The sun., 1903-05-10
STORY OF pICKENS OF YALE.
THE NEGRO VINO WON THE JUN.
IOR PRIZE ~ ORATORY.

MoRey-A Prize winner Elsewhere
Than ~ Yale-Has . Remarkable
Memery-His Prtze Essay On Hayti.
NEW HAVEN, May s.-.William Pickens,
the first negro to win the Ten Eyck prize
In oratory at Yale, the highest honor OF the
junior class, 10 . very much sought after
man just at present
During his previous stay at Yale he went
about without attracting any particular
attention, but now whenever he makes
his appearance on the campus he is pointed
and tho talkod-of head Of the island OF
Hayt. He has como into the latter distinc.
ton this last week.
An ambitious organisation Of colored men
In tho South has asked him to head move
ment for the organization OF an army to
capture the island Of Hayti and convert
1t into an empire to be controlled by Ameri-
can negroes under the protection OF tho
United States Government. This invita-
ton, following closely the letter from Grover
Cleveland to Mr.. Pickens asking him for
a copy OF his prize essay, has caused tho
colored orator OF Yale to be besieged with
requests for interviews and photographs.
Mr.. Pickens was born ~ years ago
in a country town In South Carolina.
He WAS the oldest of seven brothers and
sisters In his struggle for money TO pay
for bis education he has pedded papers,
run a ferryboat on the Mississippi, packed
covers in q barrel stave factory, been a
Sunday watchman in . mill, helped to
build fifteen miles OF the Choctaw Railroad
taught a summer school, travelled as q
ventriloqulst and the leader Of glee club.
waited on table and lectured with Booker
7. Washington.
Early in 1887. when he was Q years old
his family removed to Arkansas into the
farming district. 1t was the first time that
he had ever seen mosquitoes. Between
them and malaria. which attacked him as
soon AZ he struck Arkansas, he spent three
miserable years. Finally his family went
to Little Rock.
He was then 10 and had never been to
school except a few times before he left
South Carolina. When he was sent to
school he went into the fourth grade. He
could read and write. but had never heard
OF arithmetic.
The other pupils had had three years
training in school, but before the third
month WAS over he was at tho head Of his
class At the end Of the year he was caught
in some mischief one day by the head
master, who was very strict.
.Pickens," said he, come up in 'front.'
the master took hold Of his arm and turning
him about. said in thunderous tones:
look at this boy. He came to school
when the term was almost over Now look
at him. He Is at the head OF his class
Pickens, 60 to your seat and behave your
self
In January, 1904. his mother died. and
Pickens thought that his school days we're
over His mother had helped him to buy
his books and had encouraged him In his
studies.
During his three years in school he had
never missed a day or been tardy. Onoe
his mother wanted him to help her to house.
clean and spoke about keeping him at
home from school, He was 80 heartbroken
at the thought that she yielded. and he
didn't clean house
Between his grief over losing his mother
and his regret At having TO stay out Of
school to attend the funeral. Pickens thought
at the time that he would certainly die.
His father then told him that he could
keep on attending school, but he would have
to pay his own expenses.
About this time he began to smoke cigar
cites. Then he read in his physiology at
school of the injurious effects Of tobacco
and liquors, and. thoroughly scared. he
quit at once. He even stopped all tea and
coffee drinking, and in speaking of It to-
day he said
Il never got over that first impression Of
the physiology. After that learned my
physiology lessons, chapter by chapter, by
heart. When used to go out to Chrstmas
parties the older people would urge me to
have something to drink, and when always
refused they would say, Poor little chap;
he's from the country; he don't know any
better
In the summer when he was is he worked
on ferryboat and saved t3O. This WAS not
enough to pay his tuition tn the high school.
for which he was ready.
When the time came for school to open,
he went into the city where the high school
was situated and hired room and entered
the school az 1 resident OF the city. At
the end of week he had to go back home,
but he still kept on In the school "a resident
Of the city and walked every day to school.
The following summer he was in despair
as to how he wns to earn his money for the
coming year. A new free bridge had been
built across the river and the ferry was
discontinued.
y went down to a stave factory said
Pickens, and asked for job. l got it
at - a week piling up barrel tops. ] would
pile them UP In a circle and then get inside
and a man would throw them to me to
catch.
THE man I worked with was hard.
hearted fellow. who delighted in torment
ing something or somebody. He tried all
that summer to MAIN me in some way.
but after once getting caught was on my
guard. He didn't dislike me on account
of my color. only he liked to poster some
body.
He used to get me to write letters for
him nights. and all day long he would watch
for an opportunity to surprise ms. That
summer taught me more In the way Of care.
fulness and watchhilness than all the school
raining ever reoeived, But was glad
when on the lst OF September got my SsO.'
The following summer he acted as a
watchman for an insurance company at
one Of the big mills. He had just finished
at school Scotts Lady Of the Lake" and
his Imagination took poetical turn. He