The colored American., 1900-11-03

heaviIy upon the use that the Negro
students at Tuskege are making of
their industrial education. In answer
TO "a remark that small per cent. of
graduates from industrial schools earn
living by the knowle dge thus ACQUIRED
ne says. with incontIovertiDle logic;
ANY one who judges of the vaIue
OF industrial education bv the mar
number who actually follow the indus.
try or trade learned at school. makes
a mistake, One might as well iud0e
OF the value of arithmetic by the mum.
Der of people who spend their time
after leaving schc oil, in working out
problems in arithmetic. The chief val
ue OF industrial education is to give to
the students habits of industry, thrift,
economy anu an idea OF the dignity Of
labor. Bnt in addition 10 this, in The
present economic condition Of The col.
Ored people, it Is most important that
very large proportion of those trained
In such institutions as this actually
spent fheir time as Industrial Oceupa.
tions."
Mr.. Washington doesn't undertake
to assume that Tuskegee is includes / 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 Year
we dedicated the SIater-ArmstrOng
Memorial Trades Building. This build
ing is ia The form OF double Greek
cross and, in its main dimensions, is
2S3 3l5 feet, and is two stories nigh.
The plans of this building were drawn
by our Instructor in mechanical draw.
ing, 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 brickmaking.
All the bricks were laid into the build
ing by studer is who were being taught
the trade OF brickmasODary. The plas
tering, carpentry work, painting and
tinroOfIng, 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 ls to be lighted by elsc
tricity and all the electric fixtures are
beng put up by students who are learn
ing electrical engineering. The power
to Ope rate the machinery in this build
ing comes FROM q one hundred and
twenty five horse power engine and q
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 Gay, seven hundred
acres of land, while studying agricui
ture. The students studying daIrying,
actually milk and care for seventy five
miIch cows daily. Besides, they, of
course take care of the dairy products.
All of this ia done while learning the
industry of dairying. The whole mum
Der of students receiving iDstrr elton IN
the divisions of Agriculture and Dairy
ing the past year, Is one hundred and
forty'twO.
Mr. Washington demonstrates by sta
tistfcs 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 "a are employing wholly or partial