The Denver star., 1915-01-30
By RALPH W. TYLER.

SooS 0C0T0o NFoOP OF uuoOoSFsOOD
individuals In City Of Houston.
By RALPH ". TYLER.
Houston. Textile Rev. DR.. Rever-
dy G. Ransom, the polished editor OF
the A. NJ. E. Review and one OF the
races most eloquent pulpit orators.
says the Texas Negro is the coming
Negro In this country; he looms up
big on the racial horizon" My tour
through the Lone Star State confirms
the Rev. DR.. Ransoms statement DIR.
Booker L. Washington, possessed as he
is of indomitable energy and wonder
full capacity for organizing and achiev-
ing, would have builded Tuskegee to
its present beacon light standing, but
his building operations would have
been attended with more difficulties
had he not found in Texas. and in this
city. that quiet, prodigious worker and
master of details, Emmett j. Scott, to
assist him in his work.
In some ways 1t is said that the Tex
as white man, as a rule. takes little in
terest In our race, and yet the state OF
Texas contributes more for the educa-
ton Of the Negro than any other south
ern state. In this state the public
school buildings for colored youths are
far superior TO any other southern
state. the equipment is better and the
teaching force the equal of many states
in which opportunities and rights and
privileges for the race are. presumed to
be better. though it still maintains sep
arate schools In this city. whose total
population is 10000. the phenomenal
growth OF the city has benefited the
Negroes as well as the hites. for there
is property to the value of 100000 on
the tax duplicate of this city in the
name of Negroes. the same people have
$4,000 invested In business enter
prises, and they have $4,000 in cash
deposited in the banks of this city as
reserve fund for rainy day or for
taking advantage of good investments
There are fourteen schools for the
colored people in this city, one of them
being a most substantial and imposing
building. and all OF them average. in
size and equipment, far better than
those in cities OF southern states other
than Texas. Like the average commu
nifty of our people. there is 4 strong re-
ligious sentiment here. and fifty-one
churches thirty five of which are Bap
list. stand as monuments to mystic
deity and to draw heavily upon the
har1working. industrious persons for
support There is quite professiona
class also-fOurteen physicians, six
dentists, seven pharmacists and one
Ia Tho In fpaSf rvy,r~ary etnre, ron
Quoted by man OF the race. is to be
found here in Houston. owned nd con
Quoted by X. l.. Andrews. Fully two
thirds OF his patrons are white, and
this In Texas. He buys in heavy guam
tities-carload lots-and SO is prepared
to sell at the lowest possible rate
In Houston he has nearly all OF the
sweet potato trade merely because he
is the heaviest buyer. He does not
only retail business. but n wholesale
business as well. selling to many OF
the best white grocers. No name ap-
pears on any of his delivery wagons
and no name appears on the window
or above the door of his big store. bu;
every citizen in town knows the loca'
ton OF the store. Mr.. Andrews is one
vi
religion in their business as well as
business In their religion.
Another big character and potential
factor here in causing the Texan color
ed man to loom up big on the racial
horizon is J. Il. Bell. the real estate
dealer and capitalist He is too mod
est to boast OF his achievements, but
learned-and correctly. too-that
starting few years ago on borrow
ed capital of $50. Mr.. Bells rent roll
today amounts to more than 5000 per
month.
One OF the handsomest libraries An
drew Carnegie built for our race is the
one In this city. and It Is one of the
best. II not the very best, conducted
and maintained. being scrupuloust,
clean and largely because Of the inter
est Mr.. Bell takes in 1t. In Houston
the race Is helping itself. and this Is
disclosed in the fact that 1t owns and
conducts fine groceries, well stocked
dry goods stores. cafes. undertaking
establishments, butcher shops, insur
ance companies. newspapers and vari
ous other business enterprises with
marked success.
There Is a fairly liberal sentiment or
the part Of the whites toward the racs
in this city. and the restrictions which
the race suffers from are no worse
than those encountered in New York,
perhaps. OF whose colored citizens the
Rev. Mr.. Ransom speaks 30 hopelessly
Editor Love. with his strong. uncom
promising weekly. stands guard here
against any backward step affecting
the race. either on Its part or the
whites. Among the race men here
who are laboring most unsel6shly 70,
its advance In Houston are J. B. Bell
Il