Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-07-04
AFRO.AMER|CAN : CULL|NCS

Lattevi Ajaji. a young African prince,
Is now in Booker Washington's school
at Tuskegee. Alaj is the lineal heir
to kingdom as large as Texas, will,
population of more than three mil.
lion blacks; he came to this country
to study agriculture. In the Journal
OF American Folklore, DR.. John A. Lo-
max describes a meeting with this
young prince, who will soon return to
Africa when graduated, with a Texas
negro girl to whom he is now engaged:
He came into my room quietly and
stood with some embarrassment before
me, as erect as a soldier, while
questioned him. Although plainly ill
at ease, his dignity was impressive.
His eyes met my look squarely and
he gave my questions prompt, thought
full answers. He had not learned to
dissemble any more than has a wild
animal suddenly taken captive"
Ajaji's grandfather is the present king
Of the Yoruba people who live north
of the Gulf Of Guinea, in West Cen
trail Africa ~
John Thomas Blackwell, aged
eighty-seven years, a predetermined
colored man, applied at the Suffolk
(Va.) police station last night for
lodging. He had funds, but desired.
he said, to be in safe place. Black
we'll has just returned from Richmond,
where he enlisted the sympathy and
aid Of the capital city newspapers in
his search for his brother, from whom
he was separated 6S years ago. He
was owned in slavery days by DR.. Ste.
venson, of Winchester. He and his
brother, in 1855, were sold for $500
each to Baltimore spectators. John
l.. Blackwell was sold to persons in
New Orleans for $3.50, and twice more
was sold, bringing $1,000 and $780,
He has spent much time and money
seeking the brother from whom he
was torn 6S years ago. The papers
have not been able to find any trace
of the brother. Blackwell has never
worn pair Of shoes in his life. His
footgear consists of sandals, which he
makes himself.
A generation and half of freedom
may not have taught the colored man
all of the white mans virtues, but
there were few negroes generation
ago who owned homes or horses, who
could read and write, who had any
thought beyond the crude comfort of
the moment. Some of the hopes and
ideals Of the time Immediately follow
ing emancipation and enfranchisement
have faded for the rural colored man,
but he is slowly acquiring a new ra-
cial outlook and new self-respect
A negro farmer died recently in d
rich wheat growing region Of northern
Delaware leaving a fortune Of 10000
in lands and live stock, family of
children to whom he had given a fair
education and notions of thrift and a
reputation among his white neigbbors
of being absolutely honest and as re-
spectacle as any man of any color.
Establishment of a negro university
in the north was the principal consid-
Grafton of the New England Baptist
convention in session at Washington.
The convention went over the question
OF the proposed institution and voted
$4,000 toward its endowment fund.
The convention also issued an address
to the country decrying the existence
of race prejudice.
If your broom becomes shorter on
one side than the other, as it's sure to
do, dip it in hot water and trim it
down quite evenly with sharp shears.
The result will be broom as service
able as a new one.
Newfoundland is now regarded as
one Of the most promising future
sources of supply. Of petroleum within
the British empire. There are oil in
dications for two hundred miles along
the west coast.
The conscientious woman has ST.
lence for the foolish words of COW.
ard. That humanity can so descend
makes her responsible in a vague way
for all its wrongs. *~ Gag. ..7-"
Cleanliness and speed are the vir-
tues claimed for Pennsylvania in:
ventor's hand-operated machine for
placing paper caps in milk bottles.
South African railways are ex-
perimenting with mechanical stokers
for use on locomotives.
To bore the deepest hole in the
world, an opening in Silesia 1850 feet
deep, cost more than SO foot.
Sometimes knocking vase OF .
table will raise a row.
Be sure the bric-a-brac is solidly In
place before you step on the cat.
The first bale of cotton goes to the
gambling house and Is then sold for
charity. It's just as well that some
left hands don't know what the right
hands do. #t&
, A Californian has designed FIRE
xl.k oor II. n,,< {<u 6oot IN al III