climb; broad in mental resource, generous, and strong in
manly impulse, they forget self and become the embodiment of
principles that make genuine progress and win the hearts of
their comrades by the compelling force of character and
personal magnetism. Promoting the well-being of a race,
multiplying the happiness of the individual, these captains
of moral thought practically accept the duty marked out by
the Great Teacher and "cause two blades of grass to grow
where but one grew before."

Such a man as pictured above is Henry Plummer Cheatham, one
of the most successful forces in the public life of the
twentieth century Negro. His career has been visited by
success because he has richly deserved it. Mr. Cheatham was
born in Henderson, N. C., some forty-odd years ago. He was
educated in the public schools of his county and at Shaw
University, of his native state. He was a promising lad, and
with prophetic spirit laid deep the foundation upon which a
brilliant character was to be built. His first public office
was that of registrar of deeds in his native county. So
conspicuous was his work and so worthily did he impress
himself upon the judgment of the people, Mr. Cheatham was
nominated and elected to the Fifty-first Congress, and was
again chosen to sit in the Fifty-second Congress. When
President McKinley reached the White House, one of his
earliest appointments was that of Mr. Cheatham to be
Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia, a post which
has come to be regarded as carrying the insignia of
leadership in the political councils of the race. That he
has performed his duties capably and zealously, goes without