The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-10-28

both sexes from fifteen states, make a
total of $50 in the regular course.
There are 300 children in the "John G.
Whittier" preparatory department.
There are eighty officers, teachers, in
dustrial managers, assistants, clerks
and nurses, of whom about half are in
the industrial departments. The school
is open the entire year, about one-half
the students scattering in the summer
Indians to work with Massachusetts
farmers, and negroes to earn money
where they can to meet school expenses.
The farm and dozen workshops are at
their maximum activity from the mid
die of June, when day classes cease, to
October, when they begin again. Two
hundred fifty negroes work the entire
day, ten hours, and study from seven
to nine o'c'OckP. NJ, the eutir year, ex-
cepting September. So much, perhaps
too much, for general outline.
The statistics of Hampton's twenty
two years. work for the negro, and
twelve years work for Indians, just col
lected after long and careful inquiry of
its 1923 graduates twenty-five of them
Indians), show that all but eighty, nine
OF whom are Indians, have taught school,
teaching chiefly the children of farmers
and working people. In all 129, 475 pu-
pills have been enrolled. 1t is bard to
overstimate the influence of these teach
ers on negro agriculture. Young
women as well as men have taught, in
social and religious gatherings and in
personal talk, rotation of crops, making
manure, improving the soil by blowing
under green crops, raising grass, max
ing their own meat, instead of risking
everything on cotton and buying their
bacon, as most do. Many and many
parent has become a land owner through
the influence of his children, whom the
teachers have instructed in practical
matters. These Hampton graduates
and the same may be said of the grad.
yates of Atlanta and Fisk Universities,
and the other American Missionary As
ISOLATION instituions-are ciViliZers by
example as well as precept, largely de-
voting their summers to raising crops
OF cotton, corn, and sometimes tobacco;
preaching and practicing everywhere
the gospel ofintelligent farming.
The school here has blooded stock
horses, cattle, pigs, and TO wl-not only
improving the stock in this vicinity, but
spreading a knowledge of good stock
that makes demand for it as far south
as Alabama. There is no better mis-
sionary work. Thirty-six of our male
graduates follow farming, and forty.two
follow trades, exclusively. Hampton
students are chiefly from the country
region; farmers children, used to hard
work, unable to pay any cash, and sre
charged with everything they get (ten
dollars month for board, washing, ETC.,
clothes and books extra), in monthly
statement. The total amount charged
the students last year was S64 ,4S3 40, of
which they worked out in various in
dustries $57 1871; S3,114O6 was paid
in cash, and 81 ,654 81 aid given from
the beneficiary fund. We give what is
equivalent to high school course of
study, minus the classics. History, po-
litical science and physical science are
taught in an elementary but thorough
way. Much has to be done with the
three RS. These people have, as
rule, no time for the dead languages,
though many of them have the talent.
All the New England and Northern
colleges are open to those who wish a
liberal education, and some of our boys
have done finely there. l wish that
your paper would ask for and publish
reports from the agricultural colleges
for negroes in North and South Caro-
lima, Mississippi, and other Southern
states. Whatever may be said of the
Land Grant colleges for whites, (and
they can easily take care of them.
selves-the professor is, believe, most
unfair to them); those for the negro,
not in all states what they ought to be,
are, l think, fulfilling the intent of the
Act of Congress which established
them, so far as encouraged by local
laws.
Never, so far as know, has Senator
Morrill, of Vermont been duly credited
with promoting the best form of ma.
tional aid for negro education. Within
the past year, under the Morrill, Act, APP
proved August 30, 1890, negro indus
trial education has made remarkable
progress; state legislation has improved.
This know from the frequent applica-
tons, made of late for industrial teach
ers, to this institute. More and more
our work is to train them in our re-