The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-07
THE GOSPEL OF THRIFT.
HOW NOOK ERR WASHIyGTON TEACHES
1T TO HIS PEOPLE.

Nbis lih INV "Nths o. b'ooNpi1 thV mus
important gathering OF tho race ever held In
the nation. 1t was no. tho first meeting OF It's
kind among them. for similar m~eetinss have
been held here annually for six years. but in
the numbers that attended and In the atten-
ton that It. has received from both white and
blacks throughout the South It was far and
away ahead OF those that have preceded IT,.
Tuskeegee is not n large town. but II Is older
than the State In whish IL stands, for when
the explorer De Soto passed through the re-
Rion he found here n fourishing Indian village
bearing the name which the present to yn
boasts. and from that time to this the place has
not wanted for people TO call II home. But a
sorry homo II hes been for It's people at times.
and rarely ~as It more so than when. some
twelve years ago, Prof. Booker 7. Washington
came here to establish u school. for colored chill
dren. For Tgskecgec was. and now Is. In tie
heart Of the black belt Of Alabama. There
were ak negroes to one white man. and w.t..
rare executions the negroes were the LATEST
and most trifing OF their race. while many OF
tho whites were as bad considering: their In
heritance. the whites.werc worse.
In n small log hut OF one room. with un-
planned planks for benches and decks. Mr.. Wash
ington opened lis school. There were Just
thirty pupils on the roll. To-day the institu.
tlon. owns 5000 acres Of good land. has half
" N'GNh hA'e' 'iNh ~ ~ ~ ~
four stories high. with ono OF the best equip
ments In the South. and boasts of its 300 pupils.
male and. female. who are hero to learn for
themselves, and have to teach II In others, tho
gospel OF thrift which the conference Of last week
was held to promulgate In another IA 'hion.
For not only have the pupils the facilities for
obtaining a thorough common school educa.
Hon. and the education that viii ft tn sm to 10.
dustrial training is given them as will enable
everr Pupil to start In life as n SIX illed labo-er
Instead OF as q common very common labor
cr. And having been taught the necessary
knowledge and skill. they are taught to use
their requirements in getting on IN the world
in the thrifty New England villages. lie.
,ause OF the astonishing success that his cour, 80
accounted by the white people OF e.. south
MS the foremost man OF his race.
Having placed his school on n substantial
basis. Prof. Washington innugurated six wears
ago the annual conferences which have been
held ever since without II break and with
rapid, widening influence. They are called
locally "twu.day schools for grown negroes"
They are simple meetings OF the Methodist
,tass' meeting sort save only That the chief
Is their growth Ia worldly prosperity.
This years gathering began early in the
weak. some came on cars. but many more
came driving the nondescript teams familiar to
travellers In the South the oX AID the mule
hitched separately or together or In matched
pairs. according to the possessions OF the driv.
ers- There were some who were people OF
,ssoiItaa and Sultnror,aSrS We're Even white men
honest. simple minded darkies from the PLAN
tations OF this state aud Georgia. In all. when
there were n thousand of thes, people gathered
into the unpretentious pLvilion on the school
grounds where these conferences are held.
Prof. Washington presided as usual. There
was an opening prayer. of course. for they
were all deeply religious In feeling. and after
that II ,hoir from the school sang old planta.
home. Then Mr.. Washington. after u brief
rxhortation. introduced II. l.. smith OF Oak
land, Tex., who. although colored and q Texan,
70 a member OF the legislature Of his State.
lowed. He said:
"Abou. five wears ago ! BEGAN to look at the
condition, OF my people. l found them max
Ing cool crops. from one and q half to two
small and the Influences bad. In 1890 i start
society," We have ~iity-six members IN a VII
iage OF two hundred people, In tye years nf-
teen families have spent $40 900 IN Improve
,nrnts; The surrounding countrJ has been
helped by our work. Our smallest house now
has four rooms In IL and some have eight
rooms. Last year we extended the order and
called II tho Farmers Improvement Society
with about seven hundred members. We nave
certain purposes. to get out of debt and keen
ont. To adUnt improved methods OF farming. TO
cooperate In buying and selling. to get homes
and TO improve Them"
A man OF the name Of FELTON, said he had a
MORTGAGE on his shoulders when he came to
the last conference. but had worked hard for
a year. and lived on bread and water. and no
continued:
don't owe nobody now and I've got money
rleht mere striking a number or silver dol
One named Ckilds said he 'began f,teen years
valued At $1,000. ii. concluded The amount
OF property you have makes a great difference
In the trsstment you receive"
years fortr'two negroes had bought homes In
his. community. and during the Same time there
"4 another 9th %ss SPEAKER ia1" s al i.'a ! Sins l iSm Gfss in my
boat own 1000 acres Of ground
In The course Of the discussion it became q
question ms TO whether true eCDnDmy hale
them buy, fertilizers. One who favored buying
them said th they saved labor" 4, that tho
purchased. What the race needed was to learn
pfiH Il was agreed si'V While o tsl Ii ,hg about bon; economy
that the purchase OF watches. jewelry, and bug
doubt about the value OF n clock. Many thought
u clock useless, but othe.s urged its value be-
darIy in their habits. The "i purcbb ssu, OF s ewi or,
machines and household furniture on the in.
Stallnent plan was almost universally con.
One old dnrkey in urging the multitude to
practise economy showed that the race did not
III We is been eatin' seven biscuit We must stop
AZ six and save the one Some who followed
agreed mat inc colorcd folks as a race ate too
eaten as well ms careful efforts to save much
that is now thrown away. The speakers We're
unanimous in urging the rest TO raise their own
food and to avoid such things as had to be pur-
chased at the stores.
u tlt mDsl llttTthtlUR experience was
that 81 a man named Logan. who lived near
the school. He said that some years ago he
bad nothing but u wife. y hoy, and n second
hand plough. They rented a patch and he
hitchel himself to tho plough. while the boy
or the wife held the handles. By econOmizing
they bought AL OK the next year. and the fol-
lowing year "A mule. They Progressed slowly
but surely, keeping out Of debt. He said he
now owned several hdndrrd acres OF the best
farming land In the county. two nire houses in
Tuskeeoe. and had stock In both OF the banks
OF this town.
In sort. IL was a gathering OF people who,
from the smallest beginnings. had been prosper
Ing by hard work and economy. and had found
lfo not only pleasanter at their homes. but had
commanded the respect and kindly considera-
ton OF their white neighbors. The influence
OF this kind OF talk on the lis .eners was very
much create" than can be well described, but
tho fact that previous conferences of the Kind
have led to tho establishment Of many loo Al
conferences throughout both Georgia and Ala
hama Ii Significant.
At the close of the meeting the following
declarations were unanimously adopted:
u. we believe there must be ownershlp OF
the soil ~ the foundation OF ali progress, and,
since full{ three fourths OF the negro race 1.-Two
hy Agriculture. we urge that more attention
he given to improved methods of farming, the
raising OF stock. poultry and fruit.
'2. We discourage extravaganza and advise
all 70 live on less than they earn, that they
may hnvs homes and none: In the bank which
ere among tho best evidences of our worth aud
progress:
"a Wa alyIae nranaratIon o., ,y ,l...l