News Items from The Kansas City Journal ~ Old News That's New to You from Vintage Kansas City.com

July 4, 1909

NEGRO CEMETERY CHAPEL.

Cornerstone Will Be Laid at High-

land Today.

The cornerstone of the new chapel in Highland cemetery, a burying ground for negroes at Twentieth street and Blue Ridge boulevard, will be laid this afternoon at 3 o'clock. M. O. Ricketts of St. Joseph, grand master of the negro Masons of Missouri, will be in charge of the services. The building committee is composed of: C. H. Countee, Dr. J. E. Perry, A. T. Moore, L. A. Knox, T. W. H. Williams and T. C. Unthank.

Labels: Blue Ridge boulevard, cemetery, churches, Dr Unthank, lodges, ministers, race, St.Joseph, Twentieth street

February 20, 1909

DR. UNTHANK A REG-

ISTERED LOBBYIST.

First Negro Lobbyist in the

State of Missouri.

JEFFERSON CITY, MO., Feb. 19. -- Dr. T. C. Unthank, a negro of Kansas City, is the first Afro-American to sign the book of "legislative visitations." He registered to day as a "lobbyist" for the measure of seeking to establish a state reformator for incorrigible negro girls.

Labels: Dr Unthank, Jefferson City, race

April 12, 1908

UNTHANK MAY GO TO BAHIA.

Negro Physician Said to Be Started

for a $4,500 Job.

Unless there is a puncture, or something happens in the next few weeks to the car of progress of T. C. Unthank, a Kansas City negro doctor, he will play in luck that thousands of white politicians would be glad to have come their way. Unthank yesterday finished an examination for the consular service. It was supposed that the proceeding was perfunctory, and that he would stand the same show and no more, than the other ninety-nine out of every 100 who try to get into the consular service.

Unthank, so it appears,is slated to go to Bahia, in the Republic of Brazil, at a salary of $4,500 a year. The job pays $500 a year more than that of registrar of the treasury, at Washington, commonly supposed to be the cream de la cream of fat jobs for the negro leaders. Brazil is one of the very few countries to which negroes may be sent.

Unthink is supposed to have passed a very good examination. He is required to be able to speak two languages. To further his claims the negro doctor called for papers in three languages, English, French and Spanish. In addition to having to be proficient in at least one foreign tongue, consular candidates must know something of the three R's.

Labels: doctors, Dr Unthank, employment, race

October 12, 1907

NEGROES WANT OLD HOSPITAL.

Are Afraid No Arrangements Will Be

Made for Them Now.

Kansas City negro physicians are again agitating to a slight extent the old proposition to have the present hospital building made into a separate department for negroes, with negro physicians and nurses in charge. Notwithstanding the agreement realized some months ago by a committee composed of Drs. T. C. Unthank, J. E. Perry, J. E. Dibbs, J. S. Shannon and J. N. Birch, representing the Negro Medical Society of Kansas City, and Aldermen Young, Eaton, Greene, Woolf and Mayor Beardsley, city council hospital committee, the negro doctors are somewhat dissatisfied and may ask that the council reopen the matter.

By the terms of this agreement a negro ward is to be established in the new general hospital with internes and nurses of that race. Here, it was promised, the negro physicians might take their patients and hold suitable clinics, with quarters ample for all their needs.

There is a well defined suspicion among the negro doctors that in the bustle of rearrangements this agreement will be forgotten.

"So far as we know," said Dr. Untank last night, "the promise of the council committee will be kept. But we have not observed any very marked degree of activity towards carrying it out, and many of us are inclined to believe we shall be left holding the bag when the readjustment is made. Just now if one of us has the amputation of a finger to perform, he must take his patient across the line to Kansas City, Kas. Naturally we are very much worried as to what will be done for us hereafter in this matter. We can not see even yet any real reason why we should not be given the old hospital as we asked at first.

"At least 90 per cent of the negro cases in Kansas City are handled by negro physicians. We have no clinical facilities whatever, and but few facilities for taking care of those of our race who may be in need of suitable hospital care -- at least for those of the 90 per cent we have under our charge. We shall be satisfied if we are given the quarters at the new building we were promised. I am sure, however, another attempt will be made to secure the old building for our purpose."

A number of councilmen who were asked about the matter evaded the question yesterday, declaring they had too many present problems to worry them to bother about this until it became necessary. It is generally believed that the new building will be ready for occupancy in January or February.

Labels: doctors, Dr Unthank, health, hospitals, Kansas City council, Mayor Beardsley, nurses, race