The Denver star., 1914-09-26
Success of Afro o-Amerlcans 10
San Antonio, TaI
MANY THRIFTY MERCHANTS
Local Businsss League sses t1ss Pace
For Cooperation and cenosntrstion
of Forces In Lone Star STATE Me-
tropoIis-GreatA Advance In Education
and Religious Culture.
BY RALPH W. TYLER.

colored policemen patrolling the prin
cipal business street in this city. A
colored policeman, even in the north
,ern cities, because Of his scarcity at
tracts attention, but to find one In a
Texas city causes astonishmeuh But
this is not the only thing colored which
causes astonishment when one has
made a tour over and through San An
tonic. Church ediaces, school build
1ngs, business blocks and pretty homes
possessed by colored citizens here in
cite one to marvel at progress being
made by the race in this city. San
Antonio has more good homes occupied
by col0red people than any other city
In the country.
Shacks which one frequently sees
in many cities occupied by the poorer
class OF the race are almost unknown
here. and because Of DR.. ]. T. Walton
one of the most successful colored
builders in the country. having erected
nearly 400 homes here for his race
these modern homes, whether preten
tious residences or modest, well ap
pointed cottages, displace the insan.
itary and uninhabitable shacks. Many
Of these-nearly 4OO-homes built by
DR.. Walton he sold after completion to
members of his race; others he has
rented to them SO reasonably a. to
make it possible for every member of
his race who must rent to live in a
neat, modern home.
t., oI&,, ~.
1900, practically one-third of the
city's total population. There II de
cided Mexican air about San Antonio,
the descendants of the Aztecs being
numerous in this city, which was thor
oughly Mexican before the United
States annexed Texas. The relation,
however, existing between whites and
blacks and between blacks and Mex
leans is perfectly cordial and mutually
low minimum it is hardly observa-
BILE. The colored man down here u
aspiring to economic Independence,
and this is shown by the number Of
business establishments now in ex-
istence.
There are two drug stores, both OF
which are fine and well conducted es-
tablishments; steam laundry, life In
surance company, real estate, plumb
ing, poultry farming. automobile
trucking, printing, undertaking, tailor
ing, contracting and groceries are
few of the business activities in which
men of the race are engaged In this
city and in which they have invested
a considerable amount Of capital. The
local Negro Business league here, OF
which DR.. Walton is president, Is a
strong factor In inducing members OF
the race to engage in business and
to patronize those already in business
There are four public schools for col
ored children. and they are among the
best school buildings I have seen pro-
vided for colored pupils in the south.
The colOred teachers here receive the
same salary as white teachers for the
same grade of work. and this, being
so unusual in the south, Is another
fact TO excite astonishment and mp
proval In San Antonio. There are
nineteen colored churches here-eight
Baptist. four NJ E.. two a. M. t.. two
Catholic, one Episcopal and two
Church of God There are thirty two
cOlored teachers. ten physicians. two
lawyers and three dentists, one of
whom Is u wUnian.
DIR. Walton. WHO has done so much
for his race in this city. was prac-
ticing physician ul' to within six or
seven years ngo Seeing the need Ut
decent homes for his race here, III he
gan building homes on SEMI scale
being his own architect ana contractor
The demand for modern homes III
crcasing, he gave mp .ihe practice oi
medicine. l. tn!c sion in which 'it
was {, 'sreni sucress. and turned nj
attention to business.
Although possessed of Il tine conpe
tency, culture and youth. DIR. Walton
has been SO busy building homes fol
his race he has never stopped to con
template building home for himself
It is estimated that the colored people
Of this city control S3500O0 worth oil
real estate and that they have $15O00t
invested in business enterprises. such
| as enumerated In this letter. A fnt
u. D. y teHlpie. VIII M hhiiloiiu'l
| and office rooms above and storeroOms
| on the ground floor. was recently com
| pleted. of which w. Sidney Pittmni
was the architect and Wyndom Broth
ers of Birmingham. Ala. the contrric
| tors. 1t Is a fine building. thorough,
modern and one to which the race cai
| point with pride
Among the men Of the race here VIII.
cooperate with Dr. Walton In an ef
| fort to improve both the business. etlu
| cntional and civic. condition Of the race
are: II. c. Cltlds. Dr. William Drake
II. ID. Parker. John \ GIrimbles. r. 3
Lewis. Emanuel Madison. G. w. BOui
din. j O. Robinson. Professor 8.
Sutton and iiesSss Di: ksOn