The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-25
WORK ACCOMPLISHED.

NOlGh AtO'JN L lslNllI'p'
CAPTAIN Motion and Mr.. Fitch told of
the work that has been accomplished
10y the school through its graduates in
the black districts of the south and
the four other colored students sang
pleasing negro melodies, many of which
are new to a northern audience.
Mr.. Fitch, who went into detail con-
corning the work of the school, showed
himself to he a very careful and loGi-
cal thinker and student of economics
of no mean calibrc.
His connection with the school is in
the capacity of a missionary going
about watching the work of Hampton
graduates suggesting new lines of
| labor for them. studying the needs of
| the colored people and applying rcme-
! dies as far as the schools influence
| permits. AS an instance Of the prac-
/ tiCal kind of work that the institute
graduates are doing he told that in
| fifteen years. through the influences of
/ the school, the cOlOred men of GlOuCoS-
! ter county, Virginia, increased their
| landed holdings from 81 900 to $123,0OO,
| ana instead Of a big barracks of jail
constantly crowded with colored men,
/ they reported to him that there is now
nothing but a little station house capa-
| blc Of holding four persons and in the
! last six months it has not contained
| a negro.
The great banc Of the ambitious col
Orcd man in the south today, said Mr..
! Fitch, is mortgage thralldom. riralinG
! in some respects the Old-time slavery.
| He is the victim of the despOtic COM
mission merchant because of ignorance.
| He knows only how to grow cotton,
tobacco and peanuts. These he sells
at the lowest prices to the commission
man and buys from this same commits
| sion man tlS,, necessities of life at the
| highest prices. At the end of the year,
although he worked hard and earnest
ly on his little mortGaged farm, the
colored man finds himself with a bigger
mortgage on his hands than he started
out with at the beginning of the year.
AIM OF INSTITUTE.
The institute aims to send into the
"black districts graduates of its agri-
cultural schools who will teach these
pupils-for instance-to grow their own
necessities" on a portion of the farm
and be in a position to deal with the
commission man a. Il profit
The self-ordained colored preacher,
!
guided, who is doing no good, if in
deed. he isn't doing much harm, also
was mentioned as one of the evils that
the school is gradually eradicating. In
some of the districts where this eX-
horter holds sway the people have con-
cluded that the banjo and fiddle are inn
plements of Satan, checkers and domi-
noes are denominations not to be
| tbnn0ht nj and tho singing of NOrl0-
ly song is as good as declaring aloud
against all religion. At one service,
attended by Mr.. Fitch, an elder after
the fashion of the community, arose
and broke forth in u hymn. 1t was
one of those typical negro hymns that
. has a fixed refrain, but made up in
the main of impromptu verses.
"Heaven's all gold and full of light
The congregation chinaed in:
"Oh how | long to be thar
Hesitatingly as he measured his
words to fit for the time the elder
moaned forth:
"Hell is deep and hell is wide"
And without a thought the good breth'
rcn and sisters rejoined
"Oh how | long to be thar
According 30 Mr., Fitch there wasn't
even a litter following this unusual
| prayer, bul as lliN bt lludSliltu ldSl
nights audience was moved to hearty
laughter and applause by the recita
Of ii.
GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS.
AT the conclusion of the meeting Rev
lDr. Mcleod suggested that though the
institutes representatives, did not ash
it, collection be taken up then ant
there to help pay the party's travelling
, expenses. The suggestion was aCtei
upon and the response was very gen,
, | erOus.
The purpose of the tour which IN,
party Is making is to enlighten the peo
q pie of the north on the work thai
= Hampton institute Is doing and to so
! iicit regular contributions from parties
who may he interested in the work !
scholarship costs only so as the in
stitute is partly self sustaining. a
q present there are l,0OO students at tn,
school, of which number $50 are In
| dianS.