The Denver star., 1914-08-08
The AMERICAN
BLACK ARCADIA
Ascent Visitor Gives Bo|sy,
Okla, a New Title
GOVERNED BY CAPABLE MEN

Authentic Account Of Advancement
haads by the People Of Large and
Wealthy Municipality In the Far
southwest - ones Traekisss Plain
Becomes Great Center of Industry.
BY RALPH W. TYLER.
There is popular belief existing.
which |. too. shared before my recent
visit to Boley. Okla. that Boley is but
. mere settlement of incapable fmi-
tat0rs. ignorant lawmakers. like
some who obtruded themselves into
public office in the south during the
reconstruction period: that few log
huts and makeshift houses and stores.
that are stores only in name. constitute
BoIey: that the municipal government
Is farce comedy. and that modern
Is word as foreign here as phonetics
to Brazilian monkey that quenches
his thirst in Colonel Rooseyelt's river
Of Doubt
The town is well Illuminated by cleo
trio lights furnished by the citys mod
ern electric light and power plant:
the main street. in its entire length.
has granolithic sidewalks: the stores
are substantially built. well stocked
and orderly iconducted: the church
edifices are very creditab.e indeed. and
the towns bank building and Masonic
temple are the equal Of any town with
three times its population. both being
brick, the Masonic temple being S35.
600 STRUCTURE. Roley is modern town.
The public school building is a per
,fectly modern. two story. eight room
brick of chaste design. In addition to
1t there is IL good denominatonal
school Nineteen teachers are employed
to instruct registered $50 Negro
pupils. Eight churches conserve the
religious interests of the town. two
Baptist and one each Of the following
denominations: 4. NJ. E.. c. n. E..
n. E. Congregational. Catholic and
Church Of God. The people OF Boley
subscribe for 2.lOO monthly publiea
lions $50 weekly publications and
$50 daily publications. This number
OF publications subscribed for by
community OF 800 souls indicates that
Boley is reading community that
means to keep informed regarding
whoSis current In the great outside
world The town maintains seven
PHYSICIANS. two dentists. six lawyers
and Atty lone merchants. the latter
having, over SIoOOOO invested in their
businesses The town has federal
form OF government
On arriving at this town. and ought
to dignity 1t with the title of city be
cause OF the highly Intelligent manner
in which Its laws and ordinances are
administercd. the visitor aiights at
railroad station whose station master.
ticket agent. express agent. telegraph
operator and baggage smasher are
all men collated by the census bureau
at Washington rs Negroes One finds
here the well conducted hotel is pre-
sided ever by a ,member of >the race:
that the telephone exchange is a Negro
institutions: that the electric light and
power plant is wholly in the hands OF
Negroes.
There Is no race discrimination In
Boley Although the city Is an ex-
clusively Negro owned and populated
town. when white man puts in an
appearance at Boley. as is frequently
the case. on business errands. he Is not
subjected to the discrimination and re-
voting segregation to which Negroes
are 50 frequently subjected in white
governed communities. In this Negro
town white man is accorded that
generous hospitality which must i'm
press him with the Negro's sincere de
sire 10 return good for evil.
Captivated by the harmony existing
here observing the progress being
made. I could not help recalling Oliver
Goldsmith'a lines:
Hope. like the cleaning taper's light
Adorns and cheers the way
And still. Ms darker grows the night,
limits brighter ray.
There are many things, and frequent
discournging happenings to incline
those Of US with less sturdy hearts to
the belief that. for the race darker
grows the night But when we turn
our eyes to Boley. Okla. to Mound
BAYOU. Miss. and dozen other ex-
clusively Negro towns where peace
and smiling plenty reign" In which
Is the proof of Negro cooperation and
capacity for self government we are
made conscious Of the fact that Hope.
like the cleaning taper's light. adorns
and cheers the way"
As plymouth Rock. where the Pill
grim fathesw landed. was wild. bleak.
unin ,itinx spot. save for the hope II
offered for freedom Of thought and ac-
ton so Rolxy. only dozen years ago.
was but 4 virgin forest. .tracklees
plain. an unpeopled region that offered
no welcome save to those who desired
to estAbliah upon the south's Inn