The Denver star., 1915-01-23
Their Enterprises II Thrifty
Texas Town Reviewed.
LARGE CAPITAL INVESTED.
Personal Investigation of Conditions as
They Exist Among Our People Shows
That Great Progress is Being Made
Along Many Lines-Good Influence of
n. L. Smith.
By RALPH w. TYLER.

-un annually to this city, those who
took advantage of such an excursion
would see an object lesson in thrift
and commercial progress on the part
of the 5000 colored people who regard
this town as their home, and away
down here in Waco my eyes We're
opened to the possibilities Of CONNER
cial success among the race. Among
these 1900 hustling people of the race
enlightening command in his Atlanta
exposition address a number Of years
ago, Let down your bucket where
you are
The colored people in Waco have not
only dipped down their buckets. bui
they are hauling or pulling them up
overfiowing with the richness Of sue
cess. Waco has total population of
10000 Just one-fourth of this popu-
lation is identified with oIr race. They
had nothing to start with. Their tools
were crude with which they were sup
piled to erect or mine, but nevertheless
they have succeeded in accumulating
property here whose aggregate value
reaches s1,OOO.OO0. and they have sue
ceeded in establishing and maintaining
business enterprises that represent an
investment of $4,000. and they have
been sufficiently provident to have de-
posted in the banks to their credit
$4,000, 10000 OF which is deposited
in the bank run by our people in this
town.
AS nf hn nj
bank. OF its careful management.
learned while here that the other banks
IN this city will readily underwrite for
a depositor any amount he desires to
deposit in this race bank. II. L. Smith
Bob" Smith as he is familiarly known
established this bank and continues
to guide its destinies. He is a man COM
posed Of little else save energy. and
ability. This community OF 1900 col
ored people own and support eight
groceries. two tailor shops. three insur-
ance companies. two shoe repairing
shops. two millinery stores. one music
store. one bank. two moving picture
theaters. eight restaurants. one power
vacuum cleaning company, three print
ing establishments. eight blacksmith
shops. one drug store. one confection
cry. one jewelry shop. ten barber
shops. two wood yards. one overall
factory. four real estate firms and two
undertakers.
To illustrate how enterprising the
colored real estate men here are.
might state that l was given an au-
tomobile ride to a new addition just
recently laid out by w. S. Willis. the
leading real estate dealer, and was sur
prised to see that before placing a sin
gle lot on the market he had first laid
out and macadamized the streets. laid
granolithic sidewalks and erected nj
the entrance to the addition n large,
beautiful stone arch some thirty feet
high Had / not been told this add
ton was the property of colored men,
plated for colored buyers, l would
have thought 1t an addition especial
ly designed for rich and aristocratic
families
There are three fairly good schools,
with twenty four teachers. Paul
Quinn college. an a. NJ. +. institution.
which is doing praiseworthy work. is
also located here. although greatly han.
more suitable and comfortable build
ingS.
The great A. NJ. +. church should
take livelier interest in providing for
this institution than 1t has in the past.
Three A. NJ. l.. three NJ. E.. eight
Baptist and one c. NJ. Z. churches. Il
total of fifteen. fill the "long felt want"
rs we newspaper men would say. for
religious training. II the brother in
the south is long on any one thing
more than another II is religion. and
1t requires many churches to satiate
his appetite for religion. Waco. like
many other southern cities. might ge,
along with fewer churches. perhaps.
The teachers. twenty-four in nun.
her. with the two dentists. one phar,
macist and eight physicians. make up
what might be called Waco's profes,
sional class. There is no colored law
yer here. though the field is open FOR
one Of ability and hustle. X. l.. Smith,
to use the vernacular Of the street. Is
1.-THE big noise" down here 1t was
Bob Smith who organized the Farm.
ers' Improvement society. the biggest
thing In Texas. 1t was Bob Smith
who organized and has successfully
conducted the bank here. 1t is Bob
Smith who injects considerable OF the
hustle to be found among the race in
Waco. But working with him. just AS
earnest and Just as achieving. are II
number Of progressive men OF the race.
among whom are Dr. J. w. Frida. II,
C. johnson. Fl. n. ELLIS, II. Hyson. w.
L. Dennis. John Patterson. NJ. n.
Philips. q. A. Austin. W. g. Willis. G
3 Connor. J. H. Hines. ]. r. Carter
Thomas Wilson and last. but not least
Mrs. n. L. Smith. most inteaigeat
and thorough business wcsnan.