The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-22
Pupils of that Great Industrial school
Demonstrate what They Have
Learned.
IMPRESSIVE OBJECT LESSONS
STUDENTS TOY EMPHATICALLY
THAT THEY CAN DO THINGS.
Remarkable Exhibition Shoyvinp
What Booker Washington Is
Accomplishing.

church at Tuskegee in the place of the ira
hitional commencement" palms which one
comes to know from year TO year so well
that the leaf scars on their trunks almost
seem TO spell of themselves "Class of 1901"
s'CIass Of 1907" and so on W One
OF the peach trees was full of bright, green,
healthy leaves and the trunk was smooth
and brown. Hung 10 one Of the branches
was a placard which said: This is a care
fully cultivated peach tree" The trunk of
The other tree was knotted and rough and
covered with dead bark; some of the
branches were dead. and on none of them
were the leaves plentiful. The tag on this
specimen said: This is a neglected peach
tree
On one end of the stage there rose piled
high above each other six cOmmodious
cages OF lattice work. in which were-from
the bottom upwards-geese. turkeys. ducks,
two varieties of fuII-sized hens and ROSTERS
and on top a cage full of dainty white ban
tams whose combs and wattles glowed like
coral set in ivory. These fowls were not
stuffed; they were alive. very much alive.
as the part which they took in the exer-
cises later evinced.
Just beside the speakers desk on the
stage. where naturally there would have
been a big bouquet Of commencement roses
vi NHN ~ " DDSf tAiAAAN 81 q "
show off to good advantage their white
dresses. there was a stout little upright
steam engine, which, being connected by a
pipe through the floor of the stage with a
steam boiler, when it's turn on the pro-
gramme came sputtered and hustled it's
driving wheel around at a great rate. On
ahe other side OF the stand was an incuba-
tor in operation. and in the background a
display Of articles ranging from a fully
BUILT and trimmed twO-horse carriage to a
lfully-built and trimmed bonnet. Above all
this. from the arch of the great church cell
ling. there hung a purple and silver design.
Ready to Serve" the class motto.
UNUSUAL AUDIENCE.
l wiped my glasses and took a more care
1ul look about me. Was it possible that
after a lengthy number of years experience
a was going 10 see a really novel and inter-
testing school commencement. Turning from
the stage to look toward the a; Hence room
" found myself facing row after row of ne
Gro faces. Tuskegee Institute chapel-for l
was at Bookoer Washington's school in
Alebama-wiIl seat 200 persons, and every
dnch of sitting room and standing room not
roped OF was filled solid full. All shades,
from highest yellow through the browns up
10 shining. stove-polish black. Some of the
old heads were grizzled. These were the
men aud women who once were slaves.
come now 10 see some grandchild graduate
into that mysterious state called ''eddica-
tion," which to these old people will always
be so wonderful, because for them so unat-
tainabie. They know only tod we'll how
hard it is for old dogs to learn new tricks.
Some of the women's heads are bound in
the white Cloth" or the bandanna. of sla-
verv's time. and on others there are huge.
e,rhOopa+C from, ont hapaafb
which the wearer's eyes gIeam white and
ghostIike; but in main they are a neatly
dressed company.
The sound of a band comes in through
the open church windows. Many of those
IN the room turn their heads. but no one
goes out. II is too hard TO get standing
room TO risk losing il. once gained; there
are too many outside wishing TO get in.
My chair at the reporters table being Sc
cure, 1 go out.
The band is near the church now. all
black boys. Behind them comes a line
marching four and four. which streams
out through the hot Southern air as if
endless. Company after company of young
men and women. and then a hundred teach
ers, and then a line of alumni. The band
has reached the church door now, but the
end Of the line. winding I'm and out beneath
the mdSnOlld trees a ACROSS TIE SIOuuuS,
has not yet come in sight. Now the ad-
vance guard OF the first company has
reached the church. The commandments
voice rings out in a sharp command. The
company halts. divides. and the men range
up closely in double rank. so as to leave a
line between them. Each succeeding COM
pany does the same. and when the young
women come along they add the length OF
their lines 10 the others.
Then. down through this living lane of
1.4OO young negro men and women come
the Institutes teachers and the graduates
of other years The band has stopped play
ing now. To this part OF the ceremony
there is always accorded the more impress
sive tribute of perfect silence.
Booker Washington is a singularly mod
est man. So far as I know no one ever
accused him of any exhibition of vanity.
but IL his heart ever does swell with pride
IL may not unreasonably be at commence
ment time each year, when he walks
through this quadrupIe line Of adoring
faces-for alteration is the only word which
really expresses the feeling which the stu
dents at Tuskegee have for the principal
and remembers how. less than a quarter of
a century ago. where now is this small
army OF students and this village Of build
iugs. he began with thirty untaught men
ard women in a shanty so shaky that a
student had TO hold an umbrella over the
teachers head in school when it rained.
A VAST ASSEMBLY.
When the commencement line has come
into the building every inch Of r~oped-of
space is filled. and at the open doors and
windows hundreds OF late comers cluster
like bees about the mouth OF a hive in
summer time. Choice seats on the plat
form and in the front rows are filled with
white people from the town and country.
The Governor OF the State is there. Back
OF the platform. in a huge, gallery, there
rises. tier on tier. a chorus Of 125 students.
with an organ and a piano and an orches-
ira 10 m them.
The six coops or poultry have inspected
the newcomers with interest. as they havc