The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-05-16
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES
or the temperance. Industrial and
Collegiate Iustitution.
Claremont. VA. Nav 14. 1SaS

cessiul ana u very Intelligent years
WORK. Kew. John j. Smallwood is Il
YOUNG negro. seif-educated. having been
compelled to work his way Though
college. and single handed has accom-
plished the greatest work here of any
living negro. He is well informed. well
educated and Is n natural born orator
He Is reserved and very polite. clean and
Intelligent.
The Temperance, Industrial and Col
iegiate Institute Is "a co-educational in
stitute. established entirely upon non
sectarlan and non-political grounds.
me teachers associated with Prof.
John j. Smallwood are all well educated.
Ihey work faithfully upon their pupils
who come to them from the rural dis
tricts OF Virginia. North Carolina and
few from New York, Pennsylvania
and New Jersey States. The young ne
gro here Is taught to work upon the
farm In a systematical way. The girls
are taught to sew, to cook and to do
laundry work. They are taught to
Keep their homes nice and to be pre-
pared to receive company in an intelli-
gent manner. John J. Smalwood, the
young negro, is well known In Virginia.
He was in the eighties associated poll
tcally with the late Hon. John l.. De-
zendorf, General w. &. Wickham and
Senator Williams, one OF the big
-FOUR, In the State politics against the
late General William Malone. Small
wood left his political life behind him
some ten or more years ago sought an
education, and is to-day one of the
most daring, hard working, educational
workers the State has among its col
ored people.
Sunday night, May 5. Prof. John ].
Smallwood made his annual temper
ance speech before n big audience in
the Stone Chapel. Dictations and reci
Hn1 1N,, 81,
from the non-partisan temperance de-
partment The negroes seem TO enjoy
the temperance lectures, and they gave
vent to their good feelings when the
acclaimer had finished. -
Monday night, May 4. very large
crowd of people came in to hear and
TO see the young college and its pupils
Not failure was seen or heard of. on
Tuesday night the cantata. THE Sc
cret, was given by the students under
the auspices of Mrs. j. l.. Casper, of
Norfolk. Mrs. Casper is a fine vocalist
and an exceptional negress pianist She
has almost perfect knowledge of vocal
and instrumental music. \ very large
audience came to see the negroes go
through the cantata. THE secret was
an absolute success
wednesday night was devoted TO the
Junior prize contest. The crowd was
larger than other OF the preceding
evenings. This was an occasion of
1ashion and an absolute exhibition of
negro classical ability and intellect
MISS Nj. NJ. Theratt carried off the first
50 prize; Miss Elnoria Brown took the
second prize of $3.50. Both of these girls
are Nirginians. There never was sucb
Il contest in this part of the State be-
tween negroes tKut awakened such care
and anxiety. yet ended so pleasantly.
thursday night was the last night of
Mare f.. Coleman. Miss NJ L. Harrell
MISS 4. e. Harrell and Miss f. j. overly
composed the senior class. Their ora
lions would be credit TO any New Eng
land institution. The class song was
rendered by Miss e. ]. OVERLY. II was
an exceedingly fine production. and the
white people present, as we'll as the col
ored people, We're moved to tears
President Smallwood made his speech
before this audience. showing how he
mad worked against the greatest en-
oarrassment. He showed that all the
money he had raised for the institution
was done without assistance. He
begged his own race to live for one an
other. TO become more fully in SYM
pathy one with the other, To apnreciota
those who really tried to help the race
The Institution has now $4,000 invested
IN taxable property; ii has nice large
wooden building. The grounds are kept
IN the finest order possible The stu
dents and teachers are all polite and in
teiligent. Mr.. Smallwood, although a
negro, deserves great credit for his Won
derful work all alone In this place among
the negroes.
AT the conclusion of his fourth years
work, on May Z. President Smallwood
SAID 10 his pupils and visitors: Il am
more than ever convinced that th. ONLY
solution or the so-called negro. or race
problem lies In the individual possibility
ol me American negro himself No
poiltlcai party can ever hope TO solve
the race or negro problem. We must
soNe our own race problem by hard
work by economy. race pride. the accu-
mutation OF property, and the negro
must become the posSeSSor of race pride
Sel-respect, q pure and perpetual exhi-
pltion OF moral and religious intelli-
Eehce. We must make flnenas with
the best people at the South. We must
puy land. we must act for ours elves
In the esta blishment of banks, the buy
ing OF railroad stocks and in every grea [
business department we must act NV
race, continued this wonderful negro
must be educated. Our ministers must
our school teachers must stay out of
politics. Our young women must be-
come more fully protected and esteem
ed by us and by our race. We must ston
looking upon our white people at home
as being our very worst enemies -
John J. Smallwood is about SO wears of
age. He Is black negro with smooth
skin. He dresses well. Is easy In his
manner, and Is an able and studious
student. He has not the good will of
the more Ignorant classes. He is a hard