- nettsville, Marlboro County, South Carolina, twenty miles distant, and reached from that place, by traversing a "blazed-w^ay," through a dense forest and thick sands. Soon mounted, my Httle wife in the buggy by the side of our "dear" cousin, and I, on the crest of a pile of bags and boxes, in the wagon we rode into the town of Ben- nettsville, v/here, along the main (only) business street, the inhabitants, few^ in number, seemed to be on the qui 126 vive, to behold Mr. Brewington's "Cousin John," whose coming had been heralded, and his Uttle wife, whose coming was a genuine surprise to all. Finally, we halted in front of a rudely constructed frame residence, which stood on a corner of the main street and another, which gradually merged into a coun- try road, leading to and passing by the ''Village Black- smith shop and the ''swimming hole." Beyond these, was the imposing residence of the late "J. W. Weatherley," a retired "speculator" (in slaves), built by my "Cousin William," under contract. Opposite the Brewington resi- dence, was a field, which ere long, was gorgeous in its garb of beautiful cotton blooms, and later on, glistened in its crop of snow-white cotton. On another corner, was the spacious field, in the center of which stood the cozy home of the late Charles McCall, who, in an emergency, would shoot and sell to us a nice chicken. And on a third side, was the humble residence of "old" Mr. Whaley, the watch and jew^elry repairer, who, even then, tremulously, stood with one foot on the edge of the grave. On entering it, w^e discovered that our future, tem- porary hom.e, was neither lathed nor plastered. The frame of the building w^as "v/eatherboarded" and this protected us from the wind and rain. Later on, during a light snow storm, remarkable for that locality, the snow^ filtered through the cracks and crevices of the shingled roofy and lay lightly on the spread which covered us. However, we were young, and a "little thing" like that, did not dis- courage us. On the contraiy, it was to us a source of mudi merriment. "Cousin Mollie," the wife and mother, greeted us in a kindly way, and made conditions as comfortable for us as she could; while little Nellie and Lula, were a never-fail- ing source of pleasure to us both. On the following day, I was informed by my dear 127 "cousin," that two of the thrte remunerative positions which he had guaranteed me, upon my arrival in Ben- netsville, had already been filled; to wit. The school to teach and the post-mastership, in the little Post Office, the former by a competent young lady, a protege of Mr, Henry J. Maxwell, the state senator, representing that district, and the latter by a young freedman, at once ambitious and capable, Cato J. Stuart, by name. Under the circumstances, the only position left vacant for me, was that of clerk in "cousin's little 12x16, grocery store where he and "Mollie" had been accustomed to bai-ter, sparingly, domestic provisions for "seed-cotton"; that is to say, cotton from which the seeds had not been removed some of which, I am bound to say, came "in de dark ob de moon I" Imagine this writer, then in those surroundings, in the center of a cotton producing district, rem.oved from even a railroad station, the nearest one being at Society Hill, fourteen miles distant;" not a piccayune to spend," in his pocket ; fresh from the social and educational walks of the beautiful city of Cleveland, and the business and hustle of such cities as Pittsburgh, Washington, Balti- more, Washington, Philadelphia and New York!!! Was I discouraged ? No. I was not discouraged. I was surprised, more or less shocked! As for myself, I did not care "a fig," by the help of God and my determined eflforts, I had won my .way from hunger and want down to that moment, and I was "armed," not to suffer, but to conquer. The little fair-haired wife, by my side, leaning upon me for support and encouragement; she it was, whose very patience and resignation to endure all things, to live or die, confiding in and cheering her husband, stim- ulated me and nerved me to toil on and hope on, until the "silver lining" of the cloud whilch enveloped us became visible. 128 No pay was given to me for my services in the "grocery/* save our keep, which consisted of a fireless attic to sleep in, and salt mackerel, salt pork, bacon, fried or boiled, once in a while, with ''collards" and corn ^'dodgers," black coffee, sweetened, generally, with dark brown sugar or molasses. There was, at that tim.e no market in the town, and cotton being the principal product of the farms in that locality, it was extremely difficult to procure vegetables, poultry or eggs, even had I possessed the financial means of buying the same. Later on, in that year, 1870, a little baby boy came to our hom.e, and when the mother plead for some chicken broth, I could not, in any way procure the coveted luxury for her. Finally, I walked down the road, past the swimming hole, a m.ile from the village, to the home of that same ex-slave ''speculator,'' of whom i have spoken, Mr. Weatherley, and, being received courts eously by him, I pleaded with him to sell me one small chicken for my sick v/ife. Without hesitation, he ordered one of his servants to catch a chicken for me. Pie present- ed the bird to me, and scorned payment for it. Whatever else he may have been, his conduct on this occasion, the only time he and I ever met, ''face to face," was that of a kindly disposed gentleman, and I shall ever remember him, in gratitude. We could not buy a morsel of "fresh beef" in that little town, save and except on rare occasions, when some country-man vrould drive in with the carcas of a little butchered bullock covered v>ath green branches, to pro- tect it from the sun's rays and the flies. On one occasion, beef in this manner w^as brought into the village; but before we became av/are of its presence it v/as all sold!!! The little baby boy had not yet arrived and miy loved one craved a piece of that beef. "Cousin" William was the proud (happy) possessor of a good-sized "chunk" of it but neither he nor "Cousin" Mollie would 129 give or sell me a piece. (We were not their guests, then) . So, disconsolate, but not cast down, I went to the home of one of the white citizens, ^vho, I was informed, had bought a piece of the beef, and laid my condition before him. His dwelhng occupied a commanding position well back in the yard, from the sidewalk, and was guarded at night, by a large, fierce dog, which was generally kept chained in the day time. I, unsuspectingly and fearlessly, entered upon the premises, when, to my amazement and hoiTor, that savage brute came bounding directly towards and up to me. What defence could I make, what could I do? I had no weapon, I was ''empty handed." Looking the dog straight in his eyes, I snapped my fingers at him and spoke kindly words to him, when he to my great relief, wagged his tail and trotted along by my side, until I was accosted and met, by his master. With every manifestation of true gentility, this southern man, "to the manor born," as the current phrase was at that time, cut off from his portion, a nice large piece of that beef, and presented it to me gi*atis. I earned it to my wife, and had the pleasure of seeing tears of gratitude standing in her beautiful eyes, by reason of that man's unselfish generosity. I am sorry I cannot re- call his name; it was fifty years ago, and memory fails me. On another occasion, w^e needed a little tea, black or green tea, it mattered not which. In order to procure it, I was compelled to send to Wilmington, N. C. for it; and, needing a dentist, later on, when I had come into the possession of a little money, I was compelled to travel a hundred and thirty or forty miles, and place myself under the skillful treatment of the late Doctor Rodrigue, of the old regimxC, in Charleston, in order to repair the damage done to me by a "native dentist," one who did the best he knew how to do, but who after seven ineffectual at- iso tempts to draw a wisdom tooth, merely broke it off, and exposed the nerve. When the fall approached and the cotton crop was "laid by," cousin William suddenly discovered that my services, in the little ''grocery" store were no longer need- ed, that he and Mollie could attend to it, until after pick-, ing time. This condition left me and my family, substan- tially homeless, for we could not remain there, pension- ers on their bounty (?) and I was not in a financial condi- tion to go elsew^here. There was a man in that county, John G. Grant, by name. He was the Probate Judge of Marlboro County, and since his term of office was nearly ended, he was seeking the Republican nomination for re-election; and, knowing that I was active within the ranks of that party he sought my friendship and assistance, in that behalf. "Green," he said to me, "why don't you rent Brewing- ton's corner room, and open a grocery for yourself in it?" I told him, I had no money to rent the room with, and least of all to stock it with groceries. "Well," he replied, "I have seven barrels of spirits of turpentine, which is quite valuable. I will ship it to Adrian and Vollers, large dealers in Wilmington, N. C., and you can go there and invest the proceeds of that spirits in groceries, and staii; your store. A drowning man will grasp at a straw ; and I hurried to avail myself of this opportunity ; altho, one of the con- ditions was that, he should be a "silent" partner, and re- ceive one-half of the net profits of the business. This was on Friday, the next day being the day of the Republican Convention, by which he was duly nom- inated for a second term, I assisting, as best I could. The next day, Sunday, after attending Divine services and superintending the Sunday School, I began to collect money to pay my fare to Wilmington, in order to collect for the spirits of tui-pentine, buy the groceries and ship 131 them to Laurinburgh. It was not an easy matter to bor- row nine or ten dollars. I had three dollars, belonging to the Sunday School. I appropriated that, with a proviso : and I returned it out of my first earnings, later on. Sena- tor Henry J. Maxwell loaned me three other dollars and I reckoned on borrowing three others from another cousin of mine, Mr John Brewington, on reaching the station, which as I have said, was twenty long miles distant At half past seven, on that Sunday evening, as the "shades of night were falling fast," and while the bell of a neighboring church was sweetly inviting sinners — and others to ''come," fondly embracing my well-nigh dis- consolate wife, who stood in the door, holding ''little Johnnie" in her arms (she weighed ninety-five pounds), I started on my "hike" to Laurinburgh. The intervening seven miles, before reaching the forest, was through thick sand, and, since I wore a pair of boots, given me, before leaving Cleveland, by the late Frank Judd, which were "snug"' on my feet, to say the least, they began to pain me to an uncomfortable degi'ee, but I gave, no heed to that ; that last im.age of my wife and little one, standing in that door dependent and for- lorn, and the expectancy of securing the means of making them comfortable and happy, stimulated me to such a degree, that, I literally devoured space; and sooner than I expected, I found myself at the beginning of the "blazed- way," on the edge of the forest. It was now, quite dark, save as the moon and stars, ever and anon, peeped through the foliage and revealed to me the ruts made by the wagons, which traversed thft route, and some familiar objects which I had seen before. The occasional hooting of an owl and the quaint noises made by other tenants of the forest, lent a wierd charm to all the surroundings. Mile after mile, ' "reeled oflf;" never wearying, not once complaining; altho, by this time, my heels and toes were blistered and my gate was 132 -somewhat, halt and lame. To add to the seriousness of my plight, the sky was now overcast with heavy clouds and some big drops of rain began to fall as the rumbling of ominous thunder began to be heard in the distance. Under these conditions, I failed to discern my *'land- marks," and I found myself out of the direct route, and was compelled to retrace fully a mile of the distance. 'The night is long that never finds the day," says one poet, while a profound philosopher, more prosaic, carries the same idea when he says, "It's a long lane that has no turn!" And so, I found in this instance, for at half past eleven o'clock (exactly four hours from the tim.e of start- ing), I knocked at the door of Mr. John Brewington, at the end of my first ''lap," and was welcomed, foot-sore and weary, with mingled feelings of joy and surprise. After answering many questions, hurriedly asked of me, I laid myself on a rough counter, with an empty raisin-box for a pillov/. In the morning, when I attempted to pull on my boots, I found that my feet were too swolen to admit of success, but, as time was precious, I put a little soft soap on the side of the heels, and so, succeed- ed in pulling them on, splitting the inner side of one boot leg, however, in doing so. The blisters on my heels and toes, the swolen condition of my feet, and a pronounced pain in one hip, caused me to limp along in a very ungain- ly way from the house to the train, en route to Wilming- ton. I must not forget to state, that, "Cousin John" loaned me three dollars, and thereby, assured m.e the means of returning from Wilmington. Arrived, in a few hours, in the city of Wilmington, I went "as the crow flies," to the wholesale house of Adrian & Vollers, and, immediately introduced myself to Mr. Vollers, a quiet appearing man, of very few words, who had before that day, neither seen me nor heard my voice, 133 and for aught that I know, to that day, had never even heard tell of me. In a few moments, he made me aware of the fact, that, on his part, he had neither seen nor heard of the seven barrels of spirits of turpentine! Thereupon, I said to him, **Mr. Vollers, I have spent my last cent, for tickets to this city, from Bennettsville, S. C. and return. I left behind m.e a frail wife with a baby in her arms, and I dare not return there without this bill of goods. I am the cousin of William Brewington, with w^hom you are acquainted. Can't you let me have the goods on credit?" Mr. Vollers looked me straight in the eyes. *'How much do you want?" he dryly inquired. ''Here is the list," I replied. In a few minutes he had made an estimate of the cost of the goods. One hundred and ten dollars, was the amount. ''You may have them," he said. "But, Mr. Vollers!" I exclaimed. "I have not a dollar with which to pay the freight on them.' "Well," he said, "we will pay that for you." If an angel of light had spoken to me, I could not have been made more happy. Truly God was with me! Truly, as a reward of merit, in return for some kindness- es, on the part of my dear deceased father or some one closely relaj"ed to me, God was blessing me, and I silently lifted up my heart in thanksgiving to Him, from whom all blessings flow. The goods were placed on the same train which carried me back to Laurinburg, on the next day, and a few hours later, I again found myself on that same platform, with a pile of merchandise, and Bennetts- ville — twenty miles away!" "What was clone, what to do, A glance told me both!" So, says the poet Reed, when describing Sheridan's famous ride, to Winchester "twenty miles away." But 134 in the case of the writer, a glance did not suffice; for, I was in a semi-hostile countiy, a stranger to every one and without the means of emplo3ing friends or foe to transport my merchandise for me. Let no youthful reader of this narrative forget that time honored maxim. "Where there is a will, there is a way." I love and confide in those old maxims, for, gen- erally, they have come thundering down the ages" and contain great truths, for our guidance and encourage- ment, in many of the perplexities of life. Inquiring of sundry persons whom I met in the one business street, I was finally directed to the home of Mr. Edward Roper — a youthful, hard-fisted, good-natured, kind-hearted Negro man, of family. A "freedman," so called, who had spent the greater part of his life in bondage, until the immortal Abraham Lincoln issued the Proclamation, which broke his bonds asunder. Fortunately, Mr. Roper was at home; and gave me a right heaity welcome. His good w-ife and little ones joining him. An invitation to eat followed, which w^as accepted; and then, after listening to my ''tale of woe," he hitched his mule team to his wagon, loaded my goods into it, invited me to sit on the seat beside him, and set me, wdth my goods, down at my door, in that far away Ben«^ nettsville, and all this, without exacting from me any money whatsoever; but, simply relying on my individual oral promise to pay him, when able to do so ! Whatever may be said detrimental to the Negro race by persons who, for one reason and another, do not admire it, I, a person in whose arteries flow's a modicum of that self-same blood, here and now, record my ''knovvd- edge and belief," that, for love and filial affections, sym- pathy and generosity, patriotism and martial heroism, industry and a philosophic, hopeful, poetic temperament, it is not suiT)assed by any race of people on the face of this habitable globe. And ''Ed" Roper was one whose 135 blood had never been ^'tainted" by an admixture with that of any other race. During my absence, Ed Sawyer, * a friendly car- penter, had procured some lumber, and, in a sort of Wild West way, built me a counter and a meat-stand, and placed some shelving in the comer room, referred to in the foregoing, where, on the first day of my experience as proprietor, I sold out nearly everything except my scales, knives and "fixtures;" and sent a "rush" order for supplies to Wilmington, together with a money order for the payment of my original order. In explanation of my rapid sale of all my small stock of groceries, I will state, that, it was one of the results of a hanging v/hich took place on that day; and which attracted a large crowd of people to that town (the county seat), to witness it. This was a legal hanging, however, in accordance with the required forms of the law. The name of the unfortunate victim was Berry Mc- Intyre, a young and good-looking colored man, who, in an evil moment, had decoyed his wife to a lonely place near a gloomy pond, and after killing her, had thrown the body into the pond. For some reason that could not be explained, one of the arms of the victim was missing, and although the defendant, finally, made a full confes- sion of the crime, yet, he, to the end, denied the dismem- berment of the body. NOTE — ^This Ed. Sawj'er was the father of Edward J. Sawyer, Esq., of Bennettsville, S. C, who, at the time referred to, here, was a youth of some seventeen summers. Since then he has been admitted to practice law in S. C; has reared and educated a numerous family; has become possessed of a thousand or more acres of land in Marlborough County, and in other ways attained to a very high standing in the esti- mation of everyone. 156 The gallows was erected in the "public square" of the village, without any attempt to screen it from public view; and numbers of the on-lookers, stood near the "foot" of the scene. When the "trap" was "sprung," the body plunged downward, breaking the neck of the vic- tim, I suppose ; for when an attempt was made to shorten the rope and clear his feet from the ground, it was limp and unconscious. I do not believe the man knew what killed him. After the execution, the crovv^d thronged the groceries, and their patronage was welcome and beneficial. In the course of a few months, my income from the grocery was such that I bought a lot on a hillside, front- ing on the south side of the little square and erected thereon a humble residence and storeroom combined. Long piles, from the bodies of pine trees supporting the rear of the house, which was raised about ten feet from the slant of the hill, while the front rested on low sills near the brow of the same. The depression between the sill of the house and the "main land," was planked over. Here, owing to my political activities and social endeavors, my business grew rapidly, and in the course of a year, I was well estabUshed. In the month of September, 1870 (the 20th day of September, to be exact), I m.ade application to be ad- mitted to the bar of South Carolina. Judge J. M. Rutland (a carpetbagger) presiding over the Court of Common Pleas of that District. There were two other applications filed on the same day, by two promising white young gentlemen, resi- dents of that town — J. Knox Livingston and H. Hope Newton — both of whom were admitted during the course of that day. But in my case, a committee of three lawyers, consisting of Colonel J. L. Hudson, Duncan D. McColl and Charles Townsend. By order of the committee, I visited the office of Judge Townsend, "after early tea," which proved to be 137 at seven-thirty P. M., and was orally examined by those gentlemen, in turn, until eleven-thirty o'clock, of the same evening. I am pleased to record the fact that, I answered satisfactorily, every question asked of me, save one; and that related to ''marine" law; which, to us in Bennetts- ville, was not of much interest, inasmuch as the nearest body of water to the town was the stagnant swamp at the foot of the hill, in the rear of my little home ; and the only running stream, which I can now recall, was the creek tributary to it, which in its course, furnished our swimming hole. In making their report to the Court, on the following day, the committee said, in part, "we find your applicant John P. Green, not only qualified, but well qualified." I took the examination there, instead of going to the State Capital, and being admitted on motion, because I craved the respect and professional assistance of the members of the Marlboro Bar ; which 1 cheerfully say, was accord- ed to me, as long as I practiced there. During the year and a half and more, given to the prac- tice there, I saved two lives, the third John J. McQuaig^ (white) , indicted for murder (they had no varied degrees only murder and manslaughter), made his escape from pnson, plunged into the "dismal swamp," in the rear of the jail, and, to my knowledge, was never heard of again. One of my fortunate clients was, Irene McRae, a colored girl, not yet seventeen years of age, who, one hot July day, gave birth to a child — cut its head off, and then got into a tub of cold water. Since she had no money, and the other lawyers did not care for the case, she be- came my client; and, adopting the defense of puerperal mania, I secured a verdict of ''not guilty." Some mention of this defense was made in one of the Harper periodi- cals of that day. When we were empaneling the jury for the trial of that case, old Peter McColl, clerk of the court, who was« 13S nearly a hundred years of age, and shook in his voice and his hands, almost like an aspen, proceeded, as fol- lows: "John W. Crossland," he called. To the front came a "southern gentleman," owner of much land, and erst- while owner of numerous slaves, who tilled the soil foi' him. "P-r-i-s-o-n-e-r," said the aged clerk, 1-o-o-k o-n t-h-e j-u-r-o-r; j-u-r-o-r, 1-o-o-k o-n t-h-e p-r-i-s-o-n-e-r!" Then we both looked. "W-h-a-t s-a-y y-o-u?" he asked. Now, I was in a quandary, as to whether I should say, 'swear him," or "excused;" for, Crossland bore the reputation of having been a very cruel driver of his slaves, and it was reported that any one of his ex-slaves could be disting- uished by the white patches of hair on his head, where wounds had previously been inflicted ; and I feared, lest he should show prejudice against this colored girl, in the de- liberations of the jury. On the other hand, I knew that in weighing professional and scientific questions, relating to the case, he was just the man, of all, needed. So, I said, "swear him!" He was made foreman of that jury; and by his elucidations of the technical questions growing out of the defense, brought us safely through. The other case was that of a colored man, who, in a dmnken brawl, severed the femoral artery of an- other. I was one of the three who defended Frank Cook. He was duly convicted of murder, and sentenced to be hung. After the gallows was erected, at the earnest plea of his wife, who was soon to become a mother, I went to Columbvl*^?-and by a political bargain, persuaded the late Governor Scott, (of Henry Co., Ohio, who was then Governor of S. C, and was afterwards tried in Henry Co., Ohio, for murder and acquitted) to commute his sentence to life imprisonment. He was subsequently, pardoned, after I left the state; and, for aught that I know, is still living with that wife and his children. In the year 1903, after having finished a term of nine years' service in the employ of the United States, at 139 Washington (of which, more, later on) , I applied for ad- mission to the bar of the District of Columbia, and, in order to evade the requirement of a formal examination, I wrote to the late Duncan D. McColl, Esq., of Bennetts- ville, requesting him to send me a copy of the Journal entry of my admission to the bar of South Carolina in 1870. His letter breathes such a spirit of friendliness that, I shall record it ; not more as one of the incidents of my career in South Carolina, in my youth, than as a testi- monial of my high esteem and grateful remembrance of a southern gentleman, scholar and man of affairs, who, recognized merit in all men, regardless of color or pre- vious condition, and he lived a long and useful life. The letter follows: BANK OF MARLBORO Bennettsville, S. C, May 2d, 1903. Kon. J. P. Green, Washington, D. C. My Dear Sir: — Your favor of the 29th ult. read. Am certainly glad to hear from you. Went to Clerk's office and found the date of your ad- mission, to practice law, entered on the minutes of the court. Had no trouble, owing to your good recollection of date, etc. I enclose your certificate, from the clerk of the court, under seal, showing you to be an attorney at law, in this state, in good standing, etc., and copied in the ceitificate, the order of the court, admitting you. I hope it will answer your purpose and be all you desire. I paid him 50 c for the Certificate, but do not pay back to me, as I hope, some time or other to get even, in some other way. If you will notice, you were admitted to practice, on my motion; and I am proud to say, that, while you practiced at this bar, you did great credit to yourself and the profession. I recall, distinctly, although it has been thirty years (32 years, is exact-^J. P. G.), your defence of Alford (Frank Cook— J. P. G.), charged with murder. This was a case of infanticide (the writer now refers to the Irene McRae case, mentioned above — J. P. G.), and your great 140 skill and knowledge in successfully establishing the defence of pueii)eral mania. Hope you are well and doing well, Yours truly, D. D. McCALL. State Senator Henry J. Maxwell, now deceased, treat- ed me, at first, with almost contempt. He was about fif- teen years my senior, in age, a brick layer, by trade, and a politician by profession. He was a South Carolinan, by birth, and was evidently proud of the fact. The colored people of the county, who were all active members of the Republican party, almost blindly followed his leadership, and he dictated the policies pursued in the county, which were implicitely obeyed by them. In the Senate, at Columbia, he was, facetiously, denominated, "the Duke of Marlborough;" and he commanded atten- tion and exerted influence. I paid little attention to him, at first ; but, when the fall campaign came on, and he was a candidate for re-elec- tion, we became well nigh "chummy", and not only visited each other, but, sat on the same platforms, and addressed the same political gatherings. Here is yet, another of those wise old "saws," of which I spoke, in a former chap- ter, and which, as a rule, are eternally true: "Politics make strange bed-fellows." This was literally verified, eventually, when he and I, in Columbia, S. C, actually, slept in the same bed, to- gether. During my brief political experience in and near Bennettsville, I faced three separate contingencies in which, I suspect, my life was endangered, the first was, when on one pretty July afternoon, in a grove near the village, I was delivering a political harangue, in v/hich I censured some of the methods resorted to by the Demo- cratic party, a large man John W. Harrington, by name, 141 who was made fierce looking by bushy whiskers, rushed at me with an ugly looking knife, and attempted to cut me with it. He w^as intercepted, however, by several of my auditors and disaiTned. They, too, had big, sharp knives. My second jeopardy was, on the Fourth day of July, 1871, when I, as ''orator of the day," was literally, making the eagle scream, on a platform erected on our little Pub- lic Square, in Bennetts ville, when Harris Covington, Esq., Democratic nominee for Congress, rushed foi-ward, grasped me by one of my legs, and attempted to pull me down from the rostrum. Mr. Covington narrowly escaped being run through the body by a sword, in the hands of a colored by-stander; and a riot was prevented by the counsels of judicious persons, present. The third jeopardy was self-made; and from this point of view, I can see that, my conduct was ill-advised and silly. The ''Greely Democrats," of the County had just adjourned a large meeting which they had held on the public square, and, with several of their Negro em- ployes, were preparing to return to their homes. I, there- upon, in the absence of Senator Maxwell, constituted my- self Republican leader, and declared that, I would mount the vacant platform, and answer the statements which had been made to the colored men, in attendance, by the speakers. Sheriff Joel Easterling, the long-whiskered-patriar- chal Republican official, said to me: ''Green, don't you do it! They will kill you! If you persist, I, as sheriff of this county, will not guarantee you protection!" Yet, I mount- ed that platform ; and for forty minutes, preached a pure, unadulterated, Abraham Lincoln republicanism. They did not touch me; but, in the next issue of the local paper, there was a statement, that, after the ad- journment of the Democratic meeting, *'a fellow by the name of Green, who came from nobody knows where, and 142 lives on nobody knows what, got up on the stand and harangued the Negroes." Occasionally, we would awake to find "Ku-Klux-Klan" litei*ature strewn near our front doors or tacked on the trunks of the large pine trees in the public square. I have never known whether the dodgers, whiclj carried at the top the death-head and cross-bones, of the Ku- Klux-Klan, were a mere hoax or a dire threat and menace. Of one fact I am certain; they caused us all to be quite apprehensive; and, on many nights. Maxwell, William Brewington, John Brewington, this writer and others, "ai-med to the teeth," took turns in patrolling the streets, in the vicinity of our homes, in order to prevent a sur- prised assault; and my own doors were locked, barred and propped, as a source of protection. On one ''first Monday" (the day of the month w^hen the sheriif sold lands and effects, by order of court), a half drunken fellow, McQuaig by name, started in pur- suit of me — to "kill me," as he said; I heard of it; and, arming myself with a long, sharp knife, pursued him. He dodged me, and that ended the fiasco. Early in 1872, I was elected delegate to the Republi- can State Convention, which held its sessions at Columbia, the capital of the state. There were present, in the elegant hall of the House of Representatives, which had been furnished at a cost of sixty thousand dollars (and con- tained cuspidors at a cost of fifteen dollars each), not only delegates from all parts of South Carolina, but, many members of Congress, judges, public officials and the Governor of the state. During the deliberations of the committee on cre- dentials — on motion of Captain Robert Smalls (of the steam-boat "Planter" fame), I was, unanimously invited to address the convention. It came to me like the prov- erbial "clap of thunder". However, I did not shrink, but, 143 on the contrary, "grasped" the opportunity, Thomas Carlyle says. "Occasion, God-like, rushes storming on swift — perilous, Like a whirlwind— like a swift, lightning steed; Manfully, thou shalt grasp him by the mane, And vault into thy seat on him; And ride and guide there thou!" I took his advice. F or nearly an hour, I addressed that august assemblage, paying no more attention to the per- sonel of the assemblage or the coign of advantage, from which I spoke, than if I had been speaking to a jury in the Court House. The portion of my address which attracted most at- tention and which was widely criticised by politicians, was that, wherein I declared that, the people should select as public servants, men known to be intelligent and honest; that, unless this policy were speedily adopted they would be reading the ''handwriting on the Vv^all;" that, the reconstruction (carpet-bag) governments of the southern states could exist no longer than they were sus- tained by the public opinion of the North ; and that, fail- ing in respect of that support, they would fall, to rise no more. Coming down from the rostrum (the speakers' stand). Senator Allep, of Greenville, grasped my hand, and said: ''Mr. Green, you have made just the speech which I have desired to make, all this session; but, from policy sake, have not dared to do." I soon found that Senator Allen was correct; for, on returning to Bennettsville, I ascertained that a garbled report of my address had out-run me. It was reported and current, that I had said, that, none, save "college- bred men," should be elected to office, and since there were no men of that class amongst the Republican voters 144 of that county, I readily deciphered the handwriting on the wall, for me. My political name was henceforth 'Dennis !' This convention, elected me an alternate to the Phil- adelphia National Convention, which re-nominated Presi- dent Grant, for President, I represented the First Con- gressional District of South Carolina, and it was my first appearance, in National politics. The swamp, in the rear of my little home, at the foot of the hill, breathing forth poisonous miasmata, during the summer season, having impaired my health, and threatened the life of both my wife and our baby-boy, I suddenly concluded that I would, "pull up my stakes,*' and return to Cleveland; there, "for better or for worse/* to tiy the fates as a member of the Ohio bar. In less time than it takes to record these facts, I had run over to the office of Colonel C. W. Dudley, the Nestor of the town, surrendered to him my deed and all claim on the hill-side lot of land; giving to cousin William Brew- ington, the horse which I was buying, and for the full payment of which he v/as surety ; sold to him, in bulk, the contents of the little grocery ; distributed gi-atis some and crated others of our meagre household effects, and were eniX)ute towards Fayetteville, N. C. No tongue can ever express the joy of my wife, when she clearly understood that she, "really and trully'' was leaving Bennettsville, to return no more. Her latitude to God and her husband, knew no bounds, and she re- ferred to the event during the remainder of her life. We had some true and tried friends there, of both races, who regretted to see us leave ; even Colonel Dudley, who generally represented the sentiment of the white people of the county, said to me, "If you had permitted the white people to take you up and fight Maxwell, you could have succeeded politically and othei*wise." However, that policy was out of the question. I v/as colored, and i 145 was a black— Abraham Lincoln, John Brown, Frederick Douglass Republican, and everybody knew it. How then, could I, with Democrats of that day, join hands and fight Maxwell and his hosts ; many of whom walked from Red Bank, twenty miles distant, to vote for Ulysses S. Grant, as against Hoi*ace Greeley ! 146 CHAPTER VII. BACK TO CLEVELAND. In the city of Fayett^ville, we found ourselves in the midst of many relatives and warm hearted friends, two of whom, most highly prized by us, were Mr. A. J. Chesnutt, father of Charles W. Chesnutt, Esquire, author and schol- ai-, whose name I have mentioned heretofore; and the other was, the late Mrs. Sophia Carter, a sister of Mr. A. J. Chesnutt, who temporarily, in a motherly way, received my dear wife, and made her comfortable and happ/, as long as we remained there. We left, with Mrs. Carter, a cook stove (rara vis, in that part of the countiy), con- ditioned that, when convenient, she should remit to us the sum of fifteen dollars, the purchase price of the same. Of this transaction more anon. Arriving in Cleveland, after spending a month as the guest of my dear mother and sisters, we rented a suite of two rooms, on the second floor of a frame dwelling house (still standing) in Brownell street, (now E. 14th), fur- nished it at an expense of twenty-seven dollars, and moved into it. It was now near winter, and the remainder of cash, v/hich I had brought with me from Bennettsville had dwindled down to a negligible amount ; and, as I was not known in Cleveland, as a lawyer, I began to have visions of the "gaunt finger of want." Under these conditions, the late R. L. Holden and I 147 planned and executed a tour of some of the prominent cities of the east, including some of those which I had visited in my school days, when I sold my little book, and lectured. During this tour, we acted in a dual capacity; I lecturing first, and Holden follovv^ing, with some "side- splitting" stories. We were well treated, and received enough money to defray all expenses ; but, little more, and on my return to my wife and two babies, now, I found myself in the most dire strait, financially, I had ever been in before, even more so than when I took that midnight trip to Laurinburg, for, then, I had no rent to pay, on the spot; and I had only one baby to care for; moreover, I could see flitting around and past me youths and men of my acquaintance, who had never orated in public, and whose names had never been blazed forth as an orator, hero, lawyer, and what not; yet, sleek and well clad, still acting in the role of waiters and menials, while I was, almost, "hungry and naked." I was out of coal, with the mercury at almost zero; my rent was in arrears, with no prospect of payment; and the larder was well nigh empty. In this plight, Mr. Cicero M. Richardson, one of the foremost and well to do citizens of color, kindly sent me a few bushels of coal; and none too soon; another dear good friend, Mr. James Thompson, a Roman Catholic, small of stature and very dark, visited me, and gave me of his advice and assist- ance ; a favor which, later, on I repaid, in kind, of which he never knew. I went out into the city amongst several of my erst- while colored friends and tried to persuade them to loan me the sum of five dollars; but, in vain. I regret to say, they proved to be in a worse financial condition that I myself was; provided, they told me the truth. I then went to Mr. Byron Hunt, a white man, clerk at the old Birch House, where I worked, for my meals, during a part of 148 my school days; he loaned it to me, without hesitation; and, I afterwards returned it to him. I went to a grocery store, around the comer of East 14th street (Brownell) and Prospect street, and filled my basket with groceries, one morning; but, not having money sufficient to pay the bill in full, I handed him back the butter. Arriving at home, v/e ate our bread without butter, which I had often done before. Frequently, I attended the police court, hoping against fate, that, somebody, of all would retain me to defend him ; but in vain. What knov/ledge had they of my legal ability or the contrary? None at all. Some of them perchance had heard of me as being an apt and success- ful school boy, and that, I had been graduated from the Law College, but, the report of my signal success, at the South Carolina Bar had not reached them, and, when the life, liberty or property of a man is at stake, he wants the best and most influential lawyer he can obtain. But — "Let Hercules do as he may; The cat will mew, and the dog will have his day!" and my day finally came, when, a young colored man, J. A. Hawkins, by name (long since deceased) , w^ho was unjustly accused of an offense, seeing me in the court room, came to me and gave me a retainer of twenty-five dollars, to defend him ! To say I was pleased, only mildly expresses the sensation which nearly overwhelmed me; not more by reason of the retainer, than because it would give me an opportunity of being seen and heard in that legal arena, where I was destined, for so many long years, to ''strut and fret," and contend, as an advocate of justice between man and man,^ anB "The State of Ohio and the defendant, at the Bar." Mr. Hawkins was speedily aquitted; and went from the presence of the court, "without delay," to blazon 149 forth my merits as a lawyer; and thereby, assist me in securing my ''daily bread", — butter or no butter. It was a pecular coincidence that, just before Mr. Hawkins retained me, when I was, once more "dead broke," I received a letter from that dear Mrs. Sophia Carter enclosing three five dollar bills, in payment of the little cookstove, which we had placed in her possession on leaving Fayetteville. Truly, for us, I could say with Romeo, "Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day Stands tip-toe on the misty mountain tops." We had now, forty dollars, in cash, at our disposal; and I was determined to make the most of it, and from that time down to the present day, we have been above sheer want; and, at times, able to cast a little bread on the waters. The advent of the municipal election, drew near, a mayor was to be elected, and various and sundry muni- cipal afficials, including a number of justices of the peace, to serve the township cmd city of Cleveland, dur- ing the ensuing three years. In that contingency, to my great surprise and gratification, up rose Pard B. Smith, sheriff of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, William T. Clark, Esq., attorney at law (in whose office I had my desk) and "Johnnie" Francisco, highly esteemed veteran of the Civil war; and, in the convention they wrought so manfully and successfully that, I received the nomination, for jus- tice of the peace, at the hands of the Republican party. At the same time, John Huntington, Esq., was nominated for mayor. When the votes were counted on the night of the first Monday in April, 1873, the results proved that Mr. Huntington was defeated by more than twelve hundred; w^hile this writer was elected, by more than three thous- and majority. 150 This was the first instance within my memory, of the election of a colored man to any office, in the state of Ohio; and, to the best of my knowledge, the first time a colored man was elected to a judicial office, in the great, North, East and West. In the former slave states, where the colored voters, assisted by a few white men, were in the majority, and members of the race, who could neither read nor write, were, in some instances, elected even to the law making branch, it was different. When I attended a state convention in Columbia, South Carolino, I met and associated with Justice Wright, a pure Negro, who was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of that august state; the home of the Rhetts, the Barnwells, and of John C. Calhoun, of senatorial fame. *1 I rented the office and succeeded to the judicial functions of the late "General" David L. Wood; and, thereafter, for nine consecutive years, by re-elections, I remained one of the justices of the peace of this populous wealthy and intelligent city of Cleveland, Ohio. In order that the significance of my promotion may be fully appreciated, it may be recorded, that the bond required of a justice, was five thousand dollars (which would be equal to ten thousand dollars now) . My bond wa^ signed on the several occasions by the late W. C. Mc-^ Farland, the same attorney whose office I cared for, when I was in the Law College, in 1369. An able, kind and gen- erous man was Mr. McFarland and in his death, the Cleve- land Bar sustained a real loss. Justices of the peace, at that time had, in civil cases, jurrisdiction to the amount of three hundred dollars. Exclusive jurisdiction in Forcible Entry and Forcible Entry and Detainer cases; and examining powders in all felonies and misdemeanors, from murder down. Which made the court of justice of the peace of more importance than that of Municipal Judge in Washington, D. C, or elsewhere at that time. Moreover, it was an elective office 151 by a majority of the votes of the people; which I have always considered, the most honorable way of obtaining office, no matter of what importance. Amongst the conspicuous lawyers who appeared in my court and transacted legal business, may be men- tioned, ex-senator Theodore E, Burton, who informed me, when he was a notable candidate for the Presidency, that, he tried his first case in my court. Mr. Andrew Squire, who, at that time was a youthful practitioner, also tried cases before me, as did the late Virgil P. Kline, R. E. Mix, C. W. Noble, and Mr. John G. Vv^hite, now famous as a jurist. Thomas J. Carran, John J. Carran and Mr. William Heisley, all able attorneys, gave me business and ap- peared in my justice's court. A long list would be re- quired to contain all the names of those attorneys, living and dead, who honored me with their business and pres- ence. The Honorable Myron T. Herrick, ex-governor of Ohio, and ex-U. S. Ambassador to France, says to me, in a postscript to a nice letter, *M recall that you were one of my first friends when, as a young man, I was admitted to the Bar." Johnnie McGraw, C. R. Heller and James Sweeney, (the first and third of Irish descent) , were two of my con- stables ; while Parker Hare, L. W. Turner and J. H. Wash- ington, all colored men, were, at times, in my office. Parker Hare, for five consecutive years. While I was serving my second term, as justice of the peace, in 1877, I was nominated, by the Republican party of Cuyahoga County, for the lower branch of the tJ^neral Assembly of Ohio. The canvass was long and, at times, exciting. I "stumped" the whole county, and tried to meet the objections of a colored man, now deceased, Madison Telley, by name, residing in the Hay market district, who was favoring the Democratic ticket, and fcoast^ that he would defeat me. There was another 152 man (white) , Wilson Treat, by name, who resided in the "old Eleventh" ward, on the West side of the river, who quite effectively, opposed me ; because, when he was in his "cups", he squeezed one of my hands until small beads of blood oozed from the roots of two of my finger nails ; and I then and there, "insulted" him by telling him what 1 thought of him ; which was not flattering, by any means. The next morning after the election, I was declared elected, by sixty-two majority over the late John C. Cov- ert, at that time, one of the editors of the Cleveland Leader. The late Edwin Cowles, who, with the late Joseph Medill of the Chicago Tribune founded the Leader, and for many years, made it a great power for the abolition of slavery, — the preservation of our glorious Union and a true wholesome Americanism, was Emeritus, then, while young men were at the helm. My election was bla- zoned forth with big head lines in all the daily papers. Great was the consternation of the friends and sup- porters of Mr. Covert; they had "run" him as a champion of the demand that all church property should be taxed thereby, to inflict a telling if not mortal blow, on the Roman Catholic Church, in Ohio. Another night passed, when an alleged recount of the ballots cast for me was had, in "old ward No. Four", which had its headquarters in the engine house, still standing, in East 18th street, (then Huntington Street), near Central avenue; the result of the recount, as an- nounced, on the following morning, was that, they had thrown out eighty-four votes, previously counted for me, — because they could not determine whether they were intended for me or for F. W. Green, one of the nom- inees on the Democratic ticket! Thus, they declared me defeated ; and John C. Covert was declared elected, by a small majority; and he was subsequently, re-elected, and served four years as a law maker of the great State of Ohio; but, as far as I can see 153 the taxation of church propei*ty, belonging to the protest-^ ant or Catholic congregations, remains as it was at and before the time of Mr. Covert's "election." Ex-Mayor R. R. Herrick and Colonel Louis Smithnight, were the "bosses" of that ward, at that time. I am not sure that they were cognizant of the recount which was. made, in the absence of myself and m.y political friends. I was advised, by many voters, of all races, to go to Columbus and contest the election (?) of Mr. Covert; but, I had neither time nor money to do so; and I let it drop,awaiting another opportunity to win promotion. During the nine years of my service, as justice of the peace, I also, practiced law, principally in the criminal branch of the Court of Common Pleas ; and, in that sphere of action, it was my good fortune to be confronted by some courteous and able attorneys, who prosecuted for the State of Ohio. Amongst these were the late Homer B. DeWolf, William Robinson, S. M. Eddy, Peter H. Kaiser, Alex Hadden, Edward P. Slade ; and last, but not least, our present Judge W. B. Neff, who, for so many years, has presided with learning and dignity, in our Court of Common Pleas. The first "murder case," in which I defended, in Cleveland, was that of the State of Ohio vs. Stephen Hood, charged with murder in the first degree, in the premeditated killing of his foster son, "Green." It was, charged that, early one sprim^* morning, Hood took his two boys Fred and "Green" to the camping gi-ounds, from which a circus had just departed, ostensibly, to search for lost money and other things of value; and that, after searching for a short time, he went into a neighboring wood, accompanied by "Green," and pounded his head almost into jelly, and left the coipse there, to be discovered, later on, by searchei-s for him. Hood professed innocence ; and that, he had no recol- lection of committing the deed ; and the fact, which was. 154 not disputed, that Hood had adopted the boy, had always, been kind to him, and even protected him when his wife would chastize him, left us all in doubt, as to whether or not, if he did commit the act, he did it when in a rational condition. I adopted the defense of insanity, and proved, as I thought, that Hood was subject to hallucinations, when,, his mind was unbalanced ; and argued that, if he did kill the boy, it was done when he was under the influence of one of these spells. William T. Clark, Esq., then a young attorney, by my request, came into the case to assist me ; and very ably aided me in the entire defense. The late Judge R. F. Paine presided and conducted the case with his well known judicial ability, fairness and honor; w^hile Mr. Homer B. De Wolf, young, energetic learned and able prosecuted, for the State. The trial lasted a number of days, and the court room was filled to the doors. Finally, the couit having charged the jury, it retired in the afternoon and remained out, all night. On the following morning, the foreman handed in a sealed verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree. No sooner had the verdict been read and the jury- polled, than, it became known that, the jury, in its de- liberations, duiing the previous night, had made use of some law books, which had been negligently, left in the jury room; and that, one of the jurors had assumed the i-ole of Judge, mounted the platform, and, from the Judge's Bench, had expounded the law. I should have said, before, that the jury was locked up in the Court. room, to deliberate. We obtained the affidavits of several of the jurors,. estabhshing these facts ; but, owing to a decision ren- dered by our Supreme Court, to the effect, that, the oath of a juror will not be received to impeach the verdict of his fellow jurors, the verdict was not set aside by Judge Paine. We took the case, on error, to the Supreme Court ;, 155 but, met with the same refusal, and that is the law of of Ohio, to this day. Failing to get any relief from any legal source, I went to Chilicothe, Ohio, where resided Governor Allen, some- times called "Fog Honi" Bill Allen, in token of his sten- torean voice, which waked the echoes amongst the hills of southern Ohio, when he spoke at political gatherings, many-many years ago. The governor had retired from active political life ; but the exegencies of the Democratic party had called him forth from his beautiful and peace- ful country home, "Fruit Hill," which was nestled in the suburbs of Ohio's former capital, to do valiant service and once more reinstate his party and himself in power. The Governor, a gentleman of the tjrpe and character of the days of Calhoun and Clay and Stanley, received me with all the indications of good breeding and gentil- ity; and, after thoroughly discussing the merits of the case, launched out into a sea of reminiscences of his con- gressional career, and did me the honor to state, that he served in Congress and was well acquainted with the late Edward Stanley (mentioned m the first chapter) one of my reputed uncles. Upon the whole, my hour and a half was spent with pleasure and profit, in the home of this distinguished statesman ; and I left him., the wiser for my visit to him, but, vdthout profit to my client. Hood had to die. I advised him and tried to nerve him for that horrid ordeal ; and, had the satisfaction of seeing him firm in step and every movement, as he mounted and stood upon the **Trap" of the gallows, before he was launched into eternity. After the fall, a few shrugs and tremors of the swaying body, were the only indications that it had any life in it, and, in a few minutes, the doc- tors pronounced him dead. I could never get from him a confession of the deed, And I still believe, that, when he killed that unfortunate boy, he v/as non composmenl^s, not of sound mind. 156 Many other men and women, indicted for murder in the first, and second degree, I defended, while I served as justice of the peace, but, to even mention the cases briefly, would tire the reader of this narative, so, I wil desist; later on, it may be necessary to make reference to one or more of my experiences, in order to bring to the front some of the public actors in the dramas ; but, until then, let the foregoing suffice. While engaged as justice of the peace, it was my pleasure and, indirectly, my profit, to miake the acquaint- ance of a number of young gentlemen connected with the daily Press of Cleveland, who, afterwards become noted and, in two instances, at least, famous as journalists. The first of these was the renouned Frank G. Carpenter, who has, since, under the patronage, more or less, of Presi- dents and other high officials of the United States, and of Royalty, in Europe and Asia, traveled over the whole civilized world; and, as a correspondent of syndicated newspapers and other publications, contributed much towards the enlightenment of mankind. I recay Mr. Carpenter, as a frecklefaced, diminnui- tive young gentleman, with an abundance of ruddy hair. He was, then, connected with the news department of the Cleveland Daily Leader, and in his quest of news items for his paper, was the soul of energy and persis- tency. I, for a lon^: time, looked forward to his daily calls, and did my "bit" in securing and furnishing to him whatever of interest I thought would be of value to him; and, on more than one occasion, he reciprocated the favor by making notice of me and my office^ in the Leader in a way that was of substantial benefit to me. Another young gentleman with whom I became much more familiarly acquainted, was Mr. R. F. Paine, Jr., son of Judge R. F. Paine, the learned jurivSt who presided on the bench, during the trial of Stephen Hood, of whose un- fortunate ending, I have just spoken. Mr. Paine repre- 157 sented one of the departments of the *Tenny Press," as the Cleveland Press was then denominated, and it was largely through his indefatigable energy and skill, that the Press changed its name and became one of the great and influential papers of Northern Ohio. He too, in the commencement of his journalistic cai*eer came regularly to my office, in search of news items; and we all, justice, clerk and constables, were pleased to accommodate him, when practicable. In return for these, alleged favors, Mr. Paine did us many favors in the way of advertising the office, which of coiu'se, meant, finan- cial profit to us. I can never forget the largo heartedness of this gen- tleman when, years afterwards, as the managing editor of the Press, he ran a conspicuous portrait of this writer, on the front page of the Press, gratis ; which contributed, substantially, towards the election of the writer to a much higher and more honorable office than the one then held by him ; and again, after my return from a trip in Ire- liand, he published a lengthy letter, written by me, des- criptive of my tour, in the Press, and paid me, hands^ome- ly, for it. I may be excused for recording an interesting event, connected with the Penny Press, at the inception of its publication in Cleveland; which, I think, was the indirect cause of Mr. Paine's connection with that paper. There was a young man, since deceased, by the name of Maurice Perkins, who was connected with the news departm.ent of that paper, from its inception here. Mr. Perkins was energy personified; and he could write a story which every one would stop to read. In one of the «arly editions, appeared an article, quite readable, which greatly displeased a member of a great business firm of the city. A day or so, later on, in pursuance of an invi- tation extended to him, Mr. Perkins visited the place of business of the aforesaid young gentleman; and, while 158 "in there alone, he received such treatment, (in which tar played a conspicuous part.) that he subsequently was confined to his bed, and his health was seriously impaired. I think it was about this time that Judge Paine was re- tained by the paper, and his talented son became one of its reportorial staff. Mention has already been made, in the foregoing, of >a number of prominent attorneys at law, who practiced, t>ccasionally, in my office; but they were, for the most part, pei^sons who were young in the profession, at that time; attention will now be called to several of riper years, who were conspicuous for their learning and suc- cess; and, as that Nestor of our Bar, W. S. Kerruish, Esq., was in the same hall, where my office was located, and only about fifteen feet removed from it, I will first mention him. Mr. Kerruish, then a man of middle age, and residing with his large and interesting family, in Woodland Avenue, which was then a beautiful residence street, was a very active practitioner. He spoke the Ger- man language, fairly well, and by reason of this fact, brought into his office a clientel, largely German. In the same hall, occupying an office contiguous to mine, was George A. Kolbe, Esq., a justice of the peace, of m.any years' experience, who, with a noble band of asso- ciates had, literally escaped from Germany after the col- lapse of their attempted revolution, finding asylum and protection here in the United States. At the same time, came Carl Schurz, Franz Siegel, Jacob Mueller, August Thieme, J. W. Schmidt, Esquire Boehne, Edward Bohm and many others. I think they are all deceased now ; but, in their day, they were all politically influential and did much to stimulate the study of the Gennan language in our schools, and to foster the love of their fatherland, which during the world war, made so much inconvenience ^md trouble for some of their successors. Squire Kolbe was veiy fond of Mr. Kenniish, for the 159 reason that he spoke German ; and exerted himself to add to the number of his clients in every practical way. I suspect, also, that, there was a reciprocal feeling for the squire on the part of the able lawyer. Mr. Kerruish was cosmopolitan in his feeUngs and conduct; he was generous and liberal, and conceded to every man the right to the same enjoyment of all the constitutional rights which he and his enjoyed, without regard to race or color. I recall, an anecdote which h'3 has relate«i to me on seferal occasions, during the past foi*ty-seven years of our acquaintance, which proved plainly, the character- istics of the youth, as developed in the man. lie with some of his classmates, who were students at Western Reserve College, when it was located at Hudson, Ohio, in the early Fifties extended an invitation to Frederick Douglass, who was then famous, throughout the land, for his eloquence and the strenuous fight he was making for the abolition of slavery, in the United States, to ad- dress them in the big tent, in the Campus in Hudson, on the annual occasion. The President and Faculty de- murred; and endeavored to persuade them to cancel the invitation; but they were abdurate, wou-d not yield; as a consequence, at the appointed time, Mr. Douglass, made his appearance; and, in his own telling way, addressed an immense throng, which completely filled the big tent. In answering an argument (?) which was frequently put forth, by the slave holders and their No ft hern friends, that one of the proofs of the Negroes inf minority was that, he had a ''weak voice", Mr. Kerruish says, that, when he uttered that phraze "weak voice", he used the power of Gargantua, or roared like one of the bul's of Bashan. Mr. Kerruish derives great pleasure, from the telling of this anecdote of his school days. During my official career, as justice of the peace, an incident occurred which very forcibly displayed thi.