The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-06-30
TnR GRElT SUCCESS
ACHIEVED BY ONE NEGEO MAN
In ALABAMA.
The Tuskogee Industrial School
How 1t Was Made All That 1t Is
By One Hard Working Man.


By One Hard Working Man.
NEW YoRK, June 2s.--The Tribune
tn CO 60 (Ala.) Correspondent wiiiee
Isis q q8c ton still gftsn asked,
kgNever, i ] know o. 20 better SIN
gle a swer TO tlHn the cue | R1vs
then and caa b ter give now as Az
e !. 9 ss..t -.==sss-.tha - II " a. has
I baen ~ onpiishea in lusscRee
SIX Aeasl aga Gen. AmsrOpg, q
bampt n .l}a.Du'f, ioeue cd bf
/ tie e.a'e Sun TIrter en- OF AlaDlme
20 flcOnn end o te4tLe fof q nes
! c loied IA pc 81 bout 70 b
Il fttd BY q g .Staaa az ia K g4s, re
1 omm nda M. B. kar y. We hing.
t,p, Q Haup on gradnre Gb0 hFd
come { tues il % inm1ho MINIS OF
Wsgs yrgiaa with 90 cena il b s
| pocket, wo.ked ha wa through, bftn
1 graduated with honois, ada n I
tCschpg sue. siully 30 hisoUn s. @
he'd shown ma BOD ability In Chsige OF
the Indi N bo}s al Hampton. Goi0g %
his new post. Mr. Wash ngton found
tBat it was ystto G created The State
2fp CTR ated on'y sa.ar es School
bn loiag, furniture, app ratas, books
and current expe nses wers 10 be
provided for by h people themselves
il they would take advantage If State
Gss stanfe And " no were the peo.
plef" NO the Gu tivsted white aris-
iocrscy, for whom Tuskegee had loDg
been an educational center, with col
leges and sta1emitss OF high Tepute,
| but the negroes OF the famous "blsck
beIti OF tee Southern Safes, in the
very heart of which Tdektgee Is titu-
ated Ia the midst Of dense .popula-
tion not yet emerged flom the shadows
Of slavery; Very lew owning their
own laad; bound down to perpetual
debt and ssridom by the Glen and
mo tgage system" aud their own ig-
nornncs and appropriateness their chill
dren running in rags and nakedness;
their poverty and wretchedness be-
yond description. That in such "a
people" as this there is nevertheless
passion however blipd-for "an edu-
cation" like their fathers passion for
freedom, is a mJstery-a mystery that
works a miracle. =.
The new superintendent, resolved
to do at least all HE part, called q
meeting OF the colored people in the
town and set the opportunity before
them. A colored church was ut once
offered, with two neighborlng shanties
for recitation rooms, and before the
week OF grace offered by the State for
acceptance OF its aid wal over the
Tuskegee Normal School declared its
Independent existence on the 4th OF
July, 1884, with thirty colored teach
ers enrolled as students, many of
whom had never been to school be-
fore. 10 the fall another Hampton
graduate Joined Mr.. Washington as
assistant principal, Miss Olivia David.
son, graduate also of the Frsming,
ham Normal Schoolin Massachusetts,.
The number OF students iap:dly iu-
creased, many coming from distance
and boarding in town till their funds
gave out, then leaving with fearful
eyes. MIR. Washington remembered
the chance Hampton had given him.
In kis heart and his colleagues was
the Hampton faith of Industrial
training end self help. What could
they do about it2
That was Tuskegee in the summer
OF 1881. Five years have passed,
and now in the summer OF 1886 |
have come flom Hampton on Mr..
Washinat1n's invitation to report its
fitch anniversary exercises for the
Tribune. And what do / find here ?
A young Hampton ms itute IN the
black belt. A farm of.500 acres,
about sixty under cultivation, with
vegetables, corn, cas- and auGar cane,
the rest III good timber; two large
bnildings Potter Hall, three story
frame building WITH recitation, ag-
eembly and sowing rooms, donmilcries
Tor boys llbfeiy, &C.. and Alabama
la !, a four tt9ty brick building with
rooms TO- eiils aad teachers, di1ibg
ROOMS ktehaus, etc. The bieks were
maze ia the brick yard on the grounds
chiefly by udent lsbor. In tho
"Sa.er carpenter shop student labor
manufactures a the fchool furniture.
In the blacksmith chop bolts ara
rivoted and letters OF ignor.
ance and poverty broken at one
blow. find 2SS students on
the roll, 100 girls and 159 boys,
averaging eighteen years Of age, and
representing twenty-five counties of
Alabama and four other States. |
tind on the grounds training school
where 20J children are taught, and the
normal Students are taught to teach
them, making total OF ass under in
struetion OF the Normal School. l
fiad a corps of eighteen officers and
teachers, eleven OF whom, including
the principa, assistant principal and
treasurer, are Hampton graduates
the otheis graduates Of Atlanta Uni
versity, SprinE field High School, and
Bates College, Of Lewiston, Me,
The examinations in the morning
of the snpiverssry day would have
done credit TO any school. They Gov
cred the four Yeas course, which In
GUIDES the English branches, going
through algebra in mathematics, ana
some study of the natural sciences,
drawing and vocal music. The great
interest Of the az ernoon was the lay
ing OF the corner stone of the building
which is the schools next necessity,
20 lodge the young men, most OF whom
have sill to ehiver all winter in Iou sh
hired shanties through whose cracks
daylight is visible ON every side. The
cornerstone address was delivered by
a white Southern clergyman, son OF
the late Bishop Andrewe, nom Mont
gomery, once the clpita' OF the South
ern Oonfederaoy. II was an extreme
ly friendly aud encouraging address.
The large audience was chiefly made
up Of the colored people OF Tdskegee
and the neiPhboring towns, with
large delegation from Montgomery,
where the progress OF the race has
been marked and there are many well
TO do colored citizens. A number of
prominent white Southern men were
also on the platform in the later exer.
cises, including all the members of the
County Court OF Commissioners,
which adjourned in a body to at.
tend, some of the principal physicians
and merchants Of the town, the Hon.
W. +. Foster, who when Speaker OF
the Leg stature left his seat to urge
through an addition to its appropria.