The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1910-02-03
-S-

Mr.. Banks described Mound Bayou
as a town-of about 600. OR s, 600 in
habitants, the population being made
up exclusively Of Negroes. 1t was
founded in 1887 by IsaiahjT. Mont
gomery, styled by many as The
-Pathfnder,.- and the district in which
Mound Bayou is located covers an
area sixteen miles long and six
miles wide, embracing over 10000
acres. all owned by Negroes. No
white man has been able in the his
tory of the colony to acquire an
acre Of this land, and not a dollar of
white capital is~investedli in the bust
ness enterprises Of the place. The
one structure in which white man 8
money figures is the Carnegie Libra
ry, toward the erection Of which An
drew Carnegie gave $4,000. With
this amount the citizens put up q
$1,000 building, tbs difference being
made up in labor and materials con-
tributed by the people themselves.
Mr.. Carnegie is said to be Immensely
pleased with the handsome results
brought out, and there is rumor
that he intends to increase his bene-
faction to permit the erection of q
substantial addition to this Library
which he says Is the best yet put up
anywhere for the money given.\
The Bank Of Mound Bayou came
in for large share Of attention at
the hands Of Mr. Banks, who is it's
cashier and chief promoter. This in
stitution started with a capitalization
Of $4,000, which has recently been
increased to $4,000. 1t has de-
posts upward Of $4,000, and on
single day-a fact vouched for" by
a disinterested visHor-the bank has
handled $22, 900 worth Of business.
Its able to finance without difficult
ty the cotton, lumber and various
industries Of the community. and in
a financial slump a few years ago
continued the payment Of specie
when some Of the strongest white
banks in the state did not Its stand
ing is A No. ] in Dunn S aud Brad
streets. 1t has never been embar-
raised. 1t is not a Savings bank"
but a regular commercial institution,
clearing with the best banks of New
York and the East. The institution
1s housed in two-story brick and Is
fitted up with all the modern bank
ing facilities.
ln~thc town continued Mr.. Banks,
there are fifty shops and stores, all
owned and operated by colored men
and women. The business amounts
to about 100000 year and rep
resentS q gross capital Of over $780,
600. The freight agent is O colored
man, and the freight bills handled
last year by him was $4,000; the
express bills were $4,000. The tick
ct agent is a colored man and he is
fixture there, for the colored peo-
pie will not buy tickets Of an agent
Of any other race. When a white
man was tried in the place some
time ago, the colored people refused
to purchase tickets at the depot, pay
ing their fare in cash on the trains
and reduced the business Of the town
TO zero; the conductors, evidently
failing TO report sales, caused the
railroad company such large losses
mat the Negro was put back at the
lepot-and there he Will stay. The
four schools that give satisfactory
service are carried on by private
means, and are superior in every
way W inc DuDIlC SCDOOl DalU Tor out |
II the state funds. The four church
e are prospecting. There is a jail !
n. the town, but it has no inmates,
md the marshal is compelled to make |
'otton for a living. premium 10
placed on thrift and industry, and
here is not loafer or idler in the |
men who won't work |
cannot stay there. The order is I
Highly praised, and there is less crime |
n and around Bayou than in any
similar area in the entire state--a |
riumph In the art Of self-govern- |