Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1910-09-16
SIGHTS IN THE COMMONWEALTH
OF KENTUCKY.

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Indeed it is rare privilege for one
to be sent on such mission, that of
explaining the workings in detail of
the New Des Moines Commission plan
of city government, to the voters Of
Lexington, Ky. I shall in this article
try an ddepict the more important fea-
lures that impressed me while on this
very important trip. left Des Moines
Saturday night and on Sunday evening
at II O'Clock, the Queen and Crescent
landed me at the depot in Lexington,
met by the local committee who took
me to the pleasant home of Mrs. Mary
Davis on Deweese street. The next day
day Mr.. John Clay came for me to 90
out driving behind one of the famous
Kentucky roadsters. We called at
Chanault and Ellis Undertaking & Liv-
cry men. They are fine men of our race
doing large busienss. Mr.. Chanault
also operates coal and feed Office.
These people own the ground and build
ing which is two-story brick. They keep
their buggies and hacks upstairs. We
next called on Brown and Minis
lacksmiths, and they are doing large
business. Mr.. Minis is well-to-do
man. We next drove out to the Fair
Grounds where the many famous horses
may be seen here. We met Mr.. +. D.
| Willis, manager of one of the largest
race horse farms in america, the
Patchern Wilke. owned by Stokes of
Wall street, New York. Mr. Willis has
been sole manager for the past four
years. His farm consists of $50 acres,
just three miles from Lexington and he
has 800 head of fine horses. It is nm
to-date, having an Office telephone and
typewriter, etc Mr., Willis is the man
whom Boxer T. Washington spoke of in
New York ut the Business Men s
League. He is coming race man. We
next drove out to the old Henry Clay
home about onehalf mile from the town.
1t has stood here over a hundred years
aud is now owned by Henry Clay's
great great granddaughter, Mrs. Nc
Dowell. The old house sets about one
4 quarter of mile from the town pike
road and is two story brick covered
lover with moss and vines, indeed an
cient and rustic. f.NFs
We called on DR.. w. c. Ballard who
owns 4 first class drug tore, fine
gentleman to meet; is doing nicely;
owns valuable property. We next met
James A. Childes, attorncy-at-law,
who is the best of his profession here.
We next called on Porter & Jackson,
another undertaken, the Oldest in the
city. They have a nice building and a
well kept rooms,
This being labor day the parade wah
at 1880 O'Clock, led by band, when
went to the race track where the exer-
cises were held. There was a drill
team Of U. B. F.. from nearby town
and some other contest, etc, was had.
The principal address was by John L.
Thompson of Des Moines, on the Des
Moines Commission Plan which was
well received, so well pleased were the
listeners that they requested that it be
published which appeared in a Daily
Lexington Leader the next day. In
fact those people of the great common
wealth showed me all the courtesy that
could be. On my return home 1 stopped
over one night and half day in Gin
cinnati with w. III. Stanton, who is u
clerk in the general freight Office where
he has been for the past IA years, the
only colored man thus honored. He
showed me around his part of the city
| Dr.. Vaughn is one of the leading ply
sicians He owns a very beautiful brick
| home on Walnut Hill. Dr. Cornish is
also another one of the Ohio leading
| physicians and owns nice home in a
valuable part of the city. The two
/ Misses Stanton, cousins of Mr.. w. Fl
/ Stanton, we met. They are two OF
Cincinnati IS accomplished ladies', one
graduated from the Hampton Institute
in Virginia last spring and has beer
employed as one of the teachers in Ole
Hampton this year; the other one is s
senior in the Cincinnati high school OF
Walnut Hill.
| Our next stop was in Indianapolis
Ind, the metropolis of that great state
The capital building is nearly in tn,
center of the business district, not 81
fine as Iowa IS. The court house ant
| post office are fine buildings but al
| built on a different plan than the west
ern cities. We were the guest Of tn,
Whitsett girls, formerly Iowa girls
who used to live in Newton. Mis-
| Nellie is now. married and with he
husband lives in their own cottage Of
rooms on North Belmont ave. Mis-
Josie married Paul Waldron of New
ton and they live in their own room
cottage. Vergie recently married a MI
White about 10 months ago, conduc
tor, and they live in room cottag
next to Mr.. Waldron's IS which they own
They are all doing well and wish to b
Remembered to their old Iowa friends
| Mr. and Mrs. Henry Roberts, form
Iarly Of Minneapolis, Mimi, well know
here have moved here and bought on
the Eureka Drug Store and are run
ming it. They are doing very well AM
likes his trade here. Henry and hi
4ffable wife will no doubt make friend
and do well here. They served a
clock diner to ye editor. DR.. War,
lis doing we'll He has sanitarium
There are about $4,000 colored peopl
here, 80 colored churches, 5 colore,
Journals, the old Freeman, edited b,
nv friend Geo. l.. Knox; the veteral
ditor and nestor of our race: the Ind
annapolis World. edited by the Hon
Iurlv Brewer; the Recorder, publishes
lhy that bright young man, Mr.. G. M
Stewart; and the Plaindealer, th
Youngest, published by Mr.. Tucker, VIII
worked on the Bystander IL years agt
and another church paper. Mr.. G. N
Il Mills has the finest undertaking pal