The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1907-08-29
OUR COLORED SOCIETY
Ins and Outs Of the Local Colony
and Their Friends.


Mrs. A. G.. Clark and Miss Stella
vierden went to Colfax Friday morn
ing for a days visit WITH friends in
that city,
The Misses Mildred and Ora Lewis,
OF Abba, were visitors over Sunday
with their brother Udell Lewis and his
wife at the VIM. hart nome on North
Fl street
Mrs. Chas. Clay, of Des Moines,
spent Thursday IN the city with
friends, and left Friday morning for
Buxton where she will visit with rela-
tiyes for a few days.
Miss Emma Gwynne, Of Chicago, a
cousin of Mrs. Joh~ Barque.te, Is
spending her vacation here and is the
guest of the Barquette home on A
avenue east. She VIII remain in the
city until about September list.
Mrs Belle Taylor, of st. Paul, after
a pleasant two weeks visit at the G.
G. Lee home on NORTH Market street,
went to Des Monies Saturday where
she will visit her son, 0sca' G. Lee
and family before returning home.
Rev. Mrs. Gordon, wife of Presiding
Elder Gorden, of the Des Moines Dis
trict of the Iowa Conference, in com
paly with Mrs. Phillips and Mrs.
Smith, come up from Ottumwa Sat
urday and spent Sunday as guests OF
Mr.. and Mrs. +. nj. Moore and Mr..
and Mrs. Ed Jones. They returned to
their homes Sunday evening.
The following item from Thursday S
Register and Leader will be of mucn
interest to our readers, most of whom
are acquainted with come or all of the
persons mentioned: "Mr. joan Whit
sett and daughter, Miss Virgie Whit
sett, of Indianapolis, Ind, have been
visiting Mr.. AMI Mrs. John l.. Thomp-
son. The Whitsett familv lived III
Newton, Iowa, for many years, where
they were well and favorably known.
nlAoo w ulloClI 81 duuult VI tllt
Newton nigh school and for the past
several years has been teacher in the
public schools of indianapolis, Ind.
Miss Bessie Louise Owens, of Ottum.
wa, leaves her home in that city to
teach school in Kansas City, Mo. Ilis
is her second year as teacher in tina,
city. Last year her salary was s65
per month; this year it is SIS; year
before last, at Buxton, Iowa, it was $50
per month. Miss Sarah Porter and
the Misses Gaines, all of West Des
Moines High, and Miss Ida Godfrey
of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, will also report
for duty as schooI teacher in Kansas
City, Mo. Iowa negro school teach
ers are in demand in other states
Friedrich Madison Sims, only son o.
John and Laura C.Sims, was born il
IndiaTola, Warren County, Iowa, Mar
6, 1868, and died at Washington, d.
c., August Z, 1907, being SO years,
months and day old at the time OF
his death. He came with the family
to Oskaloosa in 1870, and there spent
his childhood and early manhood. He
attended the schools of the city
through all the grades and gra luated
with honors from the High school
with the class Oh 1887. He then took
course in the Oskaloosa Business
College and received a diploma from
that institution as stenographer and
typewriter which profession he follow
ed during the rest of mis- life and rose
to the proud distinction of an expert
among experts in the government ser
vice. His first employment was with
the Hon. Benz. +. Butler in Alberqu
que, N. NJ, where he went at the age
of 81, AID remained for six years OF
until 1894, wnen he moved to Wash
ington, d. G. There he took the civil
service examination and was soon ap
pointed to a position as clerk and
stelographer in the Navy Department
at salary Of 500 a year. Here mis-
speed and efficiency 81 a stenographel
ald typewriter was put to the test, but
he met every requirement, AID wat
regularly advanceu and promoted un
til at his death he was and ha' bee
for several years receiving salary
of $1,000 year. AS typewriter hi
had few II any equals in the depart
ment and so rapid an expert was HI
that it was seldom he had to use nj:
shorthand in .he work in the Office
but took the dicsatioa from the chiefi
of the department directly on thu
typewriter. Soon after his appoint
ment he became a student at Howard
University where he completed the Law
course and was admitted to the ba
of the District of Columbia, although
he never entered actively ilto the
practice. He was appointed a notar!
public by the President and did con
siderable work in that line and We
found time to give private instruction!
in stenography and typewriting t
quite number Of young people WHIT
were struggling to better their con
ditiol in life, Always busy, elergeti'
and devoted his work ne LITERAL!