Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-11-07
CITY OBSERVATIONS.
BY J. L. T.

Last week our city observations
: were crowded out, but We are now on
the work again and will no doubt OBJ.
serve this city as never before. In
this great growing city, where we
have more than 5000 Afro-Americans
with their five churches and two mis-
sions, with their six restaurants and
one manufacturing plant, one black
smith shop, eight barber shops. two
pool halls, one grocery store, two
pantatoriums. Leaving the West Side,
I want to make few observations on
East Des Moines.
Fortunately or unfortunately our
city of Des Moines is divided by the
Des Moines river, and this demarka-
ton still exists even though we have
been trying to eliminate this separa-
ton. The railroads maintain an East
Side and a West Side depot, and con-
sequently the people are known as
East or West Siders. But within the
past five years this dividing line is
about faded away by our Des Moines
commission plan of municipal govern
ment.
Mr.. r. Smith and Mr.; Owen on
East Locust are hustling young mar
ried men,. Mr.. BENZ. ]. Hack is still
working at the same building, super
intendent Of the Iowa Trust and Saw
ings bank building. He owns a nice
home on Penn avenue. He is one of
the rising young men. Jefferson
Logan, who is perhaps the wealthiest
colored man in Des Moines, lives at
1882 Lyon street, He is one of the
oldest and most highly esteemed men
and is well known throughout Iowa,
as he has worked in the Iowa legisla-
ture for the past twenty years or
more. Vivian L. JONES', the only COL
ored undertaken in Iowa, is located a,
519 Court avenue. He has most all
the trade of the colored people. He
is good business man and hustler.
His amiable wife is quite a helpmate
to him. His father, G.. H. Jones.
formerly of Oskaloosa, is here and
assisting a few years while resting
up from his old trade of barbering.
Mr.. w. A. Thyrous, 320 East Court,
is running restaurant. He has been
in business for the past ten years and
is doing we'll He is true race man.
Mr.. C. A. Dorsey is still here. He
has the rheumatism, which cripples
him Mrs. M. A. Alexander, formerly
Mrs. Anderson Monroe, resubscribed
for The Bystander. She says that she
was one of the first, subscribers to
The Bystander nearly twenty years
ago. She has some copies that are
eighteen years old. Mrs. Bell has re-
Gently moved here from Quincy, III.
Mr.. Geo. Taylor, 706 S. E. Seventh
street is pioneer citizen here. He
like jeff logan, can number about
one-half century here. He is now
blind. He served in the Spanish.
war. Mr.. Newton Orange,
another old citizen, is almost blind.
he owns several lots and
raises hogs. Mr.. Al Moss is also an
other old settler here. He owns
nice home. He is a good citizen. Mr..
J. w. Heath owns several lots here.
He is a hustler. Arriving at the Des
Moines Packing House, l took dinner
at the restaurant in this building.
This restaurant is run by our old time
friend, S. c. Thompson, and he knows
how to cook, or either l was so hungry
that I enjoyed the meal. Our real
packing house meat, his pumpkin and
apple pie were delicious. Mr.. Thomp-
son owns nice home and several
other lots. His good wife assisted
him in his restaurant. His oldest son
has just returned from South Dakota,
where he spent the summer on his
brothers farm. Next week we will
finish this section Of our city: