Morning journal and courier., 1885-06-17

the institute furnishes employment by the day), and public colored school to give nor nal practice to these prospective teachers, after the analogy of the Butler school at Hampton.
 As I came up from the narrow gauge depot I was at once forcibly impressed with the beauty of the site of Tusksgee and the typi- cal southern dilapidation of the town itself. I wended my way along tortuous but broad streets shaded by glorious old oaks to the pleasant site of the school. It was the hour of the regular morning inspection, and the boys were drawn up in two companies facing each other, with the brass band of the insti- ute at an intermediate point. I noticed with modification that when the boots were inspected according to custom mine were about the least shiny in the lot It might have been worse, however; as guest of the school I might have been asked to conduct the inspection! I thanked my stars that I had been spared this humiliation. After some simple evolutions the boys filed into Porter Hall and ascended to the chapel, where they were joined by the girls, whose rooms had been inspected at the same time. Where are habits of neatness and cleanliness needed more than in the south lands At the service of prayers I noticed another Hamp ton feature reproduced with slight modified tions. The names of dozen students were called at random from the class cards, and each person called upon had to rise and re- peat some item of news gleaned from the last daily newspaper in the reading room After this exercise other students were called upon and eross-examined upon the same news Alaska had been mentioned inciden- tally and someone was responsible to tell the history of Alaska's purchase from Russia. The news of John A. Logan's election to the Senate had been chronicled and now sketch of Logan's life was required. The English lord chancellor had been referred to and now tho4 o6a,,a hol fr 1a Iafy ter chapel prayers public recitations were conducted for three hours in the various class rooms This gave me an opportunity not only to study the excellent classroom methods employed, but also to what clever, clear-headed, wide awake set of young men and young women has been secured by Professor Washington to assist him in his work
 Then 1 went on tour of inspection of the premises in company with Professor Wash ington, the State superintendent of educa- tion, and some other prominent white citi zens. The splendid work of the young prin- cipal has won the sympathy and cooperation of even the southern white people. We saw mammoth potatoes, turnips, eabbages, peas and various other vegetables. "Our land is poor" said Professor Washington, "but wouldn't have it otherwise. l got it with that fact in view. I want the students to learn how to make good land out of poor
 
 good crops on rich land. We are trying to raise an intelligent class of farmers" In the carpenter shop were exhibits of furni- ture made by the students, beds, washstands, tables, etc. In the girls industrial depart ment were shawls, aprons, shirts, hats, tidies and other articles of apparel or household use.
 In the meantime colored people had been docking to the school from all the surround ing country. Both sides of the street were lined for nearly half mile with the wagons and buggies of people who had come five, ten, fifteen, twenty and even twenty-five miles that morning. It had been raining for nearly week, and yet on this day the heav- smiled their pleasantest Nature would not have dared to weep on such an occasion. I took occasion to say to one jolly darkey, who had just been smothered with kisses by a radiant daughter who had been to school for three months without visiting home:
 ''What do you think of this schools" "Don't it beat all. saha" was the reply 'EYere we black folks was four years ago, not knowin dat such thing eddication was for us. Now jess see de kyarriages I got up and started long 'fo' daylight. Twas rainin' den, but jess prayed de good Lawd to pull back his clouds an let de light shine through. An he did. I'se boun' now dat my chilluns shall have chance eff I didn't" /"
 The multitude was fed by Professor Wash ington under a grove of four mammoth null berry trees-the finest mulberry trees I ever saw. After this collation everybody ad- journed to the college. That is, everybody did who could get inside. When the student choir of one hundred voices commenced singing that inexpressibly sweet plantation melody, Bright Sparkles in the Church yard, looked about over the sea of black faces, fringed in front with few white ones faces of former slave owners; and some how lump gathered in my throat. I am lot inn al hJ1tG l had f0 Raa winking fast or my brimming eyes would have run over. Two decades ago who would have dared predict that such an audience of well-dressed, eager, earnest colored people would so soon gather on such an occasion, while some whites who could not get chairs would be found sitting on the edge of the platform
 Parrhasius would have given all the world to be able to paint dying groa1t. But would have given whole universe of worlds, had they been mine, to have been able to de- pict in words the peculiar emotion of that strange inspiring occasion The flood of plaintive melody died away and the exercises of the day began. I shall not characterize these more than to say that was taken by surprise. Every essay, Reclamation and ora tion was sensible and in the best of taste. Every student was dressed with immaculate neatness, but no one loudly. The State su' perintendent of education presented the di-
 
 same time uttering warm words ot encour agement to the ten graduates, and of com mendation for the work of the school, dwell ing upon the fact that its glory and dignity is the fact that the colored race have made it all it is. If Superintendent Palmer were more popular with his party much good might be hoped for from this visit.
 But the crowning surprise of the day was the eloquent speech of Professor Price, of Salisbury, N. O., whose oratory created such a furore in England few years since. Pro lessor Price is as black as coal-tar and deci- dedly portly, but he is vigorous thinker, man of large experience and consum- mately sbillful orator. 1 had heard much of him, but was not disappointed I wish he could be heard more generally through the North, as he is certainly the peer of our most eloquent white speakers. His sa ble skin also silences the comment so often passed upon Fred Douglass, that 'tit's the white blood that talks. EMILE.