The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-06-25
Three Days Celebration 10 TANNED
and VIII Show What Has Been
Done In Fifty
Years
SECURE GOOD SPEAKERS
Senator Frailey VIII Give One Ad-
dress, and c. r. Joy Will SAX
At Meeting On Sunday
Night

day." will be the theme of our literary
congress and half century celebration
here Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
June 81, % and 49," declared Rev. D. E..
Butler, local clergyman and social
worker, who Is promoter Of the affair.
| Our plans are practically perfected.
and We are only waiting for the day.
and the weather. Aside from our
white and colored friends here, we ex
pect large attendance from neighbo--
ing towns, All lovers Of humanity OF
whatever nationality or creed, should
join to rake this affair a success.
Energy expended In this way will
help to lift the black mans burden
and make the community better. A
better community will make happier
people, and tend to cement the bond
tof friendship which, after all, is this
one thing needful in the proper ad-
justment Of our community life.
, There are practically 100,0O0,0C0
people in this country and every tenth
man Is black man, our celebration Is
| to show what that tenth man has
done in the fifty years Of his freedom.
1--WE want our white friends to come
and see and hear OF the progress we
have made, that they may know that
the money they have contributed to.
ward the support and maintenance Of
our institutions, and the patience they
have exercised toward us as a race.
has not been in vain
Our illiteracy fifty years ago, was
80 per cent-today it is only 80 per
cent. We did not have single law
yer or doctor fifty years ago. Today
we have 1,500 practicing lawyers, and
$500 physicians.
Will Show Statistics.
Fifty years ago. we did not know
what negro town, bank, drug store,
Tor hospital, looked like Today we
have 800 drug stores, 72 banks, 81 hos
ipital and nurse training schools AMI
there are so negro towns and settle
ments among US 62.2 per cent of all
negroes in our country, ten years OF
age and over are engaged in gainful
Occupations. Why right here in Lee
county, where nearly one-flfth Of Iowa's
colored population live, We own 200
homes. with much acreage, whose
total value Is s300,0o0.00.
my statistical table, to be sub |
mitted upon the occasion of our cele-
bration, will show that there are ~
professionals among us here, while we
have business men and women and
artisans, to the number Of rs.
There will be on exhibition about
seventy-nine distinct articles, all kinds |
of needle work, art, literature, music, |
wood and basket work, and models. !
Buxton. Abba, Ottumwa. Burlington,
Des Moines, Ft. Madison, will be we'll |
represented in exhibits and on the
There are number Of field officers |
including e. F. Butler of Abba. L. A. |
Abel. Burlington, Miss N. A. Harper, |
and Rev. L. "a. Owens. Fl. Madison,
Miss Mae Ida Davis, Buxton, Rev. Dr.
H. w. Jameson, Champaign. ILL.,. and |
DR.. J. J. Evans, Quincy, who will be |
here to assist in making the exhibit /
ton what It is designed to be.
The meeting begins properly Sun
day. with the following:
Special sermon at II a. m.
AT p. m. the trustees will conduct
the program, several short talks viii /
be made by our white friends. Tho
main speaker to be C. R. Joy, subject
optional. At this meeting the mem
bers and friends will report several
rally cards. and at the same time hear
a report as to the exact standing Of
the local society