Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-08-31
DELAwAIE eAzLllE AND STATE JoURNAL-N1IAl

raised all l could on it. The money
got was enough to gay man to burn
the bricks and teach us so that we
could do the next ones ourselves. That |
watch is in pawn yet, but we have got |
3S buildings"
Another class of young men are learn
ing bricklaying. They take the bricks
as they come from the yard and nut up
the walls OF the buildings, while the
carpenters do the woodwork. The
classes in woodworking are among the
most important at tho school,. Tho
institute now owns large tract of
valuable timber land, while among the
industrial buildings on the grounds is
good sawmill, equipped with the
necessary machinery, Whatever lum-
Der is needed in the erection of the
buildings is cut on the timber lot,
drawn to the mill, and sawed. In this
way one class learns to saw and handle
lumber. Besides the regular carpentry
classes, joiner work and carriage maxi
ing are carried on. A large part of the
furniture in the buildings, including
the beds. tables, and chairs in the
dormitories and dining rooms, was
built in this way. All the carts, wagons
and carriages which are used about the
place were built in the carriage shop,
and the hickory lumber wagons turned
out there have so good a reputation
that all not needed on the place are
sold readily to be used on the nearby
FARMS The carriages are painted,
ironed, and trimmed by the young men,
and no better proof of the workman
rhip can be asked than some of the
sides have had in them about Iuske-
| gee. -a
The management at Tuskegee tries to
have a building always in course of
construction for the benefit of the
building classes. This year they are
erecting a trades school building. Last
year they built handsome brick
church which will seat 1900 persons.
The building of this church shows we'll
what the schools building classes can
do. The designs were drawn by Mr.. r.
II. Taylor, the young colored man who
is the instructor in mechanical and
architectural drawing. One Of his
pupils designed the cornioes with
which the building is finished, and
another designed the pews which fur
nish it. These pews were built in the
schools joiner shop. The bricks were
all made in the schools brickyard, and
laid by the students. Men learning
Stating and tinsmithing covered the
roof, and the steam. heating and elec.
trical apparatus were also put in by
the students, although this is one OF
the first of the buildings where the
!; students have been sufficiently ad.
!, vanced in those trades to do the last,
] named work.
As it was determined to employ only
!. negroes as instructors at Tuskegee, il
was at first difficult to find enough mer
, and women of that race skilled in the
arts and trades which it was wished tt
have taught there, and teachers wer,
: brought to the institute from oil EoVe
the country. Now, however, as eaci
, year sees the industrial classes bette
! under way, the tide is setting out, ant
) Tuskegee yearly turns out teachers 0
. trades, both men and women, who ar
. eagerly sought by other institution
I which are coming to see the value o
$ industrial training. In many case
these teachers go to such positions a
] lower wages than they might hope :
earn ii they went to work at thei
' trades, but they do this because the
a feel they have a duty to the institut
and to the friends who have sustaine
t it, to help extend its influence as widel
/. as lies within their power The ques
n tion is often asked if negro havin
II learned trade can find work at it.
i do not think that the Tuskegee student
Q who have thoroughly fitted themselve
y feel any anxiety about this. remen
% Der speaking on this subject to th
I. teacher in the harness making and sac
!, dlery department, good workman an
ii q superb physical specimen of mai
He told me that during the long sun
IT mer vacations he had left Tuskege,
b and had never had any trouble in Sc
q ting work and keering it in shops
Montgomery and other towns Of IL
20 State.
d Among the buildings at Tuskegee
1t a foundry and machine shop, which
& always full of work, especially in Il
l. way of repairs upon agricultural M
,? chinery for the farmers about Tusk
lg gee, because there is no other shop
lie the kind within 30 miles at least whit
H. has facilities for doing such hea'
I'd work as this. Printing, tailorin
s. blacksmithing, and painting a
Up taught. Since a large proportion
Id the students at Tuskegee are your
er women, arrangements are made to fu
nish opportunities for them also
an learn to work. They do all the work
hit taking care Of the dormitories al
wv dining rooms, learn plain and fan
,el cooking, candy making, milliner
es dressmaking and all the most mode
nd methods of laundry work. One ola
to learns nursing, under the direction
nd a capable trained nurse.
'es In speaking of the trades taught
M Tuskegee, it should be remember
that agriculture is reckoued' amo
h them, and one of the most importnI
yes A very large percentage of the Negro
fly OF the South must continue to Ii
Tor upon the plantations and gain livi
IN, by tiiling the soil. As general thi
nd their knowledge of how to best do ii
Id. is lamentably deficient, and they lat
TX, under great disadvantages. They
to not own their land, but rent it mt ru
SEES GUS rates. They mortgage their orc
lid and eat them up before they are h
ng vested. They plant nothing but 0
ton, because that is about the Of
all crop that can be mortgaged, and /
ing therefore Obliged to buy food at a
by exorbitant prices which the deal
of may demand. Tuskegee tries to RENE
the these evils by teaching the young II
the who come there the best methods
a modern farming. Ii the farmers 8,
ak can remain only short time they ca
a back to the home plantations some n
en- ideas to put IN practice there; il Il
to can remain for the full term of three
not four years. they are fitted to take
ute charge Of the work on any large plan
be tion. The institute has farm
nd which are raised the crops best adap
to the soil and climate of that part
an the South. The men who have cha
les of this work are among the most a
~ in the entira foree nf tnstruc torc