Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1909-10-29

point that no other large commune
ty offers to the Negro Here he has
absolute freedom to everything that
any other citizen has. Here you can
Il see well trained doctors. lawyers
Here you can see the public schools
with mixed teachers, mostly colored,
with colored principal, Prof. Hicks,
who is on his third year. Here you
can see colored men officers admins
tering the law providing the punish
ment and inflicting the penalty. here
you can see colored men building the
buildings, operating the electric plant,
riding in automobiles and carriages;
here you can see them farming, here
you can see them owning amusements,
4 parks, baseball parks and their own
bands. Here we have the church bells
ringing from the c0l0red churches and
the Y. M. C. A., owned and operated
on business basis by cOlored men, and
many other things too numerous to
mention. In this article / can only
name a few of the leading citizens.
Within the past two months, Mr.. B. G..
Buxton, who built the town and man
aged the Consolidated Coal Company
so successfully and efficiently, resign
ed and Mr.. J. H. Baysour Of Illinois,
formerly of Mahaska county, has been
selected to manage this great COM
pany. He seems to be good man
and from age and experience we hope
will be successful. Mr.. Hobe Arm
strong, who still owns the meat mar
ket and his son Charles conducts the
retail business, which amounts to
many thousands of dollars. The Per-
kins hotel is the only hotel for the
town. 1t is doing we'll. Mr.. w. L.
Pirkins, mother and brothers, are the
manager They are fine people. The
LETTERS brothers are still at the old
stand running the two restaurants.
They are courteous and the largest
trade of any other house. The Stand
ard Drug Co., owned By Mr.. l. II.
Hutchinson in South Buxton, Is very
swell, up-to-date drug company. with
the only colored lady pharmacist prac-
ticing In Iowa, Mrs. Hutchinson, a
graduate of Highland Park college.
The Mercantile Grocery Co. Is one OF
the new organizations which has been
doing business for two years with Mr..
A.. j. BrOokins as manager. He is a
hustler and a good business man; he
has young lady clerk in the store.
Mr.. L. j. Lucas runs the first-class
bakery in South Buxton. He employs
four bakers besides himself, but 1t
keeps him busy delivering He haS
modern ovens and paraphernalia and
his cakes and pies are much sought
after. His sons and daughter assist
him. He formerly lived in Grinnell
and we hope for him success. Mrs.
w B. Rhodes runs restaurant In
the South end, also Sam Jackson has
a short order and restaurant. The
London Bros. are succeeding In music,
insurance and stoves, etc. The Miss
Susie London is operating the MILL
merry store. This firm is strong, good
business firm Mr.. Frank J. Cooper
has one of the Oldest drug stores IN
the city He came over with the City
Of Buxton. He enjoys lucrative trade.
He is a whole souled, liberal man and
is one Of the wealthiest colored men
in town. The surprising thing. he Is
still single man. Mr.. Galloway Is
still making clothes for the boys Mr..
Crownberry has a tailor shop and
seems to be doing we'll. Andy Nicely
is, operating grocery store andsis do
ing we'll. The pool hall is run by
Mr.. The cigar factory
Is still moving on under the control
of Frank Roberts, who is an expert
cigar maker. He makes some excel
lent brands. Ruben Gaines and his
wife have purchased their son, Ruben,
Jr., fine two-seated automobile, the
first colored man to buy a machine to
our knowledge in Iowa. The yare put
ting a hot water furnace in their
beautiful home. They own some vail
liable property and are we'll of. Mr..
Coins Is in the tonsorial parlors, also
the Big shop.
There Is a good two chair shop just
west of the postoffice run by Arthur
Fletcher, doing nicely. The postoffice
is under the supervision Of Mr.. Mills,
who seems to be working hard with
his three assistants to give the public
good service. He says that they need
more help at times. The Gazette Is
still on deck. Mr.. Baker, our old
friend, Is foreman Of the Job depart
ment. Mr.. c. r. Foster and w. 8. Bry-
son are the two Justices OF the Peace
and sometimes their courts are crowd
ed with litigation. ]. A. Spears IS the
only resident attorney and Mr.. Geo.
H. Woodson has branch office here.
He is doing q fine business. He has q
nice Office in the Northwest part OF the
city, where he has large law library.
IYe Editor enjoyed an excellent break
fast Sunday morning with Mr.. Wood
son, cooked by an expert. Mrs. Ashby.
| The Y. M. C. "A. Is going along smooth
lily under the careful and experienced
leader. Leroy Tucker, and the Boys
department under that enthusiastic
young worker. Mr.. Brown. These two
young men OF our race. are . credit to
any race. Their wives are actively en-
gagged In the social uplift Of the COM
immunity. Mrs. "a. L. DeMond. the edi-
ltress OF the Colored Woman. Is 2
strong personality in the life Of Bux-
ton. She is . music teacher, having
labOut thirty white pupils alone. Pr0f.
10. w. Rodgers Is having q good sue
cess teaching night SCHOOLS. There are
80 many local men who are worthy Of
mention who are saving Their money
and succeeding that we cannot now
mention them IL this short write up.
oTTyMyyA NOTES.
Mrs. Jones md Mr.. Foster 81 ssBnx-
|; Ton 1 who hive been yisilinx Mrs.
Thosn6s 8 oicer ina Mn: joseph iiop-
saS sS III