Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-15
MRS. WASHINGTON
She Tells Of the Beginning Of Her
Work.
THE FIRST REAL CONFERENCE
How the Members Have Increased
Since Then.
THE OBJECTS IN FUTURE

Mrs. Booker T. Washington, wife Of the
principal Of the Tuskegee. Alabama, Instl-
tute for Colored Youth. who has achieved
the reputa ton Of being the greatest orator
of his race now living. is in Washington.
Mrs. Washington Is engaged in a mission
that is believed to stand alone in the moral
educational and Industrial field. She has
already accomplished vast amount Of
good. and as she said. the interest taken
In her plans by the people she seeks to
benefit Is so great that there is An average
attendance of about 400 at the meetings
which she conducts in the town Of Tuske-
gee each Saturday during the year except
in the hot summer months.
Brief mention was made in The Star
some days ago of the reasons which I'M
PEELED Mrs. Washington to inaugurate her
wonderful work. but on this point she said
to The Star reporter:
The First Conferences.
'In the spring of 1892 the first negro con-
ference for farmers was held at Tuskegee.
The purpose Of this conference was to in
spire the masses Of colored people to Sc
cure homes Of their own; to aim after bet
ter ways OF living: to INSET upon better
educational advantages. an extension OF
their school term, and SO raise the stand
ard Of living morally. physically. intel
lectual1y and financially.
Sitting in that first meeting of negro
farmers hearing the resolutions. whic h
stood as the platform of the conference. 1
felt that, In the day of Lucretia Mott
and the early struggles of Elizabeth Cady
Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. women
were not incl,d ed In the word people, and
Notwithstanding the fact that there were
many women present at that first confer
ence they had no actual part in 1t. and
they did not realize that they could be of
any service to their husbands In bringing
about better state of affairs at home.
This was the thought which came up
and would not be stilled: What can these
POOR farmers do with new hopes. the new
aspirations. the new ideas for better things
unless the women who must share their
joys and sorrows are equally inspired and
educated, for these conferences are educa-
tive?
1T was not many days before it was a
settled purpose that somehow these wo-
men In the homes represented by the
farmers must be reached How to reach
and help them was more difficult ques-
ton to be settled. but after many sleepless
nights and weary days of longing and
praying for some way to open. 1t finally
came.
Good Place to Begin.
"As l lay thinking of 1t all the thought
came that Tuskegee was a good place in
which to begin the work. The country
women. tired Of the monotony Of their
lives. came into the village every Saturday
in crowds. AS there was no place in the
whole village where they. too. had most
prominent part to play in the life which
their husbands. their sons and their lovers
were being urged to seek. might be gath
cred for an hour or more each Saturday
and instructed-like a fash the idea was
caught up and was not let go until such
place was secured. did not even tell my
husband of my plans. nor did 1 divulge
them to single person except old
man, who had charge of the hall man
aged to get until after the work had been
inaugurated.
Our first conference was held in the
upper story Of very dilapidated store,
which stands on the main street of the vii
lage. and the stairs leading to the room
were so rickety that we were often afraid
to ascend them. The room was used by
the colored fremen Of the village and was
dark and dreary place. with nothing even
inviting to me. but it answered our purpose
for the time We had no rent to pay, and
this was one less of its burdens 10 me-
How to get the women to the first meet
ing was not easily settled, for. as above
stated. fear of opposition from friends
Kept me from making mention Of the plan,
except to the men who let me have the
room.
THAT first Saturday l walked up the
stairs alone and sat down in that room in
all OF its dreariness. my heart almost failed
me. and not until 1 remembered these
WORDS: NO man having put his hands to
the plough and looking back is fit for the
Kingdom OK Cod did 1 throw off the de-
spondency.
AT this moment a small boy entered the
room. and l said to him go through the
streets and say to each woman you meet,
so that no one will hear you, There is a
woman up those stairs who has something
for you.
That first meeting 1 can never forget
There were six women who came and each
enc. as she looked at me. seemed to say:
Where Is IT.? We talked 1t all over,
the needs of our women and the best way
OF helping each other. and there was begun
the first woman conference, which now
numbers over four hundred women.
The Present Conditions.
I'VE now have a large roomy hall in the
main street. where we come together each
Saturday, and spend two hours talking Of
the things which go to make better and