The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-12-20
Solving the Race Problem.

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who was of the presidents party, ex-
plains that this visit was carefully |
planned for the especial purpose of Civ |
ing the highest and most conspicuous |
possible Endorsement Il the work and !
policy of Booker r Washington, who !
wants the negro to fit himself for the |
duties of citizenship before trying TO
play a leading role i'm politics. Mr.. Cur |
It's adds: "Thn govnrnur of Alabama
introduced the president and was i'm
rlined to be flipra a.. The scene ala
not impress him a .ariously az II did
the visitors from t.. north Governor
johnson eushed over the institution
and with an air Of patronage and pro-
prietorship expressed his qualification
and pride i'm it's success, which pro
vokod > pertinent r. .prt from President
Mckinley. who h, "a the governor
would persuade IT, Legislature to in
crease the appropriation for its benefit.
70 understand the significance of this
repIrtce it must te known that tn"
state of Alabama contributes only 81
oG0 of the slOo,900 which it costs to
llHllldln lnt llStlullbll
The same writer gives brief history
Of this notable institution which ii may
not 10 amiss u quote. 1t was start
ed" says he seventeen years ago with
one teacher and thirty pupils, in a
rented shanty church. According to the
last report Of the principal the at
tendance last year was 1,047 students
pp- rTNt.
came from twenty-four states and ter
ritories Nearly the same numbet are
i'm attendance at this time, representing
the same number Of states and territor-
les and besides cuba. Porto Rico. ia
maiCa, England ana Africa. Counting
teachers and students there ts upon the
school grounds u population of l,2OO
persons. The Industrial training is
given in twenty-sx different divisions
in connection with the academic and
religious training. Three hundred and
siXty-nino students have received
diplomas ana certificates i'm the acade-
mic. industrial and billie schools. The
graduates are seeking to do a work
similar tu that uf Tuskegee In twenty
NNh bl lnt SlditS 81 the ullIOl. Nearly
200 persons who have attended
TuAkegec during the years Of it's in
dustry without graduating are in many
sections doing an excellent work. in ad-
dition To the 369 graduates. The success
Of these men and women among the
great masses of the negroes of the
south is the proof ur the value of thu
rI.l.
of the institution ie about $500 900. In
stead of one building, as at first, the
school now has forty-tWo, counting
large and small, nearly all built by
students labor, and 2.267 acres of land.
ON the two farms conducted by the
school are 525 head of live stock. in
Guiding horses, mules, COWS, oxen,
sheep and hogs. The Tuskegee method
is to allow students to acquire a know
ledge of their several trades while
working on the buildings and the farm
With their work they pay their board
and get their education at the same
time. This Is especially helpful to
those who find themselves unable to
pay any part of their tuition. The
ordinary charge fOl board. room, tut
tion and all the privileges is IS a
month.
y representative o. the Washington
Post, Mr.. II. l.. West. who accompanied
the presidential party, writes in similar
vein, saving among other things:
Much has been written and printed
regarding the normal and Industrial in
sritute of which Booker r. Washington
is :hc PRINCIPAL. but it is safe to say
that neither the president nor any of
his distinguished co-travelcrs had amy
conception much less a realization. of
the remarkable work which Is being
accomplished by tho institute Here
at Tuskegec a thousand young col
ored men and women are being taught
to make themseIves Independent in III,
true sense of the word. They are not
learning Greek or rhetoric or French
but they ar" being taught how t.
handl" the DlOW. 'he ulanc, the saw
the hammerand the paint brush These
are simple and hOmrly tools, but wher
young negro ha concluded the in
stituto course he can build house, run
"A farm shoe a hur.' construct an en-.
gine, or cast foraing, If the pupil i,
a woman, she can nurse the sick. man.
age q laundry. coos sew, make butter
or, in fact he thoroughly trained anC
skilled in every department of feminine
handiWork
These are no mere assertions Tn,
visible proof was afforded in a process
ION which, picturesque and entertainins
though it was, was stil more interest
ing because IL told of promise reali
zed, Nearly seventy floats passed in re
view, ON which were displayed ever,
variety of handiCrafr--the timer max
ing his cans. the blacksmith fOrgini
a shoe, the dairy maids making butter
the carpenter con .ruCting furniture
the architect draw Z pians. As If al
this was not evidence enough ~ th
negro's proficiency when his mind {
directed along lines suitable 10 his "a
paCity, the services of the day wer
held in large and handsome chape
built by negroes. All Of the plans wer
drawn by the young men i'm charge o
the architectural division; the /, POO 9S
bricks i'm the structure were made D,
students learning the trade of brick
making; the entire masonwork wa
done by students pursuing the cours
in masonry; all of the lumber was Gu
at the sawmill on the grounds; tn
printing was done by the students, III
steam plant for heating was installe,
bv tha inatruptnr ana bnya nf IN