“it’s a grand thing to make something out of the life god hath given us, but it is grander still, to reach the great end over great difficulties.”
james william carr, the twelfth, and next to the youngest child of uncle horace, and aunt kitty, attained distinction both as a lecturer and a minister.
a tennessean by birth, and a georgian by providence, he died in the midst of his usefulness at savannah, ga., august 25, 1907.
in his youth, he professed religion and joined mount zion during his father’s pastorate of the church. his early educational advantages were poor, but he was ambitious, and lost no opportunity for mental improvement.
rev. william carr was tall, and bright colored, having his mother’s refined features, and his father’s good physique.
a blend of both parents in looks, and christian principles.
[56]that he was appreciative, the following letter received by the writer, a short time before his death, will show:
savannah, ga., may 13, 1907.
“mrs. j. f. miller—kind friend: today my thoughts go back to the scenes of my boyhood, away back in the 70’s, when i worked for your father. how well do i remember the day he hired me, and carried me home behind him, on a big sorrel horse he called charlie.
“i had never lived with white people, and mother kitty did not think i would be satisfied, but i was, and stayed several months, going home every saturday evening.
“i date my start in life to the study table in your father’s family room at night, around which i was not only permitted the use of books, but was also instructed in them.
“one day i ventured to ask you to set me some copies, in a rude copy book i had pinned together of foolscap paper. you asked if i wanted words, or sentences. i was embarrassed, for i did not know the difference, and you set both.
“i feel profoundly grateful to you, and your family, for the interest manifested in the little yellow boy from near horse shoe bend.
“i have traveled from the atlantic to the pacific, and from lake michigan to the gulf of[57] mexico, and i have been treated with respect wherever i have gone.
rev. john william carr, savannah, ga.
“i am at present pastor of the first african baptist church of savannah. it was organized in 1788. the membership is 5,000, and the value of the church property, $100,000.00. this church has had only six pastors during its existence of 119 years; i am its sixth.
“the race riot in atlanta a few months ago, has in no way changed my opinion of the south, as being the proper home of the negro.
“i am glad you visited my mother, and took down in writing some interesting incidents of her life.
“my parents were unlettered it is true, for their sphere was limited, but our heavenly father can be glorified in little things as well as great things.
“it matters not how small the deed of kindness done, it is the motive that dignifies the action.
“providence permitting, i hope to visit port royal next fall, and meet once more in the flesh my friends and kindred there. if i come i will preach a sermon or two at mount zion. it is a dear old church to me, and the quiet spot near by, in which sleeps the dust of my father and two brothers, is dearer still.
[58]“may god’s richest blessings rest on your household, is the prayer of,
your obedient servant,
j. w. carr.”
in three months after the above letter was written, rev. william carr was stricken with fever and died. the news of his death was telegraphed to his only surviving brother, horace carr, of district no. 1, montgomery county, tenn.
immediately following this, memorial services were held in several middle tennessee and southern kentucky churches in which he had preached before making savannah his home.
deceased was twice married. his second wife and several children survive him.
apropos of rev. william carr’s reference to the first african baptist church at savannah, i quote the following from an article in the informer, written by wm. l. craft (col.), field secretary of the national b. y. p. u. board, nashville, tennessee:
“the colored baptists of the united states have cause to feel proud of the results of their distinctive organic church work within the past 120 years.
“and to the state of georgia we owe it, to call[59] her the mother state of negro organic church life.
“it was in savannah, january 20, 1788, that the first negro baptist church was organized by rev. andrew bryan, and numerous other slaves converted under his earnest preaching.
“rev. bryan was converted under the preaching of rev. george leile, and baptized, 1783, in the savannah river. at the close of the civil war, 1865, there were 400,000 negro baptists in the united states.
“today they are estimated at 3,000,000, and well organized. the national colored baptist convention was organized at montgomery, ala., in 1880, and shows 89 state conventions; 559 associations; 18,214 churches; 17,217 ordained ministers; 15,625 sunday schools; 73,172 officers and teachers; 788,016 pupils.
“the officers of this national convention are as follows: rev. e. c. morris, d. d., helena, ark., president; prof. r. b. hudson, a. m., selma, ala., recording secretary; rev. a. j. stokes, d. d., montgomery, ala., treasurer; rev. robert mitchell, a. m., d. d., bowling green, ky., auditor; rev. s. w. bacote, d. d., statistician.
“the work of this great body is conducted by national boards, under the management of corresponding secretaries.
[60]“the denominational organ speaking for this convention, is the national baptist union, published weekly at nashville, tenn. e. w. d. isaac, d. d., is editor, and said to be one of the ablest in the united states.”
it was in a speech made on georgia soil, that first gave booker t. washington the eye and ear of the nation, when he said, “it is worth far more to the negro to have the privilege of making an honest dollar side by side with the white man, than it is to have the privilege of spending that dollar sitting by him in a theatre.” it is this wholesome doctrine that has given him the right influence among right thinking people of both races.
when booker washington left hampton institute, virginia, that great school for the practical training of the negro, he began his life work at a country cross roads, near tuskegee, alabama. it proved a good stopping place for that young and penniless, but cultured son of hampton institute.
as an educator and civic builder, he is known and honored wherever the forces of christian civilization recount their worthies, and crown their heroes. it is a remarkable record, that in all his utterances, on both sides of the sea, booker washington has never been known to say a foolish or intemperate thing.
[61]speaking further of georgia, it is asserted on good authority that the negroes of this state pay taxes on something over $18,000,000 worth of property. it is property at last, that is the test of civilized citizenship, especially in a land where good men may readily attain it.
with whiskey out of the reach of a race having a lamentable weakness for it, it is highly probable that these figures will be greatly increased within the next decade. the truth is gradually becoming known to the world, that the south is giving to the negro the only square deal a white race ever gave to one of another color, living among them under the same laws.
through the refining influence of the holy teachings of the man of galilee, the southern white man is harmonizing with his “brothers in black,” to a degree that he is spending three hundred million dollars in their education; not only this, but he is supplying them with wealth accumulating work, and allowing them to enjoy the rights of peaceable citizenship. that they duly appreciate all this, is daily expressed in the right living of the best element of our colored population.
