The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-23
A MOSES OF HIS RACE
BOOKER r. WASHINGTON BEFORE
THE CONTEMPORARY CLUB.
His Efforts in Changing Industrial
Conditions I'm the south-An
Interview.

booher l. washington, presluent OF the
Tuskegee College, at Tuskegee. Ala. and
one of the brightest colored men in the
country. is at the Bates Hotel. He came
here to deliver a lecture on the condition Of
his race in the Black Belt of the South.
Mr.. Washington was born in slavery and
is in doubt as to the exact year of his birth.
As near as he can ascertain he was horn
in 1858. on a Virginia plantation. AS he
said last night, MY first memory of life is
that of a one-room log cabin. with a dirt
floor and a hole in the center He recalls
wildly the morning when freedom came
and he started out to find new friends and
new homes. In 1871 Mr.. Washington en-
tered the Hampton Institute, in Virginia.
where he worked his way through and got
an education. He remained there as a
teacher. and afterward. when a tutor was
wanted to take control of a similar institu-
ton at Tuskegee. young Washington was
selected. He has seen the school grow into
the leading colored institution of its kind
In the country. During the Atlanta Expo.
sition Mr.. Washington was invited to de-
liver an address on the "New Negro" and
his speech attracted attention all over the
South. as well as in the North. Two weeks
ago he. sat on the platform in New York
city with DR.. Talmage and President Cleve-
land.
Mr.. Washington says that the colored
people of the South revere the memory of
Henry w. Grady. He believes that Mr..
Grady did more toward beating down the
prejudice against the negro in the South
than n other man.
81 feel sure,'' said he, " that the kind
words and strong influence of Mr.. Grady
in behalf of the colored people during his
life was the cause of my being invited to
speak at the Atlanta Exposition. Both col
ored and whites in the South remember Mr..
Grady with tenderest feelings.
Il think the colored people have a bright
future to look forward to-" continued Mr..
Washington. Their hope lies in the COM
mercial and business world. Give them an
influence in and I'm the money
markets and there will be no more lynch
ings. 1t is this that will some day permit
the colored woman TO sit down in the ladies'
coach with the white women of the South.
Refinement is another thing they must
have. but that will come with the business
education"
Mr.. Washington's wife is known as a
contributor to the magazines, and through
the South she is well known for her inter
est in the organization of clubs among the
colored women. In politics Mr.. Washington
is a Republican. but he says he is too busy
looking after the welfare Of his people 10
think about politics. Last night he ad-
Propylaeum. The lecture was well received
and was followed by a discussion of his
topic.
Mr.. Washington began his lecture by tell
ing something about the institution OF which
he Is at the head. and the success of which
is his greatest ambition.
sLrrnpo fha Arof industrial n ~ h nd training
work" said he. This Industrial training.
combined with the mental and religious, has
served emphatic advantages. AT first few or
the young men and women would be able TO
remain in school during the nine months and
pay in cash the IS a month. charged for
board, but they were given. the chance OF
working out a portion OF their board and
the remainder they paid in cash. Ii was
found by experience that the institution
could furnish labor that had economic value
to the institution and gives the students a
chance to learn something from the labor
within itself. This year there was cultivated
by the labor OF students about six hundred
acres of land; this Ian Is only cultivated in
a way TO bring in return to the boarding. de-
partment. but the farm. including STOCK
made a constant object lesson for the stu
dents and the people in that section or the
South. A three-story brick building. is now
going up. and the bricks for this building are
manufactured by students. A million and a
half brick have been made this season. the
brick masonry; plasterl1g; saving insm 81 lnmoe r.
fact, everything connected with the erection
of this building. is for permanent use, and
the students nave t9s k arectson . o sucb me 8
building. While the young men do this, the
girls to a large extent make, mend and
laundry their clothing, and in that way are
taught these industries.
"At the head of each industrial depart
ment there is a competent instructor, so that
the student is not only learning the pTac-
teal work, but is taught as we'll the under
lying principles of each industry. Wnen the
student is through with brick masonry, ne
not only understands the trade in a practical
way, but also mechanical and architectural
drawing to such an extent that ne can be
come a leader in this industry. All through
the class room work is dovetaiied into the
industrial-the chemistry teaching made TO
tell on the farm and cooking, the mathe-
MATES In the carpentry. department, the
physics In the blaeksmithing and foundry
ing. Aside from the advantage mentioned.
the Industrial training gives TO the students
respect and love for ~labor-helps mem 10 get
rid of the idea so long prevalent In the south
that labor with the hands is rather de-
grading.
the negro is to be limited in his mental de-
v~elopment," said the speaker. "The negro.
like other people, should secure all the
mental development possible; pIt II Is es-
emit condition of the masses or the negroes
in the South to apply their education IN
the direction of industrial. ire, INDUSTRIAL
the forces OF nature. The more mental de-
velopment an individual has the more likely
ia he to succeed along Industrial lines. but
mental development within itself amounts
TO nothing except az II is applied In some
useful direction. When industrial educa-
tion is mentioned to the average man he
gets the idea that ii is meant TO teach the
negro to work. Far from this; Industrial
EDUCATION is meant to teach one how not to
work. but how to make horse power. or
steam, or electricity work for him. II Is
the Ignorant, unskilled man who tolls from
day to day with his hands. while the man
with education and trained hands makes
the forces of nature do his work. The
masses of the colored people work hard.
but by reason of their want of skill and
intelligence some one else receives the
Profits. BY reason OF the negroes lack of
skill he Is at the present at the bottom. so
far as the matter of proft-sharing is con-
cerned.
TRAINING PICKED LEADERS.
'In everything done in the literary, re-
ligious or industrial training OF the school
the question kept constantly before all is
that the institution exists for the purpose
OF training a certain number of picked
leaders who will go out and reach in an
effective manner the masses by whom We
are surrounded. 1t is not a practical nor
desirable thing for the North to educate
all the negroes in the South, but il is a per-
fectly possible and practical thing for the
North to help the South educate the leaders.
who in turn will go out and reach the
masses and show them how to lift them
selves up"
TIL cpaoLar Sofd shat tho fret rao pao.