The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-12
TUBS At IUSKEGEE
Part of the Regular Curriculum,
Says Mrs. E. A. Russell.
SHE VISITED THE INSTITUTE
The Intense Earnestness and Per-.
sonal Clea ILLNESS of PupilA
Impressed Her.

Mrs. E. A. Russell has just, returned
from an extended trip during which she
visited Washington, D. c.. Charleston,
N. c.; Palm Beach, Fla, and Booker T.
Washington Industrial school at Tuske-
gee, Ala. Mrs Russell was in Washing
ton during the ceremonies attendant
upon the visit of Prince Henry to the
national capital, and yet she saw nothing
while away that interested her as did
the Tuskegee school, She went to Wash
ington as a delegate to the woman's suf-
frage convention, and from there went to
Charleston to see the Cotton States ex-
position. In speaking Of her visit she
said:
"The thing that impressed me most at
the Washington school was the intense
earnestness Of the pupils. and stheir per-
sonal cleanliness. Booker T. Washington
breaches the gospel Of the bath tub and
the tooth brush. Pupils at the school are
required to take two baths a week and
they are always neat and clean in their
dress. When I compare their condition
with the dirt and filth in which the ne
groes live in the vicinity Of Palm Beach
it seems difficult to realize that they all
belong to the same race
Washington is doing great work and 7
believe he is inspired, just as was Moses,
to lead his children out Of bondage.
There are 1,615 people at the Tuske
gee school, 1900 Of them pupils. All Of
them work. There is not an idler in the
lot. Some of the boys get up as early as
five o'clock in the morning, work on the
farm all day, and then attend night
school, When I asked how they got their
lessons the instructors told me they
scarcely knew themselves. I have seen
them coming their school books while at
the table, and they don't waste any time
over meals either Among the students
are thirty four from Cuba and Porto Rico
whose expenses are being paid by the
government.
Scarcely anything is used on the place
that Is not made there. The girls are
taught to make bonnets and dresses and
to do all kinds Of sewing. Even their un-
derclothes are made there. They wash
the dishes; work in the laundry and do
all necessary mending. The boys work on
the farm and at all kinds of trades. There
is a brick-yard on the place; and the
carnegie library, recently erected, was
built by the boys themselves, the only
thing in it that was not turned out at
Tuskegee being the Ionic pillars used to
give distinction to the architecture. They
have their own hennery and do their own
stock rasiing. When l was there there
were $50 pigs on the place and large
herd of cattle.
Even the boys who work all day in the
fields must put on their coats and wash
up before they come. to meals. I COM
mented upon that because have frequent
ly seen Minnesota farmers come to din
ner In their shirt sleeves, and was told
that the rules forbade that practice.
THE classes are conducted on the CO.
educational plan; and the sexes mingle at
meal times, but there is no visiting from
one room to another. That is not per-
mitted. All pupils are required to keep
their rooms in order and the rooms are
subject to inspection at any time. If they
are found in disorder the offender is pun
fshed by being deprived of meal. The
school has missionary branches all around
it within radius of from one to ten miles.
There is branch in the village Of Tus-
kegee about one mile distant from the
school; and one undergraduate whom
met walks ten miles every Sunday to con-
duct a, Sunday school.
Mrs. Washington is as wonderful as
ner husband. She has her branch
and is doing a great amount of good.
Here in the north we do not appreciate
the Importance Of such school as the
Tuskegee institute. Mr.. Washington says
that if he could have similar schools
throughout the SOUTH wherever needed,
the race question would be satisfactorily
settled in very few years and l believe
he is right
"They have military instruction at the
school and their music teacher is one Of
the best ever met anywhere. There are
so many pupils that 1T takes the boys
alone about fifteen minutes to march out
Of chapel. The school has about twice
as many boys as girls