The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-22
A BLACK. MANS HISTORY
COAL MINE AND FURNACE WHERE
BOOKER WASHINGTON WORKED.
IN Wandering, Ignorant Black Boy
of 1879 Il Welcomed Back by the
Governor OF the state.

OF a vest virginia mountain, Is the coal
where l worked when i was a boy"
We had been spending several hours
wandering around the little village Of NAL
den. in this State. where Mr.. washington's
boyhood was spent. and from which he
started, so many years ago., when he heard
of Hampton. TO work his way to General
Armstrong; institute ana then work his
way through that school.
Maiden is in the kanawha river valley.
about five miles above Charleston. It is one
of the innumerable hamlets which have
sprung UP, in this rich mineral belt, around
a coal mine or a salt spring. The huge
ruined furnace chimneys. like weather-beat-
en- monuments. which one sees so often here
rising from the cornlelds in the narrow
meadows mark the places where many such
settlements have grown up. lived their lives.
and, with the working out OF the mine or
the abandonment OF the spring. vanished.
and. except for the chimneys, left no trace
behind. As we drove up the fve-mile road
from Charleston this morning Mr.. Wash
ington pointed out several such places
where, thirty years ago. were settlements
In which he peddled the fruit and yege-
tables which he helped TO raise in Mrs. Run
ner's garden. Maiden is one OF the few VIII
lagos which have survived, and Ii enjoys
the distinction Of being the site Of Dickin-
sons salt spring. the only one OF the hun
dreds once being pumped I'm this region
which remains to be prohtably worked to-
day.
1t would seem as IL the old proverb about
a prophet and his own country was TO be
disproved in the case Of Mr.. Washington.
He left Maiden in 1872, a poor, ignorant,
negro boy. hardly able.to read. A few weeks
ago, while travelling I'm Europe, he received
an invitation signed by the Governor OF
the City Council of Charleston and a great
many prominent citizens Of the State, white
and black /. askking him to ate attend Sdr a series Of
vas practically his old home.
This invitation Mr.. Washington accepted,
and the various entertainments arranged
are now being held here. This forenoon. be-
ing at liberty. he improved the opportunity
TO visit the scenes and neighbors among
public receptions given him. II has been in
tereSting to see the universal respect and
admiration had for him. AS one sweet-faced
down TO the gate of her yard when she saw
us walking past, and stretched out her hand
to Mr.. Washington. II suppose | ought TO
say Professor now, or, at least, Mr.. Wash
ington. but j am going TO say Booker be-
cause that was the name We knew you by.
and that is the name you have sustained SO
well that you have made IL famous"
HIS OWN RACE GLAD.
A row OF black boys perched on the sides
of a huge ruined salt vat. as a good point
Of vantage, kicked their bare legs and
shouted, "Hooray for Booker Washington
Elder Rice, the grizzled old colored preach
er OF the church where Mr.. Washington
went, came out TO meet us, his face BEAM
ing with Joy. regardless OF the fact that our
unexpected arrival had found him IN I'M
clerical garb Of overalls and collarless blue
cotton shirt, and that the dilapidated cabin
which is his parsonage has leaned so many
ways under its weight of years that its
ridgepole undulates like a t~wo-humped cam
els back. He always behaved hisself. All
never had no trouble wifi him." the elder
said, when / asked for Mr.. Washington's
Sunday-school report.
Mr. Washington was not born in West
Virginia. but in Franklin county, Virginia.
He does not know just when, as black ba-
bles were not of enough account on the
plantations then so that any record was
kept which would accurately fix the date OF
birth. He must have been born before the
day word was sent over the place" for all
of the hands" to come up 10 the big
house" They went; and to them all as
the veranda read a paper. ST was too young
them Mr.. Washington says, ito under
stand why, when the reading was finished.
all of the men and women should Jump up
and down. clap their hands and shout:
Glory halleleujahi' Praise the Lawdr bnt
pretty SOON my mother, pending over NE.
whispered to me that we were free" Soon
after that the family came 10 Maiden.
where work could be had in the mines
which would pay money wages.
At first Booker worked In the coal mine.
which he pointed out to me to-day. AS a
boy he ranked then only as a miners
wages, when the miner himself was getting
81 a lay. For a time he drove a mule
which dragged the coal out into daylight
mouth of the mine. This special mine
they call them banks here was aban-
doned some years ago. but now is being
the kanawha valley one sees such coal
mines as this, opening anywhere on the
down to the river TO be loaded into huge
scows. one or the queer stern-wheel river
S IeS%eT s SaS mS SstIds Up 9pe a h rat OF these
getting ready 10 take the coal down the
river. The scenery all the way down this
valley, as seen from the windows OF the
Chesapeake * Ohio Railroad train. is more
beautiful than one can possibly imagine
who has not seen IL. For miles and miles
only for the railroad and the river. AMI
then will come a place where there will
be only room for the river, and the railroad
has to take 10 a tunnel.
HIS FIRST YORK.
After Mr.. Washington had worked in the
coal mine for a time he began TO work az
one OF the salt furnaces. doing just such
work as we saw the men doing to-day
shoveling and packing the salt During this
time he got his first chance TO study, going
to school evenings and beginning to learn
TO read. Eventually he went to work for
a woman by the name of Ruffner. the mis-
tress Of what must have been then, as It is
to-day. the largest and most imposing house
IN the village. His work there was that OF
a general choreboy about the house and
place. Mrs. Ruffner, although the wife OF
a Southern gentleman, was a New England
woman, a native OF Arlington, VT. She was
a woman Of great force Of character and
kindliness Of heart. When she learned
that her kitchen boy wanted TO learn 10
read she offered 10 teach him and fur
nished him a primer to begin with Mrs.
Ruffner is still living. although al an adj
vanced age, with her son, now a resident
Of Charleston, s. c., where last year I
had the pleasure OF calling on her. She
has always taken a great interest in Mr..
| Washington, and told me a great deal about
him. She said he made such good use OF
his spare minutes that when he left her he
had got so as 10 be reading In the Third
Reader.
Mr.. washington's regard for Mrs. Ruff
ner is no less strong. In his address in the
opera house here last night he said. IN
speaking Of his early life: Not far from
here, in the family OF a noble white woman.
whom most OF you know, i received a tran
ing In the matters OF thoroughness, cleaulf-
ness. promptness and honesty which, ] con-
fess TO you, in a large measure enables ne
| m do the work for which II am given Credit.