The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-10-16
BY the Editor.


of Missouri and its jurisdiction, the
Grand Master, who also happens to be
editor of the Kansas City Sun, was
instructed to visit the lodges of this
jurisdiction in the West, and he de-
cided at the same time to couple it
with vocational trip and learn some-
thing of the possibilities of our peo-
pie in that far off section of our coun-
try as well as what they were accom-
plishing along fraternal, spiritual and
material lines. With this end in view
we placed the affairs Of our office in
the hands of our very efficient man
ager, instructed her to not allow us
to be distributed by any of the worries
and care incidental to the publishing
of race journal, and in company
with the Right Worshipful Grand
Secretary, Mr.. George w. K. Love, left
the great Union station at Kansas
City on Saturday evening, September
4, over the Rock Island route for our
very interesting trip.
We were very much disappointed
in not having with us DR.. NJ. o. Rick
etts of ST. Joseph, Mo-, scholar of
rare attainments and a writer of much
ability who gave to our readers such
pelasing and interesting recital of
our trip to California last year; but
| a press of business and professional
engagements prevented this delight
full travelling companion from accom-
panying us; so the burden of narrat-
ing our trip falls upon the writer.
All day Sunday we travelled over
| the fertile plains of Bleeding Kan
sas," and mid the shades of the even
| ing we passed into the state of Ok
lahoma, thru its oil and gas fields,
some of which like flaming torches,
could be seen many miles away; then
thru New Mexico, where we spent an
hour or two at Tucumcari, very inn
portant division point, leaving there
late in the evening for our first stop
at the beautiful and picturesque city
of Ell Paso, Tex, commandingly sit
uated on the banks of the historic Rio
Grande just across the river from the
old and historic city of Juarez, Mexi-
co.
We arrived in Ell Paso about z
o'clock in the morning and found the
city all astir, thousands of soldiers
and citizens as well as several thou
sand Mexicans were upon the streets
at this early hour, as it was Labor
day, and Ell Paso was preparing to
put on one of its most pretentious
celebrations. Altho the parade which
took place at 10 o'clock was a very
lent Mexican bands, yet there was not
single Negro in the line, as this is
one of the Southern cities that colored
men are not given opportunity to af-
filiate with the unions.
Rumors were flying thick and fast
that the Mexican army across the
river would attack the city that day
and Uncle Sans infantry, cavalry and
artillery was very much in evidence;
squads and groups of soldiers were
encountered at every point and every
point of vantage, and it really seemed
that the city was under martial law.
After the parade we called upon Mr..
c. w. Bradley, who has possibly the
handsomest barber shop in the city,
possesses a pleasing personality and
| is the father of Miss Bessie Bradley,
one of the most efficient teachers in
the Kansas City public schools. We
found his place of business crowded
to the door and after a few min
utes' chat we went out to visit the
places of business owned by colored
people and points Of interest in the
two cities.
There are not a great many col
ored people in Ell paso, only about
800, but they have two churches, a
nice Masonic hall, one or two restaur-
ants, like number of barber shops,
two saloons, small grocery and one
or two lesser places of business. In
the afternoon we went over to Cuidad
/ Juarez, which is one of the Oldest
cities in that country, and we saw
many evidences of the battles that
have been fought from time to time
there during the past two years. We
freely admit we felt considerably re-
lieved when we got back to the Ameri-
can side of the Rio Grande. Brother
Love was so enthused with the visible
signs of war on both sides of the
river, the stirring music of the band
and the multi-colored uniforms of the
different branches of the army that
it was all we could do to prevent him
from drawing his old Spanish war
uniform out of his trunk. donning it
and enlisting forthwith to fight for
his" country. But while discussing
the matter we met Rev. DR.. Jones,
pastor of the Baptist church at Doug
lass, Ariz., who was en- route to Mem
phis,< Tenn, to visit his relatives, and
who assured Brother Love If he had
to enlist to wait until he got up to
douglass, Ariz.. where they were ex
pecting us. and where there were q
great many colored troops. which hs
finally consented to do, and aftcl
mailing a number of cards to friends
back home we caught the El paso 1
Southwestern for Douglas. Ariz., ou