> 160 characteristic of love of fair play, as developed in Mr. Kerruish, which I will here, record. Not feeling in the best of health, I went to the restau- rant of the late Captain J. M. Richards, on the site of ihe present American Trust Building (of which I have already spoken), and was refused service of a meal, because the enclosed "stalls" were occupied. I suggested to the usher, that, I was willing to eat at the outer table, where I saw numbers of young lav/yers, and others, eat- ing. The usher ("Harm,'' I think they called him), said, 0, I can't seat a colored man at that table; the Captain would raise the d 1 if I should do that!" So, with my heart "bowed down" and my stomach empty, I left the place and betook me to the office of th?it grand old patriarch, Probate Judge, Danniel R. Tilden, v/ho, for more than thirty years, was not only Probate Judge of Cuyahoga County, but, was also a father to the fatherless, and a very kind friend in need to those who called on him. I found sitting with him, that John Marshall of our Ohio Constitution, of 1851, the late Judge Rufus P. Ranney, who, as a member of the Supreme Court of Ohio, had made his name famous, for all time, for his legal learning, as seen in the constructions placed by him on that important document. I related to them my experience in the restaurant of Captain Richards; which greatly surprised and chagrined them. both. "V/hy, did J-K>e do that?" said Judge Ranney. ''Is that a fact?" asked Judge Tilden. "Why Dan," said Judge Ranney, "Green and my Charlie used to «o to school together!" From these good men. I went to" Ker- ruish. "Green," he said, tomorrow, we will go to that place; and if they refuse to seat and sei-sre you, we will kick the table over, get arrested, and let the whole thing go before the people, that a justice of the peace of Cleve- land cannot buy a meal in an ordinary re^^taurant!!" 161 On the following day. at noon, Kei fuish and I went, side by side, to the same restaurant ; fully detenn-'ned to oveii;um the table, if the "justice" were not sensed. Wtien we entered, **Haiin" (?) the usher looked at us. drew a chair for each of us, and we both were politely and satisfactorily served, according to our or^jer^;. My pleas- ure and relief were inexpressible; for, as an officer of the "peace", I was loth to be arrested and fined, for break- ing the peace, long live W. S. Keriniish! May his posteri- ty practice his \drtues and emulate his example. Judge Stevenson Burke, was another of the fearless frank practitioners at the Cleveland Bar. The judge was well along in years and his professional career, when he came to Cleveland. In the Lorain district, he had been elected Judge, on his merits, as an honorable Tnan and good lawyer. He was serving on the Bench, during the exciting times, precipitated by the Wellington Resale, when a large number of persons, citizens of Oberlin, in- cluding ministers of the Gospel, professors in the col- lege, lawyers, merchants, mechanics, and ordinary labor- ers, rushed to Wellington, eight miles distant, forcibly took a fugitive slave from the custody of a United States Marshal, and set him at liberty. They w^ere arrested, brought to Cleveland, incarcer- ated, temporarily, indicted, and ultimately, brought to trial and convicted; several of them being ab'v defended by the late A. G. Riddle, Esq., good lawyer, M. C. and author. Then it was that, the Grand Jury of Lorain County, under the charge of Judge Burke, indicted the owner of the fugitive for kidnapping; when, becoming aware of the fact, the owner returned to his Kentucky home, and the prosecutions, on both sides, were abandoned. Such was Judge Burke, and much more; for, during the re- mainder of his long life, after he came to Geveland, he proved himself to be a gi*eat lawyer, in the important ie2 affairs of "big-business;" his name became associated with those of the great Captains of Industry and com- merce, of his day. He lived in princely style, on our leading avenue; and, dying, left a generous competancy to his sorrowing family. The late Edwin P. SladlT, Esquire, one time, prosecu- tor of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, is recalled with ''mingled feehng of joy and regret. Mr. Slade (brother of the late Albert T. Slade, who was noted for his legal and literary attainments), was naturally, a noteworthy man; but, by reason of the fascination the ''cup" had over him, he was his own worst enemy. The name of his friends was legion, not more for the reason that, at times he would make a valorous fight to withstand the temptation, than because of his high social and professional standing. As a final and last resort to help him to overcome his one seductive fault, he was elected prosecuting attorney of this populous and wealthy county. And, paradoxical as it may seem, he prosecuted its criminal cases and conduct- ed its business affairs in a sober, intelligent, praiseworthy manner; but, once again, out of office, he rapidly degen- erated to his fonner condition. "Staggering into my office, occasionally, he would exclaim, "0, Brother Green; Brother Green!" Then, lapsing into silence for a few seconds, he would mumble out, those well known words of Cassius; "Drunk? and speak parrot? and squabble? swagger? swear? and dis- course fustian with one's own shadow? O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee — devil!" Then, as if to add emphasis to the last four words, he would wag his head, up and down, sorrowfully, pitifully. Ere long his flickering light went outs we all sighed over his bier ; but, submissively, bowed to the decree of Providence. Judge W. A. Babcock not so long deceased, was a conspicuous example of what a man, naturally endowed 163 . with an active capacious brain, and educationally trained for activities in the higher walk of life can do and be, if he wills to conquer. I met the judge when he was plain, W. A. Babcock; an alumnus, "fresh" from Hiram College, the very name of which linked with that of the lamented J. A. Gai-field, should be an inspiration to any man. The "bright lights" and seductive influences of the big city, seemed, at first, to seal the fate of the young man; who, really, deserved a warmer reception and more wholesome environment than fell to his lot. If only some kindly, hand had been stretched out for "Will" Babcock, which would have led him up on to the mount of vision, where he could have beheld the honors which the future held in store for him, how different the first years of his career, on this stage of action, might have been! However, some of the greatest names that grace the pages of human endeavor have been, like him, "tried as by fire;" and, Hke him, have come through victorious. Judge Babcock, upon the whole, made an able and efficient judge. He was a voracious reader and a careful student of lav; and his decisions carried weight with them, wherever they were reviewed. The judge was also in al- most, constant demand for speeches and addresses, which were not only instructive, but entertaining, as well. I met the Judge near the middle of the Public Square on one occasion. He halted me, and said, abruptly, "Green what is that quotation which you used in an argument, the other day. I want to use it in an address, tonight; something about making a 'scare-crow of the Law' ". "O yes, Judge," I answered ; "I runs like this : "We Txiust not make a scare -crow of the Law, Setting it up to fear the birds of prey, And let it keep one shape, till custom make it Their perch, and not their terror." — Measure for Measure, Act II, Scene I. 164 "Ah yes!" he exclaimed: "W^ere is that found?" I told him; and he thanked me. Judge Babcock was an open minded, "free hearted" man. He had his failings, some of them quite glaring, but, what human being is perfect? Once, after I had finished defending a man, indicted for murder in the first degree, as soon as the jury retired, Judge Babcock leaned forward and said to me, in open court and the presence of many persons: "Green, the ar- gument you made in this case, today, is the ablest I have listened to during the eight years I have been on the Bench!" Surely, this was praise, and the stimulous it imparted to me, still impels me onward and — upward, I trust. In the foregoing, special mention has been made of the constabulary force, connected with my office, but, this sketch would be noticibly deficient were not the clerical force gratefully acknowledged. On succeeding and taking possession of the office furniture, dockets and notarial seal of (General) David L. Wood, I found in possession, awaiting my advent, a very efficient clerk, in the person of Mr. George Menger who, for years, had faithfully served my predecessor, in that capacity. I was pleased to learn, from him, that he was ready and willing to retain the sam.e position and discharge the same functions as under D. L. Wood. For it must not be forgotten that, when elected, in 1873, I had Httle or no experience in practicing civil law, before justices of the peace or in any other courts, and, since Mr. Menger was expert in the technicalities of the business, it was in the nature of a God-send that he came to me. Mr. Menger was a GeiTiian by birth, about twenty- five years of age, and quite "festive" in his proclivities, by which term, I suppose, I am fairly well understood. In the office of Esquire George A. Kolbe, there were two young men, of German birth, also, August Kiel and Ed- 165 ward Beltz, by name, respectively; and they, with Mr. Menger, formed a tno, which in social festivities, was hard to beat. Mr. Kiel was rather proud of his record of having: drunk, in one day, thirty-five glasses of beer; while the two others were endeavoring to emulate his example. Tho, I must state, that, of ihe three, Mr. Beltz was, at all times, comparatively, conservative. One fine evening, this writer joined them in a jolly meeting, at the home of Mr. Menger's uncle, in Marion Street; and, after the feast and fiow, we repaired to the street; and, in our meanderings, ultimately found our- selves at the intersection of Erie (nov>' East 9th) and Ohio (now Central Ave) streets. It was past midnight and we were quite hilarious, tho not intoxicated, and we were at a loss as to how we could pass the remainder of the time agreeably ; as there was an old horse strayed in the street, we took turns in mounting and riding him, "bare back", for a block or two and back again. At length, in the *'wee sma" hours, we repaired to our several homes; where we, for a few short hours, became oblivious of the past and careless as to the future. Mr. Edward Beltz was a gentleman of culture and indus- try. Under the instruction of Esquire Koibe, he entered upon the copying of records, in the County-Recorders office, pertaining to real-estate, and continued in one phase and another of that business until he had laid the foundation of a great abstract company, which I con- sider the most fitting monument to his industry and skill, during his long life. The other men died in comparative youth, and, today, I am the only one of that nocturnal quartet left to tell the tale. Mr. Linden C. White, a genial, efficient young man, succeeded to the duties of Mr. Menger. Mr. White's health was poor, which necessitated frequent absences 166 from his desk. On such occasions Mr. Louis W. Turner a gentleman of color, very ably filled the interim. Mr. Turner was subsequently elected one of the constables of Cleveland Township, which position he ably filled, in my office and that of others. Mr. White died in his youth sincerely mourned by many fi-iends. j The last clerk whom it was my good fortune to em- ploy was Mr. George P. Phibbs, a native of Ireland, who had been ''discovered" by my colored constable, Mr. Parker Hare. Mr. Phibbs gave up the business of bar- keeper, for a man by the name of Connor or Connors, whose establishment was located on the northeast comer of Michigan avenue and West Third street. His writing was like ''copper plate", and his spelling and diction gave evidence of the fact that, he had enjoyed reasonable education facilities. After acting as an assistant to Mr. Hare, for some few months, he consented to ent^r my employ, as clerk, and from that time on for about ten years, we were almost inseperable. He was, truly my Fidus Achates ; and by his industry, and influence amongst the Iiish people, especially, along business and political lines, he added very mateiially to my official and political successes. On one occasion (when I apprehended defeat at the polls), by his untiring energy and influence, he caused me to run ahead of the ticket, in two democratic wards, the "bloody Fifth," and the "Rock bound" Eighth; although, I was denominated a "Black Eepublican." After I ceased to perform the functions of Justice of the Peace, Mr. Phibbs and I became partners in the practising of law. He having (on my certificate) been admitted to the Bar. Mr. Phibbs and I inducted "Squire" Wm. R. Ryan (subsequently sheriff of Cuyahoga County, Ohio) into the mysteries of his office when he was elected justice of the peace of Cleveland Township, and a little later on in life, 167 he stood as God-father to ex-sheriff W. G. Smith of the same county, when an infant, he was christened. On one occasion, while still in the employ of my office he visited his old home, Ireland ; on returning, he brought and presented to me a beautiful black-thom cane, and, in return for the favor, later on, in one of my European trips, I made a detour, and visited the "ould sod", and ev^Q kissed the Blarney stone, through the courtesy of some tourists, who held me head downwards, from the parget, until I performed the osculatory feat. From Cleveland, Mr. Phibbs went to Pomona, Califor- nia; removing from there to Los Angeles, where for a time, he was assistant county or city prosecutor. Later on, he became interested in the manufacture of a cereal breakfast food, and })ecame wealthy. He died a decade ago; and, I have left only the delightful memory of a man v/honi I considered my best friend, next to my dear mother, sisters and my family. Speaking of my Irish friend, brings to my mind the fact that Mr. Michael Gallagher, -a giant in stature, and one time marshall of the city or tow^n of Cleve-and, used often to honor us with presence ; and, occasionally, served writs for us. "Mike" Gallagher was a genial whole-souled fdlow full of reminiscences of the early days of the city, and withal, companionable and helpful. He too, has crossed the "great divide." Looking backwards over my career as a Justice of the Peace, I think the most humorous episode that occurred m my office was the following: Mr, DoiScott Evans, who for many years, was noted i^ being perhaps, the most skillful portrait painter in this Ni^ction of the United States, and w^ho, with his beautiful md talented daughter, were lost in mid ocean, when a ^reat French hner foundered, on their return trip from Paris, where he had spent some time in perfecting him- 188 self in the art of delineating laces and draperies. He was also something of a wag, as well. On one occasion, seeing a picturesque little colored "newsie", on the avenue, whose appearance attracted his notice, he offered to compensate him, if he would come into his studio and, not "pose," but, submit to some dec- oration. The boy consented, and once in the studio, Mr, Evans painted his nose a bright vermilion hue, streaked his forehead and cheeks more or less, with the same, and sent him into an adjoining room, tenanted by a lady, lover of art, to deliver to her a note w^hich, appropos, the artist had written and given to him. The note ran, somewhat, as follows: **Dear Miss: — knowing you to be fond of natural subjects, I send you, herewith, one on foot. He has a pedigree", etc, etc, etc. The boy, instead of delivering the note, as he was paid to do, carried it home, to his mother, who, being strongly saturated with Indian blood, ^yent '*on the war-path," so to speak, which led to the office of the late J. B. Mc- Laughlin, Esq., an attorney at law, who, immediately came to my office and Sued the artist for three hundred dollars damages, sustained by the boy, by reason of the "malicious" decorations which he had inflicted on him. Mr. Evans, being duly summoned, appeared in court with his lawyer, John J. Carran, Esq., and demanded a trial by jury; which being granted, the case was, in due course, formally tried. Strange to relate, the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff, in the sum of one hundred dollars. The defen- dant, of course, was both suiT)rised and shocked at the result; and gave notice of appeal; but, before the lapse of the ten days' limit, for appeal, the parties settled the case, by defendant paying to plaintiff the sum of twenty- five dollars and the costs of suit; all amounting to about forty dollars. In the absence of more important news to print, many papers, in the United States carried a story 169 of this case — even bej^ond the Mississippi river; one of them finishing its account as follows: ''Lav/j^er McLaug'h- lin, in arguing the case, created a profound sensation in couii;, by the startling definition he gave to the term ''pedigree!" ' Another case, which I have never forgotten, was one of embezzlement, brought bj^ the Wilson Sewing Machine Company, in which, the complainant, "Muck Bunnell," by name, was declared to have appropriated to his own use the sum of five hundred dollars, belonging to his em- ployer. This case lasted two days. Henry C. White, Esq.,. subsequently probate judge of the county, represented the defendant. Fouiteen witnesses, for the state, testi- fied to the identity of the defendant; and he was bound over, to await the action of the grand jury; but, it was subsequently ascertained, that, the defendant was not "Muck Bunnell!" and the company settled with him, for his wrong-ful aiTest, imprisonment and prosecution, by paying him five hundred dollars in cash. 170 CHAPTER VIII. MAKING LAW AND PRACTICING LAW. In the fall of 1881, I was again nominated for the lower branch of the General Assembly of Ohio. This time my majority was so large that, I succeeded in get- ting my certificate; and in the early part of the month of January, following, I was sworn in and took my seat. My desk was immediately in the rear of a group com- posed of some very conspicuous and able members; amongst who were, Dr. Scott, ex-consul to Honolulu, from Wai-ren county; Mr. Hathaway, learned lawyer and very high "Masonic," from Chardon, Geauga county; Mr. Jones, able attorney and ex-member of Congress, from Delaware county, and Mr. Freeman Thorpe, a courteous and dignified gentleman, a portrait painter, from Ashta- bula county; all of whom treated me without discrimina- tion, and with marked consideration. I may say, here, that, without exception, during the entire sessions of the General Assembly, I had nothing to complain of, in this dii*ection. This fact would seem somewhat remarkable, from the fact that, some years theretofore, when a member of the *'House" invited the late John Mercer Langston, fa- mous for his learning, eloquence and general utility, ta sit by his side, on the floor of that body, serious objection was raised, on the ground that Mr. Langston was a col- ored man; although his father was a wealthy white Vir-^ 171 ginian, who had given him a college education, and a fi- nancial competency, in addition thereto; and I may add, Mr. Langston, a few years later could add, after his name, the significant letters, M. C. The Speaker of the House was the Hon. Orlando J. Hodge, a noted parUamentarian, who had seen much ser- vice in legislative bodies, municipal and state, and had been a member of the Senate of Connecticut, his native state. In making his assignments for committees, he put me on coii)orations other than municipal, library and insane asylums ; of the latter, he made me chairman ; and on various occasions he honored me by calling me to the chair, and allowing me to preside over that august body. I was now acting in a dual capacity, being justice of the peace of the township of Cleveland, and a member of the General Assembly, from Cuyahoga county, which included the city of Cleveland and also a number of towns and villages in the suburbs of Cleveland. Of course, I could attend to my magisterial duties only when at home ; and since I received no salary in that office, no valid com- plaint could be made — by reason of my frequent absence from my office. This dual condition ceased to exist, how- ever, after the lapse of one year, when my term as jus- tice expired, after a tenure of nine consecutive years. During the existence of this assembly, I performed a mass of work, in committee and on the floor of the house; but I shall notice here only two matters, which the press took notice of, as being of special interest. The first, was my strenuous opposition to the enact- ment of the so-called, "Scott Liquor Taxation Law," fath- ered by Dr. Scott, of whom I have spoken, and opposed by many people throughout the state, on the ground that it was, essentially, a license law; while the constitution of the state provided substantially, that no law to license the sale of intoxicating liquors should ever be enacted. I, with many others, contended that, permitting the sale of such Hquors, on the payment of a "tax," was, sub- stantially, a license ; and, therefore, such a law would be unconstitutional and void. The contentions pro and con were strenuous and, at times bitter; but, the "pros" were in the majority, and ultimately, won— the bill becoming a law. The validity of the "law" was speedily tested; and the Supreme Court of the state declared it unconstitution- al and void. Thereupon, commenced some strategic po- litical work — "log-rolling," during the interim, between that sixty-fifth and the following sixty-sixth General As- sembly, the like of which I did not suspect could be con- summated — for, I was young and inexperienced in legis- lative procedure ; and, was quite surprised. By the time that the constitutionality of the next liquor-taxation-law came before our Supreme Court to be tested, the personnel of that august tribunal had under- gone a radical change; and a new governor was in the chair. As a matter of course, the law was upheld; and from that time down to the beginning of our present era of prohibition, saloons were maintained and liquor was sold, without any hindrance, upon the payment of the "tax" license. During the first session of that General Assembly (the 65th), Speaker Hodge received a letter from Hon. Oliver G. Cope, of Cadiz, Ohio, who was collecting data as to the Commercial status of the city of Cleveland, and the reasons underlying its rapid growth. I was both sur- prised and pleased, when he handed the letter to me, and requested me to answer it. In a humble way, I attempted to comply with his request; but, since I was limited in the number of words my answer was to contain, I will here present a copy of my answer for the inspection and criticism of such as may care to read it. 173 Columbus, Ohio, Febi-uaiy 21, 1882. Honoi-able Oliver G. Cope, Cadiz, Ohio. „ >Iy dear sir: — > Through the couitesy of Hon. Orlando J. Hodge, speaker of the House of Representatives, the pleasing task of submitting to you my "opinion" as to the leading interests or occupations "which have caused the great influx of population into the City of Cleveland,*' is delegated to me. Permit me, then, to state, in brief, the following: First — As to our iron industries, including smelting and the manufacture of bar, rail and other irons, as well as steel. The superior qualities pertaining to Lake Superior Iron Ore, have long been known; and, during the last decade and a half, the iron masters of the country, acting upon that knowledge, have lo- cated extensive works in Cleveland, for the manufactui-e of th« same; and, obeying a well-known law of political economy, the workers in furnaces and rolling mills, have flocked here, followed by their army of dependents. , The close proximity of Cleveland to the Massillon-Brier Hill and other coal and coke districts and vast limestone deposits, has added materially, to the desirableness of Cleveland as a suitable place for the manufacture of iron and steel on an extended scale. Second — Closely allied to our iron and steel industries, and largely dependent upon them, are the manufactories of stoves, hol- low-ware and machinery, of various kinds; to mention one or more of them, w^here there are so many, would be invidious. Suffice it to say, their name is legion, and they are rapidly increasing in number. Third — May be mentioned the oil-refining industries and those collateral industries dependent on them, such as the manufaccture of acids and other chemicals, parafine, etc.; all of which are handled on an immense and increasing scale, as the mere statement of the fact, that, the Standard Oil Company alone possesses facilities for turning out 10,000 barrels of refined oil, daily, will prove. Fourth — Cleveland is the grand distributing port of the north- western lumber trade, for this section of the United States; our marine and railroad facilities being such as to make the trans- portation of lumber and its products, not only practical, but, phe- nominally, cheap. Collateraiiy, witli this industry, have .sprung into existence all those industries which depend upon the lumber trade, such as 174 the manufacture of barrels and kegs, on a gigantic scale; and also, woodenware manufacturing, on a large scale. Fifth — Pork-packing should not escape our notice. Yeara ago, Cincinnati claimed, and justly was acknowledged, to be the "Porko- polis" of America; but, it is the proud boast of Cleveland, today, that she is not only in the line of competition, but, at our present i-at€ of progress, is destined in the near future, to outstrip her fair sister in the race. See, Statistics, for 1881. Sixth — Ship-building must not be ig-nored, in taking a cursory glance at our leading industrial enterprises. This interest, as managed in Cleveland, has acquired deserved fame throughout the lake regions; and the skill of our shipbuilders is proverbial. We have recently launched an elegant and commodious steel ship, the pi-oduct of one of our great ship-building companies, which is at- tracting the attention of our nautical men, everj^where; and is pi'ophetic of increased activity in this line, in the near future. This ship is of 3^000 tons bui-then, and floats like a swan, upon the waters. To attempt a statement of all our principal industries would be useless, as they are numerous r.nd complicated. I may state, in addition, however, that, thousands are also engaged in the man- ufacturing- of b^er, cigars, tobacco and clothing; to say nothing of the myriads of mechanics and artisans who are engaged in the con- struction of the commodious and elegant blocks and private resi- dences in this city. Nor can we deny that the location of our beautiful city with her miles of shaded streets and avenues; her abundance of pure water; and her unexcelled church and school facilities, have contributed largely towards "this great influx of population." And, last, but not leasr, an able and intelligent press has exerted a wonderful influence, in this direction, by acquainting the people with our peculiar adaptation for commercial and manu- facturing enterprises." During the session, there was a junket to Washing- ton, by the members of the house. I do not know who managed it; but, of one fact, I am certain; I received no invitation to join the company. So, I did not have the opportunity of seeing or interviewing Giteau, the assassin of the great James A. Garfield, before he was executed. Perhaps, it was just as well. For, had I accompanied them, we would have been compelled to part company, in 175 Washington, by reason of the caste, which, then and now. excludes persons of color from hotels and dining rooms — except as menials. An incident occurred, in the House, during that ses- sion, which enabled me to aid the late Tom L. Johnson in obtaining a sure and finn foothold, as a resident and citi- zen of Cleveland; and since this fact has played so impor- tant a pai-t in the recent history of Cleveland, and, indi- rectly, given to the nation our great and efficient secre- tary of war, the Hon. Newton D. Baker. I shall record it in this place. When Mr. Johnson first came to Cleveland, directly from Indianapolis, where he had some experiences in the line of street railway affairs, he found all the main ave- nues, extending from the public square to the eastern suburbs of the city, "preempted," occupied by "existing companies" — Broadway, Woodland avenue, Central ave- nue. Cedar avenue. Prospect street, Euclid avenue, Su- perior street and St. Clair avenue, were established and, beyond his reach. He offered to pave Scovill Avenue, which was, at times little more than a quagmire, if the denizens of that thoroughfare would concede to him a franchise to build and operate a street railroad through it. The offer was quickly accepted ; but shortly, Mr. Johnson became aware of the fact that, as conditions then existed, he would be unable to run his cars beyond Scovill avenue to the "square," unless he could, in some way, secure an ease- ment over at least, one of the old lines, which permission was refused him, by the offcials of each line. At that time, each car line had a separate president and board of trustees. Then, there was introduced in the General Assembly, a bill known as the Weitzel Bill ; by Mr. Weitzel of Cin- cinnati, which provided, amongst other things, that, no new company should operate its cars over the tracks of 176 an existing company a greater distance than one-eighth of a mile. Immediately, the City Council of Cleveland, unani- mously adopted a resolution, requesting the senators and representatives from this county to oppose that bill; for the reason that, if enacted, it would prevent any compe- tition in the street-railway business, and create a mono- poly in Cleveland, in favor of the old companies. When this bill was put on its passage, in the House, I alone, of the whole delegation, opposed it. I read the resolution of our City Council, and made the fact as clear as possible that, the bill was inimical to the best inter- ests of the car-riders of Cleveland ; that, the present man- agement of the street-railroads was not for the conven- ience of their patrons, but, for the profit of stockholders, of the same. The result, to the surprise of the friends of the bill, was, that, it failed of passage ! Mr. Bruner of Wyandotte county, who had some interest conserved by other provis- ions of the bill, moved that, it be referred to a ''select committee" of one, which was himself — this course was adopted; and, in the course of the session, he reported it back to the House; v>'hen it was passed, with the ob- jectionable clause eliminated. Thereupon, Mr. Tom L. Johnson, through the Coun- cil, or by agreement with one of the old companies, ob- tained permission to run his cars over other lines, down to the square; and also, to and over the viaduct, to the West Side; and from that time forward, he became an honored and useful citizen of Cleveland; serving her in Congress snd as Mayor. Likewise, he was here to wel- come Mr. Newton D. Baker, who, for years, collaborated with him and others, and succeeded him as Mayor of Cleveland; also, Mr. Baker, by virtue of his connection with- Mr. Johnson, as well as by his extraordinary ability, displayed in every position to which he was called, ulti- 177 niately, headed the delegation to the Baltimore National Democratic convention, whicn nominated Woodrow Wil- son, in the first instance, for President ; Vv-here, he sho\Yed great ability and "masterly activity," in contributing towards Wilson's nomination, which fact paved the way for his appointment to his present august position. To what extent was this writer contributory thereto? After the defeat of the bill, L. A. Russell, Esq., who w^as the able and efficient attorney of Mr. Tom L. Johnson, came to me and thanked me, for the successful fight I had made, for the people of Cleveland, as well as Mr. Johnson." Some criticism of my failure to introduce and secure the passage of a bill to repeal the so-called ''black laws," which were still standing on the statute books of Ohio, has been made. They were, like the clause of our State Constitution, which restricts the electoral to "white male citizens," relicts of the old slave regime, a menace to and abridgement of our rights as citizens of the state of Ohio, and diametrically opposed to the Fourteenth and Fif- teenth amendm.ents of the Constitution of the United States. There were several reasons why I did not prepare and introduce such a bill during that term of the assem- bly, which I shall now explain. In the first place, there was considerable opposition to the passage of such a law, which was manifested, when I mentioned the subject, in a general way to some of the members, who were quite influential, and were of that ''lily white" faction of the Republican party, who were led by the late Congressman C. H. Grosvenor, of the Ath- ens district, whose influence was still felt in the counsels of the state. During the Sixty-fourth General Assembly when the general statutes of the state were revised, and an effort w^as made to eliminate the "Black Laws," from the code, General Grosvenor, personally objected; say- ing, that the colored people of Ohio had not petitioned for their repeal ; and that, they did not desire it. This argu- 178 ment was, of course, specious; but, it answered the pur- pose of defeating action, and they were included in the revised edition. Now, this condition of affairs prevailed, when I was in the assembly; and to prevent the same objection being raised again, I endeavored to secure the assistance of my colored constituents, at home, in having petitions signed" by colored voters, asking for the repeal of those un- just-prejudicial law^s; but, without success. Time and again, I called attention to this necessary action; but, without avail; and when the Assembly ad- journed, not one petition had been formulated and signed ; and the matter was postponed, until a later day. Another reason, why I did not then act, was, that the late Senator George S. Ely, who was elected from the Cleveland district, notified me that, he had a bill, in his pocket, for the repeal of those laws, which had been given to him by some of the voters of Cleveland; and that, he too, as myself, was waiting for a petition, numerously signed by colored people, to file, before introducing the bill. The petition never was delivered to him; and the Assembly adjourning he postponed action to its next meeting, which I am sorry to say, never came; for, the next Assembly was Democratic, on account of the anti- saloon legislation of the Sixty-fifth Assembly, and George Hoadly, a "Greely Democrat,'' was elected Governor. I was inclined to defer to the wishes of Senator Ely, be- cause he was a grand good man, high in financial and political circles, and I, quite naturally, believed that the bill would be more liberally and successfully supported under his leadership, than under mine, without any home support. The late Bishop B. W. Amett (colored), a member from Greene County, fell heir to the Ely bill, and carried it in his pocket until a clamor for its introduction was heard all over the State, amongst the colored voters and others. 179 It was said by some, that, as a condition to his election, he had pledged himself to the voters of Greene county, not to introduce a bill of that purport ; and that, he could not break his word. Whether that was true or not, I have never ascertained; but, it is a matter of history, that, during the latter part of the session the bill was intro- duced, and the repeal effected, by a Democratic Assembly aided and abetted by George Hoadly, an old free soil aboli- tionist, who went wrong under the leadership of Horace Greeley. Subsequent to the defeat of the "Weitzel" bill, and before the adjournment of the General Assembly, a^'roup of four gentlemen, each of whom was the president of one of the street railroad systems of Cleveland, came into my office, in Superior Street, and tried to persuade me to agree to support that bill, when reported back to the House, by the ''select committee" of one, in whose hands it still rested. After much talk (arguments) and mutual explanations, I wearied of it; and, to cut oif further dis- cussion, I exclaimed: "Gentlemen, I would not vote for that bill if you w^ould give me ten thousand dollars!" One of them answered: "Well, you are very positive, to say the least!" Another remarked: "Well, there is one paper in Cleveland, that will support you, if you will support that bill!!" Failing to swerve me from my determination to stand by the car-riders of Cleveland, they finally left, in a dis- appointed mood. In justice to those gentlemen, all of whom it is necessary to say, were the soul of honesty, I will here state, that, during the whole controversy, from beginning to the end, no one of them, nor all combined, offered me any money or anything of value, to secure my support of that or any other measure. That my entire course, in the Sixty-fifth General As- sembly was endorsed by the Republican party, goes Avith- cut saying; and if any proof of this statement be lack- 180 ing, I will here state, that, I was renominated for a sec- ond term, by acclamation, no one dissenting; but, in the next general election, we not only lost the Governor and Assembly, to the Democratic party, but, we also failed to elect a United States senator — the Honorable Henry B. Payne, of Cleveland — an **old line" Democrat, being elected to that high office. In those days, the liquor interests were tried and faithful allies of the Democratic party, and to suggest or support any legislation which could be construed as hostile to their interests, brought down, speedily, con- dign punishment ; Query. In the light of the Nation-wide abolition of the liquor manufacture and traffic, by Mr. Wilson's Democratic administration, w^hat do they think now ? And w^hat course will they pursue to enforce their maledictions against those who have destroyed their business and in some instances, confiscated their property and imprisoned them? Being a candidate, again, for the same position, I was met, in the Republican convention, by those four, street-railroad presidents; and, to my great surprise and dismay, they worked intelligently, persistently and ably, to compass my defeat. Success crow^ned their efforts. They defeated me, by securing the nomination of another colored man, a carpenter and joiner and mail carrier, the late Mr. Jere A. Brown. He served through the 67tli and 68th Assemblies. After that, he filled several clerical po- sitions, in Columbus, Washington and Cleveland, during the remainder of his life. During the six years which elapsed between the 65th and the 69th Assemblies, I was engaged in the practice of my profession, which enabled me to buy a home and get my family comfortably settled, and I, probably would have eschewed politics for all time, had not the Conven- tion plan of nominating candidates been discontinued, and the "Australian" or ''popular vote" plan been sub- 181 stituted for it. By this tolcen, I knew that, the influence of the "bosses," so called, would not be so potent as on the convention floor; and I determined to "pick my flint" and try again. The dry details of professional practice, whether it be along the lines of theology, medicine or law, are of little interest to the average reader; but, perhaps, some reference to a few^ of a humorous nature, will not be amiss. During the years between 1885 and 1897, the prose- cuting attorneys of Cuyahoga County were, far above the average, in both learning and effort, although, Messrs. Homer B. DeWolf, ''Sam" Eddy, Alexander Hadden, Peter H. Kaiser and William Robinson, who antedated them, were all gentlemen of liberal education and high profes- sional standing. Between the dates mentioned, there were a large number of murder cases tried, and it so happened that, this writer was defending, in a number of them. In those days attorneys were not restricted in time ; on both sides, they were allowed to discuss all the evidence, ad libitum, especially, in felony cases, and, frequently, the argu- menst, in homicide cases, occupied a day or more, on both sides. I recall a case of murder in the first degree, which carried with a conviction a life penalty, in which my ar- gument for the defendant had run over into the second day; and, it being then near noon, William B. Neff, Esq. (Now Judge Neff) , was nervously pacing the floor. What the condition of the jurors w^as, ''depondent saith not." Some one said, ''Neff, when are you going to make your argument?" to which, Mr. Neff answered: "God only, knows; if Green does not finish soon, my administrator will have to make it!" However, before the recess, I resum.ed my seat, and Prosecutor Neff began his reply. In his gentle-suave manner, he b-egan : "Now, gentle- 182 men of the jury, don't you be swerved from the path of rectitude by Mr. Green's tears. Gentlemen, Mr. Green is a born actor, and his proper sphere of duty is on the stage— not at the bar. Why, gentlemen, recently, after one of those copious flows of tears, I went to the trouble and expense of having one of them analyzed by a compet- ent chemist; and, when that chemist reached the last analysis of that tear, what do you think he found?— Sim- ply a dollar mark— for revenue only!!" The jurors and onlookers who had been absorbed for the instant, gave loose rein to their feelings— and laughed audibly. Such was one of the tactics of that eloquent and able gentleman. There was another case tried during that decade, which caused considerable comment, and added to my rep- utation, as a ''criminal attorney;" although, if the amount involved is not considered, my civil practice far exceeded my practice in the criminal branch. The case, now referred to, was that of Ohio vs. Clark, one of two men indicted for the murder of a poor youth who was on his way to catch a train, for his school, at Hudson, Ohio. There was another "first degree" indictment, in that case; it was that of a man by the name of Dempsey ; who was ably defended by the late Harrison J. Ewing, Esq., who was assisted therein, by this writer. Mr. Ewing also assisted me in the trial of the Clark case. We were en^ gaged, from first to last, about thirty days, in the trial of these two cases; and the outcome was, that, both defen- dants were found guilty of murder in the second degree ; and received a life sentence in the penitentiary. Mr. Clark, who was tuberulous, died, after a few years incar-. ceration; but, Mr. Demipsey, after the lapse of seven or eight years, was pardoned ; and, being married, he is now living the life of an industrious, respected citizen. In defending Clark, this writer and others (including^ the late Judge Carlos II. Stone, who presided), shed a few 183 more of those tears, to which reference has been made, during the dehvery of my argument for the defense; whereupon, Prosecutor Theodore L. Strimple (now Judge Strimple) exclaimed: "Well, you have shed tears, now, you had better offer up a prayer!" Taking him at his word, this writer immediately knelt and ''offered up" a prayer, for wisdom, strength and success in his under- taking. This was a decided innovation in the method of try- ing a law-suit; and it attracted universal attention, on the part of both the bar and the public. The new^spapers contained accounts of the incident; and one of them sent a representative to interview lawyers and others, as to the propriety, first, of a lawyer crying, in the course of his argument; and, second, with reference to the prayer that was offered. The attorneys gave various answers, as to the first; but, fortunately, for me, the Supreme Court of Tennes- see, had, just at that time, handed down a decision which involved this identical question — of tears; in that decis- ion, the court said, in substance, that, a lawyer may weep, in the midst of his argument, if he is moved, by the merits of his case, to do so ; and, doubt is expressed as to wheth- er or not the attorney has performed his whole duty, if he feels like crying and refrains from doing so. This was all in my favor; but, as to the question relating to the prayer; they shook their heads and remained silent. So, the time flew by, for weeks and months; until, on one fair day, I met W. S. Kerruish, Esq., hereinbefore mentioned — lawyer, scholar, antiquarian, who stopped me, in the street. **Green!" he exclaimed: *'I have a precedent for your praying in court!" 'Indeed," I answered. 'Tlease give it to me." "When Lord Brougham defended Queen Caroline," he said, measuredly, ''he got down on his rnar- ro\7-bones and prayed, in open court!" 1S4 Here, then, was a real precedent; and coming from that illustrious source, I was vindicated, beyond all ques- tion; and, thenceforward, the matter was allowed to sleep. There was another case, of a civil nature, which at- tracted considerable attention during that period of time, the interregnum, as I have occasionally termed it. It was the well known case of Florine A. Combes vs. Dr. J. B. Fox ; and was predicated on a claim of seven hundred and fifty dollars, which plaintiff alleged was due her from the defendant for board and lodging and services rendered for him, at his request. This case was tried before the late Judge Henry Mc- Kinney and a jury, I appearing for plaintiff, and W. S. Kerruish, Esq., the late Judge Henry C. White and Jeff M. Stewart, Esq., all representing the defendant. Dr. Fox; who, metaphorically, exclaimed, ''millions for defence; not one cent for tribute!" This case was desperately contested by the numerous and able attorneys for the defendant; but, all to no pur- pose; the jury found for my client — Mrs. Combes, for the full amount, with interest. Defendant's attorneys carried the case to the Cir- cuit Court (now Court of Appeals), where the defendant was represented by the late L. C. Ford, Esq., who, by the w^ay, had taught m^e Greek, when I was a student, under him in the old High School; and, being defeated there, it was taken to the Supreme Court, at Columbus, where, I regret to state, it slumbered during several years; and was finally decided in favor of the plaintiff. The attorney for Dr. Fox, in the Supreme Court, was Solomon A. Schwab, Esq., who was one of my classmates in the same old Central High School, 1865-69. I had the pleasure of turning over to Mrs. Combes, after a litigation of seven (7) years, the entire amount ci her claim., together with interest. 185 CHAPTER IX. SECOND TERM IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY— "DADDY OF LABOR DAY." At the primaries, in the fall of 1889, I was, again, nominated for the General Assembly; and my majority exceeded, by six hundred and forty-two (642) votes, that of all others, on the Republican ticket; being, to that number, in excess of the vote cast for Hon. Orlando J. Hodge, ex-speaker of the lower branch of the 65th Gen- eral Assembly; and, since there w^ere eleven candidates on that ticket, my signal success was taken as a substan- tial vindication of my previous record. At the general election, I was, duly elected, by a ma- jority of about three thousand votes; and in due time, took my seat in the Sixty-ninth General Assemibly. I shall mention only a few of the measures which received my special attention, during the sessions of this Assembly, lest I weary the patience of the reader. The first was, a bill to modify the school law of Ohio, introduced by Mr. McDermott of Muskingum County; which provided, in substance, that, whenever twenty-five parents of colored pupils in the schools of any district petitioned for a separate school, for their children, it should be granted to them. I fought this measure, desperately, every time it came before the House, for the reason that, such an amendment of the law would have Ijeen only an "entering 186 wedge," for the system of separate schools; which, in my opinion, would be calamitous to the colored children of Ohio. The bill was, finally, defeated; and our schools are still intact. The second was the attempt on the part of the Ohio State University, under the leadership of the late ex- President Rutherford B. Hayes, to ''hog" the agricultural scrip, which was given to Ohio (and other states) , to pro- mote higher education. This movement was ably and persistently opposed by the late Prof. Mitchell, President of Wilberforce Univer- sity, for which institution he desired to secure a minor portion of that fund. Conferences were held on the floors of both houses ; and, on one occasion, one of the chambers was given up for a general discussion of the matter, in the presence of many members of both branches of the Gen- eral Assembly. The entire amount was, ultimately, given to the Ohio State University, although, in urging the claims and ne- cessities of Wilberforce University, President Mitchell demonstrated his wisdom, courage and industry to a marked degree; and, evoked, even from his opponents, many enconiums. Had a less able and influential man than ex-President Haj^es been opposed to Pres. Mitchell, he probably would have won his point. On the day following the discomfiture of Pres. Mitch- ell, I spoke, before the House, in open session, for an in- crease in the tentative appropriation for the State Nor- mal and Industrial department of Wilberforce; and my interest and energy was such that, my argument covered a space of five hours; and the proposed appropriation, which was six thousand dollars, then printed in the Ap- propriation Bill, w^as changed to sixteen (16) thousand dollars ; and the bill, as passed, carried that amount. This was the first large appropriation which was given to the Normal and Industrial; and the school was 187 so stimulated and enthused, by reason of it, that a steady gi'owth set in, which has culminated in the large, hand- some and useful plant which is at Wilberforce today. As a token of regard for the interest displayed by me, for the school, as well as for the speech which I delivered on the floor of the House, in behalf of the increased appropria- tion, the Faculty of the University bestowed on me the degree of LL. D., the diploma being signed by every mem- ber. The third bill was drawn and introduced by myself entitled (as I now recall it) "A Bill to Create Labor Day, in the State of Ohio. The law was enacted April 28th, 1890, and, from that date, the first Monday in September, has been a legal holiday, in Ohio. There were marchings and counter-marchings, in various states, before the enactment of that law; but, closely following the legalizing of the day in Ohio, Con- gress took up the matter, and made it national in its scope, as it remains, to this day. If there was any legis- lation concerning Labor's Holiday, before I drew and se- cured the passage of that bill, I have yet to be informed of the fact ; but, as to Ohio, I am positive, there was not. On the first Monday in September, following the cre- ation of the day, I was the guest of the Amalgamated Trades of Cincinnati, Ohio. I was received at the depot by a committee of the Trades Union, and escorted to headquarters, and when the great procession moved, I vras in a carriage, at the head of the procession, with some of the leading officials of the organization. In the evening of same day, a banquet was given upon one of the high hills which look down on a portion of the city ; and I was feted, as I had never been before ; nor have I been since. Champagne and other wines, and beer, flowed freely, as I was hailed by those honest work-men, 'The daddy of the day!" The Cincinnati Enquirer, and other papers gave full reports of the proceedings; nor 188 did I hear or read then, that, the day had been legalized before my bill was enacted. On the following Labor Day, 1891, I was again th& invited guest of the same organization; and, arriving in the early morning, I was escorted to the Gibson House, a hostelry which, in those days, was regarded as amongst the first of that city. At the breakfast table, I was received and served as a gentleman ; but, when I presented my hat to the usher, at the dining-room door, at the dinner hour, he informed me that, lie had orders not to receive it; for the reason that, I was a colored man. At the office I was insulted by an offer made to me, that they would serve me in the "ordinary,"— a place reserved for the use of servants and children. This offer I promptly refused ; and immediately accepted the offer of a reporter of one of the daily papers, to escort me to another hotel. Arriving at the Burnet House, a larger and better ap- pointed place than the Gibson House, I was received as a gentleman, assigned to a front room, with a bath-room at- tachment; and served in the dining room, in all respects, as any other American citizen. During the course of the day, I was honored by ex- Governor Joseph B. Foraker, who paid me a formal call; and also by ex-Congi-essman McKinley (aftei-warls Gov- ernoor of Ohio, and President of the United States), who refused to be a guest of the Gibson House, after he was informed of my treatment there by the management. On a third occasion, we went to a suburban resort and celebrated the day pic-nic-ing. Governor Campbell, then Governor of Ohio, headed the list of speakers; but,' he sent his secretary, Claude Meeker, in his stead. McKinley did not wish to precede Meeker; thereupon, I offered to see the managers of the day and have the order changed; which I did. McKinley following Meek- er, as he desired. This writer was also one of the speak- 189 ers ; of which fact he was very proud— under the circum- stances. Since that date, I have not been the guest of any labor organization; but, their friendship for, and fideUty to me, have been manifested, in business as well as in politics. At a later day, when Governor James Campbell of Ohio, addressed a vast throng of working men, at Good- ale Park, Columbus, I w^as honored by being on the pro- gramme, as one of the speakers. The Governor, who was not only eloquent but, also, humorous, on this occasion, said, in the midst of his speech, referring to laboring men, that, there was one position which he had always coveted, but had never attained to ; then, glancing at me — sitting near him, he exclaimed, "that position is porter on a Pull- man car!" Loud laughter greeted this essay of wit and humor. However, my opportunity finally came; when glanc- ing at the Governor, I said : ^'Gentlemen, I am more than than sui-prised to hear the Governor of the great state of Ohio, declare that, he does now or ever has aspired to the position of porter on a Pullman car. Why, gentlemen, nearly thirty years ago, I was a porter on a sleeping car, which ran from Cleveland to Cincinnati; and I labored and studied to attain to a higher position ; and here I am, today, sitting and speaking by the side of the Governor of Ohio — the guest of a great Labor organization of the State of Ohio!" The effect of this retort can be better imagined than described ; but, from the noise the crowd made, I imagined I had given him my "Rowland for his Oliver." Another bill which I drew, when in the 69th General Assembly was one to exempt from garnishee process, the - wages due to a person who is the "sole support of a wid- owed mother." It remains to this day in the statute books of Ohio, and is frequently invoked to protect poor widows from want. 190 I ought to say, perhaps, that, during the sessions of this 69th General Assembly, I drew, introduced and se- cured the passage of a bill, which added one thousand dol- lars to the salaries of our under-paid common pleas judges. In addition to this, I led the fight for the addi- tion of a fraction of a mill to our tax assessments, to create a fund which paid for the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, on our Public Square. This I did in compli- ance v/ith the wishes of the late Levi T. Schofield, Esq., a grand, good, talented man, who was the architect and soul of the whole movement. And I also made special effort for legislation fathered by Councilman Curtiss of Cleve- land, for the construction of our Central viaduct. The foregoing, with a mass of routine legislation, too numer- ous to mention, called for much energy and effort, until the close of that session. Having now served four eventful sessions of the Gen- eral Assembly, to the neglect of my professional business, I began to tire of it; for, in very truth, my only reason for neglecting my law office, and spending my winters and springs in Columbus, came from a desire, on my part, to blaze the way for others of my class ; who, I believed^ would follow me; and now, that the road was open and clear, I was ready to retire to my private duties. Thereupon, numerous of my friends, of both races, began to advise me to stand for the senatorial "toga," which, I must confess, found in me a ready and willing listener; not more because the term "senator," was music in my ears, than for the reason that, the fact of repre- senting such a populous, wealthy and intelligent consti- tuency as inhabited the great city of Cleveland and her environs — the fii^t city of the great State of Ohio, would be an additional honor which few men would decline. So, I yielded; and, therefonvard, was recognized as a candidate for senatorial honors. The convention, in due time was called to order; and the contests for the place 191 were "hotly" waged. At one time, I considered that T had been defeated; and I went '' 'way back" and sat down. The fact that the Honorable William H. Clifford, a colored man, was on the floor of the convention, distributing his tickets and soliciting support for the lower house, did not aid my cause in the least; for, I was certain that, with only about one colored vote in a hundred, at that time, the colored people would not be given a member in each branch of the Assembly; and then too, those who were contesting my candidacy for the Senate, pointed to the fact, that, the colored voters were not united — one fac- tion demanding representation in the House, and another seeking a footing in the Senate. Finally the late Charles W. Snider, Esq., who, for five consecutive years, had a desk in my office, and on my certificate, took his examination for the Ohio bar, came to me and said, that, if I would promise to support John ^Herman's re-election to the United States Senate, he could secure for me the votes of two wards. I readily ac- cepted the proposition, because John Sherman, was my choice, in any event; and, another ballot being taken, I was nominated by a safe plurality, amidst loud acclama- tion on the part of my friends. One of my most earnest and energetic supporters, amongst the colored people, was The Honorable Harry C. Smith, then and now editor of the Gazette, the militant and unswerving advocate of the rights of the colored Americans. At the general election I was duly elected by a plu- rality of several thousand votes; and, for the first and only time, thus far, Ohio had elected a colored man Sena- tor; a fact which I could scarcely realize. I had declared before being elected to the Senate, that, if elected, I I would never be a candidate for any other representative office. I have, thus far, kept my word, and expect to in the future. 192 CHAPTER X. IN THE SENATE; SUNSHINE AND SHADOW. When the Senate of the 70th General Assembly was organized I was duly sworn in, and took my allotted seat, which was near the center aisle, in the outer rim of the semi-circle. My nearest neighbors being the senators from Hamilton county. Of course, I was, easily, the cynosure of all eyes ; but, that fact was not to be wondered at ; for, it was an his- torical event, which marked, in an unmistakable way, the steady, onward trend of a great people, whose ances- tors, for the most part, had scarcely emerged from a barbaric despotism. True it is, that prior to this time, two different col- ored men had been elected to the Senate of the United States; and had been sworn in, as members of the same; and served their term; but, these men were not elected by popular vote. They were elected by members of leg- islatures, in two of the '^Gulf States,'' during the ''Recon-= struction" period ; at a time when their respective states w^ere dominated by the votes of the Freedmen, and som.e of the legislators could neither read nor write. The relative strength of the respective classes, white and colored, in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, at the time of my election, was, about, as one or, perhaps two, to a hundred ; and all the functions, social, political and 193 educational, were in the hands and under the control of ''white male citizens," which constituted a marked con- trast, between elections of colored men in Ohio and those in the lower tier of southern states. As an indica- tion of the view taken of my election, by white in Ohio, the following- anecdote will be enlightening : I vvas sitting at my desk, on the floor of the Senate, when a white gentleman, visitor, approached me, and the following colloquy ensued : Gentleman : "I beg pardon ; but, are you a member of this Senate?" The v/riter: ''Yes, sir, I am a member of this body." Gentleman, v/ith apparent surprise : "Where are you from?" The Writer: "I am from the 25th— the Cleveland district." Gentleman, still more surprised: "How, on earth, did you ever get here?" I answered him by saying, that the people were not only just, but, generous; and that they had sent me to the Senate, partly, out of compliment to the colored resi- dents of the district ; and, partly, as a reward of merit for my long years of fidelity and labor in behalf of the Re- publican party, and, at the local bar. Then followed a long conversation between him and me, in w^hich he showed his great sui-prise at the extraordinaiy progress made by the colored people, since emancipation, under dis- couraging handicaps. The presiding officers of this senate were the lata Andrew L. Hams, President of the Senate, and Elbert L. Lampson, president pro tern; both learned and able men. Mr. Harris, subsequently, became Governor of Ohio, and Mr. Lampson, w^as, for years, the honored and efficient reading clerk of the House of Representatives, at Washington. On an auspicious occasion, President Lampson called me to preside over the Senate of Ohio ; and^ I gladly and eagerly availed myself of the opportunity; for, although my active experience as a parliamentarian was exceeding- ly limited, yet, here was Opportunity knocking at my door, and I dared not let it pass me by. During the half hour or more which elapsed, while I occupied the chair, the Hon. James E. Campbell, ex-Gov- ernor of Ohio, entered the Senate Chamber, and I had the superlative pleasure of introducing him to the Senators, who stood, to receive him. It is, also, worthy of note, I think, that, during the same period of time, I w^as the defacto Lieutenant-Gov- ernor of the State of Ohio. Later on, I will include a list of all the bills which I actively supported, while a member of the Senate; but, at present, I shall confine myself to mentioning a few, to v/hich I gave especial and energetic effort. First, the Street-car Vestibule Bill, which made it obligatory on the part of the owners and operators of street-cars, to annex to them enclosed '"vestibules," for the protection of motormen and conductors from the rigors of winter and inclement weather. Prior to that time, both of those employes, w^ere com- pelled to protect themselves from the w^eather, as best they could, without any other than that of their wearing apparel, and, since their motor power was horses, the op- portunities of warming themselves were few, and quite inadequate. The bill came over to the Senate from the House; but, the lobby in opposition to it, in the upper house, was so strong and influential, that it found, at first, little or no favor. Here, I found an opportunity of repaying, to some extent, the many favors which the laboring men had conferred on me; and I lost no time in going to *'the front," in support of this bill. I builded more wisely thaa I anticipated ; and ere long had the satisfaction of seeing the bill enacted into a law — still existing, which resulted 195 in the placing of vestibules on the front and rear of eveiy railway passenger car. It was argued that the glass windows in the front of the proposed vestibules, would become frosted and cov- ered with snow, so as to obscure the vision of the motor- man, thereby increasing fatalities and other accidents; but, down to this date, the prophecy has not been ful- filled, nor does it seem likely to be in the future. Another bill which I took under my wing — metaphor- ically speaking, was the one which provided that the coal miners of the state should be paid "by the run of the mine," instead of *'by the screen," which was then in vogue. Now there were annually, many thousands of tons of fine coal which passed through the screen and sold at a good price, in the market, for the mining of which, the miners received no pay; and it seemed only reason- able and fair, that, they should be recompensed for all that went into the market. This bill was bitterly — stubbornly opposed by the mine owners, throughout the State; and the arguments and other efforts to secure its defeat, Vvere numerous, and, at times, interesting. I, as in the case of the Vestibule Bill, espoused the cause of the laborers ; but, as my mem- ory now serves me, the bill could muster the support of only six (6) votes, amongst tlie entire membership of the Senate — and failed of passage. However, it is still a source of great satisfaction to me, to know that, I strenu- ously supported our idea, which ultimately, prevailed, and that, for many years, the hard workers — *'do\\Ti in the coal mines, underneath the gTound," have been receiving their just reward, in this respect; whatever else may be said, apropos of other contentions. A humorous sequel arising out of this contention over the "'Anti-Screen Bill," will bear repeating, here, I think ; and, I will add, I did not become fully informed, in the 196 premises, until after the lapse of a decade or more of years; so well had my informant kept the secret. At a time when the contest was at its topmost height, a senator came to me and said: "Senator, the Coal Co. has a ''book" of abstracts of coal lands, which they desire to have examined by an expert; and I have referred them to you. They will pay you well for your work; and, I hope you can accept the offer." I thanked him, and lost no time in coming in touch with the com- pany, and receiving from them a ''book" of about tiiirty abstracts of title, to coal lands, in the heart of the coal producing section. I carried the "book" to my lodgings and, from five o'clock a. m., until the breakfast bell rang, for several days, I scrutinized those abstracts, until the work was finished; when I returned it to the office in Cleveland, duly certified, in accordance with my instructions. The gentleman who received it, asked me my charge; when I promptly replied, "twenty-five dollars," I shall never for- get the blank stare which he directed at me ; but, he said nothing. Going to his desk, he drew a check and handed it to me. I accepted it, gratefully, and took my departure. As the years passed by, the transaction passed out of my mind; until, one fine day, a personal friend of mine, said, "Senator, I have a joke on you, v/hich I have kept for ten years; but, I guess, I can tell it to you now." I, of course, became curious to know the puiport of it; and said to him, in substance: "Let me see what in thereat is. And this mysteiy explore." Then he made known to me the fact that, the employ- ing of me to examine the abstracts, was one way of win- ning my vote against the "run of the mine" bill ; by giv- ing me an opportunity of collecting from the corporation 197 the sum of five hundred dollars — more or less. I collected less; hence the "blank stare," when I presented my bill for twenty-five dollars. The establishment of a system of Parks and Boule- vards was a subject which at this time was claiming much attention in Cleveland. The munificent gift of Mr. J. H. Wade, Mr. J. W. Gordon and Mr. Jacob B. Perkins had made this possible ; but, all three of the gifts being predicated, to some extent on the future development and upkeep of the system, it became necessary to finance the undertaking, in order to preserve them, and initiate the much-needed improvements. To that end, a bill was drawn, having as its object the bestowal upon the City of Cleveland, through the des- ignated authorities, power to issue and sell bonds, in the sum of one million dollars, for the purpose of carrying out the conditions of the several grants, and to render them, to some extent, adaptable to the needs of the people. This bill was placed in the hands of Senator Wilbur Parker; but, after it came from the committee, on his motion, it was referred to a ''select committee of one" (himself), and for some reason which I have nei^er known, he carried it in his ''pocket," for several weeks; and notwithstanding the importunities of the Cleveland friends of the bill, he failed to report it back to the Senate. Finally, one day, when he appeared on the floor of the Senate, after a long absence, I moved that, "the select committee of one, to whom was referred Senate Bill No. — , be discharged from further consideration of the same;" and, the motion carrying, the bill came, once more, l)efore the Senate, for consideration. Thereupon, at the instiga- tion of Senator Parker, a motion was made for the re- consideration of the motion just adopted; and a "battle royal" ensued between the friends and foes of the bill, led by this writer, which threatened, at times to eventu- ate in the loss of the bill ; for the adjournment of the Sen- 198 ate was near at hand, and the present opportunity wa3 "golden." The motion to re-consider was lost, and the law was enacted; which placed on a firm foundation our present elaborate, extensive and beautiful system of parks and boulevards; which is a source of so much pleasure and healthfulness to all classes of our people. About this time, a bill which had passed the House of which the late Senator William T. Clark was the au- thor, came over to the Senate and was put on its passage. It was a bill which provided that the firemen of Cleveland should be allowed a few hours off duty every week (since at that time they had no time off at all, for any purpose whatever.) In consonance with the policy which, during my entire legislative career had characterized my con- duct, I supported the bill— in fact, took charge of it ; and had the satisfaction of seeing it become a law. When the passage of this bill became known in Cleve- land, there was an immediate outburst of anger, on the part of some interested persons ; an indignation meeting was called and held; and Mr. Clark and I were soundly be- rated ; for, it was said, the granting of a few hours of rec- reation to each fireman, would require an addition to the number of firemen, and, thereby entail an extra expense, which the tax-payers would have to pay. I came from Columbus and confronted that boiling- bubbling meeting, and demanded to be heard. After much pounding of the stand with his gavel, the chairman se- cured a hearing for me, and before I took my seat, my ut- terances were loudly applauded; but the general trend seemed to be averse to allowing the firemen any time off ; and, within a few days, the Hon. Joseph C. Bloch (now ex-Judge Bloch) introduced a bill to repeal the abnoxious legislation; and it was eliminated from the statues of that General Assembly. The sequel to all this '^tempest in a tea-pot," is, that within a year or two, there was a law 199 enacted granting to the firemen more "time off" than the Clark Bill" provided for; and, today, they have still more time allowed them." "Tmth (justice) cmshed to earth, will rise again!" I recall my connection with that ill- fated bill as one of the proudest transactions of my life; and, I enjoy telling about it. It is generally known that, v, e have on the pages of our statute books a law known as the Civil Rights Law, which was fathered by The Honorable Harry C. Smith, who, for three terms, represented the County of Cuya- hoga (Cleveland) in the House of the General Assembly. This law is far-reaching in its scope, and includes, amongst other public services, barber shops; tho it is, as regards them, a dead letter; since there are few men who have the nerve to compel by law, an unwilling hostile barber to shave them. During the 70th General Assembly the Honorable George H. Jackson, of Cincinnati, who was the colored member of the House from Hamilton County, introduced a bill to repeal that portion of the law relating to barber shops; and supported it on the floor of the House with much eloquence and force; so that it passed without a dis- senting vote, as I now recall the transaction. The question now was, how to pass it in the Senate, Mr. Green's opposition to it, non obstante ; for it was well known that I was fundamentally opposed to turning Revo- iutions backwards ; on the contrary, it was easily apparent to all the friends of the colored race in the state, that, what the law stood most in need of was, not the elimina- tion of any of its provisions, but more thorough enforce- ment. It was thought that, if Mr. Jackson could make his great speech before the Senate, the bill would pass that body, no matter whether this writer opposed it or not. So, a little strategy was adopted in order to enable I'^Ir. Jackson to address the Senate; and since, by the rules 200 of the Senate, he could not be peimitted to address that body, as such, it was resolved into a committee of the whole Senate; and the author of the bill was peimitted to make his argument for it, before that body sitting as a committee. This trick seemed to be a success, until after the committee rose and went back into its legitimate fonn of a Senate; when, this writer arose, at his desk, and char- acterized the whole procedure in anything but a compli- mentary way; and, with clenched fist, which hammered the desk before him, dared the Senators to eliminate any portion of that law; and he threatened, if the bill passed the Senate, to go to the colored voters of the State and denounce their action. On the roll call, the bill failed to receive the required number of votes to pass it; and from that day until the present, no other effort by white or colored, has been made to repeal or emasculate the law. About the year 1892, The Cleveland Railway Com- pany, which was composed of all the street railway com- panies in the city of Cleveland, save and except the inter- est represented by Mr. Tom L, Johnson, began to consid- er, seriously the necessity of disposing of its horses and adopting electricity as a motor power; and this made necessary an entire change in the way of trackage, roll- ing stock, power plants, and employes ; to say nothing of the vast outlay necessitated in the erecting of poles, stringing of costly wires, and the acquiring in some in- stances, of additional rights of way and sites for the loca- tion, of enlarged and costly buildings. The late Senator M. A. Hanna, upon whose broad shoulders rested, principally, the responsibility and bur- den of financing these very costly projects, decided that, it would be necessary to sell the "paper" of the company in New York, in order to compass success, in this behalf ; and, that they might get a fair consideration for the 201 same, it was equally essential to make a showing' of a franchise adequate for the proffered security. For the foregoing reasons and as a first move towards the accomplishment of these designs, a bill w-as prepared, commonly known as the "ninety-nine-year franchise bill," and given to the late Senator Frank 0. Spencer, who in- troduced it in the Senate; and it was, thereafter known of record, as "Senate Bill No. 50." The bill provided, in substance, that the trustees (Councilmen) of any city or township should be empow- ered to grant to any railway corporation within its limits, a franchise, not to exceed ninety-nine years in duration; provided the trustees or directors of the company should agree to pay to the city or township a percentage of the gross earnings of the road, to be fixed by and between the respective parties at the time of the granting of the franchise. At that time, the only financial benefit Cleve- land was receiving from the said companies was a tax of ten dollars on each car in use ; while a percentage of their earnings by the provisions of the ''Spencer Bill," would, even then, have amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars; and, at the present day, the city's income from that source would be, perhaps, a million or more annually,, provided, however, that the trustees of the city were hon-- est and business-like, and withheld the franchise until an adequate percentage of the earnings was secured by the terms of the contract. This bill was favored by some of the leading finan- ciers and politicians of Ohio ; and it had behind it, in the lobby, the influence and professional services of one of the greatest law firms in this state. Moreover, the gov- ernor of the state, in the person of the late President Mc- Kinley, favored it and permitted the use of his office, in which to caucus, with reference to it. "Dan" Ryan, Secretary of State, favored it; and lent his great influence to secure its passage. The Toledo 202 Blade, Ohio State Journal and Cleveland World, all influ- ential newspapers, spoke of it in commending terms ; and the entire sentiment in and about the State House, in so far as I could discover, favored its passage. This narrator, too, was of opinion that a contract, be- tween the city of Cleveland and the street railway lines, could be framed, by the terms of which the city would derive a substantial income; whereas, under the then existing conditions (and down to the present time) — lit- tle or nothing was going into our treasury. Under the circumstances, I determined to obtain the opinion of the great daily papers of Cleveland ; and, with that object in view, I mailed to The Cleveland Plain Deal- er, The Cleveland Leader, The Cleveland Press and The Cleveland World, respectively, a copy of the bill, and en- closed with it a written request, signed by me, that they publish the same and comm.ent on its merits or demerits, editorially. The World was the only one of the quartette which complied with my request, in any manner; and its editorial comment w^as favorable. However, the fact remains, that, prior to its passage, in the Senate, it had never been published in any paper that had come under my notice ; and the people of Cleve- land, to this day, have never read the bill. The parties interested in the passage of the bill, in the Senate, insisted that I should explain and champion it, on the floor of the Senate; for the reason, they said, that I was "more practiced as an attorney, and fluent and eloquent" than was its author. I objected strenuously; for the reason that the Cleve- land newspapers, with one exception, had remained non- committal ; but, day after day, time and again, I was com- pelled to listen to arguments by its friends, and have cited to me the fact of its support by the eminent and influen- tial men and papers, outside of Cleveland, mentioned above. Finally, word came to me, "ex cathedra," if I may 203 use the expression in a political sense, that I had better stand by my friends; and knowing who those "friends" were and forecasting the wonderful part some of them were to play in the great world drama of the near fu- ture — "Swearing I would ne'er consent — consented." I explained the bill, spoke in favor of it, and, almost unaided, in so far as it was apparent to the casual ob- server, secured its passage through that body. Then, the Cleveland newspapers "spoke out," and with no uncertain sound. To read the papers alone, see the names of Senator Spencer and myself at the head of the editorial column of the Cleveland Leader, in mourn- ing, and have no other information, in the premises, one would have thought that some great outrage had been perpetrated on the state; yet, those same papers, only a week befove, with a copy of that identical bill in their hands, had remained mute. Later on, how^ever, after an indignation meeting, at which I w^as present and explained the merits of the bill, and drew from the large audience, in the Council Cham- ber, encores of applause, popular sentiment was molified and m.odified; and another Assembly actually enacted a fifty-year franchise law, without evoking an indignation meeting or the anathemas of the press. The men w^ho originated and procured the passage of the first bill, through the Senate, were subsequently high- ly honored by the State and Country ; and properly so, for, they were of nature's noblemen, and dedicated their whole life to the public welfare, whether negotiating along private or public lines ; all of which the community, when adequately informed and free from blind passion, readily saw and appreciated. The following certificate, mailed to me by Hon. Alex. 204 C. Caine, after I had ceased to be a member of the Senate gives a detailed statement of work done by me, in the Senate, in addition to what I have ah'eady mentioned in the foregoing : I hereby certify that Hon. John P. Green supported all the fol- lowing named bills in behalf of labor while a member of the Senate of the 70th General Assembly. A. C. CAINE, Clerk of the Senate. 1. Compelling railroad companies to equip cars with air- brakes and automatic couplers. 2. Protecting lives of mechanics employed in the building trades. 3. Protection of street car employes. 4. Regulating competition of convict with free labor. 5. Arbitration of labor tix)ubles. 6. Providing employes with attorney in action for wages. 7. Preventing discrimination against organized labor. 8. Increasing opportunity of education for working people. 9. Relief of over-worked railroad employes. 10. Increase in force of mine inspectors. 11. Additional factory inspectors. 12. Enlarging the power of shop inspectors. ,13. Imposing heavier penalties for imitation of union labels. 14. Restricting manufacture of knit and woolen goods in pub- lic institutions. 15. Employes not to be intimidated in voting. 16. Providing for the more distinct labeling of convict-made goods. 17. Counter floors for safety of employes in construction of bruildings. 18. Providing for pure oils for illuminating purposes in mines. 19. Preventing fraud and imposition of minor employes. 20. Against seven days' work for six days' pay. Mr. Greene is also author of the Labor Day Law. One of the most agreeable episodes of my life oc- curred about this time, in connection with a grand ban- quet tendered to Governor McKinley, by the Protective Tariff League of Canton, Ohio. Quite unexpectedly, to me, I received an invitation to this notable function, to- gether with an invitation to respond to the following toast : "America — the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave." At the appointed time, I appeared in Canton; and was received in a kindly, gracious way, by the disting- 205 uished committee, which was made up of some of the leading gentlemen of the city. I was escorted to the first hotel; where I registered and was, for a day, one of its guests. At the banquet, I was seated at the head of the table, on the left of Governor McKinley ; while at his right, sat Jamies R. Gai-field, a son of ex-President James A. Gar- field. jMy response to the toast assigned to me, met with a very enthusiastic reception ; and, at the close of the exer- cises, I was heartily commended, by many of those pres- ent. It has often occurred to me that the climax of my political honors was reached on that occasion ; when I, an ex-v;aiter, boot-black, janitor and fac-totum, in general, now a member of the Senate of Ohio, from the most fa- mous district in the state, an invited guest at that very notable function, sat beside the Governor of the State, then destined, soon, to be President of the United States, and responded to that significant toast! 0, ye humble, struggling, ambitious, American youth, both white and black! Reflect on these facts — ponder over them; take courage; and persistently, press onward and upward. About this time, also, when the session of the Senate was nearing its close, I had an experience, the relating of which may prove of interest to the readers of this bio- graphical story. During the banquet, Governor McKinley became aware of the fact, that I had an increasing desire to visit parts of Europe, including Great Britain, France, Italy, Spain and Vienna, in Austria. Coming to me, he said, "Senator; I think I can be of some service to you, in for- warding your desire to make a tour of Europe!" I said, "Indeed, Governor! I am more pleased than I can express to you, to hear you say so!" "Yes," he replied: "I am going to New York, in the near future, and while 206 there I shall meet Colonel Eliott F. Shepherd, a friend of mine ; and I shall tell him of you and your plan. He is the owner of the Mail and Express, which employs corre- spondents in parts of Europe, and perhaps, he will give you employment along that line, which will enable yott to pay your expenses, while you make your tour." I thanked him, profusely, my heart swelling with joy and gratitude ; for I had learned to know that, whatever Mc- Kinley espoused, was w^ell nigh certain of success. After the lapse of about two weeks, the Governor's messenger came to my desk and said, "Senator, the Gov- ernor wishes your presence, at your leisure." I thanked him; and "stayed not on the order of my going;" but— went. The Governor informed me that, he had just returned from New York; where he met Colonel Shepherd; to whom, he made known my cherished desire. "And," he said, "the Colonel will wire you to meet him there, in a few days!" True to the expectation, in a day or two, I received a telegram from Colonel Shepherd, inviting me to meet him at his home, located on the comer of Fifth Avenue and Fifty-third (?) Street, in the great metro- polis — New York. When I arrived in front of the palatial residence of the son-in-law of the late W. K. Vanderbilt, Sr., it was all aglow with light, and liveried coachmen and footmen vv'ere in attendance upon the numerous equipages which bordered the curb in the vicinage; nevertheless, not one w^hit embarrassed by the fact, I pressed the button of the "Big Front Door," and, my card having been delivered to the distinguished host, I was immediately ushered into the elaborate library, where, e?'e long, I met a high bom instinctive gentleman, Colonel Eliot F. Shepherd. "Senator Green," he said, grasping my hand, "Gov- ernor IvIcKinley has been telling me about you and your plan to visit Europe." I have considered the matter; and 207 I have concluded to offer you the sum of fifty dollars a letter; and you may mail the Mail and Express one letter every week.'* I answered, that such an arrang:ement would be entirely satisfactory to me; and thanked him for it. Then I said to him, "Colonel, when shall I begin to write the letters?" "At once," he answered, "if you wish." Seeing that his residence was gradually filling with the elite of social New York, he noticed my apparent sur- prise, and remarked, "Senator, this is the anniversary of my silver wedding, and the invited guests are arriving. I am sorry that I cannot be with you longer." Just then, two gentlemen entered the library: "Sen- ator," he said, "Meet my brother;" and, turning to the younger one, he said, "Senator Green, this my only son. My son, meet Senator Green of Ohio." Then I took my departure, highly elated by my success; for, nov/, I con- sidered that my tourning venture was predicated on a sound financial basis; and that I could cast all worry on that score behind me. As an addition to the good words which Governor Mc- Kinley had spoken of and for me, I placed in Colonel Shepherd's hand a laudatory editorial which I had clipped from the Cleveland Leader, referring to the fact that I had risen from a vei-y humble sphere in life. The Colonel did not approve of the reference to my fonner humble station in life. This suii)rised me greatly. The following week, I mailed to the Mail and Express an article, one column in length, on the growth of Cleve- land, as affected by the Protective Tariff. It was re- ceived and published; and, in a few days, I received a check for fifty dollars. The following week, in return for a second letter, which had been published I received an- other check, for the same amount. Then, a day or tv;o later, I read in a newspaper, that Colonel Shepherd had died on an operating table, under the influence of an anes- 208 thetic, Vy'hile undergoing an examination, for a minor trouble ! I cannot say, whether my surprise exceeded my grief. I could not truthfully say : "Oh, ever thus, from childhood's hour, Ive seen my fondest hopes decay;" For, in very truth, my grief was not so much because of my individual loss, as for the fact that, a noble, kind- hearted, generous man had been, so suddenly, cut off in the ''flower" of his manhood, without any notice or op- portunity to take his leave of all whom he held most dear on this earth. "Be good, my friend, and let who will be clever; Do noble things, not dream them, all day long; And so, make life, death, end that vast forever, One grand sweet song." — Charles Kingsley in "A' Farewell." The sequel to this narrative will come, in the next chapter. Suffice it to state here, other steps had to be taken — other plans formulated and consummated, before the contemplated journey could be taken; but, in the language of one of Milton's creations: "What though the fir Id be lost? All is not loFt: th' unconriuerable will, And courage never to submit or yield." 209 CHAPTER XI. JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER. I am writing this short sketch, embracing some of my personal reminiscences of Mr. Rockefeller and mem- bers of his family, for several reasons; but, principally, because I have always admired his sterling manhood, his exemplary life, his democratic affiliations amongst the people, of his acquaintance, and his unexampled, unsel- fish generosity. With all his wealth and social and finan- cial influence, Mr. Rockefeller has come very near to leading the plain ''simple" life; and tho I have met him frequently, in this, his home city, during the past sixty- three years, yet, I have never discovered in him or his family, anything of the supercilious — ''highbrow" char- acteristic which is so often in evidence, on the part of persons who are "rich in this world's goods." He has always, worn his heart upon his sleeve, to be read of all men, whether in the church — the Sunday School, in the varied avenues of commercial life or else- where. Even the poor, despised Negro, both in the north and the southland, has basked in the light of his coun- tenance, and found in him a true, open-handed friend; hence, I not only admire him and wonder at his unheard of financial conquests, but, I hold him up, to the whole world, as an example of true nianhood and unadulterated Americanism. Many years ago, I noticed and was "stiaick" with the fact, that, whenever, as a "captain" of industry, Mr. 2in Rockefeller absorbed collateral branches of his own gigan- tic business, it was to the advantage of the other party; it always took on new life, which led to overwhelming suc- cess; so that, in no sense, even along the lines of com- petative commercial transactions, can he be stigmatized as a "business vampire." I have, already, mentioned the fact of seeing Mr. Rockefeller, as a young man, in 1858, when the family lived in Cedar Avenue, in Cleveland, at which time I paid no special attention to him; for the reason, principally, that, I was his junior, associating wdth a class of boys younger than he, of whom his late brother, Frank Rocke- feller, was one ; and for the additional reason that I could not then, foresee w^hat the fates held in store for him, in the not distant future. Subsequently, in 1859, when I was a student in the Hudson Street School (now Sterling School), over which Mr. Eaton, afterwards, during the Civil War, General Eaton, was principal, I met a mild mannered, quiet little lady, who taught the class of which I was a member, Eng- lish Grammar. This young lady was none other than Miss Laura C. Spellman, the late lamented wife of the subject of this sketch; and the daughter of the Honor- able H. B. Spellman, ex-member of the Ohio General As- sembly, if I mistake not ; a gentleman who, for his social and business attainments, stood high in the esteem of all Cleveland. The fact that Miss Spellman and Mr. Rockefeller later on became husband and wife, more than any other cause, kept him in the eye of some of us school boys ; for, we regretted the loss of that estimable lady, from the faculty so keenly, that, we followed her, in the future, with undiminished interest. Aside from this casual acquaintance with Mr. Rocke- feller, I had no knowledge of him or his gi'owing business, other than as I heard members of his Sunday School 211 Class, speak of him, or read of his successful transactions in the daily newspapers. The years glided (or flew) onward; and my subject "waxed fat" — became immensely rich, in the eyes of the world; and through competition, and, in some instances, jealousy, was frequently unjustly criticized; until, one day, during a session of the 69th General Assembly, if I mistake not, a member, without any apparent reason for it, disgressed from the line of his argument to brutally and falsely make a verbal assault upon Mr. Rockefeller, in the matter of his business transactions. When he resumed his seat, I waited, for a short space, to see whether any member would challenge his state- ments ; and the silence not being broken, I arose and gave expression to my viev»'s of 1\h\ Rockefeller, predicated on my knowledge of him from my boyhood days, in no un- certain manner; and, least of all, complimentary, to the member. Colonel Louis Smithnight was present during the whole transaction; and when the applause, following my short speech, had subsided, he came up and congratulated me on my effort ; and commended the spirit which moved me. All knew that Mr. Rockefeller did not need any ap- ologist or champion; yet, under any circumstances, it is difficult to remain silent, when uncalled for and unmerited abuse is heaped upon one's friend, especially in a legisla- tive hall. A year or two after the incident which I have just recorded, while passing through lower Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, I was confronted by a gentleman whose per- sonal appearance and mein stamped him as being "facile princeps," — first amongst men. I knew at a glance, that he was a Rockefeller ; but so much time had elapsed since I had last seen him, that, I could not positively identify him ; to my great sui-prise, he stopped and addressed me, calling me by name. I reciprocated the courtesy, and 212 said, ^'Mr. Rockefeller— I believe!" "Yes;" he answered. "Which one?" I querried? "John," he replied. ''How is Mrs. Rockefeller?" I ventured to ask. ''She is quite well," he rejoined. Then, he added: "Mrs. Rockefeller and I have noted your political successes with much pleas- ure; and she often speaks of some of her former pupils." To which I expressed much pleasure ; whereupon, he said : "By the way! We have a cozy home, in the East End. We would be pleased to have you and Mrs. Green come out and visit us, sometime." I inquired as to a convenient time for them; and he suggested that w^e notify them, and they would send the family carriage to the terminus of the street railway line (at Lake View Cemetery), to transport us the remainder oi the distance— to Forest Hill — the "cozy home." We then separated, each going his respective way- he conscious, I dare say, of having stooped— socially, at least, to lift up and encourage a fellowman; and I, radiant with pleasure and expectation, by reason of the unex- pected invitation. In due time, a notice of our coming was mailed to Forest Hill ; and, at the designated hour on the appointed day, we — Mrs. Green, our daughter Clara and our niece, Miss Kittie Skeene, together with this writer, alighted at the terminus of the street railway, and mounted into the carriage of John D. Rockefeller; and, in a few minutes, having passed the porter's lodge, we found ouselves upon the broad veranda of the Rockefeller mansion, the sub- jects of a genial and cordial welcome, on the part of Mrs. Rockefeller, her aged mother, her honorable sister and two winsome daughters. Mr. Rockefeller, we were informed, was in conference with gentlemen, who had come all the way from New York, for that puiT)ose. During the half hour, while the ladies were engaged in conversation, I was, comparatively, mute; for, under 213 existing circumstances, I felt that, like the "Moor of Venice," I could truthfully say: "Rude am I in my speech, And little blessed with the set phrase of peace;" and, accordingly, I maintained that "golden silence," which, at times, is most becoming. Ere long, the touring cari'iage was driven up to the porte cochere; and, at the suggestion of Mrs. Rocke- feller, we all entered it, for a drive through the spacious and beautiful park, surrounding the residence; and, at the end of one hour and a quarter, without repeating any of the route, we declared it to have been the most enjoy- able of our existence. At one point, on our route, our hostess invited us to dismount; and while the driver waited for us on the op- posite side of a shaded grove, we meandered through it, engaged in reminiscent conversation and in gathering vari-colored mosses and sweet wild flowers. Then it was that Mrs. Rockefeller (whose friendship and generosity for me as one of her former pupils, be- came apparent), addressed herself to me, and called up the past; as if it were a real pleasure to live over again her girlhood days; forgetful that she was now, the wife of one whose name, alone, attracts attention, wherever it is mentioned throughout the civilized world. She spoke of her late father, affectionately, and re- marked that, her husband had named Spellman Institute at Atlanta, Georgia, for him. She further informed me, that Mr. Rockefeller was, metaphorically, carrying it, "under his arm" ; and that dunng that same year, he had given it Fifty Thousand Dollars. Further, she said, that her father was a man of kindly impulses; and, invariably, favored the "under- dog". As for herself, she said, when teaching in the 214 schools of Cleveland, she had no "pets"; but, that, her sympathies, invariably, went out to the one who needed help. It was during' this conversation that I made known to her my increasing desire to make a tour of the principal states of Europe ; when, she with her characteristic gen- erosity, suggested that, I notify her when the time was ripe for my departure; and, to anticipate, by a few months, I will here record the fact, that, upon that noti- fication, her great husband sent me his check for half enough money to defray all the expenses of my trip. It was a gratuity, pure and simple ; for, I had never had the opportunity of serving- either of them in any practical way, during my life time. As we neared the edge of the grove, where the car- riage was in waiting for us, Mrs. Rockefeller, with her own hands, pinned on the bosom of my wife the tuft of pretty moss and the sweet wM flov/ers which she had g-athered in the wood. A very gracious act, I must say, considering the relative social standing of the hostess and her guest. How thoroughly the act was appreciated may be known from the fact, that, until her "dying day" my dear deceased wife recalled the act; and spoke in terms of admiration and gratitude of it. Returning to the residence, we were joined by Mr. Rockefeller, who, being released from the conference, now commanded his time. A light luncheon was, there- upon served on the veranda, of which all partook. My feelings, on that occasion can be more easily im~ agined than described, for, who was I, a poor colored man, dependent upon my daily toil for a very livelihood, and with no social recognition that I could boast of, aside from persons of my own caste (a strange word for America), that I should be sitting at luncheon with the financial leader of the whole world, and his family! I lecall that, I had said to Mrs. Rockefeller, during: 215 our stroll through the wood, somewhat as follows : "Mi's. Rockefeller, one of my most intelligent associates, main- tains, that, social recognition of the colored man, in the United States, will begin at the top of society and pro- gress downward, paradoxical as it may seem I" "Why so?" she ask'd. "Because," I replied, ^'persons of unlimited means and fixed social status, can, with impunity, afford to associate with persons of good moral character, with- out losing their social standing, while others, of small or no financial standinig, and who, themselves are strug- gling for social recognition, dare not take the risk." "Well," she said : "I had not thought of it in that light before; it seems reasonable, and may be a fact." The time of our departure was at hand, the carriage with the waiting coachman was standing in the porte cochere; the adieus were pronounced; when Mr. Rocke- feller, and addressing himself to this writer, said, *'Mr. Green, I spend most of my time in New York, and I am sel- dom here to make use of these grounds. If, at any time, you wish to drive in them, with your family or friends, you are welcome to do so." I heard him with amazement, thanked him, and we were v/hirled away by the well groomed steeds. I have never, to this day, availed myself of his magnanimous offer, to make use of his ample and beautiful grounds; tho his kindly offer is graven up on the * 'tablets of my heart", never to be erased. Some notice of our reception at the Rockefeller man- sion found its way into the columns of the news papers ; after which, I was approached by sundry needy persons, >vho tried to persuade me to use my "influence" with Mr. Rockefeller, in their behalf; which, of course I could not do. On another occasion, one of our best singers, who v/as arranging for a public concert, procured me to inquire of Mrs. Rockefeller whether her name might be used as y ''patroness" Mrs. Rockefeller answered, by inviting Mrs. 216 Green and me to call, a second time, and bring the singer with us, which we did. Again, we were driven through some portion of the grounds; this time, a slight shower of rain having previously fallen, and Mr. Rockefeller de- siring to keep his drives in good condition, he mounted his bicycle, and '"piloted" the carriage some portion of the way. When we reached a knoll which overlooks the lake and the neighboring country, the driver, in attempting to make a short turn, nearly overturned the carriage; and I suspect, that, this writer prevented our hostess from falling out. On returning to the mansion, the sweet singer sang veiy beautifully for Mr. Rockefeller and his family, be- ing accompanied, on the piano, by Miss Edith, — now Mrs. McCormick of Chicago, who translated the difficult music at sight, to the astonishment of the singer and all others. I recall that Mr. Rockefeller remarked that, in his youth, he took lessons on the violin, and, for a while, practiced six hours a day. Was not this prophetic of future success in any vocation in which he might embark ; for, whoever has the nei^e and persistency to apply himself to a violin or any other musical instrument six hours a day, will, in the end, say, "I came, I saw, I conquered." It was on this occasion, that w^e saw and were in- troduced to Mr. Rockefeller, Sr. He was a large well built man of ruddy complexion; and the resemblance of the two sons, whom I had met, was so striking as to cause remark. When we were in the act of leaving, Mrs. Rocke- feller invited us to attend a church social of the Second Baptist Church, which was scheduled to meet at their home, the following week. And Mr. Rockefeller drew, from one of his vest pockets, a little ''bunch" of bank notes, with which he consoled the singer, for Mrs. Rocke- feller's refusal to lend her name as a ''patroness." We attended the church social, of course; and had seated at the table with us several members of the family, 217 in addition to a very wealthy and prominent lady friend 01 theirs. On every occasion, we were transported to and from the mansion in the carriage of our host and hostess; and altho, since then, we have been entertained, both at home and abroad, by some very distinguished people, yet, I have concluded that, in the courtesies and kindnesses, showered upon us by Mr. and Mrs. Rockefel- ler, as I have related in the foregoing, we reached the zenith of our social preferment; just as at the Canton banquet, I attained to the top-most height of my political aspirations. , I have searched in vain to ascertain the underlying- reason for the unusual and liberal courtesies bestowed upon me and mine, by these august personages ; whether it was to gratify the desire of his great and good wife, who was always fond of her old pupils, or whether Mr. Rockefeller had heard of my conduct in the House when a member attempted to assail his business integrity; or was it the simple out-flowing of two great, big hearts, bent on scattering sunshine in the path-way of two hum- ble beings, yearning for recognition and encouragement, I shall never know perhaps; but, of one fact we are cer- tain; it was a substantial uplift; not only for us, but for others of our class; the good effects of which, like the ripples on the ocean or the waves in the air, go onward and onward, until they reach the bosom of Almighty God. During the first McKinley campaign for the Presi- dency, I had "stump'd" for the Republican party in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri. In addi- tion to the foregoing, I had written a manifest for the use of southern colored voters, which Mr. Hanna and "Major" Dick denominated my ''special literature." And, subject to their orders, I, with the assistance of two of my sons, had mailed fourteen thousand copies to places, in that section, designated by them. After the President had been inaugurated, I circu- 218 lated, in Cleveland a petition amongst the leading poli- ticians and business men, requesting the President to appoint me to an office in Washington, at once "honorable and lucrative." This petition was signed by great indus- trial heads, bankers and railroad presidents. Having obtained the signatures of a goodly number of such men, who, collectively, were said to represent more than Two hundred millions of capital, I mailed the list to Mr. Rockefeller, with a request that he also sign it. I may add, that, I had drawn a line through the center of the page from top to bottom; and all, who had there- tofore received it had signed the name to the left of the line, and the occupation to the right, but, when Mr. Rockefeller signed it, he wrote clear across the "legal cap" page, in bold characters — John D. Rockefeller. I am regretting to this day, that I released that docu- ment to be filed in the Interior Department, in Wash- ington; for, in fact, I valued it more than I did the little office which I secured; and tho I made frequent inquiry and earnest effort to regain possession of it, no one had been able to locate it for me. Later on in life, I received another communication from him, which contains hi* autograph ; but, I mourn the loss of the first, for, it carried with it, in the very freedom and form of the writing of it, an intimation of the good will which inspired it. When I was in the employ of the United States Gov- ernment, in Washington, I had occasion to write to Mrs. Rockefeller, in behalf of a poor, forlorn person, who was struggling against fate; and 1 asked for "an alms" for her. She sent the money, small in amount, together with a beautiful letter, still in my possession, of which, the fol- lowing is a copy: My Dear Mr. Green: Enclosed, please find check for the amount desired in your let- ter of the 4th, to aid in lifting the debt from the distressed family,, who find in you a friend. 