The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-03-19

Same place-iindrr the sidewalk. IL was
comfortable place. and l was In that
way enabled 10 save the most OF my wages
to bclp me 10 on. When 4 reached Hamp-
ton ] had 20 cents left.
''At Hampton I found at opportunity for
classroom education and fyr practical
training In industrial life--pportunity 10
learn tfiift. economy and push Auld
Christian in1uencet, was surrounded BY
an atmosphere of business and a spirit OF
solf-help that seemed 10 awaken every
faculty in me and cause me for the first
time 10 realize what Il means to be man
ihttead 81 piece OK property.
While ! was at Hampton ] resolved
that when J had finished my course OF
training there ! would go into the far
South. into the BLACK Belt Of the South,
and give my life TO providing the same
kind OF opportunity for seIf-reliance and
eelf-awakeninE that had found provided
for me at Hampton. NV work began at
! Tnskegee. Ala. In 1881 in a small shsniy
/ and church with one teacher and thirty
students, without dollars worth Of prop.
erts The spirit OF work and Of industrial
thrift. with aie from the State and gsner-
osity from the North has enabled us 20
| develop the school 10 It's present propor-
,ions.'
| Tuskegee Institute Is now a school where
/
women are taught each year how 10 make
4 their lives count for the most possible
both for themselves and for their race
Z II is an intensely practical school, and
dpes not teach books So much as IL does
/ facts. and how to use them The school
/ pow owns several thousand acres Of land
and about forty buildings. The pupils who
| are studying farming 10 al the work upon
! The land, and OK the forty buildings, many
! sf them three and four story brick struct-
ures, all except the hrsf three small ones
! have been built. beginning With the maxi
! Ing Of the bricks and the cutting OF the
4 lumber. by the pupils in the mechanical
/ arts classes Tuskegee Is the largest
| school Ia the world tor coiored pupils con-
! Quoted wholly hy colored teachers, It's
executive force and instructors. numbering
nearly one hundred. are all men and wo-
\ men OF the negro race, and except for the
/ board OF trustees, none o. whom reside at
the school, there Is no one connected With
/ the institute who Is not Of the race for the
| helping Of which its efforts are directed.
One unique feature OF TusBegee rs It's ne
gro conference, held there In February Of
/ each year There are many other schools
| for colnred young men and women ~ inc
couutre but nowhere else is there school
/ for the fathers and mothers Of these Young
people. That is what the conference really
I is. a school even though its sessions are
\ for only one day in q year aud the most
Of the pupils who come 10 Il have gray
hair and can not read or write As | heard
q grizzled old aogro say, when he made
The prayer which opened one Of these SEES
sions: ION Lawd, we wants 10 tank Dc
for dis our one day oh scaoolin In de
Tuskegee now has fine brick
church large enough 10 seat over 2OeO
people. dedicated in the spring OF 1898
/ This building was designed By one OF the
/ instructors there. and Ike all the others,
I built by The boys. The growth OF the
school and OF the conference has been 50
/ rapid during the last I'VE years that until
/ this building was erected there was no au-
dience room large enough 10 accommodate
/ the students at chauel or the men and
women at the conference. and rndely
/ built temporary structure had been used.
\ doubt 81 the new church will accommodate
| the conference now and il II does. am
sure the meeting win be more Impressive
than 1t was in its old surroundings.
Booker Washington 10 8 genius as pre-
siding officer over such q gathering, and
gets more good out Of II than any one else
could get He is intensely practical, and
keeps discussion down TO practical sub
jects. Don't let as try TO grasp the
moon" ! heard him say; then Let uF
first take the things at hand and the others
! viii take care Of themselves.
Suppose you are engaged In milking
cows he says, II think II better 10 talk
OF practical things. with which VIC are
acquainted, although ! know that many
of you boys would much rather have me
tell you how you could reach congress thar
10 prove a successful mixer But / sus'
pect that more Of us. Tor good many
years to come. will have 20 milk cows In
stead OF having a chance to go TO con
gress, so IL won't hurt, I think TO tall
just now Of milking cows and " the bos
who milks the cow 10 success at that
he may lay that as a foundation stone
for his future congressional career"
Pref Washington simply leads and di-
reefs the discussion. Tho speakers are this
farmers and worl,lngmen and their wives
They talk OF the need OF negroes coming
20 own land for themselves. the foolishnes'
OF raising cotton only, tho evils OF thu
crop mort gage system, the need and vniu,
of schools There IS no CLOSING over o
evil or mlsmanagement A spade is called
a spade every time. The women take JUS
as active a part as the men, which seems
very fitting. since Prof Washington
most efficient helper az Tuskegee ant
throughout the country is his wife.