Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-10-03
CITY OBSERVATIONS.
By J. L. T. y


collector to our city subscribers to
collect, who is an employe Of the Of
flee, and allow the editor to make
out of city towns. This year we
thought that change might be help
full. Therefore we have decided that
the editor in chief make the city Of
Des Moines himself and thus enable
him'to meet the city subscribers and
become better acquainted, and his
presence may encourage and arouse
latent energy upon the part Of our
city people to do even more in the
material and religious development
of our race in our growing city.
Hence I have decided in a brief way
to give our thousands of readers out
side of Des Moines what we are do
ing under the caption of City OBJ
servations. Our city Of Des Moines
was first founded more than fifty-five
years ago by a band of soldiers, who
established a fort here. It is now
the capital and Metropolis of Iowa.
It is one of the most progressive,
hustling and beautiful cities in the
United States; the first city in the
United States to inaugurate the COM
mission form Of government, with the
initiative and referendum, with the
recall clause. We have 100000 peo-
pie of nearly all nationalities, with
her beautiful, magnificent capitol,
with fine historical building, with
her new modern sky-scraping Office
buildings, with her beautiful asphalt
paved streets, her palatial homes,
we'll kept, all goes to show thrift,
energy and a high class of citizen
ship. It is true of all that is good
Des Moines affords the best. Here
we have about 5000 of our people in
all the walks of life, from the highest
to the lowest, in all trades and pro-
fessions. We have five churches. The
A. M. E. is presided over by Rev
Brice U. Taylor, Christian gentle
man Of high standing, who is one Of
the leaders in his denomination. He
has membership Of about 400. The
Corinthian Baptist church is pastored
by that we'll known divine, Rev. T. l.
Griffith, who has a membership OF
about 300. He is the oldest colored
minister in our city in point Of SER
vice. He has been here about four
teen years. The Union Congregation
al church is the youngest church or
ganization. They have a beautiful
brick edifce, pastored by Rev. T. M
Brumfield, the young theologian, who
is a Fisk and Oberlin graduate, q
splendid man. The Asbury M. E.
church, formerly the old Burns M. E..
is the oldest church colored organiza-
tion in the city, pastored by Rev. w
L. Lee, a very fine and thoughtful
minister, who is making good here
The Maple Street Baptist is one OF
the large churches of this city, pas
tored by that veteran minister, who
is true and tried, Rev. Samuel Bates
who has preached the gospel for
nearly one-haf century. Then there
is an A. M. E. mission, pastored by
Prof. Geo. I. Holt, our great singer
and oldest mail carrier. Prof. Holt
has just entered the ministry, this
being his first charge. We have -four
lawyers, two active and the other moi
so active. James B. Rush, the oldest
is we'll known; S. Joe Brown, the
junior member of the firm Of Wood
son & Brown; John L. Thompson ant
Geo. I. Holt. We have three physi
clans, DR.. A. J. Booker, a fine man
having a large practice. He has just
made an other trial upon the matri
monial sea, having recently married
Miss Naomi Coalston. DR.. J. Alvir
jefferson has a good practice. DR.
G. Nj. Wilson has just come to ou1
city from Keokuk and has located or
the East Side. We have one under
taker, Vivian l.. Jones, who is doing
a large business. He is a very eff
cient and capable young man. DR.
E. A. Lee is our only dentist, doing
we'll. He has just recently installed
the latest and most modern equip
ment. forgot to also mention tha
DR.. Booker has just installed all tn
latest modern equipment. Chas
Cousins runs first class employment
office and is doing exceedingly we'll
Dr.. J. Dulin has his sanitarium ant
is doing a very large business at hi
home.