2igr The case is unique and sadly pathetic — and how many such there are! The wrongs of crushed humanity cry aloud from the ground. I recall, with no small pleasure, my teaching days, and many of the pupils still stand before m 3 v.ith distinctness, and not a few with distinction. Among these are yourself, who has conquered untold obstacles; and standing for God and for truth, is helping the upward progress of race and the world. Mr. Rockefeller joins in kind regards for you and your family. Very sincerly yours, MRS. JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER. Golf House, Lakewood, N. J. March 7. 1904. On another occasion, I enclosed, to Mrs. Rockefeller a clipping from a newspaper, which complimented me, in no uncertain terms. The following is a copj^ of the letter which she sent to me, acknowledging the receipt of the same. I still retain the original. Golf House, Lakewood, N. J. My Dear Mr. Green: — I am pleased that you decided to send me the clipping that your letter of the 3rd enclosed. And I am glad to be kept in touch with one of my pupils in the public school, forty or more years ago. (Note: It had been just fifty-two years. — J. P. G.) The time does not seem so long to me since you sat behind the desk, with Abner Griffin not far removed, and the Alstons and Richardsons in the same school. I am as proud and grateful as you and your family can be, of the record you have made. It is a quiet but decisive victory against fearful odds, which still beset the path of your race. I remember the pleasant call of Mrs. Green and yourself, sev- eral years ago, at Forest Hill. Mr. Rockefeller joins me in kindest regard&c to you both. Very sincerely, LAURA S. ROCKEFELLER. April 11, 1911. Following the death of my beloved wife, I received the following telegram: Tarrtown, N. Y. 2-6-12. Mr. John P. Green: — Letter, Feby. 3rd rec'd; the first we knew of the death of Mrs. Green. Be assured of our sympathy for you and yours, in your great bereavement. JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER. 220 There are other communications and transactions which I might record herein ; but, what I have written is sufficient, I trow, to prove that, in my gradual rise from penury and want, I had gained the countenance and asso- ciation of some of the greatest and most powerful of God's children; and were it possible for me to close my biographical story right here, it would spell a career at once, unique, if not romantic, and, at least bordering on the successful. That Mr. Rockefeller may live to see the full fruition of his wonderful benefactions, is my humble prayer. 221 CHAPTEil XII. GREAT BRITAIN. My senatorial term being ended, I declined to stand as a candidate for another election, on the ground that it entailed too great a financial loss on me ; and also, that my professional business was slowly but, surely diminish- ing; for, I had already found out that, when a business man has a legal affair to be looked after, he is apt to select a lawyer and not a politician to attend to it; and besides the loss of time from my practice, and the out- lay of cash, incidental to political campaigns, my keep at Columbus, and incidentals, such as the demands of charity and being a "good fellow", amounted to more than I could continue to sacrifice. Tha following table will prove my contention, in this behalf. 5 Legislative campaigns, at $300 each $1,500 24 months at Columbus, lost to my business at $200 per month 4,800 24 months Board at Columbus at $25 per month 600 Charity and Good-fellowship money $100 per year 100 Loss to business, indirect by neglect (?) 1,200 Total $8,700 Rects. from salary 6 yrs. at $600 per year 3,600 Total loss $5,100 The foregoing is an under rather than over estimate of my loss, during the twenty-four months, I served in the general Assembly; for, the sessions were held in the 222 \Yinter and early spring, when all the courts wei'e in se^- sion; and my professional loss was almost total; more- over, during that time, I lost many good — valuable clients whose patronage I never recovered; and over and above all, some of my clients became offended, by reason of the active part I took in opposition to their party and friends, and dropped me. But, enough of this, statistics are dry. Complaints are unpleasant. My "grip" was duly packed, for my European tour, the au revoirs were all said ; t?ie steam was up and the sails inflated, and I was on my way not for Mandalay, but, for sights and scenes which, from my childhood, had been, for me, pleasant dreams; now to be realized. Does the reader wish to know whence I derived the means of defraying the expenses incidental to this pro- tracted trip, after the collapse of my arrangement with Colonel Shepherd, due to his death? Well, I will let him into the secret. When I was fighting for the bill to finance the im- provement of our system of Parks and Boulevards, the argument most persistently pressed against the passage of it was, that parks and boulevards were for the rich not for the poor. That it would be the unjust appropria- tion of the people's money to foster the pride and pleas- ure of the rich. To which, I answered, in substance; that, the rich, like Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Gordon, Mr. Wade and others had parks of their own; and many wealthy people spent their summers at sea-side and mountain resorts, and their winters at Palm Beach and in California, and, therefore, could get along without these, so called, lux- uries, at home, if necessary. While the poor were con- strained to remain at home, the year around; and of all the inhabitants of Cleveland, most needed the few "lux- uries." Well, the law having been enacted, and the system 223 now assured, some of our leading citizens said: **Now, Mr. Green, j^our fight secured the passage of our Park Bill ; and, since your contract with Colonel Shepherd must be abandoned, we will pay a part of your expenses, if you will visit the parks in different parts of Europe, and write a series of letters to the news papers, here, regarding the classes of people who most use and seem to derive the gi-eatest pleasure from frequenting them. I readily agreed to this suggestion; thereupon, they contributed each a generous amount; which, with the check sent to me by Mrs. Rockefeller, through her great husband, easily made me comfortable during the whole trip. The stanch and swift Cunard ship Umbria, made the run to Liverpool in seven days ; and, after landing, I went "as the crov/ flies", to the Adelphi Hotel, the leading- hotel in Liverpool at that time. I registered and was in- stalled in a cozy room where, temporarily, I was at home. In the dining room, I was treated far differently than at the Gibson House, in Cincinnati, as the guest of the Amalgamated Trades. Not only was my (silk) hat taken, at the door, but, the waiter in his ''dress" suit, served me in a genteel way; and w^hen I went into the barber shop I was shaved without objection. In short, I immediately forgot that, I was a colored Ameri- can citizen, and when the United States consul called on me — presto, I had changed to a full fledged citizen — abroad, still under the Aegis of my dear native land. I have made four visits to Europe ; and, on each occa- sion, saw and experienced many things which I am sure, will be of interest to the reader; I shall not attempt a detailed narative of them," but, will review the principal features in a general way, beginning with Great Britain and following the trend of my travels into other lands. The late Dr. Adnette, who had been the traveling companion of the late John Huntington, when he made a 224 tour of Europe, very kindly had provided me with letters of introduction to sundry persons of distinction, in Lon- don and its suburbs, amongst whom were Werner, of the Tower of London, a distinguished man, by the way, who, at the close of the Franco Prussian war, in 1870, had been the bearer of dispatches for the Prime Minister of Great Britain, which v;ere closely connected with the final settlement of the peace proceedings. This letter gave us the entre into the Tower, and the opportunity of seeing much and of hearing some of the traditionary lore which, otherwise, we could not have enjoyed. My late friend, Mr. Fred J. Loudin, had also given us letters of introduction to some of his former friends and acquaintances, Vvhich opened doors for us, which, otherwise, we, probably, would never have entered. In addition to Werner, we met many other persons of social place and distinction; of whom may be mentioned, The Lord Bishop of London, Cannon Farrar of West Minister Abbey, Rev. Dr. Joseph Parker, of the City Temple, Rev. John Clifford, D. D., L. L. D.; L. Ment- zendorff, of Idol Lane, large exporter. S. J. Celestin Ed- wards, scholar, organizer and lecturer on the universal Brotherhood of Man, Mr and Mrs. L. G. Sharpe, high in musical circles, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel, Coleride Taylor great musicians, Mrs. Eliza Leech, of No. 4 Kensington Palace Garden, and m.any others. Amongst the objects of especial interest to us, may be mentioned, Westminster Abbey, The British Museum Saint Paul's Cathedral, The Tower of London, London Bridge, Crystal Palace, the Houses of Parliament, the Horse Guards, Westminister Hall and numerous parks; great amongst which, Hyde Park and Kensington Park were conspicuous. Then, there were Trafalgar Square, The National Museum of Art, The Nelson Monument, with its heroic lions conchant ; to say nothing of the Law Courts, The Bank of England, the ancient and famous 225 sites of past and present theatres, with Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, the Marble Arch and "Old Curiosity Shop" made famous by Charles Dickens. Indeed, London is such a little cosmopolitan world within itself, that the mere mention of a few of its most important personages and objects of interest w^ould fill the pages of a little book. As an illustration of the manner in which even old residents are, at times, surprised by new discoveries of old institutions, I will relate the following: One day, Mrs. Green and I, strolling down Oxford Street, made a detour, when we were near High Holborn, just following our noses, when to our surprise, v/e found ourselves in Lin- coln's Inn Fields, of historic fame; where, if I mistake not, at one time, numerous executions took place; and some other affairs, of more v:orthy note, were trans- acted. Quite unexpectedly, we lound ourselves in front of the residence of the late Sir John Soane wherein is now kept, on exhibition, a museum of paintings, statuary and Egyption and Oriental relics which cannot be duplicated. To mention only two, will tend to enlighten the reader. There is an alabaster sarcophagus, 9 feet 4 inches in length, 3 feet, 8 inches in width, 2 feet 8 inches in depth, and 2 1-2 inches in thickness; the alabaster is of such purity, that a lighted lamp being placed on the inside shines through the sides of the casket. Another curio is the original paintings by Hogarth, of the "Rake's Progress," showing the slow but sure decline of a handsome, promising youth, through dissipation, from good health to disease and death! We spent the remainder of our day in that one little museum, of which a few hours before, we had no knowledge, whatsoever. Another incident, quite sui-prising to me, was that of the discovery of an old Arcade, near the heart of West London, by my friend Mr. L. G. Shai-pe, who, just prior to the World War, was the World agent of Paderewski, 226 the unapproachable pianist. We were going down into the City, from Wandsworth Common, when we ran upon this mart of trade all unknown to or forgotten by this world treveled man. I have four men in mind now, of whom I am sure my readers will be pleased to hear something. And I will speak briefly of them: The fii'st is the Lord Bishop of London; of whose unselfish and persistent labors for the uplifting of the poor and needy in the slums of London, the whole civilized world has heard; even in Wall street, in the city of New York, during his visit to this country, some years ago his voice was heard in support of the Golden Rule. I had never met the Lord Bishop before; and, my g-ood fortune in meeting him on this occasion, was due entirely to the kindly ineiposition of my good and help- ful friend— The Rt. Rev. W. A. Leonard, Bishop of Ohio, who mailed to me, while I was in London, a letter of which the following is a true copy: Kt. Hon. A. F. Winnington, Ingrain, Lord Bishop of London. My dear Lord Bishop:— It gives me great pleasure to hand this letter of personal in- troduction to you of the Honorable J. P. Green, fannerly Senator from this city, in our legislature, and for a number of years identi- fied with public interests. He is one of our most highly esteemed citizens and represents his race with dignity and satisfaction. He is a communicant of the church and one of the vestiy of St. Andrew's Parish in this city, which is our only congregation amongst the colored people of Cleveland. He will greatly esteem the honor of meeting your Lordship, and I will be glad to have him get the inspiration from you which we all do. With cordial good wishes for this New Year upon which we have entered, I am, with respect, Faithfully yours, onKA r^ vj A WILLIAM A. LEONARD. 3054 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, U. S. A. 227 As soon as I had received the Bishop's letter, I mailed it to London House, S. James's Square S. W. Lon- don and in due course of the mails, I received the follow- ing answer: John p. Green, Esq., 42 Walterton Road, Paddington, W. Dear Sir: The Bishop of London will be pleased to see you here at 11:30 on Saturday, the 20th. Yours faithfully, K. G. EVERETT, Private Secretary. On time, on the appointed day, I was duly received by the great and worthy bishop, and unceremoniously, ushered into his cozy "workshop", as he was pleased to term his office. There was no sign of aif ectation in the demeanor of this great man. No patronizing air or lifting of the brows by this well bred English Lord; but, grasping my hand, he bade me be seated, and the conversation began, as tho two old friends had cordially met. "Well now" he said, "tell me about your people, in the United States. When I attended the Council, in Richmond Virginia, I heard one phaze of the subject, but, I would like to hear your side of it." I thanked him, and did my "possible" as the French would say, to enlighten him, as regarded the "Negro question", from the standpoint of a colored — American. And was highly rewarded to dis- cover that, his views, largely coincided with mine; and that, he too, like many another great man let his sym- pathies go out, in favor of the "underdog." I intimated my fear that I was taking up too much of his time, to which he replied that, he had no other engagement, for the forenoon, until his Eminence Bishop Mathews, the Catholic Bishop of London, should call ; and requested me to be quite at ease, until that time. 228 "By the way!" he exclaimed, in the course of our conversation, "what shall I do with this beautiful letter?'' holding in his hand the letter of introduction from Bishop Leonard. "I may lose it, in the confusion of my office, and since it is of such personal concern to you, would you not like to have it?" I assured him that, I would be most pleased to receive it, and he gave it to me. This accounts for the fact that, I am able to give to my readers a true copy of it, as re- corded, in the foregoing. I discovered that the Lord Bishop has a vein of hum- or pervading his system; for, he took occasion to refer to a humorous incident, which owed its origin to the word Ohio, during the sessions of the Ecumenical Council in Richmond, Virginia, in the first decade of the present century. It was in this wise; quite a large percentage of the clergy, attending the Council, used the "continental i— pronounced e— thus, pronounced Ohio— Oheo — and drew a smile from our dear Bishop Leonard, when they re- ferred to him as "The Bishop of Ohio!" When the presence of the Catholic Bishop was an- nounced, he was seated in an adjoining room, while he wrote for me and my wife two passes to Saint Paul's Cathedral to be used on Easter Sunday, 1909, saying, "here Senator Green, if you will present these to one of the Vergers, in St. PauFs Cathedral, on Easter morning, he will show you and Mrs. Green to reserved seats, near the Chancel ; and you will see that in England, we make no such discriminations as you have experienced in your South land." He also, gave me a pass which entitled me to a seat in the visitors' gallery, in the House of Commons, which, as the others, was duly used. Grasping my hand and thanking me for the call, we separated. I, full of pleasure and enthusiasm ; he, beyond doubt, conscious that 229 in having done his bit to ''one of the least of these," he had advanced his cause on earth. The second personage to whom I shall call attention was, the late Rev. Frederick William Farrar, Cannon of Westminster Abbey and Rector of St. Margaret's Church, which stands near, adjacent to the old abbey. I was enabled to meet Cannon Farrar, through the courtesy of the late ex-president Fairchild, of Oberlin College, who, quite painstakingly, wrote me a beautiful letter of introduction on his little office typewriter, and after receiving it, I was loth to surrender it to the dis- tinguished prelate ; for, I am unable to state, to this day, whether I was prouder to meet Cannon Farrar than to receive this mark of respect and esteem from so distin- guished a personage as President Fairchild. There was nothing in the fact of being received by Cannon Farrar, except that I was highly honored by being permitted to call on a distinguished churchman, scholar and author, in the ancient ''Deans Yard," contiguous to the sacred land on which for centuries has stood West- minister Abbey. After mutual greetings and a pleasant conversation, relative to the conditions in "America", we separated, to meet again in the near future, at West- bourne Baptist Church, v/here he delivered a learned and eloquent lecture on John Milton. To me, it was a signifi- cant fact, that, the Cannon of Westminister Abbey, was in the pulpit of a Baptist Church, presided over by Dr. John Clifford, who was the incarnation of opposition to the Established Church of England, and was waging persistent war fare against it, in all parts of Great Bri- tain; but, since John Milton himself, belong'd to the dis- senters, perhaps the transaction was not remarkable. The third great man with whom I came in touch was the Reverend Dr. Joseph Parker, and I am inclined to the belief that I "scraped" this acquaintance, by virtue of the colored American "push" and persistency with 230 which, twenty-five years ago, I was endowed. Dr. Parker, for some thirty years, had been accustomed to preach a Thursday noon sermon, which, with the beautiful singing and other attractions, drew large congregations of the literary elite of the whole civilized world to hear him ; for there is not a day, but that multitudes of wayfarers from all the points of the compass, find their way within the walls of the Greatest City, looking for attractions of one kind and another. Dr. Parker, received me in his ''sac- risty," after preaching one of his famous sermons, and having in my possession the letter which the Lord Bishop had returned to me, I shov/ed it to him. He read it with evident pleasure, and invited me to call at his home, on the following day, and dine with him and his good wife. It is needless to say, I accepted the invitation with undisguised pleasure; and spent an hour with the dis- tinguished couple which I shall remember to the end of my life. The conversation turned on Great Americans, and also, on the subject of public lectures. Dr. Parker expressed the opinion that, not even the Rev. Thomas DeWitt Talmage, with all his eloquence, could draw a large audience in London, at that time, to hear him lec- ture; so coldly were lecturers then received. I asked him v/hat he thought Henry Waid Beecher's chances would be, were he alive and active. He was of the same mind, in both cases. Then changing the subject somewhat abruptly, he exclaimed, 'T regard that countryman, of yours, a great philosopher! — Frederick Douglass, I refer to." I readily assented to that view (with a degree of pride), and said, that, Gambetta the great French states- man, had recently, expressed the same opinion. 'T heard an anecdote concerning him (Douglass) re- lated recently", he added. ''On one occasion, as the story runs, subsequent to the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law, and the rendition of the Dred Scott' Decision, the 231 outlook for the cause of Emancipation was dark and well nigh hopeless. There was a meeting of the friends of liberty in progress. Douglass was demure and of a down east demeanor. Old Sojourner Truth noticed these signs of discouragement; and at a p2'oper time, she exclaimed ui her piping voice — "Frederick, is God dead?" That ex- clamation, so full of truth and hope in the power of Al- mighty God, coming, as it did, from that infirm old wom- an, rekindled the fire within them, and so inspired them, that, from that moment onward, all was vigor and deter- rtiination to win. The personel of Dr. Parker in the pulpit was reas- suring, so to speak. One saw at a glance, a real man in his size, form and general bearing, one of "Nature's noble- men." He carried between his shoulders, a large head, a high expansive forehead, eyes deep set beneath the "umbrageous" brows, and a shock of "shaggy" hair, which caused him, when animated, to present that Leonine ap- pearance, which was, altogether unmistakable; and his deep, sonorous voice was quite suited to the man. He was such a plebean and approachable man, that, after his ponderous and entertaining sermons were delivered, he took pleasure in answering questions, and in conversing V7ith any one who visited him, in his sacristy. This writer had the good fortune, on more than one occasion, to meet him there; and he condescended to spend some minutes in pleasant, instructive conversation with him. \^> On one occasion, he said, "Well, you heard me preach ihe same sermon twice. I preached it last Thursday, and I repeated it, today!" I answered, that, it was well worth repeating, for, it was replete with instruction and edifi- cation. On the occasion referred to, when Doctor Parker, in my presence, spoke in such admiring terms of Frederick Douglass, he expressed an ardent desire to possess a copy of the autobiography of Frederick Douglass; and 232 on my return to our flat, I mailed one to him, which I happened to carry in my 'luggage." The second day, thereafter, I received a letter from him inclosing a cheque for the sum of 1 £ sterling, an equivalent, at that time of about $4.83, of our money. After thanking me for my "though tfulness and kindness,'' in sending him the book, the letter proceeded to read: '1 enclose a One pound cheque, for that son and heir of yours. I want him to see what a British sovereign looks like!" It is scarcely neces- sary to add, that, the ''son and heir" (now Captain Wil- liam R. Green) lost no time in making the acquaintance of that, identical sovereign, but in the language of King Richard III, on an inauspicious occasion, he could have truthfully said: 'Til have it! but, I'll not keep it long!" The last, but, by no means the least, of the distin- guished Londoners, of whom I shall now speak, is Rev- erend John Clifford, D. D. L. L. D. pastor emeritus, of the Westbourne Baptist Church; whose name is more familiarly known than that of any other in Great Britain, save that of Lloyd George, perhaps. Dr. Clifford has spok- en much and written extensively, in the furtherance of every good cause which has come before the British public, during the last fifty years ; and prior to the great World War, it was generally believed of him, that his influence for good in Great Britain was greater than that of any other man except the Prime Minister. When Dr. Parker was expressing to me his doubt as to whether Mr. Talmage or even Mr. Beecher could at- tract a large audience to listen to a lecture, in London, in 1893, he added, "If any one in London can get out an audience to listen to a lecture, Dr. John Clifford is the man to do it!" and he gave me a letter of introduction to him, which v^^as the foundation of a friendly acquaintance between us, and has resulted in the mutual exchange of some interesting and valuable instruction for me, to say the least. 233 Doctor Clifford is the bete noir of the "State Church'* of England ; he has spoken against it, organized for war- fare against it, and written volumes, in opposition to it. It remains to be seen, during these turbulent times, fol- lowing in the wake of the World War, what will be the fate of that relationship between the State and the Church, which has subsisted for so many centuries. That the Doctor is not narrow and intolerant, I feel sure; for, he is constantly working for a union of all the orthodox churches; and I have shown that, by his invitation, Canon Farrar, of the ''State Church", lectured from his pulpit, on the subject, John Milton, to an audience com- posed largely of Baptists. We had not resided in London long before we became associated with a goodly number of congenial persons, whose every effort w^as in behalf of our comfort and pleasure, amongst whose names those of Mr. Hariy A. Williams and his wife, Mrs. Lissette Williams; Mr. Clar- ence Cameron White, and his wife, Mrs. Beda White; Mrs. Eliza Leech and her companion, Miss Martineau, a niece of the late distinguished authoress, Harriet Mar- tineau, Mr. L. G. Sharpe and his wife, Mrs. Adelle Shai*pe ; Mr. S. Coleridge Taylor and his wife ; Mr. L. Mentzendorif and his wife, and daughter of Balham; Mr. Henry J. Thrift and wife, Mrs. Mattie Lawrence Thrift, of Fair- field Lodge, Croydon and many others; all of whom we still hold in sacred remembrance even should we never again meet them on this earth. SCOTLAND Through the kindly offices of Mr. S. J. Celestin Edwards, a colored man, residing at that time, in Lon- don, and publishing a small periodical, entitled, 'Frater- nity; an arrangement was made by which I was invited to visit Scotland, as the guest of The Society for the Promotion of the Universal Brotherhood of Man. I had 234 visited Scotland before, but, only for a brief sojourn ; now however was the opportunity of becoming acquainted not only with its "rocks and liils, its woods and templed hills," but with her lads and lassies and her home life; with which, through the reading of her literature, I, already felt, almost familiar. I doubt whether it comes within the realm of possibility for a person of pure Afri- can or **white" blood to appreciate — understand the feel- ings of one who has a modieum of both ; a man who shares equally, the blood of both races; or who as in some in- stances has a preponderance of the blood of the English or Scotchman leaping and bounding in his arteries and yet, is ignored, to some extent, by both. There is a trite old saying, that "blood is thicker than water"; and I believe it is eternally true; for, he cannot "hold" to the one and despise the other," as in serving "God and mammon" ; for, the Negro blood is very strong and will manifest itself, in some instances, unto the third and fourth generation ; while of the Scotch English blood it is equally true. It does not quail in the presence of man or beast. Is it any wonder then, that, constitued, by blood, as this writer is, he should feel, in Scotland, as did that famous warrior when he exclaimed: "Ye crags and cliffs, I'm with you once again!" Or as that other one, John Home who makes one of his characters to say: "My name is Nerval on the Grampian hills, My father feeds his flocks." I loved to gaze upon the "rock-ribbed" lands, as the rapid tram whirled us through the grand old country. 235 In my mind, I had always associated Scotland and her heroes, to some extent, with Switzerland and her freedom loving sons; the Highlands and beautiful lakes of Scotland, reminded me of the mountain decliveties of the little republic, with her splashing, dashing water falls, rippling streams and enchanting blue lakes. And, who can read of Wallace and Bruce ; of the former, of their romantic daring, astounding acts of heroism, for libery, and not think of William Tell and Arnold Von Winkelried of the latter, who defied tyj^ants and even death itself, in behalf of the same. Let not my readers, however, imagine, for a moment, that all my race pride is, swallowed up in my admiration of and love for England and Scotland ; for, unfashionable as it may be, in some parts of the world, at present, it is, nevertheless, historically and metaphysically true; the Negro, is descended from an antiquity, ante-dating even that of some of our most powerful and favored na- tions of the present day and the continent of Africa can lay claim to a climate, in some of its parts, and relics of past wealth and grandeur which fill travelers with aston- ishment and awe. The great Bishop Heber, when he wrote "Where Afric's sunny fountains Roll do\\'n their golden sands," realized a part of this at least, and who can doubt, that when John Milton wrote these ravishing words, following, that, he too, had Africa in mind : "Now gentle gales, Fanning their odoriferous wings dispense Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole Those balmy spoils." —"Paradise Lost"; Book 4, Page 118. 236 The Africans were always brave in war; for we read in the records of the Crusades, that, under one of those brave captains, fighting for the holy cross, valorous deeds were done, by his Negro troops ; and centuries before that in Homer's time, Virgil speaks of them as having been in the great review, before the walls of Troy. In Book 1, line 489, Virgil says: "Eoas acies et nigri Memmonis arma." Those eastern ranks and the black arms of Memnon : and the learned commentator tells us that, Memnon, the son of Tithonus and Aurora, and nephew of Priam, came with both Oriental and Ethiopian forces, to the succor of Troy, and was slain by Achilles : and I can never forget the eloquent tribute paid by the late Senator Roscoe Conkling of New York, when, speaking in the Garfield campaign, he said, "Their fathers fought and subdued lions and tigers, in the forests of Africa, when our an- cestors were yet in ignorance." Of the Egyptian antiquities, the oldest monuments show the Negro and negroid features. The Sphinx, the age of which is so far back that, it has not as yet been ascertained, has the features of the Negro. One of the modern commentators in speaking of its nebulous age, says, the priests of Nera supposed it to represent Horus, to hold up its head and catch the first light of his father, Ra — the rising sun. In my own native land, the United States of America, the success of the Negro is oven now puzzling the biolo- gists; for, he not only increased numerically, while, for two hundred and fifty years, he was driven, under the yoke of slavery, but, since his manumission, v/ithout "jewels of silver or jewels of gold," he has increased in numbers at an alarming rate, (to some people), reduced his illiteracy to a minimum, where he has had a fair op- 237 portunity, voted for the welfare of the repubHc, and he- roically fought and died for "Democracy!" Save the mark. Unlike the Indian, the white man's civilization cannot kill him. On the contrary, he thrives in the midst of it. He has followed the white man everywhere, even to the top of the earth, and it looks as if, in the wisdom and mercy of Almighty God, the two races are destined, side by side, to work out their destiny, upon this Ameri- can stage of action. But, let us return again, to Scotland, the home of brave men, bonnie lassies, of poets, historians, philoso- phers, theologians and humanitarians. Here was the home of Hume-Maccaulay, Carlyle, Livingstone, Allan Ramsay, John Knox, Bobbie Burns, James Boswell, Sir Walter Scott and many others. I was met at the station by several members of the society in Edinburgh, and escorted to No. 5 Malta Ter- race, where resided Mrs. Frances M. Saleeby, the widow of a gentleman who, when teaching in Syria, fell — lit- erally, from the ''house top," and lost his life. Mrs. Saleeby is the mother of two noble sons — Frank, late deceased, and Caleb W. Saleeby, M. D. F. R. S. (Edin), who is the author of several voluminous works, on medico- philosophic and biological subjects, which are read around the civilized world. In the home of Mrs. Salesby, I did not lack for any comfort; the two sons, then boys, surrendered to my use during my stay, their own bed room; and little Frank acted as my guide; to make sure that nothing worthy of notice escaped my attention, in the famous city; while the mother, assisted by some of her many friends, ar- ranged a series of entertainm.ents, for my pleasure and profit. My coming had been heralded, to some extent, and a meeting to be held in the Carrubbers Close, in the High Street, almost contiguous to the old John Knox residence, 238 had been amply advertised. On the occasion of the meet- ing, I had the honor of addressing a large audience of Scotch men and women, for the first time, on their *'na- tive heath." Invitations to social functions were numerous, and kept me busy. Amongst those who extended these courtesies to me were Mr. and Mrs. Sangster and family, who had recently, returned to Great Britain, after an ab- sence of thirty-five years in government service, in India ; it was an intelligent and very interesting family. An- other was Mr. Marshall and daughter, of 4 East Castle Street, who gave me a ''Drawing Room." That is to say, the parlors were furnished with chairs, to accommodate a numerous audience and a personage of known promi- nence in the community presided. When the invited guests are all seated, the chairman, in a few "well chosen words," introduces the guest of the occasion; who, in an address of some thirty minutes, makes known his mission and the causes sustaining it. At the conclusion of the speech, he answers such ques- tions as may be propounded to him. Then, any brief com- ments are indulged in by individuals in the audience, which may seem apropos ; after that, light refreshments are partaken of, and the Drawing Room is ended. Mrs. J. Miller of York Place, a near relative of the late John Bright, next received me. It was on the occa- sion of a drawing room given in honor of Rev. Dr. Laws, who, at that time, had been a missionary on the west coast of Lake Nyanza, for nineteen years. I spoke, by invitation, for ten minutes, on the subject— "The Col- ored American." Mrs. Miller is( or was, I know not whether she be still living) the daughter of the late Duncan McLaren, who represented Edinburgh for fifteen years in the House of Parliament. His widow was a sister of the late John Bright; one of Mrs. Miller's brothers as was a Lord Jus- 239 tice of Scotland ; and another, Walter Stowe Bright ; Mc- Laren, was in Parliament. Mrs. Elizabeth Pease Nichol, of Huntley Lodge, Napier Road, Merchiston, Edin; signally honored me, by inviting me to call on her. Mrs. Pease was, at that time eighty-six years of age. She was a beautiful elderly lady, with a fair complexion and silvery-white hair; and, was totally blind; but, with mental faculties quite un- clouded. Her late husband, Professor John Pringle Nichol, was associated with The University of Glasgow, for many years; and was famous, as an astronomer; some of the treatises written on that science being three books, en- titled Views of the Architecture of the Heavens, The Stellar Universe, and The Planetary System. Mrs. Nichol, in her active life, had been the intimate acquaintance and friend of the late WilKam Lloyd Gar- rison, who was her guest, for two weeks, on the occasion of his visit to Scotland. She had two portraits of Mr. Garrison, hanging on her walls; and, also a marble bust of him; and, even then, being "stone" blind and almost ninety years of age, she was in regular correspondence with his sons ; and kept fully advised as to public affairs. Mrs. Nichol was proud of the fact that, both she and her husband had met the great Irish patriot, Daniel O'Connell, on several occasion:^; and had travelled in the same railway coach with him, on one occasion. She stated that O'Connell v*^as very gallant in her company; and oc- cupied much of the time in conversing with her. She spoke of his ''sweet Irish accent." I suggested, ''brogue," but, she replied, "No, it was not a brogue — it was "a sweet Irish accent!" One statement made by O'Connell, during their con- versation, she said, had made a lasting impression on her mind — referring to capital punishment; O'Connell said he had always favored it; until, on one occasion, three 240 brothers were condemned and duly executed; although, protesting their innocence. At the scaffold, their mother fainted away, in a dead fit; and after the execution, it was discovered that they were innocent. Frederick Douglass and all the great American abolitionists were well known to her; and, ad- mired by her. She had two house servants and a "maid;" one of the servants had been in her employ forty-one years, and was treated as one of the family ; the other had been with her twenty-nine years, and was held in very high esteem. This grand old lady was bitterly opposed to vivisec- tion of dumb animals and all other needless cruelties to them ; and she still held in pleasant remembrance, a faith- ful dog, which, for seventeen years, was the constant com- panion of herself and husband; his grave was in her yard; and a head-stone bore an inscription, as to his friendli- ness and fidelity. She has long since gone to her rest; where, all eyes are opened, and she now sees her Lord and Master, "face to face." This story would be singularly imperfect, did it fail to make particular mention of Miss Eliza Wigham, of No. 4 S. Gray Street, Edin. ; where she had been (in that iden- tical house) , from her birth, at the time when I first met her — she was then seventy-five; and, well preserved in health. Miss Wigham informed me, that, in twenty-five years, she had not suffered a day's sickness. She was a mem- ber of the Society of Friends, Quakers ; and, in conversa- tion, she used their accustomed "thee" and "thou." Her sympathies for the poor, the afflicted and the oppressed, were as wide and as deep as is suffering and need universal ; the roll of membership list of every elee- mosynary society and institution in Edinburgh bore her well known name. 241 She had, through her individual efforts, estabUshed a "Penny Banking and Depositing Institution," of which she was the sole coi-porate existence; and the poor of that city, both adults and children, were accustomed to entrust to her keeping, without any security whatever, their small earnings, consisting of a few pennies each; and, in some instances, even a single penny. By so doing, in time, each one had a small account with her, which was surrendered, on demand. In a single year, Miss Wigham had ten thousand transactions, along this line; of which she kept a simple account, without any assistance; often sitting up until three and four o'clock in the mci ning. During the anti-slavery agitations, in both England and The United States, she was a great power in behalf of the oppressed; and her acquaintance with all the anti- slavery workers was very extended. Her library, which was large and well selected, contained in it, a number of books by colored authors, and much information concern- ing Africa and its inhabitants. One of the books, written by a colored man, which I scanned, was that of John Box Brown. I asked her why the author bore such a unique name. She answered, that he was so dubbed, because he had escaped from slavery, nailed up in a box ; so, they named him for the box ! One of her dearest associates and friends was Mrs. Patterson, wife of Doctor Maurice Patterson of 7 Hatton Place, Grange, Edin. One son of these distinguished people, Mr. R. H. Patterson v>^as, at that time, a student at law, in the University of Edinburgh ; and he was also the local secretary of The Society for the Recognition of the Universal Brotherhood of Man. When I spoke of the "Whips and scorns of time, The oppressor's v/rongr, the proud man's contumeley, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes," 242 her eyes filled with tears, while the others cried, *'0, for shame! for shame!" I must not protract these individual sketches, tho the temptation to do so is great. One of the dwellings I loved to gaze upon, at times, was that of Sir William Simpson, the discovery of chloro- form, which all the victims of the operating table will rise up and call, "blessed." In taking a rapid stroll through the streets and sub- urbs of Edinburgh, the objects of historic interest are so numerous and interesting as to fill one with astonishment. There, in the High Street, is the former residence of the late John Knox, the inflexible Presbyterian preacher of eternal damnation ; whose denunciations of sin caused the unfortunate Queen Mary of Scotland, to tremble; next door, is The Carrubbers Close, of which I have spoken, the Peoples Temple, built, in the first instance, through the efforts of the late Dwight L. Moodie; and, after- wards enlarged, if I mistake not, through the generosity of the late Andrew Carnegie. Not far removed from here, is the grand, old church of St. Giles, in which John Knox, more than three hun- dred years ago, preached. It has undergone changes on the interior ; but, it still maintained its original form and dignity, on the outside. I heard an able and eloquent ser- mon preached in this church, while in Edinburgh. In the neighborhood, not far removed, stands Edin- burgh Castle, now, unfit for m.artial purposes ; but, of ab- sorbing interest, in the light of ancestral days. What most interested me v/as, not the tower, the keep or the antiquated, big gun ; but, the cunning little dog cemetery, w'here lie the remains of a number of dogs, duly marked with slabs, bearing inscriptions on them. Down at the other end of the old High Street, is Holy Rood Palace, once the home of royalty; but, now, only 243 a curious relic of the past. In going to the palace, one passes through the ''Canon Gate" — so called, we are told, because, King David I, in the twelfth century, founded the Abbey of Holy Rood, and gave the canons of the ab- bey the right to build a suburb between their church and the rock upon which stands the Castle ; and it is from this grant to the canons, that the name of Canon Gate is de- rived. Down, under the high, steep rock on w^hich stands the old castle, is the ''Grass Market." Here, for a long, long time criminals were executed; and, I suspect, some who were not criminals. Many, for conscience sake, were tortured and killed, by those who "verily believed that they did God service." It has been the way of the world ; it is still the way of the world. The ruins, on Calton Hill, are a sight to behold. They remind one of the relics of some former Greek or Roman temple. It seems that, an effort was made, by a past generation of the good people of Edinburgh to build, on the summit of this high hill, a monument, at once great and ornamental; but, for some cause which I did not ascertain, the undertaking fell through; and there, the good beginnings still lie, in evidence. Arthurs Seat, another high rocky hill, in the very shadow of which Holy Rood Castle stands, is an object of curiosity; and many young tourists climb to the summit of it ; whence they can view, not "all the kingdoms of the earth," but, all of Edinburgh and much of the surround- ing country. This writer "mounted" it ; and was well re- paid for the effort, by the beautiful and grand scenery which confronted him. Returning to the home of Mrs. Saleeby, my hostess, we were abundantly refreshed and entertained by gentle social functions; and the hours sped rapidly and pleas- antly. One of the objects attracting my attention and greatly 244 interesting me was a 'Tish wife" which I will here speak of briefly. The fish wife is not attractive to the eye of the average male, tho, I suppose, in her settlement, she has those who admire, woo, and marry her. She is "short and stout" in appearance ; an effect which is not lessened by the fact that, she wears, from eight to ten heavy woolen skirts, as we are informed by the knowing ones. She carries fish in a basket or ''creel," which, rests on her hips, behind ; — the bundle of clothes, v/hich she wears breaks the weight on her back and protects her kidneys. The weight of her load, at times, amounts to 100 and 150 pounds. A strap attached to the sides of the creel, passes over her forehead; and, bending forward, she thus, sus- tains and carries the heavy load. These hard working women live together in hamlets ; and are very exclusive. They intermarry; which gives rise to physical defects and malformations, to their dis- advantage. We are told that, the weight of the loads carried by them, flattens the pelvis, and they are de- livered with difficulty. The retina of the eye is, to some extent, disorganized ; which is laid at the door of their marriages, often between blood relatives. The fishermen, in these settlements, seem to regard their duty as being fully performed, when thej; have landed the fish, and they will stand and lean against a post, while the women lug the heavy loads to the top of the bluff. After that, the women are obliged to peddle the fish about the town. Before taking leave of Edinburgh, it was suggested that I visit the great Forth Bridge ; and, also, run up to the thrifty town of Kirkliston, the home of Rev. R. A. Lendrum and his talented and agreeable wife ; and, in ac- cordance with the suggestion, I accomplished both facts. The Forth Bridge is one of the engineering wonders of the world; and is well worth the small time and trouble 245 required to visit and behold it. It is related, that, during- the time of its construction, a town was built and inhab- ited in the vicinage, where thousands of workmen, with their families, in some instances, resided, until the great work was completed. In order that my readers may have some conception of the size and nature of this great structure, the follow- ing fig-ures are given: "It is a cantilever arch and truss bridge, containing two spans, each span is 1710 feet, in the clear, or 100 feet more than the clear span of the famous bridge, between New York and Brooklyn. The total length of the bridge is '8,091 feet, and the center is supported by Inch Garvie, a little island. The abutments, on Garvie, consist of four steel pillars, 60 feet in diameter, and sunk down to the solid rock. The floor of the bridge is 150 feet above the vvater, and there is a depth of 200 feet of water under the center of the great spans". This wonder- ful bridge connects North Queensferry v/ith South Queensferry, and is about nine miles from Edinburgh. At Kirkliston, I was the guest of Rev. and Mrs. Len- drum, and was entertained at the Manse, which is the parish house of the Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. Lendrum was the pastor. Rev. Lendrum had served a church some where, in the United States, prior to my visit to Scotland ; and was quite f amjliar Vv^ith conditions relating to us, colored peo- ple, in our native land. However, this fact did not pre- vent either him or his good wife from treating me, in every respect, like a gentleman. Mrs. Lendrum, in the course of our conversations, often refered to John Knox Bokwe; she played and sang one or more of his musical compositions, and gave re- miniscences of his conversation, w^hen, on an occasion, he too, was a guest at the Manse. Finally I asked her, 246 *'of what nationality is Mr. Bokwe?" She informed me that he was a Kafir Negro! Secretary to the mission at Lovedale, Cape Colony, South Africa. Imagine my sur- prise! From the laudations and frequent mention made of him, I had concluded that, he was some white man of intellectual and social standing. So much for having spent my whole life in a different social sphere of action. The meeting at Kirkliston was a grand success. The audience was large and the display of interest was reas- suring. The pastor and his wife maintained two servants. and kept a beautiful cozy home. Rev. and Mrs. Lendrum, to my surprise, expressed a wish that I were black. He remarked, that, many of the Scotch and English young men and women v/ere prepar- ing for the Mission fields of Africa, and that, they were led into the service by the love of Christ, having no further interest in the Negro. As to the numbers of can- didates, I had much information, for, when I visited difi'erent departments of the great University of Edin- burgh I conversed with a goodly number of the students, of both sexes ; and, to my agreeable suiprise, I found that a large percentage of them were preparing for the Afri- can mission field. My duties being performed now, in Edinburgh and vicinity, I reluctantly, took my leave of the many dear friends, within her walls, who had done so much for my pleasure and instruction; especially, m.y very dear friend Mrs. Saleeby — and her two bright sons. Little did I sur- mise then, that later on — 15 years later on, she would be domiciled at Chaseside