Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-01-04
HAD MANY LISTENERS.
Booker t. Washington Interests
Hundreds of People in Plymouth
Congregational Church.
SOLUTION OF RACE QUESTION.
Work of the Tuskegee Industrial In
sti:ute Described by Its
Head

Booker T. Washington delivered his
popular lecture ON Industrial Education
at the South in Milwaukee, or Friday
evering to an audience which crowded
the capacity of Plymouth church 10 its
utmost limits. 1t was an enthusiastic
crowd which greeted him and when he
stepped forward on the platform 10 de-
hveI his address he was greeted BY such
Nclllme or applause as is seldom given
any man outside of a political conven-
non, where enthusiasm generally reaches
us highest pitch. Mr.. Washington found
necessary 10 stand for quite a time
ana bow his acknowledgement before he
was allowed TO proceed. When he did
begin he started ont to talk for about
an hour and half. and during all that
Time entertained his hearers with some
Of the richest of humor and some of
{ me most eloquent appeals which have
been heard from any platform in Mil
Waukee for some time.
Told IT His Life.
In the beginning he gave short and
sucGlnct sketch of his life. beginning
with the humble surroundings OF slave
me, leading up TO freedom, work in the
coal mines, schooling at Hampton in
ssttltute; and then the establishment of
the Iuskegee Industrial institute, of
was started in 1881.
IN sketchIng the growth of the school
ne sad 1t was started in a log hut which
Jet the rain through; that later II MAS
transferred TO a larger chicken coon and
andt now II occupies tifty-two buildings
i lllp II surrounded by 300 acres 0f land
tn1elonglng TO it, all valued at $3.50. OOp
mere are now gathered there about 1900
students from twenty-eight states. VIII
are under the tutehge Of eighty-six in
structors in religious and academic
courses and twenty-eight industrial oc-
equations "
Inc annual expense of carving on thn
institution is about 100000 and there is
an endowment fund of S2T1 600. The
buildings of the school have been erected
very largely by the hands of the students,
Dlt Tor the current EXPENSES of the inst;-
iutlon they are largely dependent anon
me generosity of friends. The state Of
ala0ama assists in The running expenses
TO the extent of its ability.
Race Prejudice Outrrown.
One of the most significant things said
oA MI. Washington was that he had
outgroWn the race prejudice and that ne
now stood IN a position where he believed
he was doing the thing which was Of the
greatest henett to both races. without
regard to color. The effort of the insti |
tuition, ne said. was not to train men TO |
De mercy selfish beings, but to so out |
among thdr fellows and teach them tha |
things which they learned at Tuskpcee |
mere are POW about 1000 men and wom- |
en- dong his. 1t is through This effort |
that the regeneration Of the race must |
come aboG, and the negro question 81 |
solved. he main difficulty with the |
negro IS Tat he does not know how to |
rake care of himself, the speaker said. |
When he Tas slave it was a matter Of |
proht TO hs master to teach him trade
and maks him useful As soon as "a |
was freed he trade teaching stoeue1 fbn
negro was ignorant and had no cniding
hand to sf1w him how to make the most |
of his OPPORTUNITIES. He is learning
now, so tat what eve would imnresS
YOU with i: We must learn to iIldre a..
negro mon and more by the best types
that the rye can produce and not by the
worst. Mre emphasis must be paced
upon those of my race who are buving
homes andpecoming taxpayers than nD0n
those who're in the jails and peniten-
tiares."
In closin he said: at should al
ways be Hne in mind that the Droh
lens growig out of the presence and in
huence of " race iii this country were
not Of thenegro's seeking or making
The South I not alone responsible for
what IS kIwn as the negro problem.
1t IS the niion's problem because the
nation as avhole was responsible for
its creation, nd the time has come when
all of us hck and white. North ana
South. shout in a broad generous. nm
selfish mann do our part in making
conditions mo happy for all concerned"