Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1914-07-10

In Culture Also CoIored population o.
st. Louis 10 Showing the Way to Less
Advanced Communities Of the
leaders Of the Race and What They
Are Doing. .,.@'
by RALPH W. TYLER.
st. Louis.-visiting this city as rep
resentatve Of and in the interest Of
the National Negro Business league. /
naturally went into conditions here
more carefully than the casual visitor.
Next to Washington perhaps st. Louis
has been famed most for her colored
society. Its large number of coIored
schoolteachers. drawn FROM every sec
ton of the country and representing
tie best institutions of higher educa-
ton. gives to the city cultured COM
munity. as Washington's more than
500 colored teachers give to that city
a superior mir Of culture.
Secure in their professions Of culture
and consciousness of much higher
education. the colored people Of St
Louis for years neglected that basic
foundation for permanent and substan-
tial progress-business. There is re-
vival on here now, business revival,
and, while not neglecting either culture
or the SO called "higher" education. the
colored people of st. Louis. inspired by
the achievements Of colored business
men in other cities and encouraged by
its local Negro Business league. are
branching out rapidly and successfully
into various lines of activities.
One Of the most complete mems fur
nishing stores conducted by colored
men in the country is to be found here
In this city, conducted by Clark &
Smith. The largest and most modern
steam laundry, owned and operated by
colored men, is one of St. Louis boast
ed colored cooperative enterprises.
The drug stores, print shops, grocery
stores, newspapers and cafes are now
equal to the best to be found in other
parts of the country.
The schools are among the best In
the country-best buildings, best equip
ped. best managed and possessing a
corps of the best prepared teachers.
No city compares with st. Louis for
the magnificence of its colored
churches, and no city's colored pull
piteers surpass In eloQuence and pre-
paredness the colored ministers of this
city BOT 10 their race devotion.
l was of course particularly inter
ested in learning Of business progress
among our people. ascertained, after
four days careful investigation, that
the colored people of this city have
$4,000 invested in business enter
prises, that they own $250,OO0 worth
OF real estate and that the men and
women engaged In business and pro-
LESSONS are injecting into their work
rare energy and an admirable personal
service which makes for success.
also ascertained that the race is repre-
scented as owners and conductors Of
the following businesses: Mems fur
nishings, groceries, meat markets,
drug stores, coffee and teas, undertake
ers, livery, shoe repairing. notion
stores, printing, publishing, horseshoe
ing, theaters, cafes, laundry, hair cul-
ture, etc. I found the local Negro
Business league. recently organized,
under that splendid business man, W.
G. Gordon, has become very potent
factor in propagating the doctrine of
business and professional cooperation.
While here every opportunity was Of
fered to me to get at the real facts
concerning the races progress along
business lines. In few places have /
enjoyed greater courtesies.
I; There are seven colored lawyers.
seven colored dentists and twenty-one
colored physicians. They are top
eHotchers in their respective profes.
sions and appear to be enjoying splen-
did practices which their ability de-
serves and warrants. DR.. Ernest Har-
ris, DR.. Wilson and DR.. w. b. Mosby,
the druggists, have indicated race
progress with their modernly furnish
ed and largely stocked drug stores.
the former having two stores. c. K.
Robinson. one of the most public
spirited race men have had the good
fortune to meet, Is making splendid
success with bis modern, up to date
printing establishment, and one must
go far to find a cafe to equal in ap-
pointments and cuisine the one con.
Quoted by Mr.. Ferguson. a.c. =
Afew Of the men who are pushing the,
business spirit among colored people
in this city and who are untiring In
their efforts to make the race COM
mercially strong in Missouri's metropo-
lis are O.. f.. Robinson, W. c. Gordon.
DR.. Ernest Harris. william Osborn. e.
L.. williams. A. Russell, T. J. Nevins.
Z. 81. Stanton, ". 81. Mosby. With
Messrs Fickliq, d Ferguson. Galloway,
Clark and Smith: Che cause of the
race here in the Mound City is most
ably championed by two enterprising
newspapers which stand for the best
among the members of the fourth es-
tate. ssSsif Il. NIX, y n E z.l 49,, g. r. &. j..
It was while here renewed an old
ACQUAINTANCE with Professor Richard
Cole. principal Of one OF the colored
schools. whom knew Familiarity years
ago ne Dick Cole of Cincinnati. He
is still the vigorous man Of TWENTY-FIVE
years ago and a splendid asset to the
public school system. 4. ".
Cured of Indigestion.
I Mis-. Sadie P. Clawson, Indiana, Pa,
was bothered with Indigestion. my
ach nainad me night and day."