Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-09-19
EDITORS OBSERVATIONS
John l.. THOMPSON.

Our next regular stop was in Ma
son City. Here we find this city in
creasing rapidly with colored people.
Many have moved here within the
past few years. They have just
bought them a church plant and Rev.
F. D. Woodford has done lots of hard
work with his Methodist flock. They
hope to have the church completed
this fall. They are now worshipping
in the basement. John d. Reeler is
still operating his fine tonsorial par
lor and he still finds time to raise fine
chickens. He owns beautiful home.
Mrs. Fred Wright and mother are
running first class rooming house.
Mr.. Walter Davis is still conducting
his shining parlors. Mr.. L. w. Jones
is running his barber shop, with a
good trade. A. L. Renix, J. H. Cab
bell and John Rutherford are hard
working men and are succeeding. R.
H. Williams is still driving the ex-
press wagon, doing we'll. Claud Carr
and Tom Allen, formerly Des Moines
men, are still here, doing we'll. The
latter has formed co-partnership
with Mr.. S. Spencer, cement con-
tractor, and they are contracting for
the laying of many thousand square
feet of cement walk in Mason City.
J. D. Crawford is doing we'll. Mr..
and Mrs. H. D. Green are running
hotel and barber shop, with a restaur-
ant in connection. Mrs. Vergil War
rem, Mrs. Ida R. Smith and Mrs. VIM.
T. Garter are all doing nicely. They
are race women. Mrs. Maud Brew
ton is still our news agent here. Our
next stop was Minneapolis, Mime
sofa. Here we found the 1000 Afro
Americans hustling among the Anglo
in this beautiful, rapidly growing city
of 100000 inhabitants. Here it is
said lives more foreigners than any
other city. Certainly Minneapolis,
with her wide and smoothly paved
streets, with her many sky-scraping
modern buildings, her many beauti-
full parks, her laughing Minnehaha
Falls, her pretty lakes, all admiring
and attractive to the visitor or tour
ist here. We have five colored church
es, two Baptist, two Methodist and
one Episcopal. Rev. T. w. Lewis
presides at the St. Johns A. M. E.
church. He was formerly an Iowa
man. He is doing we'll. He is a
clean Christian gentleman and has
many friends here. Rev. M. w.
Withers has charge of the Baptist
church and he is doing we'll Father
Lealted of St. Paul is the priest in
charge of the Episcopal church. |
cannot now recall the pastor of St.
James A. M. E. Mr.. J. A. Withers
is still working at the same business,
coal and wood business, but has
moved his office about block nearer
town, where he has first class office,
with a girl in charge. Mr.. R. B.
Moulton is still working at the same
place. They are doing nicely. They
own a beautiful home at 3848 Fourth
avenue South. Mrs. J. L. Neal is at
the same place, keeping roomers.
They are doing we'll. Mr.. E. D. Ham,
mond is still footman for a large
store, where he has been for quar-
ter of a century. He married one of
our we'll known Des Moines ladies,
Mrs. Sadly Williams. They have re-
Gently built a very beautiful new
modern home at 1856 Clinton avenue,
which IS credit to any race. Mr..
and Mrs. J. W. Roger own one of the
most valuable homes in the fashion
able part of the city, at 1925 Oakland
avenue. They are successful people.
Mr. C. Beckwith, formerly of this
city, is still cement block contractor,
doing a nice business. Mrs. R. L.
Buttner has been appointed our Min
neapolis agent and those having news
worthy of publication please send to
her at 1914 Fourth avenue South. DR..
R. S. Brown, formerly of Muchinki-
mock and Oskaloosa, Iowa, is the
leading physician of this city. He is
making good. Lawyer Smith, form
erly of Kansas City, Mo-, is succeed
ing, as is also Lawyer Morris. Our
old newspaper friend, Mr.. Charles
Sumner Smith, editor of the Twin
City Star, is doing we'll with his pa
per- He has a very good and inter-
esting newspaper and all the Twin
City people should take it and pay
for it. VIM Walker, former we'll
known Des Moines boy, is here, head
waiter at large restaurant. He has
married and owns nice home. Mr..
Luther Abbey, also former Des
Moines boy, is doing we'll here. They
own a nice home. His wife is an ac-
tive society lady. Into St. Paul, the
city of tall buildings, narrow streets
and fine churches; in fact they are
now building an Episcopal cathedral
that is for beauty and grandeur the
finest church building that ever
saw. They have been. working on it
several years and it will take at least
another year to complete it. 1t is a
wonderful piece of modern architec-
ture. Here we find about 1000 Ne
groes, many of whom are doing ex-
ceedingly we'll. Many hundreds are
employed by the great railroad COM
panies and they make good wages.
Coro hoxyar rropo into hnsiness for