Dr. York Russell, West Indian physician

 Dr. York Russell, West Indian physician, practicing in NYC, with the possible exception of Dr. J. E. London, greatest living WI

MaaNgala Oni Shankalla

DISTINGUISHED WEST INDIAN AND AFRICAN NEGROES.

Africa and the West Indies have produced several distinguished men. Dr. J. E. London of Georgetown, British Guiana, has been signally honored. He is a graduate of the College of Physicians, London; is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons, England; a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians; a licentiate of the Apothecaries Society; and a fellow of the Chemical Society. This is his name with degrees and titles, Dr. J. E. London, M.D., M.R.C.S.E., L.R.C.S., L.S.A., and F.C.S. That is enough for one mortal to be burdened with.

When Lord Lister was elevated to the baronetcy, Dr. London was his special guest from British Guiana and represented the colony on that occasion. He married an English lady who was educated in England.

Dr. S. F. Herbert is another intellectual prodigy of British Guiana. He was divinity prizeman in the third year of his course, although a medical student. He stood highest in scholarship at King's College; and completed his classical course at Oxford, beating every competitor, and was complimented by Gladstone, who presented the prize; then he graduated from the College of Physicians of London. Professor Quain of Oxford said that his extensive classical learning would have won him a fellowship and chair at Oxford had he continued his classical studies.

The late Sir William Conrad Reeves of Barbados, chief justice of Barbados, who was knighted by Queen Victoria, was a graduate of the Inner Temple, England, and a master of Roman law. He worked his way up by sheer force of character. He was born a poor boy and went to school in Bridgetown, Barbados. Young Reeves excelled as a debater in the debating society at the Bridgetown School. The citizens became interested in him, raised the necessary funds and sent him to England to complete his education. As solicitor-general, he won every case he handled and was probably the greatest Negro jurist the British West Indies ever produced.

Cyprian Jolly, a mulatto, born and raised in the West Indies, is reputed to be worth several hundred thousand dollars.

But I believe that Dr. York Russell, a West Indian physician, practicing in New York City, with the possible exception of Dr. J. E. London, is the greatest living West Indian, and is as splendid a specimen of the pure Negro as I have ever met. He stands nearly six feet in height, weighs over two hundred pounds, and has a strong face, a rich, ringing, resonant, baritone voice, and an unusual amount of personal magnetism. As an orator, whether he addresses a church, a Y. M. C. A., a Y. W. C. A., a literary society or presides at a banquet to the Liberian Legation, he always charms, captivates and electrifies his audience. But it is as a conversationalist that Dr. York Russell is especially brilliant. He is a profound student of history and is steeped in classical learning and Biblical lore. His is a richly stored mind. The wealth of his information, the beauty of his imagery, the vividness of his illustrations, the fluency of his speech, the brilliancy of his repartee, the richness of his voice and the magnetism of his virile, manly personality, cause Dr. Russell to easily impress an auditor of one or an audience of a thousand. Magnificent in physique, brilliant in mind, with a rugged strength of character and an inborn manliness and innate self respect, Dr. York Russell stands forth as a representative of the possibilities of Negro manhood.

Professor Fileen of New York City, a tutor in Latin and Greek, and a specialist in modern languages, is a West Indian Negro, who recently passed the civil service examination in New York for the position of interpreter of modern languages. He is a student of sociology, philosophy and English literature, as well as a linguist, and takes a high rank among the scholars of the race. Like Blyden and Scarborough, he is a ripe and erudite scholar.

Dr. Morgan of Yonkers, N. Y., is a sociologist and another scholarly West Indian Negro.

 And now we come to four African Negroes. Mr. Charles L. Moore of New Haven, Conn., associate manager for seven years of Williams & Walker's Troupe, which performed before the king of England, the Prince of Wales and, in fact, the royalty of England, has visited England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany and Cape Town, Africa, and has met some of the prominent African Negroes. While sailing from Cape Town, Africa, to Liverpool, England, he with several other passengers noticed two distinguished-looking Englishmen constantly in the company of a big, powerfully built Negro about fifty years of age, who possessed a fine, musical voice and a courtly bearing. Some officious Americans remonstrated with the Englishmen for showering such attention upon the big, proud and graceful black. Great was their surprise when they learned that he was Henry Prentiss, a native of the Gold Coast of Africa, who graduated from the University of Edinburgh, and was reported to be worth three million pounds sterling, which fortune he had made as a gold miner near Akra, Africa. Immediately he was the lion of the ship.

It is the custom of the black merchants from the Gold Coast of Africa, who go to London every year to buy goods, to have a commerce of trades’ dinner at Holborn's restaurant, Holborn Street, near Southampton Road, London. When Mr. Moore was in England, an African prince of the Gold Coast gave a dinner to these hundred and fifty colored Londoners and Africans. Mr. Moore was the guest of Maurice A. Aga, a full-blooded young Negro, who had received a degree from Oxford and was a successful barrister. One of his brothers was a student at the Crystal Palace Scientific School.

RICH NEGROES.

Henry Prentiss, Akra, Gold Coast, West Africa, graduate of Edinburgh University, reputed to be worth three million pounds sterling.

Hon. James Carmichael Smith, ex-postmaster general of Sierra Leone, Africa.

The late Sir Henry Lewis, Chief Justice in Sierra Leone or Akra, Africa.

Cyprian Jolly, West Indies, worth several hundred thousand.

Dr. J. E. London, Georgetown, British Guiana.

Collard Ward, a Jamaica millionaire, gave a $25,000 organ to the Catholic Church.

Don Juan Knight, Guatemala, Central America, reputed to be worth $70,000,000.

PROMINENT WEST INDIAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN NEGROES.

Dr. W. W. Campbell, Georgetown, British Guiana, South America.

A. A. Thorne, Demerara, British Guiana, South America.

Miss A. H. Bridgewater, postmistress near Charleston.

The late John Bridgewater, Nevis, West Indies.

Rev. J. B. Wood, Kingston Manse, Georgetown, British Guiana, South America.

The late Rev. Thomas Chambers, Georgetown, British Guiana, South America.

Durant, a linguist who could read a dozen languages and speak seven or eight fluently was a contemporary of the late Sir William Conrad Reeves in Barbados.

Edward Jordan of Jamaica, knighted by Queen Victoria, was the first colored man to be so honored.

George Stiebel of Barbados was a colored millionaire who made a fortune out of silver mines in South America, and Queen Victoria bestowed upon him the knightly order of C.M.G.

A monument has been erected in honor of the late George William Gordon of Jamaica. He was a member of the House of Assembly, and a leader of the people and a martyr.

The late Hon. Samuel Constantine Burke served honorably as attorney-general of Jamaica.

Hector Josephs, attorney-general of Jamaica, graduated from the Inner Temple of London. Chief Justice Linn said that he was a credit to his country and an honor to his alma mater.

The daughter of ex-Mayor Harris of Kingston danced with King Edward when he visited Kingston as Prince of Wales.

 I forgot to note the source of this information. I am sure it is Africans Abroad by Ferris