The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-07-28
EDITORS OBSERVATIONS.

Fairfield was our next stop. Here
we found that several colored famil-
les had left this city. We do not
know the cause. Perhaps to seek
better wages. Mr.. Quinn is still work
ing at the malleable iron shops, as is
G. w. Coalson. They both own beau
tiful homes, well kept. F. A. An
thony is training horses for the COM
ing fairs. Sam Sykes is one Of the
oldest residents and he retired from
the barber business, which he follow
ed until recently. He owns valuable
property. Ben E. Detwilder is doing
we'll. Mrs. VIM. Smith has built his
new modern home and he is still
working at the iron company. w. G..
Bennings is still here, working at the
same place.
We next drove over to Mt. Pleas
ant, where lives about 600 colored
people. There are two churches, the
Baptist, pastored by Rev. J. NJ.
Eaves, who is doing good work here
with his church. They own q nice
church. Rev. Jackson lives here, but
pastors the Baptist church at New
Boston and Montrose. He owns .
home and is q hustler. The A. N. E.
church is pastored by Rev. B. r,
Hubbard, who is doing good work
with the number Of people he has 70
work with. Harry Burnaugh is still
in the contracting business, associat-
ed with Mr.. E. H. Reecer. They are
hustling young men and . credit to
our race. Mr.. Reecer owns = beauti-
full home in the suburbs Of the city.
He has fine fruit trees on it. Clay
Reed is still farming this year. H.
F. Foster is also farming; 80 is Mr..
John Greenup, and their crops are -
coed as could be expected, consider
ing the dry weather. John w. Har-
ris is another man who lives in town
and is farming. He has recently
bought him farm and is improving
it near the city. Thus little by little
our people are buying Iowa farms.
We are glad to note this and hope
that more will do likewise. J. w.
Fiddler, who worked a few months
with Lu Shelton's barber shop in
Des Moines last year, and married
one Of our girls, Miss Griffin, has
opened a tonsorial shop at No. at
N. Adams street and is doing well.
]. w. HHedge, an old soldier, is still
in the barbering business at 519 N.
Jay street. He is fine man to meet.
Mrs. III. Walters owns a valuable
home on a prominent street. Miss
Minnie Page will be the Bystander
reporter this year from Mt. Pleasant.
She i q young girl in the senior vesrs
at the high school. Mt. Pleasant can
boast Of more colored people gradu-
ating from their high school and the
Wesleyan college than any other
town in Iowa in like proportion to
the colored population, and many Of
her graduates have gone out in the
world and have made great success.
Many have married and have made
excellent husbands and good wives.
Their general educational qualifica-
tions here are far above the average
in other Iowa communities and their
refinement is very noticeable. Mrs.
Ralph Burnaugh is sample of this
type culture. Mrs. Harriet Smith
and Mrs. Martha Baugh are living at
the same place. The former is treas
urer Of the Iowa-Nebraska Baptist
association and has been for many
years. Mr.. s. McCracken and son
are still operating his barber shop.
One Of his daughters of st. Paul,
Minn., is visiting him now, He owns
beautiful home.