Villa, Winchmore Hill, near London, while this writer and his dear wife, now deceased, v/ould be, temporarily, in London ; and that, the social re- lations between us would be renewed and continued, down to the present date — 27 years from our first acquaintance.. CHAPTER XIII. DUNDEE— ABERDEEN— HUNTLY— GLASGOW. It was with a feeling akin to awe, that I entered the ancient city of Dundee, Scotland; for I had often heard a dear old hymn, called, ''Old Dundee," sung in my child- hood; and, besides, a few years previous to my visit, 1 had read, in far away America, of the total collapse of a long railway bridge, which spanned the Firth of Tay, when a train, which was crossing it, disappeared from, sight; and not one of its human freight was left to tell the sad, sad story. James Thomson, Esq., LL. B., Solicitor and Notary Public — a real Scotsman, — a "right good fellow," in the fullest acceptation of the term, and as humanitarian and patriotic as any man who walks God's green earth, met me at the station, and escorted me to his handsome resi- dence, carrying my satchel in his hand, a part of the time. I was quite fortunate ; and deemed myself highly hon- ored, in meeting Mrs. Thomson, the talented and versatile wife of Mr. Thomson, and the Mother of two beautiful children, James and a sister. The day following my arrival, Mrs. Thomson suggest- ed, that we take a stroll through the business portion of the city (in the center of which, I afterwards learned, by the way, her husband owned extensive holdings) , so that she could point out to me the principal objects of interest, including the Museum and Art Gallery. I suspect, my en- thusiasm was not in evidence, to the extent that she an- 248 ticipated, whereupon, she exclaimed, ''Senator Green, I am afraid you do not appreciate my invitation!" Of course, I assured her, in most positive terms, that the contrary was true ; arid we sallied forth on, what proved to be one of the most enjoyable urban rambles of my whole life. Here is an "aside," for my American readers. The social manners of Europe, and especially Scotland, were so at variance with what I had been accustomed to in my na- tive land, that, frequently, 1 hesitated for a moment, until I could make sure that I was not obtruding myself, in any respect, for, social intercourse is so absolutely predicated upon congeniality, that, to push or shove one's self into a circle where he is not wanted, is to my mind not only in bad taste, but, reprehensible. I found Dundee to be a large, populous and wealthy city, with substantial, ornamental buildings, for business purposes, as well as for residential uses. The home of my guests, Mr. and Mrs. Thomson, was no exception to the rule; and, while being entertained therein, I felt that all my efforts, during my life time, to rise above the sad condition in which the failure and death of our dear de- ceased father had plunged us, had been cro\vned with success; and that, the kindly attentions of my wealthy and refined entertainers, was the culmination of a full fruition, in that behalf. In referring to my memorandum book, which I carried with me at that time — twenty-seven years ago — I find this memorandum: "James Thomson, Esq., LL. B., Solicitor, etc. and his good wife of No. 1 Hyndford Ter- race, are of the elite of Dundee, and are elegantly domi- ciled, in an imposing stone masion, which contains all the modern improvements and many of the luxuries which wealth can afford. Mrs. Thomson is an earnest, con- scientious, Christian lady, the mother of two children, a boy and a girl. The foraier, named for his father, is about three years of age, while the latter is nine months 249 only. James is quite ''fleshy," and handsome, but at present, is "cabin'd and cribbed,", compelled to keep off his feet, until his bones harden, a little more. Everything that broad minds, big hearts, great souls and good breeding can suggest, is being done for me, by these kind people. I can never repay them. I may mention here, that, my meeting in the evening was a marked success; since, it was presided over by the ''provost" of the city, and had the matchless services of Mrs. Margaret M. A. Steele, of Shanghai, Victoria Place, West Ferry, Dundee, in its behalf, who went so far as to distribute dodgers, advertising the meeting in the streets of the city. Further comment would seem un- necessary. James Thompson, Junior, grew up to man's estate and was generously educated, having a diploma from one of the leading Universities of Scotland. His specialty was Journalism, in which sphere of action he was making comm.endable progress, as well as in that of public speak- ing, and, he bid fair to honor not only his profession but his family and country, also. Then came that howling tempest, the so-called, "World War." "Sonorous metal blowing martial sounds; At which the universal host up sent A shout that tore hell's concave; and, beyond, Frightened the reign of Chaos and old Night." — Paradise Lost, Line 540. ***** "Oh dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon, Irrecoverably dark, total eclipse, Without all hope of day!" Sampson Agonistes, Line 80. This brave, talented son of Britain, "went to war," — for true Democracy. He gave all he had, after being commissioned for bravery — his life. He did his bit. "Greater love than this, hath no man." 250 At this late day, it can be said of my dear, good friend, lSli\ Thomson, and his family : Mrs. Thomson and the family, are all attending Uni- versity classes, the eldest boy (second son), at Glasgow, is studying for the ministry ; the other two children are studying at the University College, at Dundee. All busily engaged in making life woi-th living. Long life and abundant prosperity to them, all, is my prayer. Perhaps, I should miention the fact, that, a few rods from the location of the piers on which rested the long bridge, which formerly spanned the Firth of Tay, is an- other mxore modern and stronger. Down to this writing, it has withsood all the storms and hurricanes which have assailed it ; nor have they been able to prevail against it. The au revoirs having been said, again I am enroute ; this time for the ''granite city,"— Aberdeen, v>^ell up to- wards the North of Scotland. It was a delightful ride, that, through that picturesque highland country, v^dth its furze covered slopes and beloved thistles, for which the land is so noted; and there were in evidence, as we flew along, the uncanny, but comfortable "crofters" lodges with the "ben" in one end and the "butt," in the other) , the inmates of which can live anywhere else in the world as well as in Scotland, for, with the payment of five dollars per annum for an acre of land, which must be "stoned," just as peaches or cherries are "stoned," before a crop of turnips or oats can be produced on it, if they can pro- cure the necessities of life, to say nothing of the com- forts and luxuries, they can live and thrive anywhere. The turnip crop insures abundance of food for the fine sheep to nibble at, which foretells a good crop of wool for the world reputed Scotch tweeds and other valu- able cloths, guaranteed to be "all wool and a yard wide". Then, too, I am informed that, occasionally, the turnip is not to be despised as an article of food for the table, when properly cooked; and the marmalade factories 251 which give remunerative employment to hosts of pretty lassies, in Aberdeen and elsewhere, claim a goodly por- tion of them. As for the oats, who, that knows Scotland, can be at a loss as to the use made of them! I know of but one other staple food in the world, that is served, as food, in as many different ways as oats are, in this happy, content- ed land. I refer to the maccaroni of the Italians, for, I have eaten and seen this delicious dish, not only served as stews and fries and what not, on the table, but also, wrapped in gilded and decorated paper, and exposed for sale as a delicacy, on the shelves and counters of the confectioner. Ere long the train, which had lost no time, drew into the depot, and the pleasing call of "Aberdeen!" saluted our ears. In waiting, and expectant, was Dr. George Fer- dinands, an occulist by profession, and friend and adviser to the late Mrs. Isabella Fyvie Mayo; who, during her lifetime, under the nom de plume of "Edv/ard Garrett," gave to the reading world a series of about thirty-five volumes of stories. At the home of Mrs. Mayo, whose guest I was, a hearty welcome was extended to me, and great good cheer was my portion. While my hostess did, in every consistent way, what she could to make my Aberdonian visit a success, it is to Doctor Ferdinands my gratitude is principally due, for many hours of his precious time, consecrated to my happiness and benefit. Introductions to the late John Leith, Esq., a heavy manufacturer of Scotch tweeds and other clothiis, and who, by the way, out of his abundance, financed my trip to Aberdeen and promoted the successful meetings which I addressed, while in that beautifully quaint city, I say quaint ; yes, for not only were the warehouses and dwell- ings built of granite — closely resembling our "quincy" granite, but even the out-houses, for the use of the cattle 252 and poultry, were constructed of the same, which gave to the city not only the appearance of solidity, but, of thrift both of which were in accordance with fact. Then there were Rev. Mr. Mackay, prominent in church and every helpful endeavor, and Rev. Mr. Duncan, an elderly, yet very eloquent speaker. Rev. Mr. Mackay in the course of his remarks, at the rDawing Room, which was given in my honor at the home of Mr. John Leith, where there were many invited guests, said — that, he had been informed, that, in the East, v/hen a v/hite wo- man marries a native or black man, she is socially ta- booed and pricked with bodkins, by her white sisters ; sent into ''Coventry," so to speak.This occasioned apparently considerable surprise ; considering that, the Orientals are so thoroughly mixed with the African blood, and so many representatives of the race are still to be found in the harems of the sultans and others, in both Turkey and Arabia. But not one word reflecting on the colored race was uttered. Mrs. Mayo, proved herself to be quite a story-teller; which, by the way, I noticed to be one of the pleasing characteristics of the Scotch people, w^herever I went. Here is one which I regard as being full of humor as well as suggestive of the rugged life of the remote Highlander. A guest, traveling in the Highlands, was, suddenly taken seriously ill, and requested the services of a physician. Whereupon, she was informed that, the nearest doctor resided at a distance of seventeen miles. "Why, how in- convenient and dangerous that is," she answered. ''What do you do in an emergency, when one's life is imperilled?" "Well," the maid replied, "we jest have ter dee a nacheral deeth!" Another of Mrs. Mayo's stories, which I subsequently found in Dean Ramsey's book of Scotch stories, is, in substance as follows : A Scottish lad experienced so much embarrassment in "popping the question," that, he took 253 his sweetheart to the family lot in the ancient cemetery; and, while standing with her by the graves of his ances- tors, he significantly, said: "Jennie, how Vv'ad ye like ter hae the richt ter lie there?" Also, the following story seems quaint and full of quiet humor. A young man went with his ''intended," to the minister, for the purpose of getting married, but, once there, he refused to permit the "knot" to be tied, "because, he said, he had taken a "scunner" to his "in- tended." Subsequently, they went again to the parson, for the same purpose; but no nuptials were celebrated, for the reason that, she had taken a "scunner" to the man. A third time they appeared before the man-of-God ; but the marriage failed, because, he himself, had taken a "scunner to both of them!" Before leaving Aberdeen, Mr. John Leith invited me to speak, on Sunday, at the P. S. A. — Pleasant Sunday Afternoon, of which he w^as the Superintendent, and to a great extent the soul. This was one of the most pleasing- functions of my entire visit to Aberdeen; for, not only large numbers of children and sweet-faced youths were in attendance, filling the big auditorium to repletion, but, also there was sw^eet music rendered, both vocal and instrumental, which carried one's mind Heavenward. 1 heard for the first time, the musical rendition of Tenny- son's beautiful verses, beginning, "Twilight and Evening Star," by a quartette, of which Mr. Leith's talented and useful daughter was one. Her deep, rich and resonant con- tralto v*^as the chief feature of the rendition and I can never forget it. I am loth to conclude this brief notice of Mr. Leith and his family, without recording a beautiful legend of the Christ, w^hich he related with telling effect; this leg- end is said to have been found amongst some ancient documents, in the year 1903. "It happened that the Lord went forth and walked 254 with his disciples over the mountains. They came to a mountain, and the road which led to it was steep. There they found a man with a sumpter-mule. (That is a mule which carries necessaries for a journey). But the animal had fallen, for the burden was too heavy, and he beat it so that it bled. And Jesus came to him and said, ''Man, why dost thou beat thy animal? Seest thou not that it is too weak for its burden, and knowest thou not that it suffers pain?" 'What is that to you? I can beat it as much as I please, seeing that. I own it; and, I bought it for a good sum of money." '' * * ''Do you not notice how it bleeds, and hear you not how it laments and cries?" re- phed Jesus. ''Nay, Lord," was the answer, "w^e hear not how it laments and cries." And the Lord was sad; and, exclaimed, "Woe to you, that ye hear not how it complains to the Creator in Heaven, and cries for mercy ; but three times vvoe to him of whom it complains and cries in dis- tress!" And he came forth and touched the animal, and it rose ; and it wounds were healed, and Jesus said to the man, "Now, go on, and beat it no more, that you, also, may find mercy". However, my appointment for Huntly, far north, in Scotland, demanded my departure; and, ere long, with my dear, new-macfe friend Dr. George Ferdinands, by my side, we w^ere enroute to that ancient home of the Gor- dons, noted in history, story and song, for deeds com- mendable and the reverse. To attempt to recall any of the deeds of the earls and lords of Gordon, w^ould be tiresome to the reader; and reference must be made by the reader, to — Humxe, Micaulay, Froude, Lingard, Green or Dickens' histories of England, for full information. Enough to say that old Gordon Castle, imposing and strong, is still standing in the suburbs of Huntly; which probably, had its origin from the presence of the Castle and its titled inmates, dating from the year, 1603. In Huntley, we were the guests of Rev. and Mrs. 255 Templeton, who were both of the social eUte, educated and respected. My lecture was delivered in the Kirk, over which Mr. Templeton presided, with dignity and satis- faction. The attendance was large and the spirit of liberty manifested, was in keeping with the well- known Scotch character. Amongst those present, of especial note, were Mr. William Simpson and his good wife. Mr. Simpson was the proprietor of the book store of the town; which seem'd to be well stocked with modern and rare books. A typical Scotsman, really it is worth the price of the trip to the Highlands, if only to meet with representatives of this brave picturesque people. I can never forget, my first night spent in Edinburgh; when, I saw and heard, in the Market Place, almost under the shadow of the Scott Monument, a numerous band (?) or should I say "clan" of bag-pipers! This certainly was an experience which ought to have made the ''canonized bones" of Sir Walter Scott," hearsed in death, * * burst their cerements," for joy; for, the like of it I never expect to hear again. On the day following my lecture, in Huntley, Doctor Ferdinands, chaperoned by Miss Annie Bennett, a pretty and lovable Scottish lassie, conducted me to the ruins (?) of Gordon Castle; which, as regards the exterior, cannot be called "ruins". As to the interior, the walls were cold and bare, *'No light no fire." "Cold on the hearth the last faint spark had expired." Dean Ramsay tells a humorous and suggestive story, which carries us back to the last Duke of Gordon, and proves that conditions in the old castle were never com- fortable in accordance with our modern, civilized iden. David Tullach, tenant in Drumbenan, under the second and third Dukes of Gordon, had been "out" in the 45 or the loth, or both, and was a great favorite of his respec- tive landlords. One day, David, having attended the youn^ lady, Susan Gordon (afterwards Duchess of Manchester) 256 to the ''Chapel" at Huntly, David, perceiving that her ladyship had neither hassock or carpet to protect her garments from the earthen floor, respectfully spread his plaid, for the young lady to kneel upon, and the sei-vice proceeded; but when the prayer for the King and Royal Family was commenced, David, unceremoniously, drew, or rather "twitched" the plaid from under the knees of the astonished lady, exclaiming, "The diel a one shall pray for them on my plaid!" Down, by the foundation of the Castle, dashes and splashes a clear rippling brook, spanned by a stone arch, over which we passed, to the other side. Suddenly, I missed the Doctor's lively companion; but, only for a moment; for, quicker than I can write this story, she appeared again, bearing in her hands a bunch of pretty wild flowers, which were growing almost on the edge of the crystal stream. With all the grace of another Hebe of classic fame, she presented them to this writer, as a token of the good wishes of herself and the friends, for the cause which, I, in some sense, represented. For many years, I kept them; and, it may be, that, to this day, they are tucked in one of my packages, souvenirs of that eventful trip. But, "time and tide wait for no man!" we had to leave. I felt sure that the doctor was counting the min- utes, — aye — the hours. On the day following our return to Aberdeen, I bade a fond and loving adieu to the good friends, who had added so much of pleasure to my life, and turned my face in the direction that great hive of industry — Glas- gow, where the wonderful "steel leviathans" are built, which plow the seas, in all sections and climes of the habitable globe. Enroute, a repetition of mountain and vale and lake and rippling stream, and nibbling flocks and herds were inevidence; and old "Benachie," a veritable "storm- 257 king," reared his snow-capped head to kiss the clouds. And much more of this. Finally, after hours of diversion the tallest spires, then the highest buildings, and after that, the dwelling houses of the great city could be dis- cerned, and, behold, we were in the midst of the great city on the River Clyde. At the station, in waiting .to receive me, w^as Mr. Wil' liam G. Smeal, of Monteith Row. A gentleman of culture and large means, wlio had as his business the wholesale importation of teas. Mr. Smeal and his interesting family were elegantly domiciled, and, in other respects, gave evidence of being one of the foremost social factors of Glasgow. Mrs. Smeal was somewhat deaf, and expressed some fear that, I w^ould be unable to speak loud enough for her to hear me, at the meeting which was scheduled for the following evening. I am pleased to record here, that, after the meeting, she exclaimed wdth every appearance of pleasure, "Mr. Green, I heard every word you said!" My pleasure was reciprocal, for, they both exerted themselves to make my stay in the city pleasant and instructive. Mr. Smeal was thoroughly imbued with the anti- slavery spirit, and from his conversations, he was a man who had drunk deep at the same fountain where our im- mortal Jefferson had quenched his thirst, for the prin- ciples of liberty and manhood rights. Later on, after my return to the United States, he mailed to me a little book, ancient in appearance, w^hicE contained the Report of the House of Commons on the African Slave Trade. It is the only one I have ever seen; and since it was pub- lished in the latter part of the 18th Century, I suspect it is rarely met with. During the following day, Mr. Smeal, dedicated most of his valuable time to showing me the vast plants for the building of ocean ships and their furnishings, which I viewed with a degree of astonishment akin to 258 awe, and afterwards, he escorted me to the ancient Cath- edral, and conducting me to the basement or crypt, he pointed out the identical pillar behind which, tradition informs us, Rob Roy, Sir Walter Scott's interesting bor- der highwayman, concealed himself when he found that, ''discretion was the better part of valor." In passing through the humble parts of Glasgow, the inordinate use of spiritous liquors was easily appar- ent ; even the women, who, in some sections thronged the back streets, showed unmistakable signs of intoxication. These women, in many instances, carried babies on their back, secured by the close-drawn folds of their shawls. It was a sorry spectacle which made a lasting impres- sion on my mind, which the lapse of twenty-seven years has not obliterated. Some of the little ones who ''toddled" by the side of their neglectful mothers, presented a spec- tacle which was, by no means, re-assuring, for, in numer- ous instances, they were malformed by the "rickets," or some other sign of physical degeneracy. After a pleasant visit of some forty-eight hours, I turned my face, once more in the direction of Liveipool, where I duly, arrived, and, without the loss of much time, returned to the great metropolis — London, the capital of the great British Empire, he greatest empire of which we have heard or read. Upon the whole of which, the sun never sets. Great in territory, great in population, won- derful in resources and wealth ; which rules on sea as well as on land; and whose fall, if it is ever ordained to be, will overwhelm many more than those now under the Aegis of her government. 259 CHAPTER XIV WILLIAM MCKINLEY. Elsewhere in this narrative, I have spoken of our great and good martyr — President William McKinley; and my manner of speaking of him is such as to suggest that I considered him a personal friend. Now, I would not have anyone infer from any or all of my statements, that, the relations between either Governor McKinley or President McKinley and me were other than what might reasonably be expected between two men closely allied in the political arena. As for instance, when McKinley was Governor of Ohio, I was a senator, consent in ;^ to and confirming all of his appointments; and when he was President, I was at the head of a bureau, under his ad- ministration, by his appointment ; so that, great, big man as he was, he never dodged me or turned his back to me ; but, on the contrary, seemed to admire my efforts to rise and lent me (as many another) his countenance and support. To know McKinley was to admire and love him. He was so courteous and kind, gentle, unassuming, sincere, earnest and able, withal, that, he won his way into the hearts of even those whom he, politically opposed. And it was said, during his life time, he could send a man, whom he had refused away from his presence, without malice towards him and cheerful. 260 Here is a characteristic incident in his political career which tends to sustain my foregoing view of him. Walking around the north side of the Capitol building one morning, during my term in the Senate, I met Gov- ernor McKinley, "face to face." I raised my hat and ex- claimed: ''Good morning! How is my Governor this morning?" With all the urbanity of George Washington, who sa- luted a poor Negro who bowed to him, (because, as he said, he v/ould not allow a Negro slave to exceed him in politeness), the Governor answered: "Quite w^ell; how is my Senator, this morning?" On another occasion, when he was reviewing a great torchlight procession, from the upper balcony of the old Tod House of Youngstown, which was a demonstration solely in his honor, he invited me to stand by his side, while the procession was passing ; and afterwards, sat on the stage in the old rink, in the same city, and listened to me speak in behalf of a protective tariff! What greater condescension could there be than that? William Mc- Kinley, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, and author of the great McKinley Protective tariff law, listen- ing to an alleged argument, on the same subject, proceed- ing from the lips of a colored man — in the United States ! On another occasion, while I was employed in Wash- ington, the President was the invited guest of the late President J. E. Rankin of Howard University, of the same city, and the Faculty of the same, on the occasion of the graduating exercises of the class of the Law Depart- ment. It happened that, this writer was also invited to ad- dress the graduating class, on the same memorable occa- sion; and, being upon the platform, was seated on one side of Doctor Rankin, while the President was seated on the other side of him. The President was very gracious and kindly in his entire demeanor, on this occasion; and, aft- 261 er I finished my address to the graduating class, he reached his right arm around the back of Pres. Rankin, gi'asped my hand and congratulated me — in no uncertain manner. I am sure that the President was a true disciple of that political school of philosophy, the underlying prin- ciple of which is, ''Alvv^ays stand by your friends!" During the contest for the presidency, the colored speakers were invited and sent out into the country at large, by a committee of colored men at Chicago. I was well known to the chairman of that committee, between whom and me existed, as I supposed, friendly relations; hence, I was greatly surprised as the contest waxed warm, to find that he had completely ignored me, while he had used his station to "pick and choose," many per- sons, scarcely known, and had sent them out to "spell- bind" the voters. These facts coming to the attention of Mr. McKinley, he immediately wired to Mr. William Hahn, at headquar- ters, commanding him to, "Send out Mr. Green; see that he is well cared for!" I had no trouble after that; the eyes of the colored committee were opened; and, under the wing of Colonel Kerens, at St. Louis, I not only stumped Missouri, from St. Charles and Moberly, on the East, to Kansas City, on the West, but, I also addressed one of the noon-day business men's meetings of St. Louis, and Chicago. A few stories, relative to my experiences in "stumping, may be of interest to some of the younger portion of my readers. The first, relates to my experiences in a town of Mis- souri, during the first McKinley campaign. The National Committee assigned me to speak in a large town or small city, located in Central Missouri. When I reached the place, I was informed that no notice of the meeting had been given to the local Republican Committee; but, that, the only large hall available had 262 been engaged for a night meeting, to be addressed by a very distinguished gentleman, who was also stumping for the G. 0. P. In this contingency, I inquired of the local commit- tee, whether I might have the use of the hall during the afternoon of that day, provided I could secure the attend- ance of an audience; and receiving an affirmative an- swer, I immediately began to insure an audience. My first move was to have 500 "Dodgers" rushed, proclaiming the presence in the city of a ''colored sena- tor, from Ohio, who would speak at 3 p. m." I paid two boys to leave one of these dodgers in the hands of every person except one; which, I may say, was done, in good faith. The next move was to have a man display a pla- card, to the same effect, through all the downtown streets.^ ringing a bell, in the meantime. Needless to say, at my afternoon meeting I had an attentive audience, largely white, which tested the capac- ity of the hall. And, by general request, at the night meeting, I divided the time with the distinguished gentle- man, much to his satisfaction. Another experience, which I deem worthy of notice was incidental to my West Virginia stumping tour during the same campaign. I was enroute to the pretty town of Moorefield, West Virginia, the county seat of Hardy county, nestled amongst the foot-hills of the Allegheny Mountains, twenty miles distant from Romney, which was a town of some importance. Green Springs, eight or ten miles distant from Rom-, ney, was the nearest station on the B. & 0. Raihvay, be- tween which and Romney ran occasionally a railway car for the accommodation of all. Sad to relate, I was com- pelled to wait five and a half (5 1-2) hours, at the station for the "train" for Romney! As I, at that time, wore -^ 263 silk hat and Prince Albeii; coat, I was, at that place, easily the cynosure of the few eyes which beheld me. A hardy mountaineer approached me, when the fol- lowing colloquy ensued: Native: **Aint you the man who'se goin' ter Mo-fiel (meaning Moorefield) ter talk ter our N'g — s?" The writer: *'I am on my way to Moorefield to dehver a political address, to all who wish to listen to it." Native: 'Well, ain't you afeerd to go thar and talk ter our N'g — s? We ain't in the habit of havin' our N'g — s interfeered with, by strangers!" The writer: "No, I am not afraid. And I am going to speak there. If I am ill-treated the whole country will know about it; for I am a senator of the State of Ohio!" Native: "All right — stranger; go er hed. You know yer biznis — ^perhaps, better'n I do!" So saying, we separated. He to go his way. I, for Romney and Moorefield, twenty miles distant, beyond a deep mountain gap. When we, with our "horse and bug- gy," which, with the driver, I had hired in Pwomney, drove into Moorefield, my silk "tile" was as yellow as the dust of the mountain road; and, as for the remainder of my apparel, it was difficult to tell what it was made of. Mr. John N. Judy, Postmaster and sole white repub- lican in the corporate limits, received me; and, after a short conversation, he turned me over to Mr. George W. Strauther, late deceased, the colored teacher of the col- ored school of the town, who escorted me to his cozy home; where he and his beautiful and intelligent wife, gave me a royal welcome, until I left the town, on the follov/ing morning. , I was informed by my host and hostess, that, the native white politicians of the town had threatened to give me trouble if I attempted to speak in Moorefield; "but," said Mrs. Strauther, "Don't fear, Mr. Green. I will go to the Court house (where the meeting was held) with 264 you; and, if they harm you they will have to harm me, too." We sallied forth, at the appointed time. The Court room was filled, packed, galleries and all. The whites and the colored occupying opposite sides of the large room. My address was largely on economic subjects and coun- selled friendly relations between the two races, which all seemed to approve. But once in a while, notwithstanding, as if to punctuate the applause, which was frequent and hearty, ''buckshot" were showered on the heads of my colored auditors, who sat on the first floor. It was sad and disgraceful to see my dear "hearers" rubbing their heads. Yet, despite my efforts (for a wonder) I did not cry; but smiled, almost audibly. In the month of May, 1893, when making a brief so- journ in the City of Venice, Italy, I visited the famous Piazza St. Marco, and, in addition, the great Cathedral of Saint Marc, The Doge's Palace and the original Cam- panile Tower, now replaced by another since its collapse. I became so greatly interested in the wonderful bric- a-brac establishment of the Testolini Bros., that I sought a meeting with, and was introduced to one of the firm. He was quite entertaining and gave me much informa- tion pertaining to their wonderful wares. Abruptly, somewhat, in the course of our conversa- tion (for he spoke English, fluently), he said to me 'That countryman of yours, McKinley, what means he by 'America for Americans!' " Then I explained to him the difference between economic conditions in Europe and America, and endeavored to get him to subscribe to our Republican policy of giving to our wage-earners the "Full Dinner Pafl," for which McKinley pleaded, and a chance in the sunhght. He regretted that his house had no display at the Columbian Exposition for the reason, he said that Italy had made no adequate appropriation to enable her ^reat artisans to have a display. 265 Again, during the month of August, 1895, when, for the third time, I was sojourning in London, I read an article in the Daily News, intimating that, McKinley, by reason of his protective tariff views, was becoming un- popular, with the Repubhcan party. I immediately chal- lenged the statement, in a letter to the News, a brief summary of which was cabled to the United States, and published by the newspapers, generally, including the Cleveland Leader, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer, of August 16th, 1895. Under the caption— HE TELLS ALL ENGLAND — was the following in the Plain Dealer. "London, August 16: State Senator Green of Cleveland, writes to the Daily News, respecting the article it published yes- terday, an abstract of which was cabled to the Associated Press, in which it said, that 'the feeling against increasing the Tariff will probably induce the Republicans to drop McKinley.' "Senator Green says, n reply, that the Republican party has not modified, in the slightest degree the cardinal principles of the last convention, when it endorsed the McKinley bill. He is able to assert, he says, that four-fifths of the party still stand upon that platform. "The prosperity of the country, he claims, is not due to the mutilation of the McKinley law; but to the fact that, the House of Representatives which performed the mutilation, has been retirea, amid the anathemas of millions of mjured business men." Certainly, the foregoing evidences of my friendship for the candidacy of McKinley, coming to the notice of both himself and his great coadjutor, the late Senator M. A. Hanna, did not lower me in their estimation, but had a contrary effect, which, together with my home efforis, along the same line, perhaps, accounts for much of the courtesy and kindness which tiie great men displayed for me. When President McKinley directed Postmaster Gen- eral Gary, to place me at the head of the buresu of United States Postage Stamp Agent, that august iunc- tionary hesitated ; for the reason, expressed by him to the President, that, nearly every employe in the office v^\^s a 266 white lady ! The President answered, "I know Mr. Green ; he is a friend of mine; I will be responsible for his be- havior." General John A. Merritt, third assistant Postmaster General, and subsequently postmaster of Washington, D. C, is my authority for this statement. Subsequently,when I had the honor to call on the President, smilingly, he said to me : ''None of them left, did they !" I answered in the negative, and he smiled again. Before being appointed to the position referred to, I was promised by Mr. Hanna the place known as Recorder of Deeds of the District of Columbia ; but Senator Pritch- ard, of North Carolina, demanded that oifice for one of his political supporters, of color, in that state. Mr. John C. Dancey had been given the poii: of Wilmington ; Hon. George H. White, had been elected to Congress, and Mr. Cheatam, the third, had to be cared for, "for the good of the Republican party of North Carolina." Cheatam got the place; and the President requested Senator Hanna to say to me: "As well as I like him, I think more of the Republican party." It is interesting to know, that, since then, 23 years, no one in North Carolina, has bc^en elected to the electoral college, on the Republican ticket! There was a convention of colored men held in a Baptist church, in 12th Street, Washington, D. C, dur- ing President McKinley's first term, of which I v/as a member— present. During the proceedings of the con- vention, a resolution of censure was suggested by some one, because the President, in his last annual message, had remained silent as to the lynchings of colored per- sons, without any trial, in the Southern States. I sug- gested, that, such action would be not only improper, but, unjust to the President, inasmuch as he adopted that course, after conferring with some of the leading col- ored men of the nation. 267 Immediately, there was a great ''hubub" — ^pandemo- nium had broken loose; and Mr. Timothy Thomas For- tune, the founder, and, at that time, editor of the New York Age, exclaimed, ''Show us the Judases! Show us the Judases!!" I refused to give the names of the "Judases," and a committee was appointed to escort me to an ante-room, to persuade me to divulge the names required. As a matter of fact, I did not know the names of the men who had been in conference with the Presi- dent; but, in making my statement to the convention, I relied on the word of Honorable Elmer Dover, secretary of the Republican National Committee, from whom I had gotten the information. Subsequently, I learned the name of the most influential of the coterie, from the Hon. George A. Myers, of Cleveland, Ohio, a very able and in- fluential colored American, high in the esteem of both the President and Senator Hanna, who seemed to be well in- formed in the premises. At an early hour, on the following day, before the White House was opened to the general public, I was re- ceived, in audience, by the President of the United States, in his private chamber. I stated all the facts to him, as in the foregoing; and was asked by him my opinion, as to the better course to pursue, in the premises. 1 suggested that, to ignore the whole matter seemed proper to me; and that course was taken. I know that President Mc- Kinley's heart was bleeding by reason of the barbarities then (and now) pei-petrated on the poor friendless f reed- men of the South; but, as he said to me, so m.any re- monstrances had been made in vain, that, they had be- come to be "an old song," and he intended, with the as- sistance of others, to formulate a new plan for the elimi- nation of that evil, in the future; and I am sure that, if both he and his great adviser. Senator M. A. Hanna, had not both died, some valid repressive legislation would have been attempted, if not consummated. 268 I am about to relate now an incident in my official life at Washington, relating to President McKinley, which I consider not only interesting, but unique. It has reference to the assassination of the postmaster of Lake City, South Carolina, and one or more of his family, dur- ing the President's first term. The whole North, East and West was shocked at the horrible deed ; and speedy and condign punishment of the murderers was, generally demanded. Being admitted into the executive offices of the White House, I said, "Mr. President, what are you going to do with reference to the murder of the postmaster at Lake City, South Carolina. Don't you think that the office should be closed?" He answered: '*I have already issued that order." I then asked him, "What, if any- thing, will be done towards punishing the assassins?" Like a flash, he answered : "Mr. Green, I am going to do just what would be done if some fellow^ should come in here and kill me! — he would be arrested, tried and, if convicted — executed! "That whole section," he added, "is now bristling with secret service men ; and when they have made arrests of the guilty ones, they will be in- dicted and tried, in a court of competent jurisdiction; and, if they are convicted and sentenced, they will be duly executed." I can bear witness to the fact, that, the President kept his word; nay, more — he sent an able lawyer to Charleston, S. C, at the expense of the government, to as- sist the District Attorney there, in the prosecution; but, as in all other Ij^nching cases, the jury failed to agree, and the accused went unwhipt of justice. The President said to me: "I was surprised to see that five of the jurors in- sisted on a verdict of guilty !" During my nine years of service as United States Postage Stamp Agent, and Acting Superintendent of Fi- nance of the Post Office Department, I heard, occasion- 269 ally caustic criticisms of President McKinley's policy, ^vith reference to the colored people, by colored men. But, on such occasions, I always challeneged those hostile state- ments, and endeavored to prove, to the face of the critic, the falsity of his assertions; and I seldom failed in my efforts in that behalf. The following excerpt from the Washington Post, which appeared at the time of McKin- ley's tour of the Gulf States, goes far, in my opinion, to strengthen the good will of all colored Americans towards one of their best friends who ever filled the Presidential chair. '*Mr. McKinley, when introduced, said: *My fellow citizens: I thank you for your hearty welcome. I have visited a number of institutions of learning provided for your race, notably, that great institution at Tuskegee, in Alabama; another in Savannah, Ga., and, recently, one in the city of New Orleans ; and it has given me great satis- faction to observe the advancement of your race, since the immortal proclamation of liberty was made. 'The opportunity for learning is a great privilege. The possession of learning is an inestimable prize; and I have been glad to note that you are endeavoring, where- ever you live, to enlighten your minds and prepare your- selves for the responsibility of citizenship, under this free government of yours. What we want, more than anything else, whether we be white or whether we be black — what we want is to know how to do something well. If you will just learn to do one thing that is useful better than anybody else can do that one thing, you will never be out of a job; and all employment is honorable employment. The race is moving on and has a promising future. It has been faithful to the Government of the United States. It has been true and loyal and patriotic and law-abiding. "My fellow citizen?, always observe the law." 270 *'In our recent war with Spain, your race displayei distinguished qualities of gallantry, on more than one field. ''You were in the fight at ElCaney and San Juan Hill, the brave black boys helping to emancipate the op- pressed people of Cuba; and your race is in the Philip- pines carrying the flag, and they have carried it, stainless in its honor and in its glory. "It is a very great pleasure to me to meet you, all; and the last word I would leave with you is— to be true to right, to home, to family, to yourselves, to your coun- try, and, true to God." After the President's second election, in the course of a few weeks, I sought a brief interview with him. The congestion in the executive offices, in the White House was such that I almost despaired of even greeting him; but, seeing me, patiently awaiting my opportunity, he drew near to me and said, in a quick way: '*Do you want to see me?" I answered in the affirmative, extending my congratulations to him, on his re-election, and added, ''Mr. President, what are my chances, under your second administration?" In the twinkling of an eye, he replied: 'Well, you shant be shocked!" These were the last words I ever heard him utter ; before I could see him again, the assassin had done his work, which truly shocked me. My sojourn of nine and a half years in Washington was very pleasant, except that, my office, being, for the most part, a sinecure, I was compelled, during the last two years of my official life there, to go to Congress and lobby the appropriation for my bureau through ; when, finally, it was merged into the Third Assistant Postmaster's Bu- reau, I quit, for lack of funds to carry it on longer. 271 The following letter speaks for itself: POST OFFICE DEPARTjMENT, Office of the Chief Clerk. WASHINGTON. Mr. John P. Green, June 27, 1906. Postage Stamp Agent, Washington, D. C. Sir:— Inasmuch as the Act of Congress making appropriation for the maintenance of the postal service transfers the clerical force of the Postage Stamp Agency to the office of the Third Assistant Postmaster General and makes no provision for the salary of the Postage Stamp Agent, it becomes necessary to terminate your con- nection with the Department on June SO, 1906. By direction of the Postmaster General. Respectfully, M. O. CHANCE, Chief Clerk, G. G. T. The following copy of a letter handed to me by Colonel (novv General) Clarence R. Edwards, at a time when he was detailed to act as head of the Bureau of In- sular Affairs, at Washington, is one w'hich I prize most highly; especially, since he won for himself, in France, during the unspeakable "World War" such a warm place of love and affection in the hearts of the soldiers and all true Americans: WAR DEPARTMENT, Bureau of Insular Affairs, WASHINGTON. February 2d, 1906. My dear Mr. Postmaster General: I wonder if you would pardon me if I ventured a little bit out of my sphere as government clerk and took the liberty of com- mending to your personal consideration Mr. John P. Green, United States Postage Stamp Agent, and Acting Superintendent of Postal Finance. You are probably much more familiar with Mr. Green's quali- fications, and any equitable claim he has upon your party than am I. Therefore, I will make no comment of them, but state that he has recalled my acquaintance with him, which dates back to my childhood when he was a strong supporter of Mr. Amos Townsend, my father's business partner, when Mr. Townsend represented my home district of Cleveland. I also know him to have been a loyal supporter of Senator John Sherman, and Mr. Hanna's right- handed man in Cleveland. I haven't seen him since I was a boy, but I know he has three hard-working boys in Cleveland, all the family have been earaest in the Republican cause and he, the only one of the family who is 272 now holding office. He states that you are justly going to do away with the Postal Stamp Agency, which he admits is more or less unnecessary, but he is quite anxious to be continued in hi3 present acting capacity, and believes that his work in the needa of the service would justify a compensating salary in that po- sition. On account of my former knowledge of him, and from the fact that I know nothing but good of him, I would consider it a personal favor if he could gain your consideration. I am quite sure that I am only seconding Representative Burton's estimate and desire for this man's welfare. In haste, Sincerely yours, (Signed) C. R. EDWARDS. Hon. George B. Cortelyou, Postmaster General. Perhaps, I should add, before closing this chapter, that, after the advent of Theodore Roosevelt, as Presi- dent, subsequent to McKinley's assassination, being somewhat in doubt as to the tenure of my office, I called on him, at the White House; and while patiently wait- ing for an opportunity to be introduced to him, by the Honorable George B. Cortelyoj^private secretary to both, McKinley and Roosevelt, I saw my chance and intro- duced myself; for the President was very busy, and my time was almost exhausted. As, unoccupied, he came near me, I arose and said : "Mr. President, I am John P. Green, your Postage Stamp Agent ; and my duties are to supervise the manu- facture and distribution of all the postage stamps; when McKinley was Governor of Ohio, I was Senator, from the Cleveland district." Like a flash, he exclaimed, ''Bully, for you! Bully, for you ! !" — shook my hand, and passed to the next. This was the only time I ever m^et President Roosevelt. Four incidents of a very pleasing nature, and of more than ordinary interest to me, transpired, while I was a resident of Washington: The first was that of heading a delegation of most prominent colored men, and introducing them to the late 273 Archbishop Ireland— a pronounced fiiend of the colored American, when, on one occasion, he was visiting, in Washington. The learned, pious and beloved prelate re- ceived us with that courtesy which is characteristic of all truly great men ; and we left him with assurances of his continued friendship and influence in behalf of our op- pressed people ; which, I am proud to say, did not abate, one jot or one title, until his Master called him to his re- ward. The next incident was that of presiding at a select dinner tendered to the late Doctor Booker T. Washington, by Honorable R. R. Homer, ex-mernber of the Virginia Legislature and a member of the District of Columbia Bar. On this occasion, I was required to deliver a brief ad- dress, relative to the life and work of the distinguished guest, which he visibly appreciated. I had met Mr. Wash- ington several times before ; and subsequent to this event, our group, attending a select, social dance, at Willough Beach Park in a suburb of Cleveland, was honored and pleased to count him as one of our number. Mr. Wash- ington appeared at his best, on this occasion; he chatted familiarly, with numbers of the guests, laughed heartily at the sallies of wit and mirth, and danced like a boy. "Look at Mr. Washington, dancing!" exclaimed one of his attendants, as if thoroughly astounded. It was the last time we were in his presence. The third incident I will call attention to, was when the late Samuel Coleridge Taylor was, for twenty days, our guest, on the occasion of his first visit to the United States, for the puipose of conducting a noted rendition of his great cantata, "Hiawatha," by the S. Coleridge Tay- lor Society, of Washington, D. C. We became so well acquainted with Mr. Coleridge Taylor, on that occasion, that, in after years, when en- route to Chicago, on professional business, he deigned to 274 stop off at Cleveland, for a day or two, and be again our honored guest; and, years after that, when my late wife and I were visiting London, the home of this great composer and his talented family was a sort of Mecca towards which we turned our faces when in need of recre- ataion and first class musical entertainment. This young student of music, who was the favorite pupil of one of London's most efficient teachers, was thoroughly imbued with the divine afflatus, so to speak; music was in his head, heart and very soul; even his fingers seemed to tingle with it. At his suburban home — Hill Crest, Nor- bury, S. W., England; and afterwards, at Aldwych, St. Leonard's Road, Croydon, England (both suburbs of Lon- don), he had an orchestra organized for the rendition of approved classical music, every member of which would be regarded, by the general public, as a "star." To the public concerts of this orchestra, we received, from him, frequent invitations ; and we were generally accompanied to and from the town by Mr. Clarence Cameron White, a colored relative of ours, who was then being instructed in his studies on the violin, by some of the foremost ar- tists of London. At times, when we were visiting at the home of Mr. Taylor, both he and his amiable and talented wife would preside at the piano, and interpret for our enter- tainment and pleasure some of his own compositions, which had set wild with enthusiasm vast audiences of the populace, who overflowed the great Albert Hall, the pride of the world's capital. When that dread disease, pneumonia, brought low the head of Samuel Coleridge Taylor, in the morning of his life, before he had reached his thirtieth year, it deprived society of the most brilliant and promising star, in the musical firmament, of his day. Peace be to his ashes! His memory is consecrated by his works and will live. 275 The fourth and last event which I shall mention, has reference to this writer, and would, perhaps, be omitted, were it not meet and just to mention the name of the talented and friendly gentleman to whom I am still in- debted for the significant courtesy tendered to me, in this ' behalf. I refer to Doctor George H. Richardson, of Wash- ington, D. C, doctor, lawyer, scholar, philosopher and all around good fellow, who originated and carried to suc- cessful consummation a banquet, tendered by residents of the North, East and West, in honor of this narrator. It was a notable event, by reason of the large num- ber of prominent colored men of the section north of the Mason and Dixon line, who were in attendance; and the additional fact, that, the united sentiment was laudatory of the great and good McKinley. If this writer shone at all, it was as the moon shines — in a light borrowed from the sun; to be quite definite — McKinley was the sun. There were numerous ''brainy" — able, meritorious colored men in Washington, at that time, a mere mention of whose names is all that space will aiford, at present. These were: Ex-Senator Blanch K. Bruce, Register of the Treasury; Judson W. Lyons, subsequently. Register of the Treasury; John C. Dancey, Recorder of Deeds; Milton M. Holland, Chief of Division (decorated by Con- gress for signal bravery in the "crater" at Petersburgh, Va.); George H. White, M. C, from North Carolina; Captain W. Bruce Evans, Principal of the AiTnstrong In- dustrial School ; Daniel Murray, Librarian of a branch of the Congressional Library, noted by all congi-essmen for his wide and deep learning in his official sphere of action ; the two sons, Lewis and Charles, of the late Frederick Douglass; Paul Lawrence Dunbar, author; James A. Cobb, lawyer; W. Calvin Chase, lawyer and editor of the ''Bee"; Professor Kelley Miller, scholar and author; Rev. Owen Meredith Waller, Rector of St. Luke's P. E. 276 Church; W. A. Joiner, now superintendent of the Agri- culture and Mechanical Department of Wilberforce Uni- versity; Judge R. H. Terrell, of the Municipal Court; Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, Surgeon in Chief of the Freed- man's Hospital; Dr. Purvis; Dr. Firmin Shadd; J. Finley Wilson, the able and successful editor of 'The Eagle," founded by him ; and a host of others of great merit and high standing, whose names are not at my ''tongue's end," at this writing. I held my official station during nine consecutive years, about five years longer than I should have held it ; for, on my return to Cleveland, after an absence extend- ing over an entire decade, lacking a few months, I was unknown, professionally, to litigants, generally; and, al- though I joined my two sons, William R. Green, Esq., and Theodore B. Green, Esq., without delay, in the practice of the law, yet, it was many months, before my old clients and friends could be persuaded, that I was not in jest, when I made known to them the fact, that, I was back again, and in the "legal harness;" and although, at sixty- one, I had not yet begun to realize that, I was an "old man," (nor did I bend my knee or slacken my pace, in the presence of "Old Father Time," who with his whetted scythe now grimly awaits his opportunity to gather me in. It might be of interest to some of my readers, who are religiously inclined, to know that, in the beginning