Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-12-02
THRIVING VILLAGE
OF NEGROES ONLY
Maryland Town of CoIored Peo-
pie Who Own Their Banks
ane Stores.
FOLKS ARE PROGRESSIVE
But Consumption Is Fast Decimatina
the Ranks Of the Community and
VIII Finally Wipe tout IL
1t Continues.


baltimore American: There. is not
a colored resident within the corporate
limits Of Sharpstown, Nd, but about
one-half mile from town, and extending
W. miles into the district and out 10
the Deiawar line, is the colored resi-
dental section Of the district of 800
population and sixty qualified colored
voters. They are industrious n eco
noinical in their living, and 80 per
cent. of them own their own home un-
in~cunbered. They are clearly in APP
pearance and have homes and furnish
ings that are neat m comfortable.
A visit to their cemetery, which forms
a part OF their c~hurchyard, bought in
the days of slavery, reveals the fact
that death Is fast depicting their ranks,
II 1t is not confined to old age. See
ing, as the writer did recently, twelve
new-made graves, and realizing hat
this Was something unusual, an inyesti-
cation was made as to the cause. Sew
enteen died during the last two years
from consumption. During this period
but four other deaths had occurred
from all other causes.
These c0nsumptives died within a
radius of less than two miles, en-
bracing only a small area of Sharps-
town district. The deaths within this
period from consumption alone in the
colored residential section of not more
than 800 men, women and children,
have been nearly as many as the deaths
OF the whites from all other causes in
the district, including a town of 500
people.
Alarms the Negroes.
This condition has become alarming
to the colored people. but the anxiety
does not end here. Perhaps there are
0 az many as fifteen c~onsumtives
who are apparently advanced with the
disease. Some are confined to their
rooms. The disease kills rapidly, and
In a few months their sufferings will
end.
Or. Hunter Mcclure, a physician of
international reputation, said five years
ago while lecturing to the students
at the University College of Medicine
at Richmond, Va, on tuberculosis, that
consumption would be one of the means
by which the colored race would be ex-
terminated, as the u~nsanitary condition
OF their living would eventually proc
duce serious pulmonary troubles.
The above mortality would seem to
verify his prophecy, in a small degree
at least, but in this case it can not be
attributed to their sanitary conditions,
for these people are far superior to the
general average of their race. One
cause that may be assigned, however,
Is that of exposure in work. The men
and women work to the limit of endur-
ance to earn one for themselves and
families. They are ambitious.
Another cause is the physical degen-
eracy resulting from marrying and in.
Itermarrying in the same families, not
only of their home people, but OF near
blood kin. These colored people are the
product OF their own ancestry and the
young people nave none of the hardi-
hood of their fathers and grandmothers.
Consequently is Fatal.
Few new families come into the COM
munity. The young men seek their
companions among their friends and
kindred, and the consanguinity has be-
come SO circumscribed as to weaken
the progeny and il these conditions
continue for the next twenty-five years
and there is no apparent effort to
change them, greater degeneracy must
ollo and the percentage of mortality
continue to increase.
In matters OF business and in their
home life they are progressive and
strive to advance themselves. They
buy their merchandise and do their
work with much skill. They onduc
their own stores. having three in their
community, and do a large business,
which extends among the nearby
whites.
They do their banking business in
this town, have their own paper dis
counted, indorsed bv their own people.
and maintain their integrity as good
citizens. They cultivate their own
land. with their own teams and in this
particular especially are they progress
sive n set good examples in modern
husbandry. They avail themselves of
church and school privileges, and when
their appropriations for school purposes
are exhausted from the school fund of
the county they continue their school
with their own funds.
In point of industry, morals and COM
merciah advancement they are equal. IL
not ahead, of the best Of their race in
the state.