The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-17

WRITTEN FoR II SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
Booker T. Washington has written the
story of his life. The book is called L
From Slavery. An Autobiography" Com
ing just at this time 1t seems almost an
answer to the harsh criticism of the negro
race which has been embodied in William
Hannibal Thorlas's THE American Ne
, gro" Mr.. Thomas Is a negro. but not a
Southern negro, and he did not become nc
quainted with the conditions Of negro life
in the South until ISL. when he went to
South Carolina in the interests of negro
education. He takes the pessimist's view
of the progress Of his race. To him the
negro is deplorably bad.
On the other hand, Booker T. Washing
ton is an optimist. He writes particular
~ OF his own struggles, and the two books
are dissimilar in purpose. Mr.. Thomas adj
mits that Mr.. Washington's work at Tus-
kegee Is admirable. but he agrees with the
latter in condemning the majority of the
negro clersymen and teachers. There are
, other points of agreement. Both are of
the opinion that a mistake was made in
granting the franchise to the negro. They
unite in thinking that it is in the knowledge
and practice of agriculture and a country
life that the negro's best hope lies.
Booker Washington is proud Of his record.
as he tells it In his life story. He shows
niuch gratitude to all who have aided him.
lie says that he is proud of his race and
mas never wished to belong to any other.
When a ragged. dirty little boy of IL Wash
ington made his journey on foot from his
nome In West Virginia to Hampton Insti-
tute. Arriving at Richmond without money
ne slept under a wooden sidewalk for many
nights. while he earned enough money
during the day around the wharves to car
ry him on to Hampton. Not many years
afterwards a great reception was rendered
10 him in this same city of Richmond.
Such contrasting Incidents are numerous in
his life.
From the day when a little slave. Booker
carried his young mistress's books to the
schoolhouse door, and SO caught a glimpse
OF the children studying within, he longed
70 go to school. He was a good-sized youth
when the opportunity came. but he had
learneo, by solitary study. all that a Web |
sters spelling book could teach him. and
even mastered the making of the number
~ which was always stamped on the
barrels in the salt furnace where he
worked. after the emancipation. His an !
trance examination at Hampton was an
order TO sweep a recitation-room. a task |
which he was SO eager to do to perfection
that he swept the room three times and |
busted 1t four times before he was salts. |
NED. says a reviewer in the New York |
ZINES. one can imagine the joy in his |
race when the teacher told him that he |
seemed worth admitting and ~straightway |
appointed him janitor, thus enabling him ia |
earn his board entirely by work. His tu- |
iuon was paid by some kindly friend Of |
the institute. his clothing generally came |
out OF gift barrels from the North. and |
his books were borrowed from his mates |
THE INFLUENCE OF
THE TOOTHBRUSH. |
Primitive enough. probably. the accom- |
modations were at Hampton in those days. !
but 1t seemed like paradise to a boy who !
had never sat at a table to eat his meals,
slept on q bed between two sheets. OF. en-.
toyed tho pleasures Of q bathtub and
toothbrush. The latter instrument eyi. |
IDENTIFY made a deep impression on his youth.
full mind, for he says moro than once that |
Its civilizing influence is enormous, and
that II a pupil in his school voluntarily
buys a new brush when the first one II
worn out he always counts on that boy
amounting to something in the future. He
has. indeed. inculcated the use Of the tooth.
brush so forcibly among his pupils that, as
he remarks, very often a new applicant
comes to Tuskegee with no other wardrobe.
Tuskegee Normal and Agricultural Insti-
tute has been built up under the direction