Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1907-09-06
EDITORS OBSERVATIONS.


open arms into Iowa, for here upon
some OF those lofty hills the old war
rior, Chief KeOkuk, would overlook
the surroundiny plains and prognosti-
cate the coming events and engage.
ments. Here we found more colorad
people in proportion to the size OF the
town than any other one that we have
visited Many are doing we'll. Mr..
French Bland Ia still In the carpet
ana furniture business In partnership
with a white man and they are doing
larger business than ever. John w.
Bland is still the leading blacksmith.
He Is doing nicely at the same old
Y stand. Mr. Ed Robinson Is doing well
with his shoe shining parlors. He
has Just finished remodeling his house
and now owns one Of the most COM
modious and modern homes In Keo-
kuk. It is located at 1926 Main street.
Mr.. w. H. Jones, the pioneer tonsorial
artist, Is still leading all other parlors
In his line. He Is a first class bust
dispensary for McGraiths. He also
is running his ice cream and candy
parlors on Eleventh and Main and is
doing well. His sister, Miss Ella
Drain, has charge of the parlor. She
is an accomplished business girl. very
congenial to meet. Mr.. A. A. Bland,
the veteran bill poster, has turned
this business over to his son and he
runs his pool and lunch room and is
doing nicely. Orange Fields, the vet.
eran carpenter, is still sounding the
saw and hammer He has all the
work he can do. Frank Fields is still
running the barber shop at 1908 Main
street Mr.. :. Selby Johnson is still
hustling in the real estate and says
he is always glad to hear of our race
men succeeding in business. The
churches, three in number, all seem
To be doing as well as could be ex-
THREE-Bystsnder-
aected Rev. T. w. Lewis, our old
friend, has charge of the A. M. +.
flock and his ministry here has been
great success. He has made a
great success financially for the
church and as he is now serving his
fifth year here he cannot hope to be
returned even though the church and
good people desire his return. His low
able wife, formerly Mrs. Hall OF our
city. and daughter. Miss Mabel, are
a great help to the reverend. We
hope that the good bishop will well
care for Rev. Lewis. Rev. w. T.
Green. who is brother to the Rev.
Green In Macon, Mo-, has the Pilgrim
Rest Baptist church. He is a strong
Young man and has his church full at
the services. Rev. Venerable Wa |
think. is the name Of the new pastor |
that has charge of the Seventh Street |
Baptist church. Mr.. VIM. Gross and |
Fields are still in the mail service as
carriers. They like the work as they |
advance. Mr.. A. J. Fields is still in
the grocery business and says that
he is doing well certainly. II only
one-half Of the colored people will |
patronize him he will succeed. In
fact he should expect all of their |
trade. Mr.. and Mrs. Kellis are doin |
we'll Their daughter is III the south |
taking millinery and art instruction. 1
Mr., and Mrs. M. E. Dixon live at the |
same place They are doing well. Our
next stop was in Fort Madison, not in
the penitentiary, but in the town.
Here lives about 200 colored people.
they have two churches. the A. NJ. E.
and Baptist. The former is pastored
by Rev. d. w. Brown. who is a vet,
aran in the cause, also a civil war
veteran He is a mechanic by trade
but is doing nicely with the church
there. There is no pastor at all in
the Baptist church. Fred Henry is
still our faithful baggageman at the
C., B. & @. Ry. depot. We can truth
fully say that he is the only colored
baggageman that we know OF or ever
met in the middle west He is fine
man to meet and is doing we'll. Mr.
A. L. King, one of the progressive
young men, has sold his home and
bought acreage in the city limits and |
will soon move out there. Mr.. D. l..
Holmes is still working for the same
place. and doing we'll. Walter Hall is
still working in the same place, the
Santa Fee shops. He Is a steady man.
C. w. Eubank Is employed at the
hotel He is an old citizen there and
doing well. A. j. Jackson is a hard
working race man.
Sioux City.
The metropolis Of northwestern
Iowa was our next stopping that we
will mention. This is a beautiful,
clean city, noted for its wide, clean
streets and beautiful, substantial
buildings. 1t is indeed an ideal city
to live in SO far as the physiographi-
cal and Typographical qualities. Here |
we found about 900 colored citizens,
some doing well, of course. We miss
ed our old friend, James w. Washing
ton, for he was in the mercantile bus
mess for many years, also owned
shop. He has recently
moved to Phoenix, Ariz. DR.. j. VII
bur Norris has moved his office in a
more centrally located place and now
has a nicely furnished suite OF rooms.
He is a massage doctor and has more
than he can do. He is true race
type and good speciman OF the
Young business man. Rev j. c. Reid.
an old friend Of We editor, has charge
Of the Baptjst church. He is doing
well. He is an eloquent divine The
A. MI. Il. church is without q minis
ter. w. P. Shields is still with
Franks Clothing Co. He is looking
and doing we'll j. II. Morgan Is still
at his same building. He is
4 GOOD citizen and highly respected.
Il. &. Carr is still managing his hotel.
Mr.. VIM. e. Gordon is one Of Sioux
City's coming young men. He works
at the United States marshal's Office
and seems to be the right man in the
right place. T. H. Sturgis and Mr..
IStubelfeld are still on the force as
mail carriers. The former has a beau
tiful home IN the suburbs OF the city
and Is. doing nicely. He has an aim