Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1906-06-22
Editors Observations


Last week We LETT IN in The town q
Red Oak, hence we will begin there.
When they talk about race prejudice
and ether things and when yoa are put
face to face with Il, II il Q trying
ordeal; such was our experience In Red
Oak. Having tried TO secure lodging
for one uight only. about lO:oO o'clock
Thursday evening ws walked about
two hours trying to hnd some one to
keep MS over 0icht. either private or 10
. hotel, most OF the colored people
were crowded and could not accom-
moaa,e us, 20 we're the hotels. At least
when black face would appear seek.
ing lodging. Findly one Of the larges
and finest hotels in the city decided 70
give us lodging . the highest price,
nameiy, % 50. which Was very dne. Il.
ives the johnson hotel. While We have
no legal resource, yetwe feel great
deal hurt over the matter, to think
that we were raised and born in this
state, spent our life aud labor here,
and yet the public enjoyment is with
held from MS,
From there we went into the town
OF Shenandoah. one of the pretiies,
towns in southwestern Iowa, There
are only three coiored families living
here, and they are all readers of the
Bystander. Each of them own their
homes. With plenty OF fruit trees and
in = good location of the town. Mr.. 4
P. Caldwell owns beautiful home in
the business center of the town; he is
. porter in the hotel shd is an intelli-
gent gentleman to meet His wife
cahvssses tor buxton. She is. . sister
of L. 4. Signor Of this city. Mr.. l.. x,
Collins v no works for the state MALTA
Is doing well and saying his money.
His wife has yard full of chickens
and ducks. They are young couple
and will in the future be well fixed ~
the rate they are going. Mr.. T. w.
Griggsby is also an Industrious man.
He owns several lots in the city ana
has many CHERRY and peach trees on
his lot.
Council! Bluffs was our next stop.
You will fiud The people doing about
the sane rs reported twelve months
ago, except Mr.. Davis runs 3 saloon
and has bought OUT Mrs POwell's res
tasrsnt. A Rsn by the name of JohL-
SON of Chicago has bought part later
est They are in good location, one
block north of the Illinois Central
North-A esiern depot on Msin street.
The restaurant is on the first floor ana
they are doing good business. They
are nice business men to meet. MIR.
II. u. Newman. who formerly lived
il our city, is the pastor OF the A. NJ.
E church and is doing q good and
nuch needed work. He his bough.
ground and built a church and are
now worshiping in the basement of
it The corner stone having been laid
few weeks ago by Rescue and other
Masonic lodges. 1t is located on the
corner of Sixteenth street and Avenue
81. 1t will cost about 9li0e when COM
pleted. II they can raise $500 more
they Will have it paid for up to date.
Rev. L. P Giles is pastor of the Baptist
church and is well liked. Rev. Giles
has just signed a contract for the pur-
chase Of a lot, and has about 500 in
the treasury to ray on it and they in
tend to build. SO you see the race is
trying to moue upward and forward.
Mr.. Giles is q young man and is work.
ing hard in the interest of his church.
Mr.. G. W, Levitt is good business
man, and is keeping rooming house.
Mrs Graves is still in the hair dress
ing business on Main street. 4
Z Across the "black mudy" into the
metropolis of Nebraska. the once des.
ert of the America plain, but now one
Of the mos. pros porous cities in the
Union, the city of Omaha. which boast
Of having more packing houses and
manufacturing industries of any city
of the middle west. except cChicago.
They hare 25ou: 1900 coiorei people
of which many are doing well. They
have lawyers. doctors, real estate men
and business men. many of whom l
cannot name in this article The En-.
,erdrise is the coiored newspaper of
Nebraska, edited by Mr.. T. P. Maham-
lit. that fearless race man. Many of
our coiored men own nice homes Mr..
Tibb Sterns runs first class restaur-
ant. perhaps the best in the city for
our people. They have seven colored
Bsptists. two Aetho-
dists. one Episcopal and one Mission.
The Episcopal church is pastored by
Father Williams, one OF the ablest
young men in the west, The Episco-
palians have valuable church property
and nice residence for their minister.
The st. Johns A. N. E. is pastored by
Rev. Wilson Of Kansas, who by age
and experience bsspeaks man of in
telligence and good church worker.
The attendance Of the Sunday School
and other socities are large. The Bap-
list church is the largest church, their
pastor is our friend Rev. A. J. Binga-
man, formerly from Iowa He is one
OF the bright lights in the Baptist Con-
ven ton. and will be in our city to at