Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-10-10

by Prof. A. M. Foster, colored man
from Alabama, who was graduate
of Tuskegee Institute, the Booker 7.
Washington school. 1t was indeed
most remarkable for a young man
who had never lived in Missouri to
be able to give sufficient statistics and
data and information to give the
world the ten best reasons why Mis-
souri, excelled any other state in ag-
riculture and that this remarkable
thesis was produced from the brains
of a colored man. 1t is true that the
state of Missouri has vast, untold and
undeveloped resources which if prop
erly developed would bring immense
wealth yet hidden from the hand of
man. Here the soil produces all the
cereals known and most all the fruits.
The minerals here are coal, iron, cop
per and lead. In this state lives near
ly one-half million Afro-Americans
and many thousands of them are
farmers that own valuable property
and are tilling the soil just as intelli-
gently as the average white farmer.
In my next weeks issue shall take
up brief history of the great Bartlett
Agricultural college at Dalton, Mo.
In Paris, Mo-, we find the colored
people doing nicely. They have a
splendid school building, beautifully
located, with three teachers, Prof.
Geo. A. Donaldson and T. B. Burris,
with Miss NJ. c. Crump as assistant.
Each of these teachers are expert
enced and well equipped and well
liked. Mr.. Geo. Berry, Sr., owns valu-
able property just west Of the city.
He is one of the successful citizens
here. Mr.. Jackson runs first class
restaurant. Rev. F. J. Mott lives
here. He formerly pastored several
churches in Iowa, living at one time
in Des Moines, and is we'll known by
the older citizens here. Mr.. M.
Sparks and VIM. J. White are sub
stantial citizens here. Most Of the
citizens here are old citizens and own
their own property and homes.
Moberly is our next stop, being q
beautiful town of ten thousand people
situated near the north central part
Of Missouri. 1t is known as railroad
division town. A great deal Of busi-
ness is done here, with a great deal
of push and energy. Here l find that
the colored man is taking up with
the modern business movement faster
than in any other town in Missouri
that l have visited. They own three
first class hotels and the largest is
owned by MIR. Addleberry, who owns
two hotels and is just completing an
other with nineteen rooms one block
from the Union station. He has q
barber shop and restaurant on the
first floor and is modern equipped.
Mr.. Addleberry is one Of the progress
sive men and a real race man. Ihey
have Just finished their new six-room
school building and held part Of last
years school session in the building.
Prof. H. C. Vaughn is still principal.
He is one of the most influential men
in this part of Missouri and is GER
talnly a creQlL W CHe SoAoAo PSoPAS
here. Mr.. Vaughn is one OF those
quiet, unassuming, yet very reliable
man. He has three teachers under
him, viz, Miss Terrell, Miss Tymony
and Mr.. Coleman. There are about
three thousand colored people in this
city and they have four colored
churches, two Baptist, one M. E. and
one A. M. E. The A. M. E. church
people are building beautiful $l2,-
900 church. When completed it will
be the finest church in this part OF
Missouri owned by colored people. 1t
is built of pressed brick and is
beautiful building. The peculiar COM
cidence is that all four churches are
within a radius of three blocks and
the school house is also in this terri
tory. Mr.. Boone operates pantator-
ium and is doing nicely. Mr.. J. A.
Hurley runs first class barber shop
Continued next week }