of the year 1900, my late wife, my daughter and myself were confirmed, by Bishop Henry Y. Satterlee, in Saint Luke's Episcopal Church of Washington, D. C. I had been, through baptism, a member of the Episcopal church from the age of one month; and during my whole boy- hood, had been a constant attendant on divine services, in Christ Episcopal Church of Newbeme, N. C. and Trin- ity Church, of Cleveland, Ohio; in fact, in the latter fif- ties, I assisted the aged colored sexton of the latter 277 church, Mr. Rigdon Green, in the performance of his functions there; but, later on, the lure of youthful asso- ciation, and the demands of practical politics, estranged me from it; and I found myself, with my family, oscil- lating, or gyrating around and amongst all the varied orthodox churches, until I reached the fifty-fifth year of my life ; then, as I have stated, we three cast in our lot, definitely and for all time, with our ancestral-apostolic church. During the remainder of my term in Washington, I served as one of the vestrymen, and when we were ready to return to our Cleveland home, with many regrets, on our part, as well as on the part of the ver^ efficient Rector, Rev. T. J. Brown (who is still in charge) and our brethren of the church, generally, I handed in my resignation. On our return to Cleveland, we immediately took our place in Saint Andrew's Church, where, for many years, now, I have been serving as one of the wardens of the church, and, ex-officio vestry-man; on many occa- sions, I have acted as lay-reader, especially, during our inter-regnum, when the church has been wi^:hout a rec- tor. The present Rector, Rev. B. W. Suthern, who by his extraordinaiy efficiency and spiritual graces, has very greatly endeared himself to us, is a young man, and gives promise of being with us for many years to come. 278 CHAPTER XV. HOME AGAIN AND EUROPEAN TRIP. It was with great pleasure that I once again found myself a "bona fide" resident of my own dear city of Cleveland. True it is that, during our residence in Washington, I lost no opportunity of visiting our home, and of remaining as long as I consistently could ; but that fell far short of a regular, permanent abode. Our old friends and associates flocked around us and gave us just the hearty welcome which we expected and needed ; and it did not take me longer than a few days on my return to Cleveland, to settle down at my desk and take up the study of that ^'jealous mistress," the Law, where I had laid it down, ten years before. In fact, I had kept in touch with her, even while we resided in Wash- ington, by aiding, to some extent, my son, Theodore B, Green, in his studies, while he was a student in the How- ard Law School, which made my return to the practice comparatively easy. That my recitals may not become monotonous or wearysome, I shall make reference in this chapter to only two cases, out of hundreds, which engaged my at- tention during the early years, after my return. The first was that of Ohio vs. Wade Leigh, a man who was indicted for murder in the first degree; it was a difficult case, in which I was ably assisted by Horace 279 Neff, Esq., a son of Judge William B. Neff, whose name appears in a previous chapter of this story. Wade Leigh and the deceased, had engaged in a wordy-war, at an early hour, the day before Christmas, and separated breathing out mutual threats. Later in the day, 'Wade," after having made some Christmas pur- chases, entered a saloon, laid his parcels down on the bar, and bought and began to drink a glass of beer. While he was so engaged, in drinking the beer, the deceased entered the bar room, presumably, for the purpose of buying a drink ; but, seeing "Wade," standing at the bar, he turned and left the room, through the swinging doors which were within the outer door. He was, immediately followed by ''Wade," who shot and killed him almost on the threshold of the door, as he stepped out upon the sidewalk. "Wade," thereupon, returned to the bar room, picked up his packages which he had left lying on the bar, and left the place through the back door, his glass, not yet being emptied. By the side of the body of the deceased, which was still lying on the sidewalk, was found a dangerous look- ing knife, opened, by a close friend of "Wade." The ready inference was, of course, that the knife was the property of the deceased man ; and that, he had assaulted "Wade" with it, between the doors (outer and inner) before "Wade" shot him, in "self defense!" The foregoing was the backbone of the defense, at any rate; and it succeeded — the defendant, "Wade," be- ing found guilty of assault and battery only. So anxious was the State's attorney that the jury should not rec- ommend mercy, in finding defendant guilty of murder in the first degree, and thus, fix his punishment at life imprisonment — and so strenuously and earnestly did he argue in that behalf, that, he evidently forgot that the defendant, left his packages, and returned for them, after he had committed the murder; that, he had not 280 finished drinking his beer, when he followed deceased out of the bar room ; and that, he left, finally, through a back door. I pointed out to the honorable judge, after the trial was ended and the jury had been excoriated and sum- marily dismissed, and the defendant fined and sentenced to the house of correction, that the defence, that "Wade" was assaulted by the deceased, with the big knife, as he ("Wade") was leaving the premises; and that, he shot him to protect his life and limbs, would have ''fallen to the ground," and the defendant would have been con- victed of murder in the first degree, instead of assault and battery, if the prosecuting attorney had not, inad- vertently, forgotten, failed to call the attention of the jury to those facts which would have left no doubt in the minds of the jury-men that "Wade" left that room for the sole purpose of killing his victim. With a look of blank amazement, and disappoint- ment, they both turned away from me; and the farce ( ?) of that prosecution was ended. The daily papers carried glowing accounts of our success in that case, and it added much to our profes- sional popularity. The other case, which I shall refer to, was of more than local interest; inasmuch as many newspapers, in remote sections of the countiy, noticed it; and the Gen- eral Assembly of the State of Ohio, subsequently, cured what seemed to be a legal defect, by appropriate legis- lation. Doctor John L. Hoyer, an aged and venerable look- ing white man, who had been tried, convicted, fined and committed to the House of Correction of the City of Cleveland, sent for me, while incarcerated, to visit him in the prison, and give him such legal advice, in the premises, as was needful for his welfare ; and, especially, for the fact that, a piece of jewelry of his personal be- 281 longings, taken from him ''for safe-keeping" on his en- tering the prison, was lost or stolen ; and he could obtain no satisfactory explanation as to its whereabouts. Having been personally acquainted with the patriar- chal-bewhiskered old gentleman, for many years, I hast- ened to his side, for the purpose above mentioned; he was brought out, into the audience room, accompanied by one of the prison guards, who steadfastly refused to leave his side for a moment, in order that I might con- fer with his prisoner, professionally. I appealed to the superintendent; with the result that he told me, point- blank, that, the rule under which the guard was acting was one of long standing, and he would continue to en- force it. This left me no alternative, except to have recourse to the Director of Charities and Corrections — the Hon- orable Harris R. Cooley, a big-hearted, kindly disposed. Christian gentleman; who, I may here, digress to say, is a true and valuable friend of all colored people. Mr. Cooley, after conferring with the superintendent, and getting the same answer, m effect, that he had given to me, gave me the information which I had already received. So, finding, according to the slang phraseology^ of the time, that I was "up against it," with no prospect of having a private conference with my client, I deter- mined to carry my complaint to the Maj^or of Cleveland, the Honorable Newton D. Baker, now, and for a long time. Secretary of War, at Washington. After a reasonable delay, I was ushered into the presence of that august, but kindly, functionary; and, at once, made known to him my case, as I have stated it in the foregoing. Mr. Baker, lawyer and statesman, as he was and is, seemed surprised to learn the status of this affair, and, immediately, called up one of the attorneys for the city, and placed it in his hands, for a brief and opinion, in the 282 premises. After that, we had a short conversation, which seemed mutually agreeable to us; and I took my depart- ure. After the lapse of several days, I received, by mail, from the distinguished gentleman, a document, of which the following is a true copy : Oct. 8, 1914. Hon. Newton D. Baker, Mayor of Cleveland. My dear Mr. Baker: I beg leave to reply as follows to your inquiry of yesterday with reference to the right of the superintendent of the work- house to refuse the request of a person sentenced for a misde- meanor for an opportunity to have a private conversation with hi& attorney. I have examined the matter carefully and find that the law ap- plicable to this case lays down in substance this fundamental propo- sition: A jailer charged with the duty of protecting and preserv- ing the jail and of keeping the prisoners safely until he is relieved by legal authority of their custody has a large discretion in de- termining at what time, under what circumstances and what per- sons he will permit to enter the jail or to have access to the pris- oners, a discretion which he must exercise according to his own conscience and judgment uncontrolled by the conscience and judg- ment of others. Thus it has been held that a sheriff, for instance, may require- whoever may seek admission into the jail, to submit their persons to a proper, orderly examination or search. If they do not con- sent, admission to the jail or access to the prisoners may be re-- fused. If they persist in remaining they may be treated as tres- passers and ejected. (104 Ala. 35.) Likewise in England it was held that where a material wit- ness for a person accused was confined in prison the jailer should allow the attorney for the accused to see the witness in his pres- ence, but properly refused to allow the attorney to see the witness apart. (7 C. & P. 176). The Constitution and Statutes of Ohio are silent upon this sub- ject. As to the workhouses the statutes simply vest the manage- ment in the proper city official and clothe the superintendent of the workhouse with police powers. We are therefore relegated ta common law and the decision in this and other states, which, read as follows: "It is a power inherent in a workhouse superintendent to prescribe reasonable rules tor the government of the prison and to enforce obedience to them by the infliction of proper punishment ****•' The court's opinion, so far as applicable, was as follows: "The superintendent of a workhouse is a public offi- cer — an executive officer perhaps — charged with the gov- 283 eminent in a great measure and the maintenance of good order in the city prison; and in the discharge of these du- ties he is given and must be given a wide discretion * * . It is necessary that good order be preserved in these in- stitutions. Reasonable rules and regulations must be made for the government of the inmates. The statutes provide for reasonable iniles and regulations in the government of and the punishment administered in county jails which are to be submitted to the common pleas judges; and the ne- cessity for such rules and regulations applies with still greater force to w^orkhouses such as this, where a large number of prisoners are confined, many of them for long periods of time where they are compelled to work under the superintendence of officers of the workhouse as a pun- ishment for criminal offenses. With such a large body of men gathered together in such a prison reasonable rules and regulations are necessary, and it is necessary that these rules and regulations should be enforced and that the superintendent of such an institution should have the power to punish within limitations and restrictions." It must be remembered that this is the case of a man con- victed of a crime who has lost thereby his rights as a citizen. The superintendent is absolutely responsible for the custody of the accused. If it w^ere not inherent in the official to make all reasonable rules for the government of the prisoners it is quite obvious that he might be frequently held liable for dire conse- quences which his best efforts and judgment could not control. He must therefore be permitted to exercise his discretion to deter- mine in each particular case what the extent of the restriction upon the prisoner should be. That an attorney is concerned in this case I conceive can give no greater rights. It is therefore my judgment that the superintendent of the workhouse was perfectly within his rights in refusing the request in this case. Very truly yours, (Signed) ARTHUR F. YOUNG, AFY-J Assistant City Solicitor. My disappointment and dissatisfaction was rapidly increasing; my faith in my original contention was in- creasing, rather than diminishing; and I determined to see what redress, if any, I could obtain at law. A manda- mus was applied for; the writ issued; all parties were in court, and the defendant's demand was adjudged to be reasonable and lawful, by the Honorable Charles J. Es- tep, one of the judges of our Ck)urt of Common Pleas; thereupon, I took my client aside; talked with him, and advised him as to his legal rights, in the premises; and, 284 afterwards, wrote a check for the amount of my fee, which he readily signed; and the famous case was ended. I desire to record here, an incident of my Hfe which has brought to me much satisfaction, and, I trust, bene- fit to the cause of all the colored Americans. I refer to the time when I w^as ''elected to Congress" (as I de- nominate the transaction) , by the colored people of Cleve- land, in mass meeting assembled. It came about in this way : Senate Bill, 6060, of the 63d Congress, 3d Session, had passed the Senate and was in the hands of the Im- migration Committee of the House of which Judge Bur- nett aftd^labama, was chairman. On page 8 of said bill, beginning with line 8, were the following words: "That after four months from the approval of this act, in addition to the aliens who are hereby excluded from admission into the United States, the following persons shall also be excluded from admis- sion thereto, to wit: All members of the African or black race." Some very able lawyers were of opinion, that, the phraseology of that provision would even exclude col- ored citizens of the United States, out of the country, from re-entering the same. Quite reasonably, the colored people of Cleveland, who were informed, became alarmed; especially for the reason that, it had gone through the Senate without op- position. A mass-meeting of colored citizens was imme- diately called to meet in Saint John's A. M. E. Church, at a time specified ; they crowded — packed all parts of the large structure, the number being estimated at 2,500. Speeches were made; a committee on resolutions ap- pointed, of v/hich this writer was made chairman ; a pre- amble and set of resolutions, which this writer had in his pocket, was unanimously adopted, without the chang- ing of a syllable; and I was unanimously elected to go 285 to Congress, at Washington, and use my best endeavors, with our own and other delegates, to have that obnoxious proviso eUminated from the bill; also, a collection was then and there taken, to defray all expenses, and compen- sate me for services to be rendered. It goes without saying, that, (to paraphrase the lan- guage of JuUus Caesar, on a momentous occasion), ''I went, I saw, I conquered!" and returning home, my re- port was received with acclamations of unalloyed enthu- siasm and approval. Judge Burnett of Albania, chairman of the Immi- gration Committee, although a Southerner, received me courteously, heard my argument against the proviso, and promised me that he would oppose the measure, when the bill came before the House for consideration. He kept his word, *'in spirit and in truth;" for, when the speaking commenced, he divided his time amongst sev- eral of the members, known to be opposed to that fea- ture of it, and thereby, greatly augmented the sentiment against it. Needless to say, the whole bill was defeated; nor have the enemies of the colored American, to this day, been able to resurrect it. Judge Burnett, since then, has gone to "that bourne from which no traveler returns," but, let it be here re- corded, that, while his obsequies were being conducted in far-away Alabama, there was, at least, one colored man, in the bleak north, on the shore w^ashed by blue Lake Erie, who deeply, sighed and mourned his untimely end, be- cause of that humane-patriotic deed, in behalf of those of ''the African or black race." Time sped rapidly by; so fast, indeed, that it was scarcely appreciated; and ere long, we found ourselves at the beginning of the year 1909. Speaking of the flight of Time, I am tempted to insert here a few lines quoted from "The Improvement of the Mind," by Isaac Watts, mentioned in another part of this story. I reproduce 286 these lines because they are well calculated to inspire and energize the minds of the young, one of the princi- pal reasons I have in view, in writing this book. The lines follow: "Nor let soft slumber close your eyes, Before you've recollected thrice The train of actions thro the day. Where have my feet chose out the way? What have I learnt, where'er I've been, From all I've heard, from all I've seen? What know I more, that's worth the knowing? What have I done, that's worth the doing? What have I sought, that I should shun? What duty have I left undone? Or into what new follies, run ? These self-inquiries are the road, That leads to virtue and to God." My professional labours, during the four preceding years, having been extra exacting, Mrs. Green and I de- cided to spend a short vacation in England and on the ''Continent;" so, "grip" in hand, and frugal luggage in the hold of the good ship Carmania, we bade adieu to our good friends, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel R. Scottron, and fam- ily, of Brooklyn, New York, and set sail for ''far distant shores." After a pleasant voyage of about three days, wa *'hove to" and attempted to make a landing on one of the Azore Islands; but the condition of the sea was such as to make it extra hazardous ; so, we tarried in the offing for only a brief space, while one or two of the most daring boatmen, rowed out to us and exchanged greetings — to say nothing of a few bananas and oranges. Our next step was at Funchal, the capital city of the Madeira Islands — a province of Portugal. We were in- formed, that, we were then distant about six hundred miles from the west coast of Africa; a fact which we could easily believe; for, the mercury, even then, lu the month of Januaiy, was at about 100 degrees Fahrenheit, 287 in the sun ; and luscious strawberries were being hawked around, for sale — fresh from the vines.. After writing and mailing pictorial postal cards to our friends, at home, riding in the ''bob-sleds," over the darnp-smooth cobble- stones, drinking of the rich Madeira wine, to the health of Portugal and her colony, inspecting the ancient Castle, vvell up on the top of a high hill, overlooking the ocean, and scanning the old cathedral and the pretty, little, green cemetery with its sacred dead, w^e were I'eady to embark again ; and, ere long, we had weighed anchor and were en-route to Gibraltar; but not before a swarm of amphibious boys had earned numerous dimes and quar- ters, by diving for them, from the very high upper decK of the big ship Carmania, and recovering t]:iem under the surface of the water. At day-break, the next morning we v;ere entering the bay or harbor of Gibraltar. I, of all the passengers, was on the deck — alone. I beheld, with avv-e, for the first time, the towering — majestic mass of the Rock of Gibraltar!" and, enthused as I was, there came trooping into my mind, some lines of Virgil, relating to the storm-beaten companions of Aeneas, as they entered a bay, where, "an island forms a harbour by its jutting sides, whereby each wave coming from the main, is broken and divides as it enters the deep creeks. On either side are huge rocks and twin cliffs, which tower, frowning, towards the sky ; beneath whose peaks the water's surface, fai" and wide, Hes safe and still." I also saw in the offing (happy thought), the huge gray hulks of our touring fleet which, oa its world en- circling voyage, during the administratir^n of President Roosevelt, had just anchored in that bay. I saluted "Old Glory," at the mast heads, as the "envious streaks (of the rising sun) did lace the severing clouds in the east," and, almost forgetting the famous Rock, gazed with filial pride upon them. 288 We spent Sunday there; and attended divine serv- ices, in the Episcopal Cathedral. The sermon by the learned divine was apropos to the occasion; the destruc tive earthquake, which demol.'rhed a goodly portion of Sicily and Calabria, having scarcely ceased its ravages. The majesty of the great British Empire, was easily evi- dent, in the erect forms and sterr demeano? of the local troops — that look and bearing which is equally observ- able, in the appearance of the Horse Guards, in White- hall, the Lions Couchant, on the pedestal of the Nelson Monument or the ''Queen's Own," in tiie shadow of Arthur's Seat. At night, we were once more riding the "Bounding Billow^s ;" and, for tho first time, since our de- parture from the port of New York, Old Neptune as- serted himself, and the ladies, of our "set," seriously com- plained of sea-sickness. It occurred just after mid- night, when, awaking from a sound sleep, we became con- scious of the fact that, our huge ship was rolling in troublulous seas. Our captain called it a ''fresh gale," which was no stranger to the Gu^ c of Lyons, off the south coast of France, through which we were then passing. Quite a bit of patience and some care, on the part of the ship's "surgeon," were necessary before we were all, again, in normal condition ; but, in the course of a day or so, landing in the safe port of Genoa, where Christopher Columbus, many a year before, had feasted his eyes, our nausea was quickly dissipated, and, like most of ouv trans- ient ills, forgotten. The great Cathedral, the Campo Santo, with its un- approachable sculptures, sacred to the dead, the birth- place of Christopher Columbus and the many quaint and interesting objects which met our eager gaze, made our short stay there, long to be remembered. Our destination, however, "earthquake or no earth- quake, was Naples (Nar-po-lie, as the natives euphonious- ly called it), and w^hen, on the following day, our ship 289 anchored at a dock, and we stood upon the pier, to my unutterable astonishment, a voice rang out, in very good English: ''Hello, Senator Green!" I exclaimed, 'Tor God's sake, who are you!" "Why, don't you know me!" he replied; "I am 'Nick,' who used to peddle fish, in Cleveland!' Sure enough. It was not sufficient to be saluted, by name in Vienna, Paris, and on Ludgate Hill, even here, on the shores of the Bay of Naples, I could not escape them. Fortunate for us all, however, that "Nick" discovered us; for, his knowledge of all things pertaining to Naples, added two-fold to our amusement and instruction, while we remained there. If I were writing a "book of travels," I could finish it by plunging into the details of this visit; but, such is not the case, and I must hasten on. However, I must state that, the museum of curios, from the exhumed city of Pompei, the Acquarium, with wonders of the sea which we had never dreamed of, the great cathedral, the ruins of Pompei and the volcano of Vesuvius, are a few of the sights which every one must search out and see. I will transcribe here an account of my q^cent of Mount Ve- suvius, which I w^rote immediately after, while the facts were fresh in my mind and the inspiration still actuated me. The description follows: Especially interesting, at the present time, are my brief notes on my visit to and ascension of Mount Vesu- vius. In view of the delightful, but, I must confess, somewhat arduous ascent of this wonderful volcano, which I made, in company with a linguistic German vade me cum, who was to me a source not more of convenience than of diversion and amusement. I regret, now, that I did not note the name of the town or village, at which we hired our carriage, for the first part of our trip. I note, however, that we paid, each, 11 s for room in the carriage and a saddle horse and 29Q guides; then we began to "Mount Vesuve" as our experi- ment was euphoniously called. A drive of from three to five miles, brought us to our first station, or halting place; here we discarded our car- riage, laid aside all unnecessary clothing and appendages, and stimulated ourselves with a potation of some mild but invigorating wine — wine which our guides denominated, '*Nica Vesuve wine!" — wine which, in very fact, was pressed from grapes which had grown, in the language of Macaulay, *'on the soil which had been fertilized by the fiery deluge of a volcano." The foregoing preliminaries having been arranged, we, each, mounted his saddle horse, and, with bated breath, proceeded "onward and upward." To properly appreciate the romantic novelty of our position, one must not forget that neither of us had rid- den horse-back for many years; at least, this writer can aver that, it was the first time in some twenty-five years that he had bestridden a horse, or any other quadruped; and his awkwardness on this occasion is more easily imagined than described. To add to the embarrassment and discomfort of our condition, the guides who clung, each to the tail of the horse ridden by his respective traveler, had a way of cudgeling the horse into a brisk trot, followed by a wild gallop, at intervals of every half mile, when we would be borne, as by the wind, through space, at the imminent risk of being thrown over the horse's head and injured. As it was, we each rode, during those spurts, more on the neck than on the back of our horse, clinging, with might and main, (like another John Gilpin) to the neck and mane of the horse, for safety ! We shall never forget those spurts! Strange to relate, when the horses "slowed up," and we summoned courage to look (sheepishly) behind, ex- pecting to discover the guides in the "dim distance," 291 there they were, at the very heels of our ''fiery steeds," still clinging to the tails, cudgel in hand; but no longer shouting their "auch! auch! auch!" which had served to spur the horses to that velocity, well night fatal to us. Upon the whole, I am not sure that I would not as willingly take my chances with the present eruption as with the hardy mountaineers and their horses, under similar conditions. From time to time during our ascent, through ashes ankle deep and fine cinders, we would come to little iso- lated circular enclosures, constructed of the r,lag which was omni-present, and tenanted by a lonely "Dago," who offered us still more and more of the '*nica Vesuve wine." The mein of the wine merchants, met under these circumstances, was such, and their bearing was at onco so imperious and persuasive, that, we never refused to patronize them, with the result that, our spirits never once flagged, and we felt that, we were, all "jolly good fellows" as we climbed higher and higher. There came a time, however, when our horses re- fused to go another inch; they would not budge! What was done, what to do, a glance told us both. There confronted us as if genii of the lava beds, four other stal- wart guides, two carrying a leather strap looped at lx)th ends, which, being thrown over one of their shoulders, they clung to it in front, while we, tenaciously hung on, behind. The two other guides, each grasped his traveler near his hips, and "boosted" him upwards, while we all climbed. Although we were climbing ?riOuntain he<^';hts, yet, it seemed to me as though I were in a veritaMe hell, where all the fires had gone out. 0, it was dismal ! Seried rows of excoriae, piled like Ossa on Pelion — little mountains on the m.ountain side. If all the cinders raked out of all the blast furnaces in the whole world, f*'om that time whereof the memory of man runneth not to the con- 292 traiy, had been dumped on the sides of that mountain, they would have been as nothing compared to the vast accumulation of "slag," which that terrible volcano had vomited forth in even our own Christian era. But, now we come to the region of the clouds ^ Yes, we are actually enveloped in a cloud ! and we are in danger of being drenched. Strange to say, we encounter another group, which contains, in the midst — a lady ! "Nica Ital- ian lady," says my guide. Yes, and a very brave lady too, if she is not literally carried. We leave them behind. "Good bye!" I shall al- ways recall with romantic interest, the lady I met within the cloud. Now we are nearing the summit ; already, somewhat of grumbling and sputtering are audible to us. Up here on the shoulder or summit of this volcano are to be seen, here and there, small fissures, out of which issues, slowly small quantities of lava! My guide demands a copper coin of me, which I hand to him ; he fuses it into some of the lava, making for rne a cup or nest-like souvenir of this arduous if not peril- ous trip. I have a feeling that, where fissures abound, the crust upon which we tread must be thin if not friable. 'Tread lightly, Pat!" Nevertheless, I approach the edge of the great smoky-steamy crater. I lie upon my stom- ach! and peer, cautiously into the bowels of this mysteri- ous mountain — "Into the jaws of death Into the mouth of hell!" Nothing to be seen, save blackness, steam, condensed gloom— an Inferno, sure enough! "Be careful, sir," shouts my intelligent, thoughtful guide. "An English gentleman, did that, a year or two ago ; the crust at the edge ci-umbled, and he went head-first down into the crater! "Ye Gods! I pray thee let me go hence!" 293 This writer wriggled backwards (afraid even to stand up) , and speedily, put space between him and that entrance to the worse than Stygian darkness and gloom. Now comes the descent! Farewell crater, farewell white humid, fleecy clouds — farewell Vesuvius — "And, oh, you mortal engine whose rude throat th' immortal Jove's dread clamours counterfeit farewell!" Down, down, on another side, we go — by leaps and bounds, through fine pea-like cinders, striking, in our descent, at times, almost up to our hips, in this harmless debris. Down, down, until, finally, we reach vegetation- reach our horses, which have been brought to this point for us ; and soon, again, we are mounted in our carriage ; and, ere long, we reach our first station, where we don our discarded apparel and finish our descent, followed by as hungry-looking, clamorous a rabble as ever one could wish to escape, who pleaded for, aye — in some instances, even dem.anded such small coins as we could give them. One little fellow, not to be out-done, followed our car- riage, on a run, for at least a mile; nor w^ould he desist, until he received some small token of our admiration of his courage and persistency. The village next; then the train ; after that, the lovely Bay of Naples and "Nar-po-li" (Naples) then in mourning, herself. The remains of Pompeii, v/hich the ashes of Vesu- vius completely buried and hermetically sealed up, stand a "stone's throw" from the volcano ; and, of course, we vis- ited them, and rambled through them, accompanied by our guide. Mrs. Green, Mrs. Graham and this writer stood amidst the ruins of an ancient temple of Isis, while Doctor Graham took a "snap-shot" of us. It still exists — somewhere, I know not in whose possession. The strange and wierd scenes which confront one, while strolling amidst these ruins — which carry us back or bring down to us the dwellings, the commercial trans- actions, the frescoes and even the petrified bodies of some, 294 of the inhabitants of this old town, as they existed in the year 79 A. D. are well worthy of our consideration ; and at times the writer feels like exclaiming, with the Psalm- ist, 'What is man, that thou are mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou visitest him!" No brief description, en passant, can do justice to this subject one must either visit the place or read ac- counts of it in books of travel and cyclopaedias. The following morning, we were enroute for the Eternal City— Rome; and as we were whirled through the beautiful scenery and inhaled the odoriferous atmos- phere—redolent of the sweet fragrance of orange blos- soms and flowers of varied hues, we felt that we were, indeed, fortunate, under the circumstances, and enjoyed it beyond description. 295 CHAPTER XVI. ROME— FLORENCE— VENICE— VIENNA. Ere long, however, the cross and dome of far-famed Saint Peter's Church loomed before us, and, the next mo- ment, the musical "Roma,'* greeted our ears, from the ''guard." I knew it was Rome, before the announcement was made ; for, chiseled on the end of the great depot, on either side of the main entrance, in bold relief, were two groups, one representing the fabled she wolf, discover- ering the abandoned babies — Romulus and Remus, who, afterwards, founded the city ; and the other, showing how the wolf gave nurse to them ; and, thus, saved their lives. From my infancy, I had had a penchant to visit and view ancient ruins; to gaze upon an old relic, whether it were a deserted mansion, an old book or my "Grandfath- er's Hat;" it was all the same, provided, they were old; and now being in ancient Rome, with its treasures antique and historical, no time was to be lost before beholding them. Imagine with what mingled feelings, of pleasure and awe, I traversed the "Corso" and other streets, more or less known to the historian ; until, at length, there loomed up before me, in all its magnificent proportions, that fa- mous ruin — the Coliseum! 0, noble edifice! wonderful structure! This then, is what remains of the huge pile, in the construction of which, Titus, that victorious Ro- 296 man, on his return from the conquest and destruction of Jerusalem, sacrificed so many of the seventy thousand young Jews whom he brought captive to Rome! No wonder they sank beneath their burdens, and were beaten by cruel task-masters, until their backs were livid with horrid stripes, and they gave up the ghost ! Within those tripple massive walls is where the gladiators, unfor- tunate in war, made rude sport of human life, to please the whims of a populace gone mad with a morbid thirst for blood; but for whom the ''handwriting on the wall" was, even then, visible! And you, 0, Coliseum! could you but speak, what sighs, and groans and shrieks, wrung from that "noble army of martyrs," would you not tell of! They who were laying deep the foundation of our Christian religion, while the maddened throng, not yet content, were howling — "Cliristianos ad leones!" — the Christians to the lions ! I enter into the inner circles — there, in the center of the great arena stood the well-trained, powerful gladia- tor, sword in hand, awaiting the on-rush of the savage beasts from the cells surrounding him.,. Here are the passages leading to the vaults beneath, whence issued the wild-beasts and the human victims; and over there, the passages through which the dead bodies were bome, to be entombed, perchance, in the Catacombes near by. Would you have a description of this most wonderful ruin, turn to some cyclopedia or guide book. It is not mine to give any adequate account of it. The learned and famous French lady, Madame DeStael, whom even Napoleon feared and detested, in her great w^ork of fic- tion Corinne, has given such vivid and instructive word- pictures of Rome and Venice, that, it would richly repay the interested to read the story, if, indeed, there be at hand, any English translation of it. We clamber up into the galleries, where, once, the beauty and fashion of Rome could be seen, and from 297 which the pitiless mockeries and gibes and raileries an- swered back the sobs of anguish and the cues of agony. The heart sickens; let us go and loo): upon some object less suggestive of human misfortune. Now, we tread the Appian-way, alon.f^ which victor- ious generals trod, returned from scenes of conquest in foreign lands — glutted with blood, rich with booty and captives. Yes, there stands, to this day, in a state of almost, perfect preservation, tho Arch of Constantine, erected by the emperor to commemorate his victory over Maxentius, A. D. 312, spanning this historic road. Near by, and in front of the Coiiseu rn, are the ruins of the Meta Sudans, Vv^here, it is said, the gladiators w^ere ac- customed to bathe, after the bloody contests of the arena. But what is the name of this narrow way along which we now tread, hedged on either side by the crumbled ruins of once majestic structures. Why, this is the Via Sacra, the principal street of ancient Rome, which ran from the valley between the Caelian and Es- quiline hills, through the arch of Titus and past the Ro- man Forum, to the Capitol. Here, on the right, were the palaces of the Caesars; nought now remains but a mass of indistinguishable ruins. These, in the rear, v/ere the Royal Stables, presenting, somewhat, of their former ap- pearance. Think of this ; here is the identical arch which Titus erected during the first century of our Christian era, to commemorate the victories of his father and himself, at Jerusalem; on the inner face, may still plainly be seen, representations of the "golden candlesticks" and other sacred articles; taken from t^ie Temple. However, let me quote: 'Where the Via Sacra crosses the Forum, close to the temple of Antonius, a mound of earth may be seen, evidently, the remains of the Temple Tomb of Julius Caesar, built by Augustus, in 29 B. C. Here, also, 298 stood the arches of Fabius and Augustus; and between this part of the Forum and the Temple of Castor and Poiiux was the quagmire into which Metius Curtius is said to have been pkmged." The Temple of Pan, or Pantheon, further along, is almost perfect ; although it was built A. D. 27, by Agrip- pa, son-in-law of Caesar Augustus. The portico of this temple is 110 feet in length, and forty-four in width; and contains sixteen granite columns. The height from the pavement to the summit is 143 feet. The Pantheon, tho, not at first, intended for religious rites, yet, it was used for such puii)oses, down to A. D. 392, when the last sacrifice was offered on its altar. Un- der the Cupola, in a bronze sarcophagus, the mortal re- mains of Victor Emmanuel lie in state, for whom a grand commemoration is celebrated in the church, with military pomp, once a year, during the month of January." I might add that, the Government has constructed, near by, a monument to the honor and memory of Vic- tor Emmanuel, which is, perhaps the most costly and august of any in that city of costly monuments. I visited and inspected, also, the Catacombs of Saint Calixtus ; within which, we were told, fourteen popes and 170,000 Christians, were, at one time, entombed ; the re- mains of Saint Theresa, it is said, were discovered in these catacombs. In 609 when Pope Boniface IV conse- crated the Pantheon to Christian worship, he hauled away twenty-eight wagon-loads of bones, and deposited them under the high altar in that building; and in 817, Pascal I removed two thousand three hundred bodies, and placed the relics in the church of Saint Prasoede. This practice of carrying aw^ay bones, continued un- til all the bones, except a few fragmentary pieces, were gone. These catacombs are supposed to be connected with the great system of catacombs to be seen under 299 Rome and in its vicinity, in which the early Christians sought refuge, and worshipped. It is estimated, by those who have made the subject a study, that, the length of the united passages of all these catacombs, would equal five hundred and fifty Eng- lish miles. I searched out the old Ghetto, of unhallowed repute, the district of Rome within which the persecuted Jews were restricted, before our present humane era; but the progress of civilization has sw^ept the Ghetto out of existence ; it has gone, like gladiatorial contests and burn- ing at the stake (except in some of our old slave-holding states), and human slavery. Saint Peter's Church, with its miraculous Dome and the great Cross which surmounts it, was, to me, easily, the object of foremost importance in Rome. I ''mounted" the Dome and climbed up into the transept of the Cross, whence I look'd out upon the entire enclosure of the Eternal City. It was a proud day for us; one which we can never forget. The dimensions, the High Altar, the wonderful Mosaics, the separate, lateral chapels, and the grandeur of the sacred music which, at almost any hour of the day, can be heard floating in the air, like sweet incense, from some direction, furnish ^? environment the like of which cannot be duplicated elsewhere on this earth. I loved it, I rejoiced to behold it and drink deep the in- spiration which flowed from it. Albeit, I was not a Ro- man Catholic — being a Protestant-Episcopalian, which we contend, is, historically, also Catholic ; but, for the love and honor of God and his son Jesus Christ, everything I saw, seemed "meet and proper." The Church of Saint John Lateran, not for distant from St. Peter's, while it is very much inferior in size to the former, is yet, much older; in fact, it is regarded as the first church in Rome, for two reasons — ^because it 300 stands on the site of the original church, in which St. Peter celebrated Mass (the little table used by him still being shown), and again, because it is the parochial- Cathedral Church of the Pope— not Saint Peter's, as many suppose. If the decorations of Saint Peter's Church can possibly be surpassed, then, they are sur- passed by those of St. John Lateran ; but, in this matter, "seeing is believing." On Mount Pincio, in the suburbs of Rome, I found the fashionable park of Rome. Here were throngs of the people, and a grand procession of beautiful — rich equipages. As I was employing "shank's mares," after resting from my climb and silently observing the novel sight, I retraced my steps ; and, in my hotel room, wrote a letter to the Cleveland Leader, which was duly, pub- lished. MEETING THE POPE. Going to the office of the American Express Company on the day of our anticipated departure for Florence, in- deed, after our trunks had been checked, I was handed a letter; and, upon opening it, I discovered that it was a letter of introduction from Rev. Father William Mc- Mahon, editor of the Catholic Universe, of Cleveland, Ohio, to Rev. John P. Farrelly, who was then at the head of the American College, in Rome, requesting him to use his influence to secure for me and my wife, a meeting with the "Pope of Rome," — His Holiness Pius X, now deceased. The courtesy of this letter of introduc- tion was secured for me through the kindly offices of my daughter-in-law, Mrs. Agnes Geraldine Green, the be- loved wife of Captain William Roscoe Green, my eldest living son, who w^as then (and still is) a devoted com- municant of the Catholic Church. Immediately going to the great palace of the Vatican, I easily came in touch with the private secretary of Rev- 301 erend Farrelly, now Rt. Rev. John P. Farrelly, Bishop of the Diocese of Ohio. After dehvering my letter to the distinguished prelate and taking his instructions, in the premises, the secretary delivered to me a note addressed to Monseignor Bisleti, Maggiodomo of the Pontifical household (Major Domo, we call it, in English). On presenting the note to this august official, he looked straight at me, smiled, blandly, and extended his hand, in a friendly way. I, in our raw western way, seized the hand, pressed it, slightly, and gave it a hearty shake. "Ah," exclaimed his highness — the Major Domo, "you are from America!" "Yes, your highness," I replied, "I am from the United States of America." "And you are not a Catholic?" he added; "and you wish to meet His Holiness — ^The Pope?" I said, it was tnie, that, I was not a Catholic ; but, that, my son, mentioned, and his wife were faithful Catholics. Hovv long do you remain in Rome?" he queried. "Our trunks are checked for Flor- ence," I suggested; "but, in order to meet The Pope, we will await your good pleasure." After this colloquy, he presented me to his own sec- retary, who gave me a card of instructions — ^partly in the Italian language, for our guidance, in dressing our- selves; and bade me to be present in the Cortile St. Da- masco, a large hall, at the head of the "Scala Pia" — a grand stair-way, at 12 o'clock, on the following day. Needless to say, we obeyed our instructions, literally ; and were there at the appointed time. The instnictions called for a black costume with a short black veil, for Mrs. Green; while this writer was required to don an "evening costume," — the conventional "dress suit" with the immaculate white shirt front and tie. Since all save our traveling attire were packed in our absent trunks, we had recourse to a costumer, near by, who, for a reasonable consideration, furnished us nicely. 302 However— I say it with regret— I forgot, when disrob- ing (after the reception) , to transfer back again, to my own vest pocket, a beautiful fountain pen, a Christmas present, from my wife and children— which, out of an abundance of precaution, I had put into the pocket of my hired vest. Whether or not that polite costumer is still holding that regretted pen for me— after eleven years — who can tell ! Promptly, as the hour of twelve o'clock rang out, we reached the landing of the Scala Pia, were courteously re- ceived and shown to seats; there were several others who were there on a similar mission; and, together, we ex- pectantly, awaited the summons. In the meantime, however, we were not, in the least, afflicted with ennui ; for there was much going on which, being novel and interesting, enchained our attention. Here and there flitted the richly attired house messen- gers, in their beautiful brocaded, crimson costumes and faithful, at their posts, were the far-famed Swiss guards, wearing their parti-colored uniforms, and in pike-men's armour, and much besides. Soon the signal came to us; and, following the usher (?), we slowly passed through a series of richly furnished rooms — some of them "throne-rooms," hung with rare and costly Gobelin tapestries, the like of which we had never before beheld. I think we passed through ten different rooms, counting the large reception room, in which we were, at first detained; finally, we entered a room which adjoined the one in which Pius X. Pontifix Maximus — The Pope of Rome, was awaiting our arrival. In this ante-chamber of honor, stood several officers-in- waiting, wearing with becoming dignity, as part of their uniform, "gold crested helmets, and gold cross-belts, which focused the sun's rays." Their gold epauletts gave them a grand military appearance. After the lapse of a minute or two a noble cardinal, clad in his violet colored vestments and wearing his scar- let cap, appeared, followed by Pius X. We kneel on a low, velvet covered bench, as we behold the benign, paternal form and features of this Man of God. Every feature, every lineament of his kindly face bespeaks a benedic- tion. Noiselessly, he approaches us, extending to each one of us his hand, bearing the ring with the papal seal of au- thority. Each one of us kissed the ring, and he passed on; however, last, but not least, he approached a darkly bronzed little man, who, from his apparel and demeanor, convinced me that he was a humble Priest of the Church, one w^ho, perchance, had just returned from some far distant sphere of service, where, in sunshine and in shad- ow, he had been, for long years, toiling for God and his Church. One kiss of the ring did not satisfy this faithful child of the Church — he would see more of the "Holy Father," — and he imprinted kiss after kiss, not only on the ring, but on the hand that wore it. The Pope said kindly words to him; and then — we all separated — for aye. My late deceased wife, Mrs. Annie L. Green, during this ceremony, held in one of her hands three rosaries which she had bought, for loved ones at home ; and when, after the reception, His Holiness, standing under the canopy which is above the thione, pronounced a benedic- tion, in the Latin tongue, we felt that they would be doubly precious to our Catholic children and "Mother" Bolden, on our return to Cleveland. In due time, she pre- sented them; and, quite naturally, they were gratefully accepted. My present wife and I, were solemnly im- pressed, when, a few years later, we heard Rev. Fr. Mal- loy, in pronouncing a funeral discourse over the remains of "Mother" Bolden, characterize her as "a saint;" and we rejoiced to know that, at least, we had contributed our mite towards her happiness, as stated above. 304 From that reception room, we wended our way back again, through the richly decorated, gilded, tapestried rooms — back again into the great Royal Court of the Vatican — the Vatican, gi'andest and richest in treasures of all palaces in the world. Down the grand stairway we descend again; and now, once more, we are under the dome of heaven — the blue Italian skies look down upon us, and golden vernal sun shines upon us, while v^e in* hale the balmy atmosphere, which bewitches the birds to assert themselves in rhapsodies of song. We have met the Pope! His great big fatherly heart could not endure the horrors of that damnable *World War." He could not endure to see the throats of his faithful priests and children cut, while, precious treas- ures of sacred worth, cathedrals and altars, were beaten down and desecrated; and so, he gave up the ghost; and was gathered with those worthies who had gone before him, into the Heavenly Fold. Early the next morning, having been provided with a list of "pensions" — the accepted designation of the large, semi-hotels, which accommodate many thousands of tourists, in Italy and other Mediterranean states, we followed our baggage to Florence — the beautiful, famous city, at the foot of the Appennines— on both sides of the river Arno, named for her profusion of lovely flov/ers. On our way, in the taxi — still accompanied by Doctor and Mrs. Graham — our enthusiastic ''jehu" cracked his resounding whip and urged forward his steeds with well nigh electrical rapidity ; suddenly a halt ! So forceful and pronounced, that, it almost piled us in a heap, warned us of our danger. Investigation proved to us that, we were right up against the forward wheels of a tram-car; and our lives had been saved as by a miracle. Verily, "in the midst of life, we are in death!" We crossed the famous Arno river, over one of several long bridges, and in a few minutes, we were, snugly ensconced in a com- 305 fortable suite of a pension. May I remark here, that, never, in any instance, since we parted from our great ship, had we experienced any trouble or even inconven- ience, by reason of the fact that, we were colored people; and even our friends, the Grahams, who were "well-to^ do" white people, expressed deep regret when, at Flor- ence, we had reached the "dividing of the road,"— and they were from Missouri, too. ' After remaining, for a few days, in this ancient city, wandering around, scanning hurriedly many great "master-pieces" in miles of picture galleries, in the Uffizi and Pitti Palaces ; strolling through great cathedrals, and clim.bing to the top of the great Campanile tower; we began to weary of the excitement, and long for a change ; so, we gave our traveling companions our blessing — bowed our heads to receive theirs, and turned our faces in an- other direction — they for Cologne; we, for Paris, and back to London. Pvight here, it must be stated, that, the following references made to Venice and Vienna, relate to a prior trip made by me, m 1893, when I toured all alone. In Paris, I was given the address of Bamfido, by the associate of young James Gordon Bennett, who had succeeded his illustrious father, in the ownership of the New York Herald, and the enjoyment of the paternal legacies bequeathed to him. Mr. Bennett was, just then, spending a good deal of his time at Monte Carlo, on his yacht and in the boule- vards and places of Parisian amusements ; so, I frequent- ly saw his alter ego, and miade the most of him. We arrived in Venice by moonlight; and it was, to me, a wierd, spectral scene— that of being "sculled" through the labarynthine canals, in the night season, housed up in the plush lined little cabin of the gondola. When the bo^an would get to the turning of the ca- nal, he would signal, by saying Auch! which sound was echoed and re-echoed. I had, before leaving home, just 306 finished reading Dickens' Little Dorritt, and the experi- ences in Venice, of Mrs. General and the General family, were still in my mind. I could almost hear and see them, in their pleasures and perplexities ; and that same Corinne, the heroinne of Mme. DeStael's story, of which mention has been made, was, ever and anon — in my mind. The Cathedral of St. Marc, very ancient; the Doges Palace, equally so ; the Bridge of Sighs ; the Execution Chamber, down in the deep dungeon, with the grooves leading to the three sm.all holes, through which the blood of the executed victim escaped, after decapitation; the Grand Canal, lined, on both sides with the palaces of ancient days; the palace in which Othello wooed, won and mur- dered Desdemona; the palace in which Lord Byron lived and drank down inspiration for his Don Juan and other love poems ; the palace of Caesar Borgia and others of the notorious, famous Borgia family; the Rialto, which was old when Shakespeare wrote of it. These and many other wonderful and suggestive objects, to say nothing of som.e of the greatest canvases, by many of the most illustrious painters who have ever lived, kept me busy several days, and parts of nights to my ''heart's con- tent." It was jolly and picturesque on the Piazza (pro- nounced Pe-at-za) St. Marco; at night. A large well- trained ''brass-band," discoursed sw^eet and classical mu- sic, and the beautiful Venetian ladies with their stylish escorts promenaded — not "to the lascivious pleasing of a lute," as Shakespeare puts it, but rather, to the dulcet cadences of the band, bathed in the silvery sheen of that Itlaian Moon-light. It was a queer, poetic experience, which I enjoyed, when I had to board a gondola and sail to the bank ! Here, again, I must warn the dear reader, that, for a more lucid and comprehensive description of Venice as well as others of which I briefly speak, he must turn to 307 well known and easily accessible books of travel; I am only a viator, illustrating, in a humble way, the depths from which a colored-American has climbed and the heights to which he has attained, in a shoii: life. Lo, we will sail back to the rail-way station, in the moniing; and, hence, we will betake us to Vienna, the "most beautiful city in Europe," according to Mr. Chas. F. Brush. VIENNA, THE BEAUTIFUL. When I arrived in beautiful Vienna, on the seventh day of May, 1893, a fleecy snow about six inches deep, was covering the ground; to say, I was surprised, puts it mildly, so far advanced was the spring season; but, be- fore night, it had all disappeared, before the mid-day sun. After registering, at a reputable hotel, I sallied forth and found "Cook's office," for "Cook," as all travelers on the Continent know, is of very great advantage to the tourist, in many respects. Going into the main reception room, where were collected numerous persons, I ex- claimed, in a tone of voice loud enough to be heard all over the room : "Is there any gentleman here who speaks EngHsh?" A voice, almost familiar, answered, "Yes, Senator Green; I speak English!" Drawing mutually, near to each other, I inquired of him as to his identity. "Why," said he, "I represent The WilHam Edwards Com- pany of Cleveland ; and, I rode in the same car with you from Columbus to Cleveland, a few weeks ago." Of course, we had an interesting conversation, to- gether, after that; and I look back to that incident as being one of the most enjoyable of my trip. In concluding the last chapter, I remarked the ad- miration of Mr. Chas. F. Brush, for Vienna, and, indeed, my visit to that capital city v/as due almost entirely to his wise suggestion. I have never regretted it. Here, I felt myself more "at home," than in any other city visited by me, London, only, excepted. This feeling I attribute, in great part, to three circumstances, which are familiar to my home life : First, the GeiTnan population of Cleveland is so nu- merous, that, the people of the same race, in the streets of Vienna reminded me forcibly of them; Secondly, the German language, spoken by every one, there, reminded me of the same tongue which is heard in the streets and marts of trade, so frequently, in my home town; and. Thirdly, the weather, on May 7th, and 8th, was just such cold, wet and disagreeable weather as one frequent- ly experiences near Lake Erie in the months of March and April. I shall spend a little more of time and space in re- ferring to my sojourn in this city, than I have with ref- erence to some other great cities, in my route ; especially because, she is now the forlorn victim of her own folly — the folly of her old Emperor, deceased — and some of his unfortunate advisers, who "still live and breathe." That once noble, rich and influential city, today, cut off from her former associates, cast down from her high pedestal, her currency depreciated, her resources almost exhausted ; the women and children, in many instances, starving ir her streets ; she sits, metaphorically, like another "Rachel, weeping for her children; refusing to be comforted, for, her children are not" — doing a bitter penance, for the sins of others. Now, here is a brief description of my Vienna, as I found her, twenty-seven years ago: — "set on a hill" — plateau; built not more for stability and business, than for beauty; bountifully watered by a tributary stream of "the beautiful blue Danube;" ornamented by shade trees and shrubbery, statuary, squares, parks and Gothic cathedrals; and peopled by as rosy-cheeked and health- ful a population as ever one could wish to behold. 