George W. Franklin, Jr., was born in Rome, Ga., December 11, 1865. He learned the blacksmith trade with his father, who is still living and engaged at his trade. Mr. Franklin saved his money from childhood, and by the time he was a man he had enough to start business with. His first effort in a business way was a hack line and livery stable; in this he succeeded. Seeing the need of a colored undertaker in Rome, he began by making his own hearse, which was the first ever owned by a colored man in Rome. In time he wanted a larger field for his business, and moved to Chattanooga, Tenn., and opened an undertaker's establishment on a larger scale. In five years' time he built up a business that brought him several thousand dollars per year. He now owns three beautiful funeral cars and landau carriages, dead wagons and a beautiful lot of white horses. Mr. Franklin has over ten thousand dollars invested in his business and is out of debt. He is recognized by white undertakers to the extent that when either he or they have large funerals they will exchange carriages with each other. He buys only the best of everything used in his business, and has bought a large tract of land for burial purposes, which is known as East View Cemetery. I found him a very pleasant man. He is much interested in the race, and when Booker T. Washington called a meeting in 1900 of the colored business men of this country, which met in Boston, Mass., Mr. Franklin took an active part, and, in fact, gave an address there that was regarded as very able by the press of Boston. CHAPTER XXXVI. NATIONAL BAPTIST PUBLISHING BOARD. [Illustration: REV. R. H. BOYD, D. D.] The National Baptist Publishing Board, located at Nashville, Tenn., is, beyond doubt, the largest and by far the best equipped printing plant operated by colored people. This establishment was started for the purpose of giving some of the enormous amount of printing done for the colored people, in the way of Sunday-school literature and regular church publications, into the hands of the race, in order that employment might be given to those who were already competent printers, and at the same time encourage others to learn the trade. Rev. R. H. Boyd, D. D., is the general secretary. He has shown himself a very active and efficient man in his place. The success of this enterprise has far surpassed their most sanguine hopes. The board does all kinds of printing, even book work of a high order. I think it no more than fair to them and the public that I give here a part of the secretary's yearly report for 1900 and a part of 1901: