Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-08-04
EDITORS OBSERVATIONS.
Many New Business Enterprises Chi
cago, her Sights and her Sins.

Sitting as am this afternoon in the
shade of a beautiful tall pine tree
fully 100 feet high in a yard of a home
that has been owned by the colored
people for more than quarter of a
century, Mrs. Skinner IS home in Mon
mouth, Ill, shall pen you this OBJ
servation of things as I saw and as
they seem to me. think that my last
letter left my readers arriving in the
Tri. Cities. Davenport is known as
state within herself "a wide open town
has undergone a wonderful change n
regard to its morals and law enforce
ment. She now compels her saloon men
to comply strictly to the enforcement
of law and order. AS result, the
character of her people, at least the
colored portion has been lifted up and
benefited. Where we had two colored
saloons we now have none; where once
had been beer garden we now have
none; where we once had two strug-
Cling churches, they are now better
attended and are building a new A. NJ.
E. church. under the supervision of
Rev. T. B. Stovall, on Ripley street,
which, when completed, will be large,
beautiful edifice, credit to any de-
nomination. Rev. Stovall has done
good work for this community. The
church will cost about $4,000 when
completed and with the donation Of
900 that white benevolent lady left
viii just about pay all Of the church
debt. The Baptist is doing we'll under
Rev. Barr Mr.. and Mrs. Eugene Green
are doing well. The latter still keeps
roomers while the former still drives the
bus line. They are church workers.
Mr.. Green is manager Of the Daven-
port cornet band. Mrs. Ruth Bright is
quite sick. Rev. L. ]. Phillips and
family, presiding elder, has located here
anad adds much to society. Mr.. E. H.
Haskins is still employed by the Rock
Island Ry. Co.. G. w. Mott, attorney
at law, looks after the local affairs Of.
the Tri-Cities Mr.. and Mrs. D. s.
johnson are improving their home and
other property. They are doing nicely.
Mrs. F.. Baker and Mrs. c., B. Lewis,
who were appointed by Gov Carroll as
delegates to the Colored Educational
Convention in Denver, are preparing to
go. Mrs. Rose Corbin is the most sue
cessful lady in business in Davenport.
She runs hand laundry employing from
three to six hands and is making a sue
cess. Scott McGaw is making money
as janitor of several Office buildings. He
has nice family of young girls, some
in high school. Mr.. Underwood still
runs his green house. Lindsen Pitts is.
still running his pool hall and soft
drink parlor.
Rock Island is the oldest Of the Tri-
Cities and second in size as Davenport
is the largest Here we attended pic
mic given by all the colored churches
of the three cities. It was large, nice
crowd of about 1000 people. Croquet,
horseshoes, baseball and other games
Ye Editor contributed to the winning Of
three games and losing none in croquet,
but one in horseshoe. Mrs. s. j. Dan
gerfeld is still in The hairdressing busi-
ness, doing well. VIM. Taylor, senior
and junior, are doing nicely. Mr.. r. H.
Pollard is still at the Rock Island de-
pot. @. 3. Dickerson is young man
just opening up an ice cream and lunch
room. Rev. s. Mcdowell of the A. M.
=. church has announced his candidacy
as a delegate from the Iowa Con-
ference to the general conference. Cass
Lambert is working at the same place
and is doing well. They own nice
home. Mr.. Morrison is doing well. Mr..
an old Des Moines man, owns
nice home. His boy is in high school.
]. Fl. Slaughter is working at the same
place. He is valuable race man. o,
n. Harding is still stenographer for the
government at the Arsenal.
Moline is the greatest manufacturing
city in the West. The Moline wagon
company was established in 1S47 and
the Deere Mfg. Co. has been here more
than half a century. There are miles
and miles Of factories, shops, etc, and
many thousands of men and women en-
ployed. George Tarver is doing we'll.
Also are his brothers. Mr.. G. B. Walk
up is working for the same family. He
owns nice home. s. B. Walkup has
as janitor of school. J. T..
Jones is working at another firm He
is one Of the substantial citizens here.
He owns a nice home. Geo. W. German
is still working for the grist mill. Mr.
J. G. aCalquitt is at the same work. He
owns a nice home. G. B. Alexander Of
East Moline, formerly Of Des Moines,
is employed by the Maleable Iron Co.
He has bought some property here and
is doing well. Geo. w. Bland runs a
shop in E. Moline. He $
doing we'll He is brother to John
Bland of Keokuk. Mrs. Lewis who lives
in E. Moline owns some valuable prop
erty. She runs boarding house and 4
IS doing nicely.
Into the second largest city in Amer.
lea and the fourth largest city in the
world. Here now dWells $4,000 Afro:
more perhaps than are To-
Gated in any other given city in Amer
lea. Here one can see all nations, all
races, and all tribes, the rich and low,
The educated and the illiterate, the
good and the very bad. Here one can
see the innumerable snares, traps and
places devised to catch and entrap our
good boys and girls who 60 to the big
cities. Tt is here vice and crime, mis-
cry and woe is at the highest. It is
The young people Of both races down.
The young people Of both races down.
It is this influence that the best men
and women Of this age are battling
with. Yet amidst all Of these sad
scenes there are a large number Of
churches and other Christian organiza-
lions that are doing good work. First,
there are ffty-one colored church or
gganizations in this city ranging in men,
bership from 100 to Mt. Olivet Baptist
church with her $500 members enroll d
upon her books. Dr.. Fisher is her pas
tor. Then comes Quinn Chapel A. M.
E. church, the mother Of negro Meth.
odism, the finest church ediflce with