The colored American., 1900-11-03

MIR. Washington's report bears most
heavily upon the use that the Negro
students at Tuskegee are making of
their industrial education. In answer
TO "a remalk that small per cent of
graduates from industrial schools earn
living by the knowle dg g thus acquired
he says. with ineontIovertible logic:
ANY one who judges of the value
OF industrial education by the mere
number who actually follow the indus.
try or trade learned at q school, makes
mistake, One might as well iudoe
of the value of arithmetic by the mum.
Der OF people who spend their time
after leaving scho ol, in working out
problems in arithmetic. The chief val
ue OF industrial education Is to give to
the students habits of industry, thrift,
economy and an idea of the dignity Of
labor. But in addition to this, in The
present economic condliion of the col.
ored people, it is most important that
very large proportion of those trained
In such institutions as this actually
spent their time at Industrial oceupa-
tions."
Mr.. Washington doesn't undertake
to assume that Tuskegee is included in
the estimate made by the aforesaid
critic, but as an illustration OF the prac.
tical value of the methods in vogue at
his school, he submits the following
test:
"On January 10th of this school ear
we dedicated the Siater-Armstrong
Memorial Trades Building. This build
ing Is ln the form of double Greek
cross and, in its main dimensions, is
2S3 315 feet, and is two stories nigh.
The plans of this building were drawn
by our Instructor in mechanical drsw.
ing, a colored man Eight hundred
thousand bricks were required to con.
struct 1t. and every one Of them was
manufactured by our students, while
learning the trade OF bricknaking.
All the bricks were laid into the build.
ing by studer ts who were being taught
the trade OF brickmasonary. The plss'
tering, carpentry work, painting and
tin roofing, were done by Students
while learning these trades. The whole
number OF students who received train
ing alone was about one hundred and
ninety-six. 1t is to be lighted by elec'
tricity and all the electric fixtures are
being put up by students who are learn
ing electrical engineering. The power
to operate the machinery in this build
ing comes from one hundred and
twenty five horse power engine and
seventy five horse power boiler. All
this machinery is not only operated by
students who are learning the trade Of
steam engineering, but was installed by
students under the guidance of their
instructor.
"Let us take another example, that
of agriculture; Our students actually
cultivate every day, seven hundred
acres of land, while studying agricul'
ture. The students studying dalrying,
actually milk and care for seventy five
mich cows daily. Besides, they, Of
course take care of the dairy products.
All of this is done while learning the
industry OF dairying. The whole mum
Der of students receiving instrr ction IN
the divisions of Agriculture and Dairy.
ing the past year, is one hundred and
forty
Mr Washington demonstrates by sta
tistics and examples that very large
per cent of the graduates Of Tuskegee
are applying their industrial knowledge
and earning comfortable livings in ag
riculture, in mechanics and in the build
ing trades. A careful examination
shows that at least three-fourths of
the m are employing wholly or partial