Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-10-01

this commandant that would be ex.
cused from the regiments because the
presence of q colored man in the COM
pany would cause friction. Quite q
change since the Wilderness Over
| my protest to serve my country I was
refused. A classmate of mine who
| Joined the bugle corps was asked to
resign because there was one too
| many buglers, yet he was among the
first to come out for the position and
had had experience
In connection with the meeting OF
the National Negro Business league,
at Boston. the New York Post pub
fishes some figures relative to the
commercial progress OF the Negro dur
ing the last Is years. In 1900 there
were In this country 10000 Negro bust
ness enterprises; in 1915 over $4,000
In 1900 Negroes operated two banks;
1915, over fifty. In 1900 there we're
10000 Negro retail merchants: 1915.
over $4,000. During the same period
the value of farm property held by
Negroes has increased proportionate-
". The value of domestic animals ad-
vanced from sS5,G00.0oo to s177,009,-
600; poultry. s3.s0o.0o0 to s5.0o0,00o;
implements and machinery, $ls.5oo 900
to $50, SOC. coo; land and buildings, $685.
500, 900 to s273, 100000. The percent
age of increase ranges from Sc per
cent to 1913
Much of this progress is credited to
the influence of Booker T. Washing
ton, Tuskegee institute, and to like
institutions, which have stood for vo-
cational training. At Tusaegee and
the other schools which have been
modelled after its plan, emphasis Is
laid on such courses as blacksmithing,
dairying, poultry raising, etc, which
fit the student for Immediately re-
muneratiye employment. In his ad-
dress before the Negro business men
at Boston, Doctor Washington urged
bis audience to take up truck farm
ing, baking, storekeeping. etc. saying
there Is in the United States no hope
for US, except we teach our young
people to apply their education to de-
velop the natural resources and pro-
mote human happiness in the commu-
mites in which they live" On farms,
both North and South, there is ample
to put this advice into
effect.
Despite lyuching in the South. which
is an expression OF community law
lessness rather than Negro antagon-
ism, there is reason to believe that
prejudice against the Negro is dying
out. When the Negro exposition was
ago, the newspapers Of that city warm
IL supported the undertaking, urging
white people to attend, and there
we're thousands of white visitors. At
the exposition in Chicago. where the
work of 100000 Negro school chill
dren was on exhibition, the opening
day was declared holiday by the city
council and all municipal and county
Offices were closed.
Few colored men have had such
large number of friends among promi-
nent white citizens as Walter Perry.
for many years employed in response
BILE position at the Country club, and
whose death occurred recently said
Robert B. Mcdowell, secretary of the
Southern club of Birmingham, Ala.
Some years ago while l was secre-
tary OF the Country club l hired Wal
ter and he was there until he died. AL
ways dependable, always faithful, no
one could have given better service.
Everybody who knew him liked him,
and l among hundreds learned of his
death with sincere regret