is good; not so much known, however, for his "much speaking," as for the devotion he shows to the interests of his race. Mr. Cheatham came up from the ranks of the school teachers, leaving off that work to take a position as Register of Deeds in his (Vance) county, which position he held creditably for a number of years, and which he resigned to run for Congress in 1888.

Hon. John R. Lynch is another son of whom we may be proud. He hid not his talents, but rather multiplied them. It was his honor to preside at the National Republican Convention in 1884, at Chicago.

We know him as orator, lawyer, Congressman, prominent politician and paymaster in the U. S. Army.

Among the Noted Singers should be mentioned Madame Selika, "the colored Jenny Lind." Her voice is, perhaps, sweeter than the renowned Jenny Lind (white), and capable of greater variation in length and pitch. Madame Selika stands as a prodigy among singers. She would stand near the head of modern female voices were it not that she is colored.

Mrs. Frances Ellen Harper, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, was denied the opportunities of an education in her early days, but as soon as the way was opened she applied herself with such energy and earnestness as to develop her rare intellectual abilities, and put her before the world as a grand, good woman. She is known as an entertaining lecturer and pleasing essayist.

Miss Flora Batson Bergen was another representative of the art of song. The wonder is that she rendered the most difficult classical music from memory, being unable to read notes. She was an undoubted genius.

Miss H. Q. Brown stands high as an elocutionist, and reader of wonderful force and descriptive powers. Her work compares favorably with any of the kind in America, and her reputation is national.

Miss Ednorah Nahar, of Boston, Mass., has achieved wonderful results as a reader and elocutionist. She is yet young in the work, but has read in nearly all of the leading cities in America and Canada, and received the highest encomiums from the best dramatical critics in both countries, one of whom says; "Her art is no art, but Nature itself."

"Blind Tom," the Negro Musical Prodigy, is known as well in Europe as America. His cor rect name is Thomas Bethune. He was born May

25, 1849, at Columbus, Georgia. When a babe he seemed totally blind, but in later years he could see a little. His memory of dates, persons and places seems almost perfect. Shake his hand to-day and speak to him, tell your name, and ten years after he will recall your voice and name. He is uniformly and studiously polite, and entertains the highest regard for truth in all things. At four years of age he found his way to his master's piano for the first time. He had attempted to use his voice in imitating the piano and other sounds before this. He imitated all the sounds he knew on the piano, and when his supply was exhausted he began to compose for himself. He would play, as he would remark, "what the wind said," or the "birds said," or the trees said." When five years old, during a thunder-storm, he composed his "Rain Storm," which is so true to Nature that one imagines on hearing it that he can hear the thunder roar, and "looks for the lightning to flash." One author says of him: "I can't teach him anything; he knows more of music than we know or can know. We can learn all that great genius can reduce to rule and put in tangible form; he knows more than that. I do not even know what it is; but I feel it is something beyond my comprehension. All that can be done for him will be to let him hear fine playing; he will work it all out for himself after awhile."

He plays the most difficult classical music of Mendelssohn and Beethoven, and cannot read a note. His marches include "Delta Kappa Epsilon," by Peace; "Grand March de Concert," by Wallace. He imitates as perfectly as if natural, "Battle of Manassas," "Douglass' Speech," guitar, banjo, church organ, Dutch woman and hand-organ, a harp, Scotch bagpipe, and a music-box-all on the piano. His equal, if it ever existed in the world, has not been known. He stands out as a phenomenon, a genius, a prodigy in black. He still lives, and is constantly improving and adding to his large stock of musical achievements.*

Toussaint L'Ouverture.-It is supposed that LOuverture was born in 1743, in San Domingo, on "All Saints' Day," from which he was named Toussaint. The name L'Ouverture was given him after he had won a high place in the army by many brilliant conquests. He was born a slave, and said to be a direct descendant of an African king. He was educated by his god-father, Pierre Baptiste. Later he had an interesting family, and was as happy as a slave could be. He believed himself destined to lead his race out of bondage. Having access to his master's library, he read much; and it is recorded that he always mastered whatever work he undertook to study! It is generally conceded by his enemies that he was honest, honorable, and just. On

Thomas Bethune is now reported to be dead.