The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1915-06-05
Facts Presented Indicate
Growth Along Many Lines.
VALUE OF FARM PROPERTY.
Lack Of Proper information Concerning
Our Achievements In Education and
Wealth May Be Cause Of Apparent
Prejudice Against the coIored Popu-
lation In Buckeye State.
BIZ RALPH w. TYLER.

Columbus, O.-It is perhaps to the
disadvantage Of the colored man that
white friends know more about the for
eign born citizens who are in our midst
than they do about the colored race,
which, like the poor, we have with US
always, and have had with us since
1920.
It may wen be that an unconscious
ness Of what the colored man has done
and Is doing rather than any innate
race prejudice is responsible for much
Of the apparent determination the race
suffers from in Ohio.
Any time there exists within speci-
fed domain goodly number Of people
Of any race or nationality who, in all
things for mutual progress, are one as
the hand, but in all things social are
as separate as the fingers on the hand,
there develops problem to invite the
serious and helpful attention Of all
those who are willing to vouchsafe ex-
act justice without regard for race or
color.
There are Ill, ,452 colored persons In
Ohio, all native born Americans. These
people are not decreasing in numbers.
but, on the contrary, are increasing.
They Increased 15 per cent in decade.
They are not all black-these people
whose earlier ancestors, as Cowper
said, were forced from home and all
Its pleasures; Africa's coast they left
forlorn to increase a strangers treas
ures, DER the raging billows borne" "
OF the total colored population In Ohio
Of Ill, ,452, 39, ,249 are mulattoes, and by
q strange form Of evolution the mulat-
toes have increased since 1870, when
they formed 1872 per cent Of the total
colored population, until now they
form 35.2 per cent Of the cOlored popu'
lation.
In contradiction to the southern
. states, the colored population in Ohio
is most largely urban, and the urban
population is increasing at rapid rate
each year, Cincinnati, Dayton, Colum-
bus and Cleveland showing the largest
per cent Of increase Of any cities In the
state OF the total colored population
In Ohio S2,2S2 Is urban, while only
20,179 is rural. While the back to the
farm movement has not caught on to
any very appreciable extent with the
colored race, still Of the eighty eight
counties In Ohio but twelve report no
colored farmers. There are 1,04S cOlored
farmers In the state who own farm
property to the value of $89O1, ,721.
This Is an increase In the value Of
farm property owned by colored farm
ers in Ohio Of $2,603, 100, or 6O.2 per
cent, since 1900. Even the avowed en-
emies of the race must admit this Is
commendable showing and one which
gives fresh concrete evidence Of prog
ress on the part of the rural colored
population. One other commendable
and noteworthy fact respecting COL
ored farmers in Ohio is that they are
most largely owners rather than mere
tenants, for Of the 1,94S In the state
1,311 are actual owners of their land.
1t is surprising that the race in Ohio
has made such phenomenal progress
in reducing its illiteracy when condi-
tions are such as to make such a large
per cent Of them hewers Of wood and
drawers Of water. In spite Of the fact
that, Of the 49,297 Of the race who are
ten years Of age and over, 41,243. or
s8.7 per cent, are engaged in gainfu
occupation, still the race In Ohio has
reduced the illiteracy at remarkable
rate. OF the 70,S3G colored urban popu
lation In Ohio there are but 1858 who
are flliterate, and Of the 23.071 rural
population but 3,4O7 are iIliterate. Gin
cinnah shows the largest per cent Of
colored illiteracy of any city in the
state, and Cleveland the lowest.
In Cincinnati there are 2,503 colored
people, or 14.3 per cent. above the age
Of ten years who can neither read nor
write; in Columbus there are 0G2. or 81
per cent, who are illiterate, and In Day
ton there are 392, or 9.5 per cent who
are illiterate, while Cleveland has but
300, or IL per cent, who are unable to
read and write.
The fact that 41,243 Of the race Of
ten years of age and over are com
PEELED to be employed In gainful oc-
cupations affects, to some extent, the
school attendance on the part Of the
race. In Cleveland 60 per cent Of the