The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-08-19

ashamed of us. We are YOU guests
and we came to show you just some
of the things for which the Negro
We came to you and we are
here representing every line of bust.
ness and profession to be found in
the United States or the Island of the
sea, or wherever there is a black face
to be seen.
There is a mistaken idea as to
whether the Negro is able to establish
and maintain successfully bigger bust
ness, so I bring to you assurance that
the Negro can rum, operate and main
tain a business that will stand like
yon Gibraltar"
At the close of this response, Nh.
David Chiles, nephew of Mr.. Nick
Chiles, fearless editor of the Topeka
P~laindealer, was accompanied to the
platform. Here he stood, somewhat
modest in his attire of brown ging-
ham shirt and work trousers, but
cheerful and steady nevertheless. Mr..
Chiles has been farming forty-eight
years, and spoke on How to Make
Truck Farming a Success" He said
he began with twenty-five cents in
money, a stout heart and a rented
piece of land down near Nashville,
Tenn. After two years time he had
established 500 in credit, which he
took in one lump sum, without the
necessity of giving a note for same,
and proceeded to purchase a mule and
farm implements. The next year he
doubled the amount of his credit.
After farming fourteen years in my
neighborhood, the people l rented
from informed me that the land was
to be sold to settle an estate but
that that could not sell to a Negro.
l tried several times to buy it, and the
last time l told them to tell everybody
that Dave Chiles was going to leave
Tennessee and if l owed them any
thing to come and get it. Some came
that | did not owe anything to, but |
paid all who came, and then told fam
lily to pack up and get ready to move.
l left with clean hands and made my
way to Kansas, where | bought sixty
acres of land at 800 an acre. Later
I bought another twenty, off of which
l raised over $500 worth of water
melons the first year, almost enough
to clear the farm Mr.. Chiles is now
worth about $685. because he al
ways stuck to truck farming, even
though men at times around him
might be making $40 a day and he
only a quarter. He said the best way
to succeed in anything was to stick
to the business.
Mr.. Samuel Charles, of Pensacola,
Fla, was the last speaker. Mr..
Charles is in the shoe repairing and
retail shoe business. Possibilities of
the Negro in the Shoe Business" was
his subject, from which he spoke some
thirty minutes, after which he was
closely questioned. Before speaking
he showed pictures of his West End
shoe store, his downtown shoe store,
and both his winter and summer
homes.
Mr., Charles tabulated his business
as follows: Inventory Dec. 81, 1915,
$1,000 in stock; purchase from Jan. /,
1916 to June 81, 1916, shoes, $3,7S5,
leather S1,327.25, findings $35O.54, rub
Der heels $494.27, other stock $275;
total ~S6,212.69, or a grand total of
$13,212.69. Sales Jan. /, 1916 to June
81, 1916 $4,000, profit at rs per cent
gross, or $4,000, expenses to be de-
Quoted $1,061, leaving a net profit of
1899 for six months, or about s156
per month. He employs four repair
ers and two clerks, his son operates
n store and seventy per cent of his
trade is white.
Yesterday afternoon the League
sessions were set aside in order that
in the evening the crowds of visitors
and delegates might rest up to attend
the services which had been planned
in honor of the memory of the late
founder and only president of the Ma
tional Negro Business League. And
last night for more than an hour men
and women filed down the big corri-
doris of Convention Hall and slid ST.
lently into their seats awaiting with
abaited breath the sound of the gavel
that opened the biggest meeting Of
its kind ever held west of the Mis-
sissippi river.
At $3.50 the Hon. Charles H. Gallo
way of Kansas City, in a short but
most begitting opening speech intro
duced the Hon. Charles Banks, first
vice-president # the League, to the
audience. Mr.. Banks opened the Me-
moral services in recalling the time
when Mr.. Washington conceived the
idea that later developed or mater
ialized into the N. N. B. L.
The brief. but terse, beautiful and
elegant eulogies that were delivered
to this great mans memory were
rather majestic. Mr.. Napier made a
special appeal that the League be car
ried on to its highest possible sue
cess, as this was Mr.. Washington's
desire. Mrs, NJ. e. Joenberger, of
Fort Smith, Ark, read a most pleas
ing paper. She is one OF the few wo-
men life members of the League, and
also long time friend OF the Washing
ton family. DR.. Robert r. Motion, Mr..
Washington's successor, delivered a
f~orceful eulogy. The people discover
ed in him a man OF dynamic speech,
the effect Of which was noticeable