Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-09-22
VISIT !, 10 BOLEY
OKLAHOMA
Danville, Ills, Sept. 8. 1911.

OALlAkAOA -
Danville, Ills, Sept. 9. 1911.
Dear Editor Bystander:
Please accept these jottings fror
the West, knowing As do, the longing
desire Of many Of our people to go ives
in search Of homes and the unrest con
ditions in many sections and communi
ties. and as / have recently visited tina
section, it might be OF interest to thos'
readers Of your journal who anticipate
going west in search Of future loca
lions, Just here let me say, mean t.
state as they are, as | saw them, espec
ially in Oklahoma. left Buxton, Iowa
August 3lst, enroute to Boley. Oklaho
ma, stopping in Des Moines, Iowa, un
til1O:3O p M, at which time boarded
the Great Western for Topeka. Kansas
by Kansas City, arriving at Topeka
Friday morning at 1890. After spend
ing several hours in the capital city
CITY of Kansas. left for Kansas City,
Mo-, arriving there at 7:3o pm. left
there at $50 p. m. over the Frisco Tor
Boley, Oklahoma. AS the train rushed
along through the dark there was Moth
ing to be seen until Saturday morning.
Soon after day light, as the train thun-
dered over the rails found myself
passing. through the "Oil Fields OF
Oklahoma. Of course, did not know
it was the Oil fields until inquired
of the porter what those wonderful
things were dotting all over the woods.
\ At 7-30 a. m arrived at Sapulpa, Okla
homa, where changed trains, still
Frisco system AS we left Sapulpa, we
were still in the midst of oil industry.
It is a wonderful scene to behold the
development of the natural resources
in that section. For miles and miles on
either side of the road can be seen the
oil wells, like water towers pointing up.
waad, andthe huge oil tanks here, there
and everywhere you can look. All this
bespeaks the wonderfulness of mans
ability to discover and to bring under
his subsection many hidden forces OF
nature. 1t is indeed beautiful scenery
at night to see the thouiands of electric
lights throughout the oil fields district.
On inquiry, I found that the colored
man is not allowed to work in the oil
fields. Natural gas is production now
in vogue in that section. Many OF the
cities are lighted by the use of natural
gas etc, At 1915 we arrived at We'll
eetka Junction where we changed cars
for that long talked Of Boley, Okla
homa, Negro town. l arrived at the
above named town about o'clock p. m.
stood on the depot and looked both
with amusement and establishment as /
had heard Of that place for several
years. Leaving the depot, after stand
ing and looking for about twenty min
utes, going up the street through the
business portion of the little city, the
people were as thick and seemed
as busy as bees in hive during the
month Of June. Here met w. H.
Simmons formerly Of Buxton, Iowa,
who had recently located on his farm
west Of Boley. He introduced me to
some of the business and professional
men there. AS saw the Negro doing
business and was informed that the
Negro owned, controlled and operated
all the business interest there, my very
soul swelled with enthusiasm, and new
life was re-kindled within my mind, and
there seemed to be a silent whisper in
ears-there is yet hope for q struggling
people. 1t being late in the afternoon
and not having time to take in all the
wonderful improvements Of that indus
trious and enterprising little city of Ne
groes, / left for the home of Mr.. Sim
mons, some six or seven miles away.
We arrived there after dark and hadn't
been there but a short time before !
felt almost as if l were in Buxton, Ia,
as we talked of that grand old place
and her many good citizens. During
that time Mrs Simmons VAS spreading
the table with all those different kinds
Of eatables, and of course, ! was pre-
pared for them, my appetite being very
keen. Sunday morning took view
Of Mr.. Simmons home and farm and
was fayorably impressed and from
what he has done since having been
there, in few years he will be one of
the leading farmers and citizens OF that
section.
BACK TO BoLEY.
After breakfast, Sunday morning we
returned to Boley, arriving there at
HAS. On entering the Zion Baptist
church, we found the Sunday school at
work, quite number in attendance,
doctors, professors and business men
engaged as Supt., and teachers, some
thing unusual among the professional
class. was introduced to the school
and made few remarks. Other distin-
guished gentlemen visiting the city
with view of locating were introdu-
ced, and made some very appropriate
remarks which seem to convince those
who heard that they were the kind Of
citizens desired in their community,
The pastor, Rev. Tolliyer, who had
been called to the passionate, following
Rev, j. A. Bingham, who had resigned
to accept charge in Sherman, Texas,
preached an able sermon, pointing out
many failures of the people in that sec
ton, both spiritually and materially.
L. = .laer;aal Nov ho aainfed off many