The Twin City star., 1914-03-20
WAGNER PEOPLE
SHOW GRATITUDE
Business League Organizer VS.
Its Busy Oklahoma Town.


Against Afro Americans on Southern
Train-Impressed With Spirit Of CO.
operation Among Our People.
By RALPH W. TYLER.
Wagner. Okla.-This Is the first
town Of any size in Oklahoma at which
one arrives after leaving Kansas City
1t being about eight hours ride from
the latter city. l had a startling, but
agreeable surprise awaiting me when
my train rolled into the station. But
q short time before reaching the town
I had protested strongly because q
young couple, members Of my race.
were asked to leave the parlor car, out
of Kansas City, on reaching the Okla
homa state line. My protest, however,
was of no avail, for the additional rea-
son that the couple themselves COM
piled docilely with the command.
had just fallen into half doze
when the train reached Wagner. from
which I was awakened by loud cheer
ing, and "There he is at that window"
and the like. I was startled, and VI
sions Of a vigilance committee bent on
taking me from the train and inflicting
punishment on me for protesting
against the eviction of the colored cou-
pie flashed before me. Instead Of a
vigilance committee I soon discovered
It was large concourse Of colored
citizens Of Wagner bearing flags,
flowers and wearing badges on which
were the words, Welcome to Okla
homa," and Herbert A. Clark, for
mer Ohioan, headed the welcoming
band. For this shall always remem-
ber and with genuine pleasure Wag-
oner.
This town has a population Of per-
haps 10000. nearly one-thlrd Of which
Is colored. 1t boasts of paved streets,
excellent business blocks and resi-
dences brilliantly illuminated at night
Wagner Is not bit slow. In fact, 1t
is a very progressive little city. The
Negro Business league has organized
for effective work the colored popula-
tion, and all appear to be cooperating
with spirit worthy Of emulation The
president of the local league. DIR. r. 8
Smith, an Alcorn and Meharry alum
nus, Is q hreless worker I'm his efforts
to keep Wagner people busy along the
path Of progress, and he has the conf
dence Of all, whites as well as our own
people, who own some fine town and
farm property and are doing splen-
didly.
There are three physicians and two
lawyers here with good practice.
The business houses, consisting of gro
ceries, general stores, cafes, etc, show
prosperity. Very few cities In the
country among us can boast Of news
paper plant equal to the American,
which Herbert A. Clark manages and
edits. 1t is located in very substan-
tial two story brick building, the prop
erty Of the owner, L. A. Pell, and is
equipped with two or three presses, a
linotype machine and all modern print
shop necessities.
Mr.. Pell, reputed to be the black
Croesus Of the town. former Mis-
sissippian, owns large interests here
as well as in Muskogee, where he puts
In most Of his time. Wagoner's COM
mercial growth is somewhat interfered
with by its close proximity to Musko-
gee. being but fourteen miles from the
latter city. The slogan Of the local
Business league, "Patronize race busi-
ness men," however, is giving the col
ored business establishments excellent
trade and. as a natural consequence.
giving employment to young colored
men and women. This is more strict
ly q farming community, and the land.
fertile as 1t is, yields bountifully to
the colored farmer. The colored peo-
pie Of Wagner are taking as much in
terest In the forthcoming meeting Of
the National Negro Business league in
Muskogee as If It were to be held In
their own town. They will go over to
Muskogee en- masse and help accord
the delegates q royal reception when
the league meets in August.
1t is estimated that the colored peo-
pie here and In the vicinity own In the
neighborhood Of $25O.OO0 Of realty and
have invested something like $4,000
In business. For a new town. for
Wagner Is perhaps not more than If
teen years old. this is a very fine show
ing. 1t Is what one might call hus-
Ting community Of cooperating Ne
groes. 1 was very much impressed
with the determination Of these people
and their loyalty to race which leads
them to follow colored leadership. In