The Oskaloosa herald., 1903-03-05
MODEL NEGRO TOWN
Only One Color in the Place and
That is Black.

Indianapolis Special: Gibson coun-
ty contains within it's borders what is
believed to be the only town IN ne
United States whose population is
composed wholly of negroes, whose af-
fairs are conducted by the same race
and whose citizenship has won the re-
spect and confidence of the whites.
1t has 365 voters. Though the inhab-
itants of Lyles, the negro town, are
industrious, enterprising and remark
ably thrifty, only four miles away is
the town of Hazleton, wherein no ne
gro dare set his foot, for such an adj
vent has always been the signal for
the assembling of the whites and or
der to leave.
Several years before the war a col
ored man named Joshua Lyles came
to Gibson county. He had been g.
slave in Tennessee but his master had
set him free and had given him $500
with which to start in life. 1t is a
tradition in the town that Josh had
risked his life to save that of his mas
ter, and that his freedom and a roll OF
bills were his reward. He invested
his money in land in the Wabash bot
tom and settled down as a farmer.
For several years he worked early and
late. After the war he went back to
his old home and induced some of his
former friends to come to Indiana
with him. They located near his farm
and in the course of time a village
sprung up anu the negroes became
prosperous.
Soon after this addition to the pop
ulation the Louisville, Evansville Il
st. Louis railroad was constructed,
and the company built a sidetrack on
Josh's farm. lit came to be known by
the name of Lyles. One of the inhab-
itarts opened a grocery near the track
and the future town was thus founded.
It now has churches, a public school,
a postoffice and a great number OF
neat homes. 1t is said that there has
not been an arrest in Lyles for fifteen
years, and that the inhabitants are
Jealous in aiding the officers in pre-
venting shiftless negroes from coming
to the county. No man is permitted
in the town who will not work. Many
of those who have come since the wal
have secured small parcels of ground,
and the place is noted throughout the
region for large croIs of corn and
melons. Many of the farmers make a
speciality of melons, and find a ready
market at good prices in Louisville
and other cities.
James Cantrell is the leading citI-
zen, being postmaster, ticket and ex-
press agent, grain buyer, weighmaster
and grocer, and it is a matter of great
pride to him that he is the only col
ored postmaster in any northern state.
His wife, IN intelligent little woman,
is his deputy and his clerk. He owns
one of the handsomest cottages in the
town. The nttle community supports
two churcnes-Methodist and Baptist
and nearly everybody belongs to one
or the other, lor a deep religious spir-
it ~peryades the community.
The trustees of the tom look after
the streets and alleys, but beyond this
there is little fer them 10 do, for all
public work is done by turning out to
a man to its accomplishment. and the
place is always neat and clean. Sew
eral years ago a police Judge was
elected ano a town marshal was chos-
en- in order to conform TO the incor-
poration laws, but neither ever had
anything to do, and the custom of
electing such officers has been aban-
doned.
The people adhere to the customs
that prevailed among them when in
slavery. Unless there is sickness in
some family there is not a light burn
ing in the village after 8 o'clock at
night, but every household is astir be-
tween 4 and 5 o'clock in the morning,
and the men are out III the fields at
work and the women busy with their
household duties soon after sunrise.
On Sunday the entire population goes
to church n the majority of families
observe the day as one of rest.
Many of their old superstitions still
cling to them. Everything that grows
above the ground. such as corn, peas
and beans, is planted IN the flight of
the moon and everything that grows