Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-05-16
STORY OF PICKENs OF Y ALE.
The Negro Who Won the Junior Prize
 in Oratory.

win the Ten Eyck prize in oratory at Yale, the highest honor of the junior class, is very much sought after man just at present.
 During his previous stay at Yale he went about without attracting any par ticular attention, but now whenever he makes his appearance on the cam- pus he is pointed out by the students as the orator of 1904 and the talked of head of the Island of Hayti. He has come into the latter distinction very recently.
 An ambitious organization of colored men in the south has asked him to head movement for the organization of an army to capture the island of Hayti and convert it into an empire to be controlled by American negros un- der the protection of the United States government. This invitation followed closely the letter from Grover Cleve- land to MT Pickens asking him for copy of his prize essay, has caused the colored orator of Yaie to be De- sieged with requests for interviews and photographs. ....... ..
 MT Pickens was born p 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 his education he has peddled papers. run a, ferry boat on the Missis- sipf. packed covers in a barrel stave factory, been a Sunday watchman Ill mill, helped to build fifteen miles of AI.a 4o1 oh q school, travelled as a ventri1oquist and the leader of a glee club, waited on table ~and Iectured with Booker T. Washington. ,..s..:
 Early in 1887, when he was 6 years old, his family removed to Arkansas into the farming district. It was the first time that he had ever seen mos uuitoes. Between them and the ma laria which attacked him as soon as 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 the 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. ,, s
 "Pickens," said he, ''come up in front" -
 Then as the scared boy faced the school, the master took hold of his arm and turning him about, said in thun- derous 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 go to your seat and behave yourself" . F.
 In January, 1894, his mother died, and Pickens thought that his school days were 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 day or been tardy. Once his mother wanted him to help her to houseclean and spoke about keeping him at home from school. He was so heartbroken at the thought that she yielded, and he didn't clean house. 4- e@>F
 Between his grief over losing his mother and his regret at having to stay out of school to attend the funer- al. Pickens thought at the time that he would certainly die. His father then told him that he could keep on at tending school, but he would have to pay his own expenses. ...a.
 About this time he began to smoke cigarettes. Then he read in his physi- ology at school of the injurious effects of tobacco and liquors, and, thorough ly scared, he quit at once. He even stopped all tea and coffee drinking, and in speaking of it to-day he said: q never got over that first impress sion of the physiology. After that I learned my physiology lessons. chap ter by chapter, by heart. When used to go out to Christmas parties the old CT people would urge me to have some thing to drink, and when I always re- fused they would say, Poor little chap; 1 he's from the country; he don't know any better.'"
 In the summer when he was 15 he worked on a ferryboat and saved $30. This was not enough to pay his tuition l in the high school, for which he was ready. l When the time came for school to l open he went into the city where the high school was situated and hired a room and entered the school as resi- dent of the city. At the end of week he had to go back home, but he still kept on in school as resident of the city and walked every day to school. The following summer he was in de- spair as to how he was to earn his money for the coming year. / new free bridge had been built across the river and the ferry was dis1ontinned.
 q went down to a stave factory said Pickens, ''and asked for job. I got it at $4 a week, piling up barrel tops. I would pile them up in circle and then get inside and a man would throw them to me to catch. %
 ''The man worked with was a hard
 hearted fellow who delighted in tor menting something or somebody. He tried all that summer to maim 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 somebody.
 "He used to get me to write letters ! e., I.i H{osI,L Ln oII I,a