The Washington bee., 1912-01-13
GETTING TOGETHER
GETTING TOGETHER.
Developing the Negro Race.

Representative men and women were
in Mound Bayou during the week
from all parts of Mississippi and
many from Arkansas, Tennessee and
Louisiana, attending a conference
which was called by Hon. Chas.
| Banks, first vice-president OF the Ma
| tional Negro Business League, and
| other leaders of the State, who are
| interested in the development of the
| Negro race along all lines.
The meeting was called at Mound
Bayou, which is the Oldest Negro
| town in the country. Its growth and
progress along all lines has made 1t a
safe investment for the Negroes OF
the United States with money Many
have invested, although they live III
| other sections OF the country Al
most every business carried on IN any
other city or town in the South can
be found in Mound Bayou, whose
entire inhabitants are members OF the
! Negro race These men and women
who are engaged in business, are
meeting with success. Large stores
employing young men and women as
clerks, drug stores with their trained
pharmacists, photograph gallery, three
schools, one bank, pOstOttlce, TOUR
churches, three insurance agencies,
the Masonic Benefit Association, one
public library, are among the enter
) prises among the race, and in addi-
ton to this they are now about to
launch an oil mill which will be the
only one of its kind in the country
owned and operated by the race.
The meetings were held in the as
Ill y,f he II NJ
were well attended 1t was not such
a large gathering, but a meeting OF
men and women of thought and bust
ness.
The oil mill, which is a large two
story brick building, 5oX22o, and the
= seed house and ware room, large
frame building 5ON344, are equipped
with all the modern machinery anc
were erected and furnished at COs
Of SQ5.ooo, all Of which has been paiC
with the exception Of $4,000, which
the men are now putting forth al
effort to raise without having to mort
gage the plant 1t is only a shOr
time before the machinery will be pu
IN operation, giving employment L
| fully a hundred men and boys OF tn
tfaceA 1f viii be o1e- Of tbs urges
tnlills ot its kind in the South. Th
ipromoters have been so careful i
r their investment, that they declar
that it will pay a dividend to its III
vestors the first year.
We believe the doctrine OF self
help" declared Hon Charles Bank:
who is regarded as one of the shreWd
est business men of his race in tn
South, and to this we are working
1--WE are not standing around con
planning and asking others to do fC
ri us what we can do for ourselves.
and about Mound Bayou, we ow
10000 acres of land. and some of OF
people have good bank account
Why should we not do sOmethIn
as with our money? Why not make th
II. land work for u.s. Dirt draws n
H. color line"
H. The meeting Was called to order b
/. Rev. A. A Cosey, ID. D., pastor {
n the Baptist church, and one OF ii
Heading men IN this section of ii
id country. Rev. J. II. Greer made tt
ST. opening prayer, and then followed a
nd address by Hon. ]. T. Montgomer
a. founder Of Mound Bayou, and the AR
Of Mayor His address was interestln
he because he knew Mound Bayo
I
.ir when there were only two or thrt
ed ! houses, and had watched its growth
IN. a population OF nearly 1000. 9th
nd speakers were Rev. A. \. Cosey,
lis D., Mound Bayou; John W Franc
he president of the Bank Of Mound b
ne you: DR.. W p. Kyles, George
lg. | Mays, Z. G. Morris, D. D., preside
ia OF the National Baptist Conventio
en- Hon. Josiah 7. Settle, Memph
en- ! Tenn.
n. The addresses OF all had the ring
~ do something III them, and were II
ed Of good advice. 1t was then a
to nounced that business was in ordt
ed and the stock books were throw
1st open. and the first started by annOun
lg ing that he would subscribe $3.50 a
ed ditional stock to what he had alreaC
Id DR.. w A. AttaWay, OF Greehyu
IN. president of the Mississippi Beueucl
int Insurance Co., and It kept the seer
m tary busy after that writing subscri
ler tons Some men who were unable
Ter be present sent for stock, encl0su
ira checks to pay for the same. Lettte
ek- from New York, Ohio, indiana, ne
ian lucky, were read from representau
ev- coIored men, who desired to assist
H. one Of the greatest enterprises eF
va, started by the race
Gle Among those present were keVs.
to c. Morris, Helena, Ark; J. A. Book
er- D. D., president OF the Arkansas Ba
led tist College, Little Rock, Ark:
va A. J. Morgan. Grand Master OF t
DO Striner Grand Lodge of Masons;
IS II. Topp, D. D., editor OF the Repoi
its er, Jackson; w. w Phillips, kosclu
nj ko. deputy grand master; B. f. Lac
on Shiloh, grand senior warden; J.
7n- Morant. D. D.. Vicksburg, grand Ju
Iv- ior warden; G. S. Goodman, Hoi
If Spring, grand secretary; D W. eal
lie. Neyersville. grand treasurer; l.
co. Ewing, Vicksburg, cashier OF the Y
as ion Savings Bank; ?. w. H0wai
len lawyer. Jackson: Virgil /. Rube
lis, grand lecturer of the Grand Lodge.
ich Knights of Pythias; D. W. Rhqd'
undertaken. New Orleans: T. II. Hal
undertaken, Memphis, Tenn: w;
Attaway, Greenville; F. Mix, Ne
T-1-t-z ri M-T7rr