309 The streets which were aW smoothly and substan- tially paved, with cubes of granite, asphaltum and "Ni- diolson" blocks, upon a concrete foundation, a foot thick, were not allowed to become filthy; but, a small anny of men and boys, with brooms and pans, were ever alert, to prevent accumulations. The equipages with their "out- riders" and '*foot-men", were both numerous and bril- liant, being drawn by some of the best looking and most spirited horses in the world. In scanning the names of the streets, I found some most suggestive of historical events, some of them, sad events. There, for instance, was the street. Grand Duke Maximilian. This name recalled the fact that, I was in the home of that sadly unfortunate young nobleman, who, at the behest of his superior lords and Napoleon III, invaded Mexico, at a time when the fate of our glorious Union and the freedom of four millions of human beings hung in the balance; and attempted, in defiance of our Monroe Doctrine, to obtain a lodgment on these western shores for European despotism. As I traveled through some of those countries and noted their streets, restaurants, parks and boulevards, were sprayed with Military; when I considered the great wealth and aggregate resources of these monarchies, I felt like congratulating my own fellow citizens on the fact that, early in our national existence, we drew the line; and that, to this day, we have enforced our doctrine — ''America for Americans,"— hands oif ! The K. Kj Hofburg theatre is grand in its propor- tions, massive in its stinicture and elaborate in its interior decorations. Looking at it from a distance, one is forcibly reminded of the Grand Opera House in Paris; tho, of course, the Paris structure is sui generis — unique — in- comparable. The Parliament House is an imposing pile, semicir- cular, concave, in front, and has wings on either side of 310 the central body. Groups of large Corinthian pillars give this building a truly classical appearance. At each cor- ner, on top of the structure, looking towards each of the cardinal points, are collosal groups of bronze statuary representing Peace and Victory, drawn in chariots by three great horses, rampant. Peace is extending the olive branch, and Victoiy, the laurel wreath. Then, there is that grand monument of pure Gothic architecture. St. Stephen's cathedral, very old and quite unique. Its central spire almost kisses the clouds, in a sense; while clustered around it is a group of small ones; and these combined, produce the effect intended by the originators of Gothic architecture, that of their forest home. The Goths (from whom this style of architectui'e takes its name)— and the Vandals, came trooping down from their mountain fastnesses and bleak houses, into the fertile plains and flower gardens of Italy and France. They took possession of what they found; but, never could efface from their memories the scenes of their former environment. So, when they began to worship our God and build huge temples, within which to perform their devotional duties, they endeavored by means of this Gothic style to imitate nature, as seen in the forest. Hence, the trunks of trees, imitated in the formation of the columns; and the limbs, twigs and buds, spreading out and sustaining the roof ; the pointed arches, combining to make the nave and transept resemble an arbor; to say nothing of the niches, here and there, like clefts in rocks, holding statuary; the horrid gargoyles, imitating fierce animals of the forest, peering over the eaves, discharging the waste water from the roof; the stained glass windows giving that twilight-cathedral effect within, imitating the beauties of the illumined heavens; and the spires, ornamented with swelling-bursting buds, pointing like 311 tall pines, straight heavenward. Such is Gothic Archi- tecture, as seen in some parts of Europe. Two government buildings, located, respectively, on opposite sides of a lovely garden or platz — one containing the Museum of Fine Arts, and the other, the Museum of Natural History. In the Platz are to be seen groups of stauary, and a heroic monument, with a statue of Maria Therese, late Empress of Austria. I spent the greater part of one day, rambling through the long galleries of the Museum of Fine Arts; and, if you would like to know something of a very few of its famous masterpieces, I will tell you. There were two, by Michael Coxie, who flourished be- tween 1499 and 1592, representing the Garden of Eden, before and after the Fall. The difference between in- nocence and guilt, as pictured in the countenances of Adam and Eve, before and after they had sinned, stamps the picture as one worthy of great note. Some of Franz Snyder's paintings come next, representing, almost to perfection, all the various fishes, amphibiae and curiosi- ties of the sea. One hangs around them a long time and reflects on the marvelous skill and patience of this great painter. In another corner, I came upon a neat painting by De Crayes, 1584-1669, representing the removal of the Saviour from the cross. It is the most realistic picture I have ever seen. There, you see the pierced side, with blood and water is- suing from it, just as if one stood in the very presence; the gaping wounds in the hands, feet and side, move to pity and beget in one, feelings of awe. Around the wounds, in the hands and feet, the flesh is discolered and swolen, telling the story of his agony and death, 0!— so vividly. The pose, the features, the tints and all the char- acteristics of this wonderful painting are such as to sug- gest a better life, to the one who beholds and reflects. 312 Another picture which enchains one to the spot, is entitled, ''Saint Ignats Casting Out Devils." In this painting Saint Ignats stands upon an elevation, in front of a great Cathedral or other consecrated pile; around him crowd a multitude of people who have come or been brought to him, to have devils cast out of them. The skill of the great painter seems to have been mainly ex- ercised in depicting the miseries of those possessed of devils. With features and limbs distorted in every possible shape, they present a horrible sight. One, in particular, is a woman who occupies a position in the foregi'ound. She is prostrated; her countenance is livid; her eyeballs, with a stony glare, protrude from their sockets; her tongue lolls out; her hair is disheveled; altogether, she presents an appearance which, once seen, can never be forgotten. At a distance from St. Ignats, making their escape, is a group of horned-spike tailed devils, glaring back- w^ards, as they flee. In another gallery of this museum, Tintoretto gives, as a nude study. Beauty in the Bath. There are those who take exception to this style of picture, as being too suggestive, for the young, if not, indeed, downright, vul- gar; but, as inteii)reted by this great master, the pose is so graceful, the execution so artistic and free from any impure suggestion, that, I failed to note any improper ef- fect produced. Only feelings of admiration for the noblest, best and most beautiful of God's creatures — the "human form divine." One piece of statuary, and I will have finished. It is a group of three personages, chiseled out of one solid block of marble. A Roman soldier, clutched in his left hand, holds aloft an ''innocent," aged about 18 months; his right hand rests on the hilt of his sword; while the babe, conscious of its danger, extends its little hands, 313 with supplicating cries, towards his frantic mother, who, struggling, half prostrate at the soldier's feet, strives, in rain, to stay the blow. This group alone, is sufficient to immortalize any artist ; it is by Incenzo Francaroli. I have many times since that visit to Vienna, longed to visit her once again, and make a stay more or less protracted; but, age coming on apace, and the unspeak- able ravages of the "World War," have put it beyond my power; however, possessing that God-given faculty — memory, I can still live over those happy days, and learn to be content with them. 314 CHAPTER XVII. THE AUSTRIAN TYROI^PARIS— IRELAND. The enormous expense of constructing* railroads in southern and central Europe, dawns upon one as he passes through those regions the mountain ranges of the Alps and Appennines, give a succession of heights and valleys to be negotiated, which, at times, almost startle one. The deep cuts through rocky regions; the spanning of yawn- ing chasms and tunneling for miles and miles, through tha bowels of the earth, pile up the expense to fabulous pro- portions; and did not governments, at times, come 1o the fore and assist in the consummation of these works, so necessary and convenient for all the people, it is ques- tionable, whether they would be accomplish r-cc. As being apropos to the subject under consideration, I recall some reflections made by a learned commentator on that passage of the Holy Scriptures, wherein the Apostle Paul says, to the Corinthians, * * "and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains;" the writer referred to, maintains that faith has removed mountains in the only sense practicable; for, that, when faith, which begets and stimulates works, bores a pas- sage-way through the mountain, and gives both ingress and egress — the mountain being no longer an obstacle, is practically removed. One noticeable peculiarity in the construction of lo- comotives used on the railroads, lies in the fact that, they 315 have no "cow-catchers" attached to them; not for the reason, however, that Artemas Ward gave when he was travehng in the west, long ago; ''Conductor!" Ward ex- claimed, "I can't see of what use these cow-catchers are to anyone. The trains move so slowly that, there is no possibility of running over a cow; but, if they were taken off the front of the engine and fastened to the rear of the train, they might prevent some ill-mannered cow from intruding on the passengers." Speaking of tunnels; the Mount Cenis tunnel, be- tween France and Italy, has them all beaten, so to speak ; it took the train twenty-seven minutes to pass through it, going at what seemed a high rate of speed. So much has been written by tourists concerning the grandeur and beauties of Alpine scenery, that, it seems w^ell nigh presumptions for me to attempt to enlarge upon the same subject; but, with becoming modesty, I trust, I will venture a few suggestions. The Appennine Mountains covered in the month of May with the first offerings of spring, and bathed in an atmosphere laden with the odors of the sweet acacia blossoms, seem to be clothed in Nature's "most beautiful garment;" but, when in the midst of the snow-covered Alps, in that portion of Switzerland, watered by the beautiful river Inn and the sources of the Rhine, I found that the half had not been told. Remembering the old saying — "poeta nascitur, non fit," a poet is born, not made, I hesitate to attempt even rhyme, not to mention poetry ; but, who that possesses a soul, can be whirled through that section of Switzerland, between Insbruck and Zurich , in the spring-time, and restrain his muse, if he has one ; such an one must be dull, indeed. Imagine yourself passing over a bridge v»'hich leaps across a chasm, "full fifty fathoms deep!" In the fore- ground, you see, in the form of an ellipse, a peaceful val- 316 ley, watered by a pretty rippling stream, as pure as nec- tar and as blue as the cerulean sky above it, ever and anon, dashing over its rocky bed, which imparts to it that unspeakable beauty which no canvas has yet por- trayed ; while, nestling within the shadow of some tower- ing height, a little village bides its time, until the return of those who till the fruitful fields or guard the lleecy flocks. Over all, some distance removed, like sentinels, grim and gray, Olympus heads, crowned with perennial snow, look down upon the clouds. Small wonder then, that the writer, influenced by such surroundings, should mount and give loose rein to his impetuous Pegasus, and for once, at least, sing of — Those dreamy heights, Where Nature's cradle ever rocks; And verdant vales, where shepherds watch their feeding flocks; Wliere waters blue with murmuring cadence never still, Prolong the sound Of humming spindles, in the mill; And flowers so sweet, Where busy bees, with ceaseless move, Inspire our faith And whisper in our soul, that, God is love! It is no wonder that these Swiss people are brave and honorable, for, reared, amongst these crags and cliffs and indurated to hardships and perils, from infancy, it is nat- ural for them to be as rugged, brave and free, as their mountain homes and the pure atmosphere which they breathe; and, in the march of time, they have not only achieved their own. religious and political liberties, but have rendered valuable assistance to others, along the same lines. Here, we learn of William Tell and Winkehied. The one defied the tyrant Gesler, while the other, at the su- preme moment of his country's peril, converged the 817 bristling spears of the enemy towards his own breast, and thus, "made way for Uberty." The shores of the beautiful lake on which the city of Zurich is built present a scene which will some day in the future, be rivaled by the south shore of our Lake Erie, in places. Along the whole distance pretty towns and villas have sprung into existence, with flower-gar- dens, green lawns, trellised vines and the like, which give one the impression as the train passed from one to an- other, that he is, indeed, in fairy land, at last. There are numerous little docks, for the convenience of canoes and yachtsmen; and as our train sped by, we could see the numerous white-winged craft gliding over the bosom of the blue lake, for the pleasure and health of their occupants. Snug bath-houses too, were dotting the shores, at convenient distances, which proved that, the people in that vicinity, at least, were taking advan- tage of this precious and oft-neglected privilege. I would like to become ecstatic over the golden sun sinking behind the snow-capped mountains, etc., etc., but space forbids. Vale, Zurich! Au revoir. PARIS AND IRELAND. Since making my first visit to Paris, in 1893, so many changes have taken place, in the appearance of the big — gay city, and so numerous have been the persons, from the United States, who have visited this mecca of the gay and fashionable, that, what I shall say in the following, may be read more as contrasting the metropolis of the present with that of the past, than as a correct descrip- tion of the city as it now appears ; nevertheless, even the contrast, may appeal to those who are prone to seeking — "something different." When I was leaving my home for an outing, on the other side of the "big pond," the story entitled. Trilby — by Dumourier, predicated on conditions and transactions, 318 amongst the art students who have their habitat in the famous Latin Quarter of Paris, was "the rage;" everyone who cared for the novel and spicy recitals, pertaining to the grisette and even the demimonde of the joyful city was, devouring it with avidity ; hence, many of my genial friends said to me, by way of jest, I suppose, "Be sure and write us a letter from Trilby-land!" In giving my promise to do so, I little dreamed that I had undertaken a contract most difficult to perform. The difficulty arose not so much from a scarcity of materials out of which to write such a letter, as out of a superabundance of data from which I dared select. What most astonishes the average wayfarer, in Paris, with reference to social vices, is not so much that they abound as the fact that they are patent to the casual observer, and flaunt themselves almost in the faces of passers-by, on the public thoroughfares. I have no doubt that these conditions exist, to the last degree of baseness, in other great centers of popula- tion ; but, the police restrictions and repressions are such that, the veil is drawn — the screen is placed, and doors are bolted; while in Paris (at that time, bear in mind), a man could run and see the carryings on, in some parts of the great city. However, I well knew that, I could write no Trilby letter, unless I visited the Quartier Latin, or Latin Quart- ier as we call it. I, in my ignorance of the French pronun- ciation went along inquiring for the Quartier Latin just as tho I were in the streets of London; but I received a blank stare and a negative nod of the head, instead of the desired information. Finally, when my patience had been worn thread-bare, I wrote the name on my memor- andum book, and presented it to a passer-by ; he scanned it, and exclaimed "Ah, ze Cash-er Lat-an!" and gave me all needed information for finding it. The Latin Quarter is not remote from the heart of the city; it is just across 319 the river Seine, a mere "stone's throw" from the ancient cathedral; Notre Dame, a few minutes walk from the Palace of Justice and in easy communication with the public buildings of the nation and city. In this Quarter, there are many stately buildings, having in the center of them, or at one end, large, tall entrances, arched at the top ; and one invariably, reads on a placard near by, the inscription, "a louer, appartements or ateliers;" that is to say, rooms for rent — in brief. It was in one of these buildings, Du Maurier informs us in his readable book, the Taffy, Little Billee, Tiilby, Sven- gali and others of the coterie held their social gatherings ; and beyond doubt, it was in some of the numerous bras- series, in the immediate vicinity, where they w^ere accus- tomed to resort, for the purpose of securing their re- freshments — ^both liquid and solid. These brasseries are a species of cafe and saloon blended, having large awnings in front of them, covering the side-walk, and sheltering guests from the sun and in- clement weather. Upon the side-walk, in front of the brasserie, were numerous small tables, with chairs, for the accommodation of the convivial guests — a motly group of art students from the four corners of the earth ; and their cheerful-frivolous o-risettes, young girls, who, after the end of their day's work, spend the remainder of the evening in the manner which DuMaurier has so vividly depicted. The time to behold them in their glory w^as between the hours of 8 and 12, at night; when the students, re- laxed from their studies, and the Trilbies go out for a promenade and refreshments. I would not have the reader infer that these grisettes are all or even princi- pally, persons of unchaste character; for, on the contrary, many of them are girls, poor but honest ; who, sometimes, adopt this method of securing recreation, evenings, after the day's work is ended. 320 Not far from the Quartei% were the Barracks, where many soldiers were quartered; and one could frequently see, mingled with the gay and lively throng, which is al- ways to be found there, many zouzous and Dodos in their bright, catchy uniforms, as in the days of Little Billee and Trilby. There too, were students, conspicuous in long flow- ing gowns, parti-coloured cloaks and mantles, and pecu- liar shaped head-gear, *'a smokin' of their pipes." In one of these large buildings, I found many con- veniences, pertaining to a club room, such as small tables, chairs, desks and writing materials ; also, cards, chess and checker boards, and reading miscellany ; w^hile, in the hall overhead, the wierd and seductive sounds of stringed in- struments, the shuffling of feet and the boisterous peals of laughter, were easily, suggestive of the same old "can-can" which we read about, in the famous novel. Well might Durien sing of the "Plaisir d'amour ne dure qirn moment; Chagrin d'amour dure tout le vie." That is to say; the pleasures of passion (love) endure only for the flitting moment; the vexations of love last all our life. Hard by, as I have said, the towers of old iVotre Dame, black and gray with age, loom up towards heaven, hundreds of feet; chiseled deep in the broad buttresses of this cathedral, on the facade of the same, one reads the words "Liberte,' Egalite,' Fraternite,' " as if those he- roes of the French Revolution, who struggled for recog- nition, in the long ago, distrusted even heaven, itself, and were determined to cut the sentiment so deep in the stone, that it could not be effaced. Yet, I have seen words carved equally deep in the stone obliterated; as, witness the effacement of the name of the original architect of the ''Old Court House," on our Public Square, which was 321 done after he expressed joy at the assassination of the immortal Lincoln, on the day, on which he died. There- fore, I infer, from the fact that the French inscription, still remains intact, that the French people still endorse that grand sentiment, and proclaim, to all the v/orld— Liberte', Egalite', Fratemite'. Also, closely allied with the Latin Quarter is the Hotel Dieu, which stands diagonally opposite to the old cathedral. This hospital is a large, soUd structure, the capacity of which must be often tried, if one would judge by the large crowds which stand in waiting, at its doors, every morning.; men, women and children, of all ages, a- motly crowd of the blind, halt and afflicted ; such a crowd as crowded around our Savior, when he ministered to the needs of all who, in Faith, came to him. Perhaps it was this Hotel Dieu, in the vicinity of the Quartier Latin, which suggested to Du Mauriej those lines which he put into the mouth of ''Trilby," v/heii, un- der the hypnotic influence of Svengali, she sang, at the Parisian Cirque, so mournfully, "Ma chandelle est morte. Je n'ai plus feu! Ouvre moi ta porte Pour I'amour de Dieu!" "My candle is out, I have no fire (light) ; Open to me your door, for the love of God." Almost directly in the rear of the old cathedral, is the Morgue, on the bank of the Seine, which cuts so con- spicuous a figure in the story of poor Trilby. 0, v/hat a sombre, suggestive place it is (or was) ! Listen to that arch-fiend Svengali's description of it. "There is a little ugly gray building there; and, inside, are eight slanting slabs of brass, all in a row, like beds in a school dormi- tory; and, one fine day, you shall lie asleep on one of those slabs — you Trilby, who would not listen to Sven- gali, and therefore, lost him! and over the middle of you will be a leather apron, and over your head a little brass tap; and all day long and all night, the cold water shall trickle, trickle, trickle — all the way down your beautiful white body to your beautiful white feet, til they turn green; and your poor, damp, muddy draggled rags will hang above you, from the ceiling, for your friends to know you by; drip, drip, drip! But you will have no friends; and people, of all sorts — strangers, will come and stare at you, through the big plate-glass windows — Englanders, chiffoniers, painters and sculptors — work- men, plon-plons, old hags of women; and they will say: "Ah! what a beautiful woman v/as that!" Ugh! It makes one shudder to read it in the book; and here I stood, all alone, silently gazing upon the sad remains of just such a creature, fished out of the Seine, the night before — perhaps! On the occasion of my visit to that same Morgue, I found three bodies reclining on those brass slabs — "all of a row" — one was that of a woman of middle age ; there could still be traced, in the even, comely features, su- per-abundance of lustrous brov>'n hair which lay in rich profusion around the bare shoulders, long eye lashes, heavy eye-brows, even, white teeth — which were appar- ent through the slightly parted lips, some of that beauty which, in former days, perchance, made her the belle of some social circle. The two others were men — one, far advanced in life, the other, past its meridian — both gray, one bald. The features of one were placid, calm, as if in sleep ; while those of the other were distorted, the whole countenance reminding one of Sir Walter Scott's lines : "Nor can old age a wrinkle trace More deeply than despair." There was a large bruise on the forehead, indicating that, he had met death, perchance, through violence. 823 Those were the bodies of unknown dead, exposed there to the pubhc gaze for identification. It cannot now, be truthfully said, in the language of Svengali, that the water, ''all day long and all night, shall trickle, trickle, trickle, etc.; for, on the contrary, there is now, no leather apron put on the middle of the corpse, nor any ''little brass tap," over the head; but the bodies, though somewhat exposed about the neck and shoulders, are quite covered, as to the remainder of the form; and their "damp clothing" is cleansed and laid on top of them. The glass case, within which the bodies recline, on the "slanting slabs," is now kept cold by a refriger- ating process, such as is used in commercial affairs. On the front wall of the Morgue, hung photographs of those who had been buried before identification; so that, a final means remains of identification, long after hope has been resigned, of tracing them. As I turned to leave this sad place, the bells in the ancient belfry of Notre Dame, chimed out the morning hour, in sad, sweet cadences; while in a small, green park, hard by — just within the shadow of the church, numerous *'boozy" men and women courted that rest which the past night had denied them. "0, it was pitiful! In that great city full, Home they had none." , The fact that those three public institutions w^ere, so to speak, in one group, is quite significant — — The Cathedral — a shelter for the soul, — The Hotel Dieu, to heal the body; and — The Morgue, for the Last Eemains! The book stalls on the banks of the Seine were ob- jects of much interest to many, with literary inclina- tions: The palace of the Luxembourg where, annually, the masterpieces of the students of the Latin Quarter, 32-1 and others, are placed on exhibition; the great, durable bridges which span the river; the Eifel Tower, kissing the clouds, almost; the Trocadero, remnant of a great World's Fair; the Invalides, sacred to the memory of France's great dead; the Louvre, mecca of those who love art, where can be seen canvases and statuary that cannot be duplicated; the Place de la Concorde, with its Egyptian Obelisk, statuary and memories of the guillo- tine, of the Revolution; the Arc de Triumph, sacred to the memory of the great Napoleon; the Bois de Boulogne; the Place de la Bastile, and last, but not least— for the ladies, the Bon Marche', where they buy the beautiful and the useful, at a reasonable price. The great Opera House, would, alone, make any city possessing it, note-worthy ; and deserves too extensive a notice to attempt it here; so I will refer the reader to some book of travels, for information in this behalf. From Paris, we pass over, once more, into the great city of London; and while sojourning there, during the following three months, I embrace the opportunity to study that great town, more thoroughly, before returning again to my native land. However, a description of a hurried trip which I took, previous to this time, to Ire- land — THE BEAUTIFUL EMERALD ISLE may be of interest to my readers. "Old Ireland, the mother of an unfortunate race of men and women, whose deeds are embalmed in story and song — the cradle in which have rocked poets, statesmen, soldiers and martyrs. Of poets, one may mention Moore, who wrote Lalla Rookh ; of statesmen and orators, Henry Grattan, Daniel O'Connell, Sheridan, Burke, Curran and Parnell; of sol- diers, the **Iron Duke," Wellington, McMahon, "Joe" Shields, Thomas Francis Meagher, Mulligan, and Corco- ran, of the "Bloody 69th," which went into the Battle of Bull Run, stripped to the waist, and "fought like brave 325 Bien, long and well," for our glorious Union; and last, but not least, of gallant "Phil" Sheiidan, who saved the day at "Winchester, twenty miles away!" As for scientists, we can mention Sir Humphrey Davey, who invented the little safety lamp, which miners wear to protect them from explosions, when they are at work — "Down in the coal mines Underneath the ground;*' thereby, saving the lives of many miners, every year; and as for martyrs to the cause of Irish liberty, the list may be headed by the name of that immortal Robert Emmett, who died, in his youth and fair promise for the freedom of his native land. I left the great ship Campania at Queenstown, steamed up the beautiful bay to Cork, a large and popu- lous city; the principal business street of which — Pat- rick street, containing a monument and statue of Father Mathew, in the center of it, leminded me that at last, I was treading the "Auld Sod." On our way up the bay, we saw a fleet of five German men of war — ^no submarines, at that time. They had been anchored off the^ort of Cork for several days, re- plenishing their larders, and exchanging friendly greet- ings with the English soldiers, stationed at the various barracks in and near that city ; from there, they went to Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, to be present and aid in hon- oring the festivities incident to the visit of the German Emperor, to his grandma. Queen Victoria. In view of conditions which have prevailed between England and Germany, since the year of which I write, it seems strange to note the bonds of consanguinity which exist between the ex-emperor and the royal family of Great Britain. 326 After visiting various places of interest in Cork, in- cluding the cathedral in which Father Mathew preached and the church, the belfry of which contains the "Sweet Bells of Shannon," which sound so bewitching on the river Lee, I hired an Irish- jaunting car, and started, post-haste for the village of Blamey, and "Blarney Castle/' my object being, of course, to kiss the Blarney Stone. "There is a stone that whoe'er kisses, Sure he ne'er misses To become iloquent." The route to Blarney, covering some seven miles, carried me through some of the most lovely landscape scenery which I had ever seen. I was prepared for it; for, it was *'one day in May," and my expectation had been quickened, years and years before that time. Going- out by an ancient road, known as Sunday's- well-road, named for an ancient well which was noted for the heal- ing qualities of its waters, we passed several chateaus or country residences, which might well be compared to Eden. Over our heads, at times, the interlacing boughs and foliage formed a veritable arbour; and when we emxerged from it, near the end of our route, we experi- enced the sensation of coming from a leafy, flowery tun- nel ; and the River Lee, winding its tortuous v/ay through the beautiful green valley, at the foot of the hill, gave to the whole scene a freshness and delight, which, once experienced, can never be forgotten. But, here we are, at Blarney, a little village, a very old town, nestled amongst the hills, and hard by, is the re- nowned, old and gray— Blarney Castle, telling of party strife and conflicts, numerous and severe, in the "long ago" — an anachronism on the face of the fruitful earth. As I was entering the grounds upon which the Castle stands, I met Sir George Colthurst, the present 327 (then) owner of the Castle, a youthful, good-looking man; and I wondered whether he had won his *'Spurs," or had the title by inheritance or favor; for, we all know, that, in Ireland, conditions are "not always what they seem." However, we enter the ancient castle, and begin climb- ing up, up — up, a space of at least 100 feet, to the para- pet, suspended under which and held in position by two strong iron braces, is the famous stone. Just here, in passing, it may not be amiss to mention three other famous, little old stones which I had encoun- tered in my peregrinations, in Great Britain. There is, in West Minster Abbey, a very old stone, known as the stone brought from Scone, in Scotland, on which the Scot- tish kings, from time immemorial, had been crowned; then, in the British Museum, is to be seen a little — old stone, known as the Rosetta Stone ; which was discovered near Cairo, in Egypt, during Napoleon's expedition in that land; and is called "Rosetta Stone," for the town of Rosetta, near which it was found; it is polished on one side, and contains an inscription in three different lan- guages— EgjT)tian hieroglyphics, Greek and Latin. It furnished the key for deciphering Egyptian hieroglyph- ics; and, in that way, has been of priceless value in the difficult work of unraveling Egyptian history. I found another on the top of Ross Castle, on the banks of the Lakes of Killarney, which, for the want of a better name, I will term, the Kissing Stone. It is said, that, whoever kisses this stone, can, thereafter, kiss any girl he wishes to kiss; as I did not kiss that stone, I have ^0 means of verifying the old tradition. Going back to the Blarney Stone ; it is no small task to kiss the Blarney stone; for, in order to perform the osculatory feat, one must be held head downward over the parapet, with a yawning chasm of not less than one hundred feet beneath him, at the imminent risk of his life. This writer, however, who was suspended by his 323 ankles, by two accommodating tourists, performed the feat out of consideration for a group of true and tried Irish friends, in far away America; and if, in the future, he should indulge in more or less "blarney," the reason therefor can be easily explained. Here is the traditionary origin of the Blarney Stone, as given to me "on the spot," by an Irishman. Once upon a time, "The McCarthy," who founded the castle, on re- turning from the chase, with a friend, heard cries of dis- tress from the direction of the River Lee, near by. On investigation, they found two sisters in the extremity of drowning; and, thereupon, they, right manfully, rescued them. In return for this act, one of the sisters told "The McCarthy," to go and look under the parapet, on the front side of his castle, and he would discover a stone, about three feet in length and two in width, which, if he had the courage to lean over and kiss, would make him thenceforward, invincible against all enemies, in battle. "The McCarthy" did as he was directed; and from that time forward, no one of his neighboring foes could pre- vail against him. Hence the "Blarney stone." From Blarney, I went, next, to Killarney, a pretty village, sustained, largely by the generosity of tourists, who flock here, during the summer season, to enjoy the wonderfully beautiful scenery of the Lakes of Killarney. "O, did you e'er hear of Kate Kearney; She lived on the banks of Killarney ; Believe it from me, no heart could be free If it heard the sweet sound of her blarney." I have paraphrased the foregoing lines, somewhat, as I do not remember the exact words of the winsome song. I was informed by my guide (who, by the way, had resided for years, in our State of New Hampshire), that Kate Kearney had such beautiful, long hair, that, once, when following the big game, she pursued a roe to the 329 top of the Toro Mountain, her hair flowed down to it3 base! But, these refreshing lakes and their surrounding scenery! 0, the beauty of Nature, as God made her! She, verily, has no rival. While the lakes are pure and limpid, with an atmosphere full of vitality, yet the scen- ery on their banks surpasses all. Here you find, mingled in rich luxuriance, the oak, the elm and the beech tree fully matured ; then we see, in all their perfected beauty the holly, the arbutus, the yew, the rhododendron, the bay, the Mountain ash, silver fir, and gi'eat beds of roses of Sharon and ferns, such as this wTiter had never seen before. There, too, is ancient "Ross Castle" with some of the identical old bronze gims, still mounted, which fired upon Ludlow and his follow- ers, whom Oliver Cromwell had sent to reduce the castle, in 1640. On the top of the ancient stronghold, which was founded in the 14th century, is the ''kissing stone," re- ferred to, in the foregoing. I found, over in Ireland, that "foine ould Irish gin- tleman," of whom I had read so much. He is a verity; bubbling over with wit and humor, and abounding in that "sweet Irish brogue," of which the late General Scott spoke, from the balcony of our American House, Svay back in the fifties, when he wns a Presidential candidate, and was courting the Irish vote. My guide, already referred to, was full of wit and humor. Pointing to a high mountain, near the lakes, with an indentation on the top of it, he said: "Do you see that gap in the ridge of the mountain?" I nodded, affirmatively. "Well, thin," he said, "that little gap is called "the divil's bite!' Whin the O'Donoghue held Ross Castle, over there, which was the last in Ireland to sur- render to the forces of Cromwell, the divil, one day, did give him some of his impertinence ; and O'Donoghue give 330 'im sich er whack on his divilish back, wid his blackthorn sthick, that, the divil run roaring to yon mountain an' bit a piece out of the hump av it, an sphit it out in the lake, jesht where ye see that little island; an' (lowering his voice) its the only spheck o' land that the divil owns around these lakes; Glory be tc God!" Pointing to another high mountain, not far removed, he said : "There's a lake upon the top o' that mountain, an' its the deepest in the wurrold. **One day, there was a Yankee hero, an' he sed, they had deeper lakes in Amerika than that one ; he said, they had 'em three miles deep, in the Rocky Mountains. I told 'im shure, that was nothin'; fer, one day, an Amerikin gentleman thried to schwim across it, but, whin he got in the middle of the lake, the cramps took him, an' he begun ter sink; an' he didn't shtop intil he reached Austraily, whin his feet hit the head uv a young lady who v/as passing by an' hui*ted her. She sued 'im fer damages ; but he wus a pore man in the kentry, havin' left even his close behind 'im! So, they settled by marryin' av each other; fer good lookin' men was 'mazingly sceerce in Austraily, thin." On my route from Killamey to Dublin, we passed through sections where a great many ''shanties," in a tumbled down-foresaken condition could be seen. I in- quired the cause of this forlorn condition, and was in- formed that the former tenants of them, had left Ireland — had emigrated to the United States, owing to the se- verities of the **land-lord" system in Ireland. Some, they said had also gone to Australia and Canada ; but, by far, the larger number to the great Republic. At one station in Tipperary, I bought of an elderly Irish woman a black- thorn cane — a shillelah ; as I received it from her, she re- marked, with a twinkle in her eye, "We calls 'em Tipper- ary rifles, over here !" When the train stopped at another station, a scene occurred which filled my eyes with some of those tears 331 for the shedding of which, more or less of merriment was called forth, at home: Two pretty Irish girls, bound for the United States, were in the act of taking leave of the "Auld Sod." The older and stronger one was using all her influence and authority to prevent a "scene," but was unequal to the task; for, as the train slowly pulled away from the platform, the younger one began to scream and hysterically sob out, "0, Mother! Mother! Let me go to my poor old mother!" "Arrah, hush, now!" exclaimed the other. "None o' that! Didn't I tell ye that oid hev none o' that," and she caught her by the arm, and pulled her, by main force, from the window. "Mother! 0, Mother!" persisted the younger one, "Let me go! Let me go to my dear mother! Let me wave a handkerchief at her once more !" She sobbed ; and tearing herself from her sister's grasp, she thrust her head through the win- dow, and, frantically, waved a last adieu, which, on$ could plainly see, carried her whole heart with it, to the dearest and best friend that she had on earth. Then, resuming her seat, she wept as tho her heart was break- ing, until the train was far removed from the sad scene! Since that sad parting, in Ireland, I have never met a group of Irish emigrants, on land or sea, without recur- ring to it; and say what we may of the Irish in Ireland, I shall ever believe that the ties of kinship are veritably, true and binding. Ere long, with a companion of the trip, we v/ere walking the streets of Dublin and viewing the beauties of Phoenix Park and other lovely spots ; it was then that the foundation was laid in my mind which has enabled me to follow, with increased interest, the frightful scenes which have since transpired there, incidental to the "Sin Fein" and other uprisings. Long live the beautiful green Isle ! and may God hasten the day when peace and pros- perity and good will shall prevail, throughout her do- mains ! 332 CHAPTER XVIII. "HOME * * * ■' AGAIN." I have a confession to make : It is that, for fear of being discriminated against, on account of being a colored man, I had shipped, both when alone and when with my family, on a Cunarder, where I felt sure, no proscription would be made; and, I am free to state, that, my antici- pations, in this behalf, were fully realized. However, there came a time, w^hen being a little anx- ious to return to our home without unnecessary delay, we shipped on the good United States ship, New York— with more or less of ''fear and trembling," I must admit; yet, boldly, and with the "face and front" of an Ameri- can citizen. During the entire trip, from Southampton (?) to New York, our treatment, by every one, was kindly and considerate; and when it became generally known, that, the good people of our dear Cleveland had so often and so lavishly honored me in public ways, the committee ap- pointed to arrange the details of the customary enter- tainment, on the homeward voyage, invited me to preside as chairman of the function; which I did, with pleasure and apparent satisfaction. Returning from Liverpool, on the Campania, in 1895, I was one of a thousand who listened with much interest, to the animated — eloquent presentation of the socialist cause by J. Kier Hardie, M. P., who was enroute to the United States, for the purpose of laying the cause of British workmen before the American pubhc. The meeting was held amidship where all classes of passengers from the steerage to the first cabin could col- lect and listen. The learned gentleman (the sea being calm) spoke for nearly an hour; and was attentively listened to, without interruption. Following the speech of Kier Hardie, a disposition became manifest to have him ^^nswered ; and, during the same day, a delegation of the passengers requested me to undertake that delicate and difi'icult task, at the same place, on the following day: 'Til say," I was not at all averse to attempting the task; tho I fully realized that, in Kier Hardie, I had found a foeman more than "worthy of my steel." On the occasion of my reply, the weather and sea were again auspicious and the audience larger, perhaps, than on the day before; that I did ''my possible," as the French sometimes express it, goes without saying; and many compliments came to me, from that portion of the audience, who believed in the perpetuity of the estab- lished order of things, social, in England and the United States. That honored and regretted, late citizen. Judge Stev- enson Burke, when in conversation with the writer, on one occasion, exclaimed, in substance as follows: ''My father went into the woods and cut down the trees, and pulled up the stumps, and g''ubbed up the roots, and ploughed up the soil! Now, if any man wants to get the land from me, let him pay its full value, or keep silent." In my address on the Campaina, I considered my most telling point (if I may so characterize it) , that one where I differentiate between the status of the middle classes in a monarchy, and those in our gi^eat Republic; where every man is in theory and law, at least, the equal of every other man ; and may, if he will, aspire to any posi- 334 tion within the gift of the people. I strove to maintain by my arguments, that, socialism, anarchism and all other doctrines of a kindred nature, are exotics which should be shunned as being hostile to our well being. I still am actuated by those and kindred feelings ; and have put forth every reasonable effort to instil those ideas into the minds and hearts of my colored fellow-citizens. Since our last sojourn in foreign lands, I have been plodding along in the humble sphere of a private citizen; busy in the practice of the Law of the land, and cultivat- ing, as best I could, the friendly relations of all good people ; but, there is one episode of my life, extending over a period of at least, twenty years, of which I must make mention. I might say, in truth, forty-four years, for, the mutual acquaintance of Mr. Theodore Bliss, of Philadel- phia, and myself, came down from 1868, to the year of. his death, 1910 ; but, during the first period mentioned— 20 years — we were mutual correspondents; a relationship which only death terminated. When I say "mutual" cor- respondents, I would be understood to mean that I wrote to him, perhaps, fifty letters, where he favored me with one ; and then, only a few lines which were painfully exe- cuted, by spelHng the v/ords, one letter at a time, and conjoining them. His talented daughter. Miss Anna Catherine Bliss, occasionally, acted as an amanuensis for him, and wrote to me for him. Mr. Theodore Bliss was of old New England stock; was born in 1822, and died in 1910, when he was in his 89th year of age. In the forepart of this narrative, I have made men- tion of this same gentleman ; but, this story is added, as a special token of m.y love of his memory, and my grati- tude for tokens of friendly consideration shown me, by him. For fifty-one years Mr. Bliss was afflicted with a dis- ease which I have learned, physicians can not cure ; they 335 name it, "rheumatoidarthritis," a disease which he first noticed in his right shoulder, m 1859 ; but, which contin- ued to develop until his death— 51 years afterwards. Some idea of his sad plight m;).y be formed by his brief description of it; hear him: "One joint after another has been distorted and the limbs bound, until I could no longer move about on cane or crutches ; and was forced to the continuous use of a wheel chair." Again, he says, in a little biographical sketch of him- self, ''I can honestly say, that, I would not wish my worst enemy to suffer as I have ; to have had the fate of being bound hand and foot and imprisoned within an invalid's chamber while the mind remained clear and active and still alert to the affairs of every day life." * * * ♦ "Yet," he says, a little farther down, "in my ex- treme old age, I can say, with perfect sincerity, that I would live this life of mine all over again, gladly — even Including this long period of illness ; for, in this eighty- eighth year of my age, life seemis to me a very little and short experience. Hours for sleep, for rest and for re- freshment, shorten these years greatly, when measured by activity, by the accomplishment of results." The late, George BHss, of New York, was a brother of this Theodore Bliss ; and, as every one of mature years will bear witness, was a great financial power in that great city; and, for many years prior to the year 1868, when he united with Levi P. Morton, George Bliss was the head of the renowned importing dry goods house of George Bliss and Company, which is of "historic note," amongst the dry goods houses of America. During the time which elapsed between the death of Mr. Theodore Bliss' elder daughter, who was in the haUit of writing a letter to him every week (as he informed me), and his death — more than 20 years — I did not fail in a single instance, to write and mail to Mr. Bliss, on the same day of the week, a letter containing 1,000 words, 336 more or less, but, generally more; and even when I was on the high seas or doing political "stumping," I took time to write and mail that letter — on the ship or in a postoffice. Every Christmas, he mailed me his check for fifty dollars, coupling with it a request that, I give $5.00 of it to my late beloved and regretted son, Theodore Bliss Green, named for him ; and when he died, by the terms of his will, I received the sum of $500.00. Nearly all of my most readable books are testimon- nials of his bounty ; and in that sense, he was largely in- strumental in enriching my mind with English classic lore ; for, it is quite doubtful, whether I had the talent to select my necessary reading matter as he skilfully did. When I visited Philadelphia, his residence, in the fashionable part of the city, was my hom.e ; and, although he could not even put on his eye-glasses or feed himself, yet, when I visited him, for a few hours, I was con- strained to dine with him and his good family; when he v/ould be brought down from his room, and placed at the table ; a circumstance, I was infoi-med, which very seldom took place. When he died, I was duly notified of the fact, by his daughter, by telegram; and, at the funeral, I rode in one of the carriages, with members of his and George Bliss' family; at the home, I was treated, in all respects, as a gentleman and social equal. To my mind, the foregoing is a most remarkable in- stance, going to prove that, even in the face of race prejudice and caste, which, in some instances, is so dense that it can almost be felt, a colored person in the United States, can make a place for himself, in the hearts and homes of the foremost white citizens, by modest, respect- ful and honorable conduct, in his daily walk in life. The 337 foregoing is not written boastfully, but, encouragingly, for the benefit of such of my class as have the ambition and persistency to make the test. I have, at my home, the copy of the Holy Bible, which Mr. Bliss kept near him, for his personal use, as long as he could turn the leaves of it. It was sent to me, by his children, after his death ; and, I treasure it more than I can tell. He was a good, benevolent man, with a mind clear and vigorous, even in his eighty-eighth year of age when he was utterly helpless as to all his limbs, even down to his fingers ; by the assistance of others, he could read all the current literature ; and reflection was always with him. He died hating shams and dishonesty^^^ I consider that I am honoring my class of colored Americans, in referring to The Rt. Reverend W. A. Leon- ard as our friend in need and mdeed. We almost ''crossed" each other, en route — he to Cleveland, to undertake his new and strenuous duties — I to Washington, where for years he had labored in the Vineyard and made his name, from the White House and Capitol down to the humblest Negro, a "household word." In my offices, where, as United States Postage Stamp Agent, I was in official touch with a number of most es- timable ladies, his good works were frequently mentioned, and his name was revered; so that, it is not to be won- dered at, that, on my return to Cleveland, after an ab- sence of nearly a decade, I lost no time in finding him and placing myself, as well as my family, under his spiritual guidance. Our good Bishop, who is known and esteemed all over the civilized portion of the globe, is regarded by those near him, as a man of great executive ability, a born leader of men, a true American, yet, cosmopolitan to the "backbone." He is possessed of a heart so large and a spirit so expanded, that, his sympathies for the needy- are redundant, and his generosity, in behalf of the poor, is unbounded; and, these views are not restricted to the members and friends of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church (colored) , of Cleveland, and St. Mary's Mission (colored) , of Washington, D. C; but, by all colored people, who know him, without regard to their religious affiliations. I repeat the language of the late Mrs. John D. Rocke- feller, when speaking of her husband's relations to Spell- man Institute, of Atlanta, Ga. ; Bishop Leonard, for many years, literally, carried both of those colored churches "under his arm ;" and even today, since St. Andrew's has become, under the masterful guidance of Rev. B. Welling- ton Paxton and Rev. Fr. B. W. Suthem, her Rector, a self-sustaining church, our go(»d Bishop relaxes not one whit of his paternal, loving, affectionate watchfulness. When it comes to a consideration of individuals, our Bishop is no respecter of persons; and has never been known, as I am informed, to call any man whom "Ck)d hath cleansed," common or unclean; and in stating this fact, I speak entirely within my own personal observation and experience. The readers of this narrative will bear in mind the letter of introduction given to me by our Bishop for pre- sentation to the Lord Bishop of London, an august and potential personage, in the personnel of the great Brit- ish Empire, how respectfully it referred to me, and what beautiful language it was couched in, so much so, indeed, that, the great prelate returned it to me, after reading and admiring it, to be kept as a souvenir of the memor- able conference which it procured for me with him. If any further proof w^ere needed of the disinterested and loving personality of our dear Bishop, the following, I am sure, would satisfy everyone. 