New-York tribune., 1903-04-18
HELPING COLORED FOLKS.
Booker L. Washington Talks to
Students at Teachers College.

Students at Teachers College.
The chapel. at Teachers College was large
enough hold the throngs that hocked hear
Booker T. Washington yesterday. 1t was packed
almost to suffocation when the audience was asked
TO adjourn TO the auditorium Of the Horace Mann
School where for more than an hour ii listened
with laughter applause and mostened eyes to the
celebrated orator.
Mr. Washington began with of his inimtable
stories
I was travelling with q friend through the back
districts Of Alabama said he and we stayed over
night q cabin. In the morning the
woman Of the house asked Us L we would nave
long sweetening short sweetening in our coffee
looked at my friend and he looked at me. but
neither of spoke Finally I nudged him to say
something. So he chose long sweetening, and we
watched to see what She dipped her finger
in a cup OF moiasses and then placed the same
finger in his coffee.
lien she asked which I would have. an
swered Immediately that would take short sweet
ening. and then watched her in some anxiety She
took lump OF maple sugar out Of u bowl cracked
ii between her teeth. ard put half in her cup ana
half in mine.
y tell you this story. ladies and gentlemen
said Mr.. Washington, Ito illustrate the fact that
whether you take my long address or my snort
address, you will find your choice rather disagree
able. There good many sad things n the
story to tell. no matter what way I put it
The first thing that troubled me when started
TO attend school was the fact that had no sur
name l had always been called Booker. and
supposed that was enough for anybody. But when
got to school imp of a boy who took great
deal of unnecessary interest in my affairs began
ieer at because all the rest OF the boys IN
school had two names. and OF them three, and
I had only one. | went 10 the prinspal and tod
him 1 thought 1 ought have two MINES, as long
as the rest did. He asked me what l would hke
to take my last name, and I chose Washing
THE next thing that troubled hat
har -O 10
ern sun and without seeing any necessity for 1t
be covered. But at school this same boy began
10 medde in my business again. with the state
ment that he had a hat and store hat went
home and bothered my mother for store nat
She thought about # and then said, My BOY
have no money. and I not going TO let you
tempt into buying hat when can't pay IOr
it But she took two pieces OF cloth ana mace me
3 cap, the first covering ever had for my heao-
Since then have always had two kinds O.
headgear at hand; but have never had hat
since that has given me the satisfaction or tha'
first cap 1t not only that my mother made
1t herself. but that she had the strength OF mino
to refuse to buy a hat when she could not pay
for it."
Mr.. Washington traced the wonderful history OF
Tuskegee from the day when he began with
handful of pupils in old henhouse to the lnsu-
tuition Of to-day with fourteen hundred pupils and
and one hundred and ten officers and instructors.
with sixty-three buildings and property valued at
$4,000. He began teaching agriculture with one
hoe and blind mule" To-day they cultivate seven
hundred acres Of land.
'I tried to get down to the bottom OF the life OF
the people" said he; go find exactly what II
was that was most needed in their lives We have
over fourteen hundred pupils. and they come from
nearly all the States. from Cuba. Porto Rico AFRICA
and South America But four-hfths Of the whole
number draw their living from the soil believed
then, and l believe now, that school should en-
phasze the thing IN which the majority OF It's con-
stituents are interested Our boys go out and make
forty or fifty bushels OF grow where twenty
five OF thirty grew before. and they teach those
around them to do the same. And teach our
young women Agriculture also fruit and vegetable
things, / think the time has come when our girls
should feel that when is necessary TO earn money
by raising poultry scientifically and successfully
by going behind counter or peddling books from
Analyzing other basic needs Of the race in the
schoohouses and longer terms Of school the crying
ones. Most of the colored families of the black
mined 2 5hs the boYs Of @ his school, should construct
egery scnool oQllong .seS LII t % oaa ~ e
bricks. both master and pupils being totally with
They looked pretty tough" said the speaker.
The kiln fell in three times. running their entire
labors. The third catastrophe found the teacher
i had read about the difficulties Of making bricks
but can assure you it's nothing to making bricks
He had a watch some one had given to him. He
visited pawnbroker. and when l came out he
The kiln was rebuilt and the art has progressed
till last summer the pupils Of Tuskegee made over
our buildings are not so perfect as yours said
pride joy and salts 49, on .hey give TO the pupils
who erect them from KICKS I? completed structure.
are thousand fold more potent than an anything
venient house Of three often i've rooms