The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-07-12
EDITORS OBSERVATIONS.
BY John i. Thompson.

EDITORS OBSERVATIONS.
BY John L. Thompson.
Arriving in Mason City, that aggres-
sive business metropolis of northern
Iowa which had 10 years ago only four
or FIVE families of colored citizens, now
fully $50 colored people are here. They
have one Of the incest new modern
churches, the NJ. E., finished about 3
years ago, all paid for. They have been
able to buy house of 8 rooms and
moved upon part of the church ground
and am told that with the loyal aid
of the best white people it is almost
out Of debt. Our old friend, Rev. =.
Woolrich, formerly pastor Of the As
bury M. E. church of Des Moines, is
their efficient pastor. They have sew
eral secret orders here, the leading one
is the Masonic Lodge. Mr.. ]. D. Reeler,
one Of the pioneers here, formerly OF
Des Moines, is still following his trade
and doing well. Ye Editor dined with
him at their nice home in the out edge
Of the. city. He owns some fine breed
Of chickens. b. w. Brown is still work
ing at the factory. Mr.. 0. Cabbell still
lives at 622 N. E. 4th. He is a hustler
He raises hundreds of chickens, also
nice truck garden at odd hours Mr..
Walter Davis, formerly of Ottumwa, is
still in the shoe shining parlor, doing
well. Mr.. L. Garrette is doing well.
A. L. Renix, formerly Of Des Moines,
is working at the same place. He owns
good home in the east part of the
city. H. T. Trombles, new man from
the south, has bought beautiful mod
ern home at 600 S. jackson, in white
district. Mr.. Frank Lee is doing well,
as is also the two Spencer brothers, who
are successful cement contractors. They
have been in business here only about
FIVE years, but have the entire respect
Of the leading business men here. They
are brothers to John Spencer, cement
contractor in Grinnell. Henry Sims is
one Of our substantial citizens here.
He lives with Mrs F. Wright and her
mother, who owns beautiful property
in the southeastern part Of the city.
Mrs. Wright is very deserving lady.
She is now the Worthy Matron Of the
Eastern Star here. They have fine
garden. Mr.. v. Warren is doing nicely.
Mrs, Ida Smith and husband, who live
just outside Of the city limits on a
truck farm, is the city scavenger and
doing we'll. He runs several teams and
has lots Of hogs. His wife has now
about 500 young chickens, the best rec
ord that have seen this year in June.
Rev. E. J. Penney, who lives with his
son-in-law, Mr.. Sratton, who is also
truck farming, is doing well. Mrs.
Robt. Caldwell is still living at the
same place, doing nicely. Mr.. w. L.
Wigginton will chronicle the news this
year from Mason City, as our news
agent, Mr.. H.,F. Mericle, is still rum
ming his tonsorial parlor, also . confec-
tionary store. They have nice trade.
IA Mr.. Brown is just opening new bill
lard and pool room and barber shop in
the heart Of the business district, which
when opened will be q great credit to
our race, as he is young man of busi-
ness ability. was told that he bought
a liberty loan bond from QUIZ govern
ment Of 100000, the largest yet that
/ know to have been purchased in Iowa
by colored man.
We next pulled into Waterloo, which
in many respects is similar to ! Mason
City. It is one Of the largest lties in
north central Iowa, very beautifully To-
Gated on the Black Hawk river. About
eight years ago she only had about
three colored families. Now fully 400
colored people live here. They, like
those Of Mason City, are from the
Southland, working in the Illinois work
shop and other factories. Mrs. s. c..
Smith, 10 w. Mullen ST., is the oldest
in point Of residence. She owns beau
tiful modern home. She has one daugh-
ter who is graduate from the State
Normal School and is now teacher in
the South. Mrs. Smith recently mar
ried, her former husband having died
several years ago. They have two
churches, the a.. n. E., pastored by
Rev. and the Baptist, pas
tored by our old friend, Rev. :. ~.
Bowels, who il doing nicely. They have