The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-06-08
EDITORS OBSERVATIONS.
By John L. Thompson.

EDITORS OBSERVATIONS.
BY John L. Thompson.
The season of 1917 for Editors OBJ
servation Notes has come and I pre-
sumo that ye editor will again resume
the role as an official reporter or OBJ
servator from the various cities and
towns Of the middle west. I observe
and note the progress that different
members of my race are making in the
various localities where they are
found for many reasons, viz, because
by publishing these items of racial
progress and uplift we encourage and
inspire the race to better and higher
ideals. Second, we publish the real
progress that our best citizens are
making in the great west among the
most progressive Anglo-Saxon race in
America to show to the world that our
race is worthy of equal treatment and
full justice in this country. I some
times think that I will not write those
long observations, but the people, es-
pecially some of my subscribers, tell
me they enjoy reading them. You
may know that do not enjoy writing
them, therefore each year I become
more brief than the previous year, so
that those who do not get mention
in these notes are very worthy. After
decorating the graves of my relatives
and paying lasting tribute of love and
affection to my dear relatives who
sleep in the cemetery, on Decoration
day, Wednesday, May 30th, I left next
morning for Creston, Iowa. Upon
reaching this metropolitan city in
south central Iowa I missed the pleas
ing face of Chas. Burnaugh, who had
been the Summit hotel porter for
thirty odd years, but who had quit this
wo X last fall and moved TO Des
Mo >es to make his future home. Even
the, I'D Summit hotel was burned
dow, which was a land mark upon
the Sreston hill. Mr.. r. Hawkins is
still running his shoe shining parlor.
Mr.. Martin, the old soldier who has
lived here half a century, lost his duti-
full and devoted wife last winter and
he feels lonesome on his three acre
fruit and berry garden in this city, a
valuable piece of property. Mrs. Dow,
the widow, IS still on her five acre
truck farm at the south line of the
city. The Baldwin brothers are still
on their farm one mile east of this
city. They are farming Alt acres of
land. They have 165 acres Of corn
planted, sixty acres Of oats. They are
now feeding one carload of cattle, with
a bunch of hogs. They own a fine
seven-passenger Hupmobile car and
are one of our largest colored farm
ers in southern Iowa.
In Bedford we spent one hour. Mr..
J.W.. Howe is still here. Mr.. Lucas
is working at the bank, where he has
been for many years. Rev. Stark, a
retired A. M. E. minister, Mr.. Frank
lin and his daughter, Lulu, are doing
nicely. Mrs. M. V. Robinson has been
sick for several months, but is con-
valescing. They own a beautiful
home. Miss Gertrude Lucas, teacher
in the Buxton schools, is home here
spending the summer. Her sister is
student at the state university at
Iowa City.
At Gravity we spent the night at
the pleasant country home of Mr.. and
Mrs. VIM. H. Johnson. His only son,
Fred, drove his car over to Bedford
for me. Fred. is rural mail carrier;
has been for the past ten years. His
father also had a route for many
wears. Fred owns his own car and
Mr.. and Mrs. w. H. own fine Over
land five-passenger new car. Their
only daughter, Miss Mabel, drives it
to Bedford quite often, where she has
a large clientage in hair and scalp
treatment. Their farm crops look
good, all in first class order. Mrs
johnson has about $50 young chick
ems, thirty young turkeys, ten young
Eoslings and they have a bunch OF
young pigs, calves and colts, the very
life of active farming. Mr.. Richard
johnson, a brother of the other Mr..
johnson, also owns an eighty-acre
farm. He also owns a first class ton
serial shop, in which his Oldest son as
sists him. They are doing well. Our
next stop was in Clarinda.
CLINTON, IOWA.
At the annual meeting of the Order