The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-07
He Also Delivers Two Brief Addresses
to Persons OF His own Race mt
the FIanner Guild.
TUsKEGEE NEAR TO HIS HEART
AIMs OF THE INSTITUTION DE-
sCRIBED BY ITS FOUNDER.
Liberal Donations That Have Been
Made by Andrew Carnegie-Cails
on Governor and Senators.

Booker T. Washington. the well-known
educational leader of the colored race. who
is at the head of the Tuskegee Normal
and Industrial Institute. Of Tuskegee, Ala,
WIS in Indianapolis last night to deliver a
lecture under the auspices of the \. Nj. Z.
A at Roberts Park NJ. E Church. Mr.
Washington arrived in the city at noon
yesterday, coming from Detroit, and was
a guest at the English Hotel during his
stay here. This morning he will leave for
Chicago and Milwaukee to fill engagements,
after which he will return TO Tuskegee.
Early in the afternoon Mr.. Washington
received a number Of callers in his room
at the hotel. At 3 o'clock he called on
Governor Durbin, escorted by Bishop
Abram Grant, George L. Knox and Willis
Kersey and later paid calls at the offices
of Senator Fairbanks and Senator Bever-
idge. At o'clock and again at o'clock in
the evening Mr.. Washington made short
addresses at the Flanner Guild to audi
enees composed largely Of colored people.
telling OF the works and needs of the edu-
cuational institution which has been built
up largely through his individual efforts.
Mr. Washingtons lecture tours are made
solely in the interests of the institute. and
the school he has set for himself large
task in raising some $4,000 annually for
current expenses, and to do this he is al
most continually in the field, lecturing and
appealing to individuals of means for con-
tributions to the fund Tuskegee has an
endowment fund that now approaches the
million mark. but only the interest of this
fund is available. and as the annual
h. rrC< Ia
over half that amount.
HIS ULTIMATE AIM.
1--WE hope eventually to secure a perma-
nent endowment fund of three millions"
said Mr.. Washington at the English yes
terday afternoon, land we have been great
ly encouraged recently by the munificent
gift of Mr.. Carnegie. Mr.. Carnegie has
always been valuable friend to the school.
as he has provided us with a fine library
building and heretofore has contributed
$4,000 annually to the maintenance fund.
but some two weeks ago he gave us $500, 600
in the United States Steel Corporation
per cent. bonds for the permanent endow-
ment fund.
'The necessity for securing such a large
sum for current expenses arises from the
fact that practically none of our students
pay a tuition fee. The tuition should be
80 year. but few or none of the students
is able to pay that We endeavor to make
the expense Of securing an education at
Tuskegee as low as possible. The students
are charged IS a month for board. and the
expenses aside from that are trivial.
''Tuskegee is primarily an industrial
school for both sexes. The boys are taught
trades of all kinds and farming, while
the girls are taught cooking, sewing, house.
keeping, laundry work and nursing, but in
addition both sexes are, of course, given
instruction in general academical lines.
Farming is our principal department and
we have 800 acres under cultivation at pres
school Pa he
rest of it is in wood and pasture lands.
The boys are given practical work in their
trades as they are employed in the con-
struction of our buildings. We have now
sixty-five buildings in the school and of
these all but four were built almost en-
tirely by the students The new Carnegie
months ago. was constructed entirely by
the students.
A LARGE ENROLMENT.
''The enrolment this year is las, an in
crease of from $50 to 200 over last year and
the largest in the history of the school.
The greater number of our students come
from the gulf States, but we have repre-
sentatives OF almost every State in the
Union. Tuskegee has turned out over 5000
youTg men ard young women since IL was
founded in 1881. Not all of them completed
the course. but they all had from one to
four years OF instruction. The school is
new buildings under construction at pres
ent. Our great need now is large dining
hail."
Mr.. Washington was asked where the
most of the students go after leaving Tus-
kegee.
Back to their homes" he replied. "and
as the great majority of them come from
the Southern States that means that they
stay in the South. In fact, We discourage
any disposition TO go North We believe
that the place for the negro is in the South
and that he must work out his salvation
there in the face of the conditions of the
so-called race problem. 1 believe that
conditions in the South are gradually but
surely improving. This is shown in a
measure by the attitude of the whites to-
ward our school We have recently re-
ceived some liberal contributions from
Southern people. and for the most part
they seem glad 10 encourage our work
However, the things that make for better
conditions in the South are not the most
conspicuous. 1t Is the bad things-ths
crimes and lynchings, etc.-that attract at
tention and get into the newspapers all
over the country"
AT ROBERTS PARK.