Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1937-09-17
Something About
BOley, Oklahoma
(By ]. Nathaniel Smith,

a white man. The president of
the Port Smith & Western suggest
ed the plan of establishing such a
settlement along the route ira
versed by his road. Mr.. Boley,
subordinate executive of the rail-
road, heard the plan of his chief
and became so enthused over the
idea and devoted so much of his.
time to creating an interest in it,
that the pioneers named their town
in his honor. Of course, every new
settlement along the way meant
more business for the railroad.
Leaving aside such superficial
ties as the pride in having an all
Negro town, self government in the
south and breathing the free air
of Boley," the hard headed econo-
mist wants to know something
about buying and selling, profit or
service, payrolls and real wages,
etc.
Knowing that the state of Okla
homa is making rapid strides in the
field of consumer and producer CO.
operatives, a liberal Minnesotan
visiting Boley naturally asks about
the movement there. With excep-
ton of a scant half dozen of the
citizenry you may as well ask a
rural fundamentalist if the Mean
derthal man knew how to make a
fire.
It would seem reasonable that
after the experiences of 1880 tt
1887 that Negroes not only in Bo'
ley but all over the U. S. would be-
gin to operate producer and con
sumner co-operatives. Boley and vi
cinity can grow variety of gar
den vegetables, fruits and pecans
A producer coop could build a can
merry, employ an expert to manage
it, and thereby furnish read!
market for the products of diversi
fled farming, as we'll as furnish EN-
ployment for a score or more O
people during the summer. TIL
products from the cannery and tn
nut trees could be marketed every
where just as Tuskegee sells its ia
nous CONNECTIONS. This same co-ol
could have creamery or cheese fac
tory or both. Less cotton and NOR
livestock would give more cash dur
ing the entire year. Land now be
ing destroyed by erosion could b
planted to permanent pasture, al
falfa and other stock feed. Tn
packing industry in Oklahoma City
only GO miles away on pave
road, offers an excellent place t
dispose of farm animals. Due t
a lack of capital none of thes
things can be done in Boley b
rugged individualists, all and NOR
could be done by cooperative OF
ganization.
On the consumer end, a we
managed cooperative could max
Boley far surpass the wildes
dreams of it's founders. There ar
five small privately owned film
stations and few garages in Be
ley. The boys who work in thel
are polite, industrious fellow
There are a small number of e.
pert mechanics, some of whol
have spent several years in auto
mobile factories in Michigan, ye
there is not a single first class ga
rage or filling station in the tow
due, of course, to the eternal lac
of capital. When it is said that tn
answer to many of these problem
is co-ops, it is no untried fantasti
dream. Practical illustrations ar
all over the northwest and else
where in the world. There ar
towns in Minnesota with one thir
of the population of Boley wit
strong, thriving co-ops which tn
so-called depression only served t
strengthen and expand their activi
ties.
The fact that Boley farmers an
gardeners are overlooking lucra
tive income from orchards, peca,
groves, livestock, etc., is no par
ticular reflection on them. The
still cling to cotton, in another sec
ton of the country farmers ham
on doggedly to sugar cane, Will
others starve to death raising rice
and believe it or not, there ar
farmers still alive who consider tn
production of wheat form of di
vine worship.
Neither geographical location
nor pigmentation can be blamed TO
this condition, it is simply a cas-
of whatever is, IS" This will b