The Denver star., 1914-01-24
Chances For Success Are Coed
IN Evansville, Ind. ,
upLIF1 AMONG OUR PEOPLE
Field Representative of the National
Negro Business League on Trip
Through the Middle West Finds
Many Thrifty Enterprises Conducted
by Afro Americans.
BY RALPH w. TYLER.

Evansville. Ind.-There is no city in
Indiana where the colored people are
making greater progress and where the
opportunities for development are bet
ter than in this city. OF the 10000
population the colored people number
l2h per cent. and they are about as
thrifty and progressive as any to be
found in any city in the middle west
A conservative estimate of the capital
colored men have invested in business
here places the amount at $4,000 and
| the amount of real estate owned by the
race in this city at S20O.0OO.
| This indicates per capita wealth
OF $3.50. which is surely splendid
showing for people who are but fifty
years removed from abject slavery. !
spent two days in this city carefully
investigating conditions. calling on the
business men. visiting the schools and
taking stock. as ii were. of this busy
Hoo~ier city that is rapidly approach
4 ing rfle 100000 population mark.
found a splendid school system. and
the corps Of colored teachers is fully
abreast OF the times.
| II Is II uOIauie 1Itt tuut wherever
one finds n good corps of colored teach
ers there will also be found progress
making at high tide. The thirty-two
colored Schoolteachers here are Il big
factor in race development. and in Pro
| fessor Davis. head of the high school,
there is no better principal anywhere.
! The colored man is represented in
business here IN the following lines:
| Furniture. real estate. concrete stone
manufacture. theater, transfer and stor
| age. hairdreSSing. hotel. barber shop.
clothes cleaning and pressing. under
| taking. cafe. etc. There is one notice
able characteristic in the colored bust
ness men of this city. and that is en-
thusiasm and hustle In Logan Stew
art, who conducts n profitable real es-
tate business and concrete stone
manufacturing establishment. and W.
A. Gains. successful undertaken and
| farmer, Evansville possesses two ster-
ling and wide awake men.
These two men can always be count
ed upon to take the initiative or en-
Enthusiastically follow in any movement
looking for the betterment of the race
along. any line. ]. T. Roberts, who
conducts the only installment furniture
house conducted by a colored man in
the city. is one Of the very aggressive
men who. starting from nothing. have
built up large and profitable businesses.
| recently moving into his own large and
commodious building.
Henry Bell. who Is easily the most
| successful transfer man in the city
| whether white or black, is considered
one OF the wealthiest colored men in
this section of Indiana. Evansville
| boasts OF very creditable hotel con
Quoted by that veteran boniface Henry
Black. who at one time was a resident
Of Columbus. o. In the grocery bust
| ness colored men are making good. for
the hve groceries conducted by J. f.
| Gibson. l. NJ. Moore Henry Hart
Henry Osborne and William Cash are
prosperous establishments
Evansville has four colored physi-
cinns. two attorneys and one dentist to
| make up its professional class, and all
Of these have every reason to be salts
ned with their location In this city. Al
a rule. native WashinGtonian when
he enters the professional field thinks
1t incumbent on him to remain in the
nations capital. where the field is
| overcrowded. ]. II. Wilson, an old
Washington boy Of the 'OI class at
Howard university. Is one exception to
the rule. for he located In this city and
IL doing well. His law Offices. rs well
as the dental office OF DR.. w. ID. Jiles.
another Howard alumnus. are located
In the new Pythian temple
Tho uou pvthiap %.,,,pI, ,,<>t ,,t,. T.,
| a monument to race progress, but II Ia
| credit to the city. and its erection
has served greatly to accelerate the
business spirit among colored u,en and
women OF Evansvillc. 1t Ia three
story brick building. having two store
rooms on the ground floor. offices and
auditorium on the second door and
lodge rooms occupying the top door