Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-10-11
EDITORS OBSERVATION.

Into the state or missouri we next
90 during the month of September.
To visit the state during this month
one can behold this great states vast
resources. Missouri is mighty en-
pire within herself. Her resources
and industries are so varied that she
is self-supporting. She raises corn,
oats, wheat, rye, barley. She grows
apples, peaches, pears and grapes in
large quantity and she raises all the
cereals. She mines her own coal,
iron, lead, gypsum. She raises her
hogs. cattle and sheep. Her poultry
raising Is immense. In fact, situat-
ed as it is in the bed of the richest
valley in the world, the. Mississippi,
she naturally excels all competitors.
Yet the full development Of her great
gifts has not been reached as in her
sister states of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas
and Nebraska. All Missouri needs is
men Of energy and will power, with
a desire to invest their money to de-
velop the latent resources of this
state. Her public education and trans
portation system is behind her sister
states. Our first stop was a few min
utes in Charlton, Iowa. Here lives
about forty Afro-Americans. Mr.. T.
j. Martin is still Fhere doing nicely.
The Widow Richmond still lives here.
Geo. Newman drives the delivery
wagon. Rev. w. C. Carter is work.
ing hree. Mrs. Jackson is doing we'll.
Centerville was our next stop. This
town has about $50 colored people,
but they are not reading or literary
class, nor do they seem to be much
interested about getting colored lit
erature. By hard work of four hours
we secured as new subscribers Mrs.
Lizzie D. Price, Mrs. Annie Oliver,
Mrs. F. B. Morton, Rev. J. w. Evans,
Mrs. VIM. Noah and Mrs. H. B. Bold
en-, and we have hope some time
ere long that more people will read
the Bystander, one of the leading
race journals in America. Kirksville,
Mo-, was our first Missouri stop.
Here we found the colored people
just about the same as ever. Here
we found two churches, the Baptist,
pastored by Rev. w. w. Mckinney,
who has only been here short time,
and Rev. F. Taborn, who is also a
new man here, but is a bright, able
young man. Mr.. and Mrs. L. Coursey
are doing we'll. He is working at the
same place. Prof. Vaughn, former
ly a teacher in the public schools
here for many years, has now retired
on small farm in the suburbs of
the city, where he owns a beautiful
home. Mr.. and Mrs. B. F.. Barnes
own q nice truck farm in the out
skirts 81 the town. he u doing weli.
Mr.. A. Pollard owns nice home.
Our next step was in Macon City.
This is pretty little town where
more than 1000 colored people reside.
Many are doing we'll. Most Of them
are old citizens and own their own
homes. The Western college is locat-
ed here. It has prosperous year
ahead from the present opening this
month. Prof. J. H. Garnett, that
great educator, says the outlook was
never better for a record breaking
this school year. Most
Of the old faculty will be back. DR..
Garnett's only daughter is student
1T the Kansas university and will
finish next year. This college is un-
der the auspices Of the great Baptist
association. There are two churches,
aBptist and Methodist, each doing
we'll. Mr.. Thos. Adams is a success
full man. There are three school
teachers, Prof. Perkins and Misses
Hattie Davis and Ida D. Jones.
Here is a woman who speaks from