339 THE BISHOP OF OHIO 3054 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland. Hon. J. P. Green, London, England. Dear Sin- Many thanks for your kind note of March 9th, just received. I trust that, by this time, you have met the Lord Bishop of London; you will find him certainly, a very agreeable and inter- esting personality. You will be sorry to know that, dear Mrs. Mather has de- parted this life; and that, we buried her, six weeks ago. She was a saint, and universally beloved in the town which her pres- ence has graced and her benedictions have enriched. Faithfully yours, WILLIAM A. LEONARD. Can the writer conceive of any sentiments purer and more abounding in that divine love and friendship which flows only from the inspired service of our blessed Father in Heaven ? Now here is the last one, which I select from several communications with which our Bishop has kindly fa- vored me; and I include this only that I may follow it with the beautiful lines to which he refers: THE BISHOP OF OHIO, 3054 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, O. Hon. John P. Green, Cleveland, O. My Dear Friend: — It is very kind of you to send me this beautiful poem, which I herewith return; because, I know you will want to keep it. Surely, the gift of music is in the soul of the writer. What a privilege to have such friends and associates in life. As you are aware, the Rev. Mr. Suthem has agreed to come by the 15th of May, which I think is absolutely essential as far as our work is concerned. With all good wishes, I am, Faithfully yours, WILLIAM A. LEONARD. The poem referred to follows : 340 TONIGHT: AN EVENING PRAYER. For all who watch tonight, Whate'er the dread may be, We ask for them the perfect peace Of hearts that rest in Thee. For all who weep tonight-— The hearts that cannot rest- Reveal thy love— that wondrous love Which gave for us Thy Best. For all who wake tonight. Love's tender watch to keep, Watcher Divine, Thyself draw nigh, Thou who dost never sleep. For all who fear tonight, Whate'er the dread mny be, We ask for them thy perfect peace Of hearts that rest in Thee. Our own belov'd tonight — O Father, keep, and where Our love and succor cannot reach, Now bless them through our prayer. And all who pray tonight— Thy wrestling hosts, O Lord, Make weakness strong, let them prevail. According to Thy Word. It may not be amiss to state, in this connection, that, inspired, by the guardian care and the spiritual example of Bishop Leonard and the faithful pastors whom he has placed over us, I have added to the six years of unfail- ing attendance at St. Luke's Church, in Washington, D. C, fourteen other years, since our return to Cleveland; making twenty years, in all, since I have missed a morn- ing service, when in Cleveland; and that during the same period of time, I have not been one minute late. By the courtesy of our Rectors, I officiate as Lay Reader, dur- ing their absence or sickness ; and during one "interreg- num," or spring and summer, I discharged the duties of a Lay Reader, until a Rector was obtained. It is unnecs- sary, perhaps to say, "I Love Thy Church Lord!" 341 During my long residence, of sixty-three years, in the city of Cleveland, excepting several periods of time, when absent on business or pleasure bent, it has been my good fortune to become acquainted, to a greater or less degree, with a large number of very prominent gentle- men and ladies, of both races, some of whom I have al- ready referred to in a casual way ; and since some of these have, in many ways, contributed largely, towards such success as I have attained to, it would seem that, in this, my life's story, I should, at least, mention a few of them by name ; nor am I quite certain that, were 1 to acquaint them with this intention on my part, they would yield their consent ; since, in only a few instances, have I been received by them in their homes or as personal domestic associates. However, since I have only good to speak of them, I will "draw my bow at a venture." In every instance where, in the following, I shall submit the copy of a let- ter, I shall retain, in my possession, the original, for the inspection of anyone who may desire to read it. The first one, is from the late President James A. Garfield, to whose residence in Mentor, I conducted a delegation of three hundred colored voters, at a time in his presidential campaign, when it was easily apparent that, he needed votes. The book to which he refers in the letter is one which I hurriedly wrote, to be used, to some extent, in that sam.e campaign; and, while I secured a ''copy-right, " in the Congressional Library, yet, it was anonymously issued. The title of the book is, "Recollections of the Carolinas." Mr. J. P. Green, Mentor, Ohio, Aug. 22, 1880. My dear Sir: — Mr. Sherwin kindly loaned me a copy of your book, a few days ago, and though I did not have the time to read it in full, I looked it over carefully and was much pleased to see a subject of such importance so well handled. Congratulating you upon your success, I am, Very truly yours, J. A. GARFIELD. 342 The next letter which I shall submit is fix)m the late Senator, Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of State, John Sherman. The last time this great states- man was elected to the United States Senate, I, as a mem- ber of the Ohio Senate, had the honor of voting for him. I have hanging near me now, a portrait of him, presented by him to me, with his autograph subscribed. SENATE CHAMBER, WASHINGTON, D C Dec. 18, 1898. To whom it may concern: I take pleasure in commending Hon. John P. Green, now a member of the Senate of Ohio, from the City of Cleveland, to the kindly favor of Americans abroad, with whom he may come in contact. He is a man of literary attainments — a good speaker, of excellent character and standing, and influential among the col- ored people of Ohio. Very respectfully, JOHN SHERMAN. The third letter is one recently received from ex-Gov- emor Myron T. HeiTick, more recently, Ambassador to France, whose signal and very valuable services not more to France and the Allies than to the United States, have gained for him not only universal approbation, but also, the respect and love of many. MYRON T KERRICK July 22d, 1919. Dear Mr. Green: — I was deeply touched by your most kind letter of reminisces. I well remember you when you came to Col's nasty old law offices, long, long ago. You were a young, eamest man; and you have fulfilled the promise of those years of your adolescence, 16 be a valuable man, for your city and your country. I congratulate you upon your anniversary; for, you have been an honor to the city of your choice for sixty-two years, as you will be until the end of your days. "Long and late may be the day. Thank you for your letter, I appreciated it deeply. Yours, MYRON T HERRICK. The following letter is from the pen of the late Book- er T. Washington, who needs no introduction, anywhere in the civilized world. 343 THE TUSKEGEE NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE. June 15, 1914. To whom it may concern: This is to state that, I have known, for a number of years, The Hon. John P. Green of Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Green has held several important public positions, botk in the State and National government. Besides, in his profes- sion as a lawyer, he stands eminently high, and, as a public speaker, he is a man who commands the highest respect and who makes an address which is instructive, inspiring and interesting. He knows the condition of the Negro race, in this country, and can be depended upon to give interesting information concern- ing the progress of our race. I commend him to all into whose hands this letter may fall. BOOKER T. WASHINGTON. The next letter is from Mr. Daniel Murray (colored) , Assistant Librarian of the Congressional Libraiy, who is stationed in the Capitol, during the sessions of Congress, where his position is absolutely unique; for the reason that, he can furnish precedents and other information to senators and representatives when in the act of speaking, on any reasonable subject of past legislation: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. WASHINGTON, D. C. Sept. 20th, 1915. My dear Friend Gi-een: I am very glad to receive your communication and v;ill avail myself of the data, in perfecting my sketch of you. I had already gathered much concerning your wonderful career, but, am no less grateful to receive this supplementary data. I hope our friend Geo. A. (referring to Mr. George A. Myers, ef Cleveland, Ohio), is all right. I note what you say of the Labor Day matter. I have already given you credit for introduc- ing and having passed the Ohio legi.5laton. making the day a legal holiday. * * * * The "Eagle," a local, published here, has an edi- torial on a visit made to you, in Cleveland. It is well \\Titten and fully deserved. Wishing you every blessing and long life to enjoy the same, I beg to remain, Very sincerely yours. DANIEL MURRAY. To Hon. John Patterson Green. Cleveland, O. The following letter is from Rev. Charles F. Thwing, D. D.,' President of Western Resei-ve University, Adel- bert College, Cleveland, Ohio, and speaks for itself: 344 May 6, 1916. My dear Mr. Green: It is kind in you to write me as you do, and to let me share with you in the pleasure of these letters, of Mr. Bliss and Mr. Richards. At the present moment, there is no opportunity. In fact als© the larger share of our special lectures, for the next college year, have been arranged. But, at some time, I am sure a fitting op- portunity will open for you to come to us. When this opportunity- does open, I shall give myself the pleasure of inviting you. I wish that we might meet oftener. We have so many great subjects, in common, to talk about. Believe me, Ever yours, CHARLES F. THWING. John P. Green, Esquire. Here is another: CITY OF CLEVELAND, 0. MAYOR'S OFFICE. Cleveland, O., Dec. 19th, 1893. This is to certify that Hon. John P. Green, member of th© Ohio Senate, has been, for many years, a resident of Cleveland, of good standing in the community. He is a l»ryer, by profession, a contributor to journals and magazines, aid enjoys an excellent reputation, as a public speaker. He is also, deservedly entitled to praise for his intelligent industry, and credit for his ability I cheerfully commend Mr. Green to the courtesies of those whom he may meet. ROBERT BLEE, Mayor. I have the honor to submit the following, from on« of the judges of our Court of Common Pleas: COUNTY OF CUYAHOGA. Thomas M. Kennedy, Judge. Cleveland, Ohio, June 22, 1914. To Whom It May Concern: I have known Mr. John P. Green, for thirty years, and can certify that he has borne an excellent character as a lawyer and a citizen, both in private and public life, during all of that time. He has been signally honored by his state and nation, and has rendered distinguished services to the public, for many years. He is an eloquent and graceful speaker, at the bar and oa the public platform, and a man of high character and unques- tioned integrity. Very respectfully, THOMAS M. KENNEDY, Judge. 345 In addition to the foregoing, I have letters, highly complimentary, from judges, governors. United States senators and very prominent business men; but, I feel sure, my readers will have been quite surfeited with what I have already given. I shall include two others, how- ever, as they are from men of universal note, and, I think, will be appreciated. The first is from the late Frederick Douglas, a man bom and raised (I cannot say reared, of a person who by the law of the land and by his treatment was a mere chattel), in slavery; who carried on his back the scars of the "driver's" whip ; who had one of his eyes blinded ; who never attended school a day, in his whole life; and, yet, was the associate of eminent scholars and officials, and was noted, the world over, as an orator, statesman and philosopher. The letter follows : CEDAR HILL Anacoatia, D. C, March 6, 1893. My dear Mr. Green: I am pleased to know that you are about to treat yourself to a tour abroad. There was a time when I could have assisted you in the man- ner you sugrgest, but that was nearly fifty years ago. I went to England in 1845; then I knew John Bright, Richard Cobden, George Thompson, Joseph Sturge, George W. Alexander and many other influential men; but, now, all are gone; and I alone am left to tell this. You will take with you my high regards and best wishes for your safety and happiness while on sea and land, and a warm wel- come home, when you shall return. Though I know but few in England now, there are many who know of me; and you may, perhaps, use my name to some with whom you may meet. Your friend. FREDERICK DOUGLASS. The following letter, from Dr. John Clifford, D. D., LL. D., is in answer to an invitation mailed to him by me, in the summer of 1911, when he made his last visit to this country, asking him to spend a few days, at least, in our great City of Cleveland: 346 HOTEL WALTON. Philadelphia, Pa., June 24, l9ll. Many thanks, my dear friend, for your letter. It is refreshing to hear from you in your own land. I wish I could come and see you. It would be a great joy to me to come to Cleveland; but, I have not a spare day; nor can I make one. It was a real pleasure to meet Mr. Rockefeller; and the short chat I had with him was most pleasant. Please remember us to Mrs. Green, and accept the assurance of my keen regret that I cannot see you. We are having a grand time here, thanks to the over-flowing generosity of our American friends. I am truly yours, JOHN CLIFFORD. In closing the foregoing letter, may I not add, that, prior to the World War, Dr. Clifford was reputed to be the most influential man in Great Britain— the Prime Min- ister, alone, being excepted. In view of the fact that the writer of the following letter has, recently, been nominated by the great Repub- lican party as its standard bearer, for the high office of President of the United States, and the omens for his election all seem auspicious, I am of opinion it will be read with a very great degree of interest. The circumstances which caused Senator Harding- to write me this letter as far back as the latter part of De- cember, 1918, a year and a half before his nomination, are as follows: I wrote a letter to Mr. Dan R. Hanna, protesting against the apparent efforts of himself and other gi-eat men of the country looking towards the nomination of the late, lamented ex-President Theodore Roosevelt for the presidency, in 1920. A copy of which I mailed to Senator Harding, at Washington, enclosing with the same a letter to the Senator, in which I suggested that he, and not the distinguished ex-President, was the logical and probable nominee for president, in 1920. To this communication, I received the following let- ter, from Senator Harding: 347 UNITED STATES SENATE . Committee on Commerce. December 27th, 1918. Mr. Jolm P. Green, 510 Blackstone Bldg., Cleveland, Ohio. My dear Mr. Green: Thank you very much for your note and the copy of the letter which you wrote to Mr. Hanna, under recent date. This is all very interesting to me. I know Mr. Hanna is a v€ry great and enthusiastic supporter of Colonel Roosevelt; and I happen to know that Roosevelt's candidacy for the Republican nomination in 1920 is being very vigorously pushed along. I do not pretend to say who will be the best standard bearer for 1920. Many things may happen before that time arrives. It will not surprise me if we choose our standard bearer with some very serious consideration of the conditions which obtain at that time. I think I ought to say to you that, I have no ambition of my own to serve in this matter. I do hope the Republican party will be wise enough to pursue the only course which will insure to hs the recovery of federal control. I thank you for your interest and your friendly attitude. Wishing you a very happy New Year, I am Very truly yours, W. G. HARDING. An incident of a political nature, in which the late Tom L. Johnson was the central figure, may be of inter- est to some of the readers of this narrative. Considerable interest centered around the congres- sional contest between this distinguished Clevelander and Theodore E. Burton, Esq., (now ex-Senator Burton), when they were opposed to each other for election, some thirty years ago. The late H. T. Eubanks, then head waiter at the Weddell House, and subsequently, a mem- ber of the lower house of the General Assembly, found much favor in the sight of Mr. Johnson ,and even vol- unteered his services in assisting him in gaining the good will of the colored voters of Cleveland; and, as a means to that end, prevailed upon Mr. Johnson to invite this writer and The Honorable Hany C. Smith, the author of the Ohio Civil Rights Law, to debate with him all matters of interest to the colored voters, involved in the pending congressional election. As a matter of course, 348 we accepted the invitation ; and, on the appointed evening, in Mr. Johnson's big tent, pitched within our PubUc Square, we "locked horns'' (I say "locked horns" advised- ly), for, it was some contest, and we fought it out to a finish. Where the victory and honor lay, is not for me to say ; but, this much I will affirm ; Mr, Johnson was de- feated, at the polls; and the late W. J. Akers, for many years, proprietor of the Forest City House, (one of the leading hotels of Cleveland) , was accustomed to say, that, prior to that debate, Mr. Johnson's prospects for election were good; but, that, from that night, those of Mr. Bur- ton w^ere in the ascendant. Mr. Akers contended that, in that meeting, Mr. John- son becam.e the butt and jeer of the crowd in attendance ; that, the humor spread throughout the district, to the discomfiture of the noted gentleman. However, Tom L. Johnson was too big a man to com- plain; he accepted his defeat philosophically and sought, like another Alexander, some new world (rail-way) to conquer. In the year 1897, before answering the call of Presi- dent McKinley, to take office at Washington, I, for the first time since 1857, visited my childhood's home. Few of those whom we had left there, were still living; but. the Neuse and Trent rivers were there, some of the more substantial buildings were there and quite a number of the humbler homes. The old court house, market house and Christ Episcopal Church, had been destroyed by fire; but, upon the whole, the general appearance of the town denoted progress. In Rock Cemetery, I found our lot intact, and the in- scriptions on the family "tombstones" and others, were still legible. I had the great pleasure of delivering an address, in one of the A. M. E. churches there, to a large audience 349 of colored people ; and many reminiscences of the past in- terested and instructed me. In referring to my visit to my old Newbeme home, in 1897, I am moved to make reference to a "grand old man" — "to the manor born," as the saying goes, who received me into his home, for an interesting and (to me) instructive conversation, full of reminiscences of my childhood days ; and who gave me the greater part of the data concerning the Stanley family, which I have related in the beginning of the first chapter. I refer to the late Colonel John D. Whitford, who during a long, long Kfe of usefulness had contributed towards the growth and prosperity of his native town and state. Col. Whitford, if I mistake not, was the first presi- dent of the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad, which extended from Goldsboro to Elizabeth City, and did much towards putting Newbeme '*on the map." Speaking of social politeness and courtesy, Colonel Whitford said to me: "A young man called on me, re- cently; and, in conversation with me, in answer to one, of my questions, he said 'uh huh!' I said there's my door: I'll have no one in my house who *uh hub's me!" Such was the *'old time gentleman." His kindhearted brother, the late William Whitford, during mother's he- roic struggle for a livelihood, used to credit her for a cord of fire-wood, and then give her sewing to pay for it. I have written this narrative of my life, down to the present date in the Blackstone Building, during the months of December, 1919, and January and February, 1920, inclusive, during such vacant spaces of time as I have been able to snatch from the hours of my profes- sional employment. The building in which my son, Cap- tain William R. Green and I have our offices, is the first modem building in which we have been enabled to rent a suite of offices, without the intervention of a white man, since we have been in the profession ; which fact in- 350 spires me with a desire to, here and now, express deep latitude to Mr. Jacob B. Perkins, the owner of the group of great buildings, of which this is one, and also his noble son. Captain Ralph Perkins, his father's alter ego, for their liberal, manly-American treatment of us. During my long and eventful life in Cleveland, it has been my pleasure — and profit, more or less, to meet, in a business and political way, five members of the illustri- ous family — Perkins; who, leaving their New England homes, in the infancy of our great Republic, came to this Connecticut Western Reserve, and have done their ''bit" towards making it one of the most liberal, intelli- gent, patriotic and wealthy sections in the United States. I first came in contact with the late Edwin R. Per- kins, when, in the year 1858, he was principal of the his- toric Mayflower School. I am sure that the juxtaposition of his ferrule and my body, had as much to do with my future development as any and all the instruction which I received from him in the class room. This Mr. Perkins, who is distantly related to the gentleman whose name. I have mentioned, was, subsequently, President of our Board of Education for a decade; and, ultimately devel- oped into the president of one of our great banks and a railway. My next acquaintance was that of the late Joseph Perkins ; a gentleman of refinement, large means and ex- tended business connections; he was one of the foremost minds of the City of Cleveland, during his hf e-time ; and died regretted by the whole business community. Third, in order, of my acquaintance, was the late Senator Henry B. Perkins, whom I met in the Senate of the State of Ohio, when he was an honored and very effi- cient member of that body; this was at a time when I was a member of the lower branch of the General As- sembly of Ohio. The senator was held in high esteem by everyone in the State House, from the Governor down to 361 the pages; and was greatly missed when his business af- fairs would no longer admit of his attendance there. The large and substantial business block, on the southeastern comer of Frankfort Ave. and West 3d Street, built and owned by him, and now occupied by the Forman Bassett Company, attests how near and valuable he was to the business interests of Cleveland. Last, but by no means least, I mention my present benefactor— Mr. Jacob B. Perkins; not forgetting that "chip off the old block," his worthy son, Captain Ralph Perkins. I have only that mutual acquaintance with Mr. Per- kins which exists between a landlord and a: tenant, if I except the frequent complimentary mention of him, which I have read in the newspapers, from time to time. When, under the administration of President Mc- Kinley, I went to take office, in Washington, D. C, my exterior wearing apparel consisted of a "broadcloth" "Prince Albert'* coat, with trousers and vest to match — a. shirt front of immaculate white, containing a conspicu- ous diamond stud, and a silk hat. I had not been there long before I noticed that I was dressed finer and was far more conspicuous than most of the senators and cabi- net officers. It took little time for me to change my costume, for one more in keeping with the prevailing style. I mention this fact because of the sui-prise which I ^experienced when Mr. Jacob B. Perkins was first pointed out to me; from the works which he had done and the great liberality he had shown, in providing the City of Cleveland its first modern office and other buildings, with elevators, and its great and beautiful Edgewater Park, located on the "West Side,'' but, really and practically, used and enjoyed by the whole city, I had expected to see a gentleman conspicuous for his elegant and attrac- tive attire, but what was my sui-prise when I beheld just 352 a plain gentleman, reproducing in his personal appeai- ance what I had beheld in the capital of our nation and amongst the business men of some of the commercial centers which I had visited — plain, practical, easily ap- proached, and, apparently, oblivious of the fact that, he is one of the great builders of this mart of commerce and trade, known as the City of Cleveland — rightly, the fifth in this great nation. Mr. Perkins, whether actuated by modesty, I cannot say, will not adm.it that he donated Edgewater Park to the City of Cleveland; but, this I know (for it all was accom.plished while I was politically in the public eye), if Mr. Jacob B. Perkins did not actually present to the City of Cleveland the land and beautiful lake front which constitutes the Edgewater Park — he did present a portion of it, and made it possible for our city to obtain the re- mainder on terms which necessitated a great financial sacrifice on his part. And it ought, in my own estimation, to be named for him, just as Wade Park, Gordon Park and Rockefeller Park are, respectively named for their donors. Hov;ever, Mr. Perkins hai^ks back to that old Simon Perkins, v/ho, when everything here and here-abouts was young and **raw,'' came like Moses Cleveland as a sur- veyor, and by buying spacious tracts of land, laid the foundation for the future welfare and fame of his poster- ity. May the name Perkins continue illustrious, and their shadows, never grow less! Seventy years have elapsed since my dear father died, in 1850, leaving Sarah, 11 years of age; John, 5, and Kittie, nine months of age. Today we are all liviiiM and able to help ourselves; nor have v/e, during the sev enty years, last past, been afflicted with any serious com- plaint — a record, I think for which we should be praising God, ''all the day long/' 353 My first dear wife, Annie Walker Green, the mother of all my children, with whom I lived happily and suc- cessfully, for forty-three years, and whose memory will ever be sacredly cherished in my heart and memory, died on the 15th day of January, 1911, deeply mourned by a large circle of friends, of both races. She will be re- membered by many for her un?elffish generosity and her cheerful disposition. When she died, my whole family was dissolved ; and T was left entirely alone and — lonesome ; in this exigency, remembering the declaration of the Almighty Father of all that, *lt is not good that man should be left alone,'' I v.ooed and won a most estimable and talented lady of Oberlin, Ohio, in the person of Mrs. Lottie Mitchell Richardson, with whom I am passing the evening of m.y life, in a most happy and satisfactoiy manner; she was the relict of the late Albert Richardson, an educated and highly respected gentleman, who, cut off in the noon day of his usefulness, left under the care, education and con- trol of his widow, three infant children, aged 11 and 6 years and 4 months. Two of these children are still liv- ing; the boy, Fred, a bright and promising lad, when in his 17th year of age, and a member of the Glenville High School, was run down by an automobile, in charge of a careless, reckless driver, and killed, when in the act of alighting from a street-car. The elder of the girls, after being gi'aduated from the Cleveland High, and normal school systems, taught school in Cleveland for three years and is now engaged in Social Welfare work in New York City; while the youngest child, Helen, is at this writing, well advanced in the Junior High School system ; and, by her punctuality and love of letters, gives promise of a bright and useful future. Helen has adopted the family name, Gi-een, and the love between her and me, is mutual. Of my children by my first wife, three are still living. The oldest, Captain William R. Green, is still engaged in the practice of law, being recognized as an upright, suc- cessful practitioner, earnest and faithful, while he and his beloved wife, Mrs. Agnes Geraldine Green, of whom I have spoken, in the XVI Chapter of this narrative, are greatly beloved by a large circle of friends of both races, in the City of Cleveland. They are both, devout Catholics. Mrs. Clara Annie Johnson, the wife of Dr. C. C. Johnson, a pharmacist, who is most loving and devoted to his wife and children, is my only daughter. Three little children bless this union— PhilKs, aged 11 years; Wen- dell C, aged 6 years, and Theodore Green Johnson, aged, at this writing, 14 days. Little Phillis is fond of her school and studies, and gives great promise of a literary career ; while the little boy, also loves his school and is a thorough boy; as for the latest little arrival, let us say with Wadsworth — "Heaven lies about us in our infancy; At length, the man perceives it die away, And fade into the light of common day." Gara, my daughter, is endued with all those womanly graces, which go to enhance the usefulness and value of true womanhood. Jesse Bishop Green is a chef — and a good one, whose culinary art has brought pleasure to some of the naost exacting of the land. He is fond of his profession — or art — and may the future crown him with success. Of those who died in infancy, little Johnnie was loving and hopeful; but death claimed him when he was 8 years and seven months of age. In this connection, perhaps, the following reminis- cence, concerning one of our local artists will be of in- terest to a large circle of his friends and admirers: I refer to A. M. Willard, Esq., the painter of "Pluck Num- 365 ber One," and "Pluck Number Two." Two famous sketches, which, a generation ago, furnished much amuse- ment to the people of this country; and also the inspira- tion and painter of the great canvas, known the world over, entitled, ''Yankee Doodle," first exhibited at the Centennial, which was held in Philadelphia, in 1876, to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the Indepen- dence of the United States. When our son Johnnie died, we had no likeness of him, later than the second year of his age, and we were at a loss to know how to obtain one, as he was then, eight years and seven months of age; in that contingency, it occurred to me that, if I could persuade Mr. Willard to enter the vault and sketch his features as he lay in the casket, it would supply the deficit. The great artist yielded to my suggestion, and got a good likeness of the little deceased boy. Then, we were in a quandary, as to how to reproduce his eyes, for they were closed and could not be seen by the artist. In that extremity, I had recourse to a photo of the child, taken when he was two years of age; and with this before him, Mr, Willard, added the eyes to the sketch ; and, to this day, we have in our possession a true likeness of Johnnie, at the time of his death. Truman Handy Green, a dear sweet little boy, lived only about seven months. Last, but, not least, I name my son, the late Theodore Bliss Green, Esq., an attorney at law of the Ohio Bar, a married man, a loving husband and affectionate son and brother. "Dode," as his very large circle of friends and admirers termed him, was jovial, good natured, faithful and industrious, to a fault; he loved his chosen profes- sion; and courted it as Lord Coke's "jealous mistress." A year or two before his death he came within about one hundred votes of being elected to a six-year term as a judge of our municipal court. 356 THEODORE BLISS GREEN *'Dode" was so extremely militant in behalf of the rights and wrongs of the colored people, that some re- garded him as being super-sensitive, and did not like him ; but that did not woiTy him ; when he believed that his cause was just, he fought for it — manfully and per- sistently, to the end. Theodore died at the age of 40 years, young in years, but old in labours and experience. He left behind him only friends, no enemies. His disconsolate widow, Mrs. Edna Jenkins Green, still a young woman, a teacher in our public schools, continues to mourn his loss ; while his father, brothers and sister, pray for the repose of his soul. In closing this narrative, I will state that, the re- ports, which, from time to time have been current as to my acquaintance with the classical languages and litera- ture have been much exaggerated; the fact is, that, I cannot even boast of Shakespeare's "little Latin and less Greek;" the best I can say for myself is, that, I have a mere "smattering" of the two languages. I tried to study Latin without a teacher, and thereby omitted some of the fundamental instruction, at the beginning, which has handicapped me all the way through. As for Greek, I did not give enough time to the study of it to get it thoroughly within my grasp. I have tried to make up for my loss by studying during my later years ; but, without much success. As for French, I have found the reading of that beautiful language comparatively easy; but, I am now reading one of Emile Zola's works, entitled La Terre, quite bucolic in its nature, which requires much use of the lexicon. So I would advise all my young friends who may hon- or me by reading this story of my life, to be quite thorough in the early stages of any study ; if they expect to be proficient therein. 357 The changes which have transformed a few compara- tively ignorant colored people of the day of my arrival here, into a multitude of cultured and refined persons of the present day, have been truly marvelous. Certainly, there were in Cleveland at that time a cultured and re- fined society of well-to-do colored people, who owTied their own homes — possessed trades and definite occupa- tions and were fairly well educated; but they had not even thought of holding public offices, and depended upon a decision of our state Supreme Court for the right to vote — since the Constitution of the State of Ohio, then — as now — restricted the electoral to "all white male citi- zens;" but, since then, v/e have many times duplicated our numbers — have grown along intellectual, esthetic and financial lines, have added to our numbers many mem- bers in all the professional, artistic and mercantile pur- suits, and have been elected to serve in some of the most honorable public offices within the gift of a generous people. In the General Assembly of the State, we can name, in tiie regular order of their election, the following: 1 — The writer of this narrative, 2 — Honorable Jere A. Brown, 3 — Honorable Harry C. Smith, 4— Honorable William H. Clifford, 5 — Honorable Henry T. Eubanks. In 1873 and continuously, until 1882, this writer was elected, tri-ennially, and for nine consecutive years, dis- charged the functions of Justice of the Peace of Cleve- land Township; and during a portion of that time, Messrs. Parker Hare, Louis W. Turner and J. H. Washington — all colored men, were elected and discharged the duties of constable, in the same township. Thomas W. Fleming, Esq., a colored gentleman of great popularity and much executive ability, has, on three 358 occasions, been elected a member of the Council of the City of Cleveland; once, at Large. Mr. Fleming is, at this writing, chaimian of the Council Committee on Police, etc. Numerous men of our race-class have been appomted, and most of them ai-e now serving on our splendid police force; and what seems to this narrator one of the great- est achievem.ents of our class, in Cleveland, is the fact that many of our educated, cultured and refined daugh- ters, after strict examinations, have been appointed teachers, in our public schools. Along the line of journalism, for many years, the colored people of Cleveland, have been represented by men of more or less ability, all of whom have ining true to the interests of our race. Taking them in order of time, I can now recall: H. C. Smith, R. A. Jones, L. W. Pulies, Welcome T. Blue, Nahum D. Brasher, Ormond A. Forte and "Professor" S. William, A. B. Could some of our old colored pioneers, who have gone to rest, come amongst us today, and note the won- derful progress which we have made, since their day— notably— old Father John Malvin, v/ho gave of his time. money and almost, his life, in the anti-slavery cause, and Allen Medlin, J. R. Warren, Slisha Freeman, Benjamin S. Green, David Crosby, J. H. Weaver, Cicero M. Rich^ ardson, George Vosburgh, Eldei-s J. R. Warren and J. P. Underwood; Buckner and John Simmons, E. L. Sweet, and dear old centennarian, Mrs. Polly Simmons, not to mention many others, who did right vahantly in the cause of liberty, good government and worthy citi- zenship, how suiprised and happy they would be ! Tnily, "This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. ')r><) INDEX — A— Abbey, Westminster, Academy, Green, Adams, Seymour F., 117 Adelphi (Hotel), 224 Adnette, Dr., 224 Adrian & Vallers, 131, 3, 4 Akers, W. J., 849 Alexander, John W. Allen, Senator, 144 Allen, Temple, 108 Allen, Ex-Governor, 156 Alston, Rev. W. J., 15, 80, 110 Alston, Oscar, 16 Alston, Miss Mary, 80 Alstons, The, 220 Angier House, 60, 94 Andersonville Prison, 96 Andrews, Horace, 111 Appian Way, 298 Amette, Bishop B. W., 179 Atkinson, Rt. Rev., 13 Augfustus Caesar, 299 Auntie Little, 27, 49 — B— Baptist Church, First, 61 Baptist Church, Second. 61 1-aldwin, E I., 107 tlamfido, 306 Haker, Hon. Newton D., 176. 177 282 Dabcock, Judge W. A., 163, 164, 65 i-arris, Miss Emma G., Ill Saird, Samuel H., 91 Bassett, C. O., Ill Bede, "Granny," 6 I'eecher, Henry Ward, 231 Hethel Church, 58, 65 Pennett, James Gordon, 306 Bermettsville, 8, 126, 141, 145 Benachie, "Old," 257 Bsltz, Edward, 166 Berce, General, 116 Bishop, Judge Jesse P., 117. 120 Birch Hotel, 114 Birch, Father, 114 Bislette, Mgr., 302 Bittinger, Rev. Mr., 87 Blair, Mr., 9 Blarney Stone, 168, 326 Bliss, Theodore, 108, 109, 110. 3Si Bliss, George, 108, 336, 337 Bliss, Anna Catherine, 335 Bloch, Hon. J. C, 199 Blee, Mayor Robert, 345 Blue, Mr. Welcome, 359 Booth, J. Wilkes, 59 Boswell, James, 238 Bokive, John Knox, 246 Bohm, Ed., Esq., 159 Boehne, Esq., 159 Boniface, Pope, IV., 299 Boiden. "Mother," 304 Bragg, Cicero and Edwin, 30 Brinsmade, Miss Eliza, 75 Brasher, Nahum, 359 Brinsmade, Col. Allan T.. 75 BRITAIN, GREAT, 222 Brush, Chas. F., Ill, 308 Brewington, Wm. R., 125, 6, 127, 132, 134 Brewington, "Jim," 125 Brewington, John R., 132, 133 Brewington, MoUie, 132 Brunner, Hon., 177 BrowTi, Hon. Jere A., 181, 358 Brov>m, Rev. J. T., 278 Broughsn, Lord, 184 Bruce, Robert, 236 Bruce, Blanche K., 276 Bright, John, 239 Brown, Fayette F., 90 Brown, John Box, 242 Buxten, Rev. Dr., 13 Buchanan, James, 44 Bumette, Judge M. C, 286 Bumette, House. 189 Burton, Sen. T. E., 152. 348 Burke, Judge Simmond, 162 Bunnell, "Muck," 170 Byron, Lord, 212 Burns, Bobby, 238 360 Catacombes of Calixtus, 297, 299 Carnegie, Andrew, 243 Cardozo, Henry, 93 Carter, Sophia, 147, 150 Caine, Hon. A. C, 204, 205 Calhon, John C, 156 Carran, John J., Esq., 152, 169 Carran, Thomas, Esq., 152 Carpenter, Frank G., 157 Caesar, Julius, 286, 298 Callixtus, Saint, 2299 Caesar, Augustus, 299 Canon Gate, 244 Carlyle, Thomas, 144, 238 Carrubbers Close, 243 Caroline Queen, 184 Campbell, Gov. J. E., 189, 190 Calton, Hill, 244 Central High School, 61, 112. 77 Cheatam, Ex. M. C, 257 Chandler, Frank, 81 Chase, W. Calvin, 276 Chance, M. O., 272 Chesnutt, A. J., 47 Chesnutt, Chas. W., Esq., 125, 147 Chestnut, of Sampson Co., 6 Chestnut, Obedience, 6 Chestnut, Alice, 6 Chestnut, William, 6 Chapel Hill, N. C, 16 Christian, Geor-re B.. 81 Clark, Wm. T., 150, 154, 191> Cleveland, Moses, 353 Clav, Henry, 2, 156 Cleveland, Ohio, 64, 65, 71, 73 Clifford, Hon. Wm. H., 192, 358 Clifford, Rev. Dr., 225, 230, 233, 234, 346 Clinton Park, 61 Coliseum, Roman, 296 Cook, 308 Covert, Hon. John C, 153 Colthurst, Sir George, 327 Cowles, Hon. Edwin, lg3 Cobb, Jas. A., Esq., 2276 Cortelyou, Hon. Geo. B., 278 Commercial Hotel, 79 Cooley, Hon. Han-Is R., 282 Constantine, The Emperor, 298 Coxie, Michael, 312 Cobden, Richard Couldock, An Actor, 59 361 Coates, CuUem, Esq., 118 Cook, Frank 139 Covington, Harris, Esq., 142 Cope, Hon. Oliver G., 173 Combes, Florine A., 185 Cork, Ireland, 326 Conkling, Ben Roscoe, 237 Crosby, David Creighton, Col.. 95 Cromwell, Oliver, 330 Crane, Lieut. Col., 95 Crossland, John W., 139 Crowell. Cen. John, 118, 119 Gushing, W. E., Esq., Ill, 112 Curtiss, Councilman, 74, 191 Dartmouth College, 74 Daily News. London. 266 Dale, Dr. Ellis A., 12.5 David, King, 244 Dall, James. 81 Dall, Andrew, 81 Dancev, John C, 267, 276 Davids, "Old Man," 80 Dewhurst. Miss Anna, 90 DeWitt, J. H., 101, 102 DeWolf, Homer B., Esq.. 154, 155, 183. DeStael, Madame, 297 Dick, Senator Chas., 218 Dick, "Old," 45 Dickinson, Mi?s Anna, 59 Dickens, Chas., 307 Douda."^??, Frederick. 12. 24, 231, 241, 316. Doug! ass, Chas. and Lewis, 276 Donald, Judge John R., 27, 28, 48 Doubledav Sleeper, 57, 102 Dover, Hon. Flmer, 268 Dred, Scott, 2.?1 Dublin, Ireland, 331, 332 Dudley, Col. C. W., 145 Dundee, Scotland, 248 Duncan, Rev.. 253 Dunmaurier. A.uthor, 322 Dunbar, Paul Laurence, 276 — E— Eaton, General, 211 Easterly, Joel-, Esq., 1422 Edwards, S. J., Ceelstin, 225, 234 Eddy, S. M., 154 Edwards, Gen. Clarence R., 272, 273 Eells, Mrs. Dan P., 115 Eells, Dan P., 107, 114, IIB ElCaney, Cuba, 271 Eells, Rev. Jas., 104 Ellis, Miss Arete, 25 Ely, Senator Geo. A., Ellsler, John A., 59 Ellsler, Mrs. Effie, 59 Emmanuel, Victor, 299 Eubanks, Henry T., 348. 358 Estep, Judge Chas. J., 284 Everett, K. G., 228 Evans, Capt. W. B.. 276 Evans, Capt. W. B., 276 Evans, DeScott, 168, 169 Ewing, Harrison J., 183 Farmer, Mrs. Lydia Hoyt, 85 Fabius, 299 Farrelly, Rt. Rev. John P., 301 Farrar, Canon, Fred'k Wm., 224, 225, 230 Fawkes, Guy, 33 FaircMlds, President, 72, 220 Ferdinands, Dr. Geo., 252, 255 Finney, Rev. Chas., 72 First Church, Oberlin, 72 Fish-wife, 245 Planner's Cooper Shop, 29 Fleming, Thos. V/., Esq., 368 Forest Hill, Cleveland, 220 Forest City House, 59 Foote, Judge Horace, 31 Fox, Dr. J. B., 185 Ford. L. G., Esq., 185 Foraker, Hon. J. B., 189 Fortune, T. Thomas, 268 Forth Bridge, 245 Forte, Ormond A., 359 Forum, Roman, 298 Fremont, John C, 44 Francisco, "Johnnie," 150 Francarola, Incenzo, 314 Freeman, Elisha, 359 Freeze, Andrew, 77, 78 Funchal, Madeira Island, 287 — G— Gam.hetta, Leon, 231 Gaston, William, 1, 2, 5 Gambier, Ohio, 16 Gardner, A. S., 107 Garver, Judge J. T., 118, 119 Garfield, James A., 175, 206, 237. 342 Garfield, James R,, 206 Garrison, William Lloyd- 240 Garrett, Edward, 252 Gallagher, Michael, 168 Gary, P. M., General 266 George, Lloyd, 233 Genoa, Italy, 289 Gcstler, Swiss Tyrant, Gibson House, Cincinnati, 189, 224 Gilpin, John, 39, 291 Gillette, Mr., 114 Gordon, Susan, Duchess of Man- chester, 256 Giles, Saint, 243 Giteau, Assassin, 175 Gibraltar, Rock of, 288 Glasgow, Scotland, 259 Goulder, Harvey D., Ill Gordon, W. J., Esq., 198, 223 Gordon Castle, 255 Gordon, Duke of, 256 Gothic Architecture, 311 Graham, Dr. and Mrs., 294, 305 Green, John P., 1 Green, John R., 1, 20, 47 Green, Temperance, 1, 5 Green. Sarah R.. 100 Green, Mrs. Sally, 15 Green, Mrs. Annie Laura, 304, 353 Green, Mrs. Lottie E., 353 Green. Capt. Wm. R., 233, 277, 301 Gi^en. Mrs. Agnes, 301 Green, Theodore B., Esq., 355 Green, Miss Kittie Stanley, 100 Green, Jesse Bishop, 354 Green, Miss Clara Annie, 354 Green, Miss Helen, 353 Green, Mr. Rigdon. 277 Green, Mr. Benjamin Green. James, 49 Green, Shade, 50 Green, Johnnie. 355 Grant, Judge John G., 131 Grant, U. S., 145 Greelev. Horace, 146, 179 Green Springs, W. Va., 263 362 I Green, Truman Handy, 355 Green, Mrs. Theodore B., 356 Green, F. W., 153 Griffin, Abner, 220 Greene, Gen. Nathaniel, 2 Grosvenor, Gen. Chas., 178 — H— Hadden, Hon. Alexandel', 154, 182 Hayes, Ex-Pres., 187 Harris, Gov. Andrew L., 194 Halm, Hon. Wm., 262 Hawkins, J. R., 149, 150 Hare, Parker, 152, 167, 358 Hayes, Ex-Pres., 187 Hardie, Kier, 333, 334 Hazle, R. G., 44 Hannah, "Aunt," 11, 27 Hancock, Town Sergeant, 32 Hancock, Richard W., 33, 56 Harper's Ferry Hanna, Robert, 89 Hanna, Doctor, 89 Hanna, Senator M. A., 89, 114, 201 Hanna, L. C, Esq., 89 Hanna, Dan R., 347 Harvey, A. H., 90 Harding, W. G., 348 Haworth, Jehu, 91 Handy, Truman P., 104, 105 Hawes, Rev. Dr., 108 Harris, Andrew L., Gov., 194 Harris, Colonel, 114 Harris, Robert, 123, 124 Harris, Bishop, 123 Harrington, John W., 141 Harvey, Jere, 17, 18 Hathaway, Hon., 171 Herrick, Hon. Myron T.. 152, 342 Heber, Bishop, 236 Hebe, cu^-bearer Heisley, "S^Ir" William, 152 Heller, C. R., 152 Herrick, R. R., 154 Herald, evening Heisel & Sons, 121 Hiram College, 164 Hedge, Hon. O. J., 172, 173, 174 Hoardley, Gov. Geo., 170 Hogarth, Painter, Holy Rood Palace, 244 363 Holden, R. L., 118, 147 Holmes, Thorp, 96 Hood. Stephen, 154, 155 Homer, R. R., 274 Holand, Milton, 276 Hood, Stephen, 154 Hopkins, Theodore, Prof., Ill Hoyt, James M., 84, 86 Hoyt, Rev. Wayland, 84 Hoyt, Colgate. 85 Hoyt, James H., 85 Hoyt, Elton, 85 Holyrood Palace, 244 Homer's Iliad, 237 Hotel Dieu, 322 Holmes, Duncan, 123 Home, John, 235 Huntley, Scotland, 256 Huntington, John, 150, 224 Hnme, David, historian, 238 Hudson School, 77 Hunt, Byron, Esq., 114, 148 Hudson, Col. J. L., 137 Hoyer, Dr. J. L., 281 — I— Ignatz, Saint Ingersoll. Miss Mary, 111 Ingram, Hon. A. F. Wdnnington, 227 Ireland, Archbishop, 274 Isis, Temple of, 294 Ives, Rt. Rev., 13 — J— James II, of England, 5 James, "Elder," 82 Jacobes, Mr., 110 Jackson, Hon. Geo. H.. 200 Jimmie "Irish," 29, 34 Joiner, William A., 276 Jones, "Uncle" Balaam, 29, 34 Johnson, "Tom" L., 176, 201, 348, 177. 178 Jolinson, Miss Phillis, 355 Johnson, Wendell C, 355 Johnson, Theodore G., 355 Johnson, Miss, 75 Johnson, Andrew, Ex-Pres., 4 Jegerson, Thomas, Ex-Pres., Johnson, Dr. C. C, 355 Johnson, Laura, 52 Johnson, Clara Annie, 355 Jones, R. A., 359 Judd, Frank. 132 Judy» John M., 264 — K— Kaiser, Peter H., 154, 182 Keep, Father, 72 Kenyon College, 16 Kellogg, John H., Sr., 123 Kellogg, John H., Jr., 123 Kennedy, Judge Thomas M., 344 Kerruish, W. S., Esq., 159, 160 Kerens, Col., 262 King, Henry, 81 Kingsley, Chas., 209 Kline, Virgil P., 152 Kiel, August, 166 Killarney, Lakes of, 328, 329 Kolbe, Geo. A., 159, 165 Kruger, Carl, 111 Ku-Klux-Klan, 143 Knox, John. 238, 243 Lavvs, Rev. Dr., 239 Langston, John M., ITI, 172 Labor Day, 188 Lampson, Lieut. Gov., 194 Laurinburgh. 132 Lateran, St. John, 300 Lake City, So. Carolina, 269 Lewis, James, 59 Leaiy, Sheridan Leonard, Miss Mary J., 75 Leo, Mother Ann, 81 Lee, River, 826 Lewis, a farm-hand, 8 I-^ader, The Cleveland, 153 Leech, Mrs. Eliza, 225, 234 Lendrum, Rev. R. A., 245, 246 Leith, Mr. John, 252, 254 Leonard, Rt. Rev., 227. 229, 338 Lincoln, Abraham, 24, 97 Lourie, Henry, 81 Lourie, Hugh, 81 Lourie, Rev. Walter, 91 Lowman, Dr. John H., Ill T oudin, Fred J., 225 Livingstone, David, 238 Livingston, John Knox, 137 Lyons, Hon. Judson W., 276 I uxembourg, Paris, 324 — M— MacDuff, 69 Maria, Cousin, 27 Mayflower School, 74 Mather, Samuel, 111 Mathews, Rt. Rev.. 228 Maxamilian, Grand Duke, 310 Mitchell, Lottie E., 354 Mitchell, Rev., President of Wil- berforce. 187 Morton, Levi P., 108 Mentzendorf, L., 225, 234 Malvin, John, 859 Maxwell, Henry J., 128, 132, 141 Mail and Express, New York Martineau, Harriet, 234 Maccaulay, Historian, 238 Marshall, Miss Josephine, 239 Mary, Queen of Scotland, 243 Mathew, Father, 326 Mayo, Isabella Fyvle, 252 MacKay, Rev., 253 Marshall, Judge John, 161 Malloy, Rev. Father, 304 Marshall, Miss, 239 Mather, Mrs. Samuel, 111 elodeon Hall, 60 Medlin, Allen, 359 Meeker, Claude, 189 Medill, Joseph, 153 Menger, George, 165 Merritt, Gen. John A., 267 Meagher, Thomas Francis, 325 Mitchell, Alexander, 42 Milcha, John. 209, 230, 234, 236 Miller, Mrs. J., 239 Mix, R. E., 152 Moorfield, W. Va., 263, 2^ 243 — R— Ramsay, Allan, 238 Ramsay, Dean, 253 Ranney, Judge Rufus P., 161 Rankin, Pres. J. E.. 261 Reed, Thomas Buchanan, 134 Rhodes, Dan P., 114 Rice, Sarah, 3 Ricks, Joseph H., 99 Richards, Captain J. M., 100, 101 161 365 Rickoff, Andrew J., 117 Richardson, C. M., 148 Richardsons, The, 220 Richardson, Dr. Geo. H. 276 Richardson, Albert, 354 Richardson, Fred, 354 Richardson, Helen Green, 364 Richardson, Inez M., 354 Robinson, William, Esq., 154. 182 Rome, Italy, 295 Romulus and Remus, 296 Riddle, Hon. A. G., 162 Rollin, Charles, 98 Rock, Cemeter3^ 105 Rockefeller, John D., 76, 80, 81, 210, 212, 223 Rockefeller, Mrs. John D„ 216, 224 Rockefeller, Frank, 81 Rockefeller's Church, 61 Rouse, Deacon, 59 Roderigne, Dr., 130 Roosevelt, Ex-President, 273, 288 Roper, Mr. Ed., 135 Rude, Mrs. Sarah A., 75 Ross, Castle, 328 Rutland, Judge J. M., 137 Russell, L. A., Esq.. 178 Ryan, Daniel, 202 Ryan, W. R., 167 —S— Saleeby, Mrs. F. M.. 238, 244 Sampson, James, 122 Sampson, Wdlliam, 122 Sampson, Joseph, 122 Sampson, B. K., 122 Sampson, John P., 122 Sampson, George W., 122, 26 Sampson, Nathan, - Sampson, Susie, 123 Sampson, Fannie, 123 Sampson, Mary, 123 Sampson, Minerva, 123 Sampson, George W., Jr., 125 Sampson, Fred, 125 Sampson, Mrs. Hattie Dale, 126 San Juan, Cuba, 271 Sawyer, E. J., Esq., 136 Sawyer, E. J., Sr., 136 Sangster and Family, 239 Saterlee, Bishop H. Y., 277 Scott, Governor, 139 Scott, John H., 62, 64, 65, 67, 70 Scott, Mrs. Celia, 63, 69 Schurz, Carl, 159 Schwab, Solomon, 185 Schofield, Levi P., 191 Schmidt, J. W., 159 Scott, Sir Walter, 259 Screen Anti-Bill, 196 Scottron, Samuel R., 287 Sheridan, Gen. Phil., 134 Sherman, Senator John, 272, 343 Shepherd, Col. Eliott F., 207, 228, 224 Sharpe, L. G., 226, 234 Shadd, Dr. Firmdn, 277 Shakers, The, 81 St. Peter's Church, 296, 300 Simpson, Dr. Williams, 243 St. John Lateran, 300 Shurtliff, Prof., 72 Siegel, General Franz, 159 Skeene, Miss Kittie T., 213 Skeene, Sarah R., 100 Slade, Ed. P., Esq., 154 163 Slade, Albert T., 163 Smalls, Captain Robert, 143 Smith, The Hon. Harry C, 192, 200, 348, 358, 359 Smithnight, Capt. Louis, 212 Spencer, Sen. Frank O., 202, 204 Smeal, Mr. William G., 268 Smith, Pard B., 150 Smith, W. G., Esq., 168 Smith, Captain John, 83 Spellman, Hon. H. D., 211 Snider, Hon. C. W., 192 Southern, Sr., 59 Southern. E. H., 59 Speight, Gov. Richard Dobbs, 2, 27, 49 Soane, Sir John, 226 Spellman, Miss Laura C, 211 Stanley, John Wright, 1 Stone, Rosetta, The, 328 Stanley, John, 1, 2, 6 Stanley, Hon. Edw., M. C, 4 Stanley, John C, 42, 43 Stanley, John Stuart, 42 Stanley, Mrs. Fannie, 42 Sterling, Dr. Theodore, 111, 112 Stuart, Cato J., 128' Strimple, Judge Theodore, 184 Stewart, J. M., Esq.. 186 366 steels, Mrs. Margaret, M. 9., 250 Stilson, Clarence, 111 Strauther, Geo. W.. 264 St. Marco Piazzo St. Charles, 262 Sturge, Joseph, Suthern, Rev. B. W., 239. 278 Sykes, Dr. J. W., 102 Simmons, John, 359 Simmons, Buckner Cimmons, Granny Polly. 359 Stone, Julge Carlos M., Esq., 183 Squire, Andrew, Esq., 152 Sweeney, James, 152 Tanner, Rev. B. T., 107, 108 Taylor, S. Coleridge, 225, 234 Talmadge, Rev. T. DeWitt, 231, 233 Tell, William, 236, 317 Telley, Madison, 152 Templeton, Mr., 256 Testolini Bros., 265 Thome, Prof. J. H., 106 Thoi-pe, Hon. Freeman, 171 Thrift, Mrs. Mattie Laurence. 234 Thompson, James, Esq., 248, 249 Thomson, Mrs., 248, 249 Thomson Family, 251 Thomson, James, Jr., 250 Thieme, August, 159 Theresa, Saint, 299 Thwing, Pres. Chas. F., 844 Thompson, James, 148 Tillman, John Toro Mountain, Ireland, 329 Tilden, Judge Daniel R., 161 Titus, Roman General, 298 Townsend, Hon. Amos, M. C, 272 Townsend, Hon. Charles, 137 Trent, River, 20 Trenton, N. C, 39 Treat, Wilson, 153 Trilby, a fiction, 319, 322 Troy Hill, 90 Tullock, David, 256 Turner, L. W., 152, 167, 368 — U— Union Depot, 58, 96 Underwood, Rev, J. P., 369 Vatican, Rome, 305 Vanderbilt, W. K., 207 Venice, Italy, 265 Vesuvius, The Volcano, 290 Vestitmle, Bill, 195 Vickery, Judge Willis, 120 Vienna, Austria, 308 Virgil, The Poet, 237, 288 Victoria, Queen, 326 Vosburgh, George, 359 — W~ Wagner, Carl, 57 Wallace, Scotch Patriot, 326 Waller, Owen Meredith, 276 Washington, George, 261 Washington, J. H., 152, 358 Warren, Elder John R., 98 Washington, Booker T., 24, 274, 343 Watts, Isaac, 92, 286 Wade, J. H., Esq., 198, 223 Weatherley, J. W., 127, 229 Warren, J. R., 359 Weitzel, Hon. Mr., 176, 180 Wellington, The Iron Duke Werner, of The Tower of Londom, 225 Weaver, J. H., 358 ^^Oiitford, Col. John D., 350 Whitworth, WUliam, 81 Wheeler & Russell, 96, 114 WTiite, Judge H. C, 170, 185 White, Clarence Cameron, 34. 27i Westminster Abbey, 327 White, John G., 152 White, Linden C, 166, 167 White, Hon. Geo. H., M. C, 267 White, Milly, 34, 36 Wightman, David L., 267 Wightman, Miss Lucy, 267 Witt, Stillman, 114 Wilson, J. Finley, 277 Williams, Harry A.. 234 Winnkelried, Arnold Von, 236, 817 Wigham. Miss Eliza, 241, 242 Williams, Dr. Daniel Hale. 277 Willard, A. M., Esq., 355 Williams, "Prof." S., 359 Woodward. Sarah G.. 43 Sd7 Wood, David L., 151, 165 _Y— Woodsworth, The Poet 3SS', Yovk, "Aunt Betsey," 45 Wright, George W., 121 Young, Arthur F., Esq, 284 Wright, Justice. S. C, 151 Wilberforce University, 187, 188 —7r— __^_ Zola, Emile, 356 Zehring, Augustus, Esq., 118 Xenophon, Greek Author/ '^J ' Zurich, Switzerland. 318 368