The San Francisco call., 1903-01-18

p from slavery 70 e place OF honor
among the great men Of the ma
ton IS the achievement CT Booker
TaIzferro washington
Born IN 8 hovel. 10 a heritage OF
Ignorance and bondage, he has pushed
forward until be stands elbow 20 elbow
with leaders OF thought. the freest OF the
free.
Born a black man, he has proved that
a mans a man regardless OF the color OF
his skin
Booker washington is proud Of bis
race, glad that he was born negro. To
him success is measured not by the posi-
ton man has reached but by the OBJ
stacles he has overcome.
OF himself he talks freely. without en-
harrassneut for the past or bOastfulness
OF the present. he takes himself for
granted and expects others TO 90 the
same.
In his speech there IS no trace Of negro
dialect He has the soft Southern voice.
but with less Of the slur than one hears
everywhere among the white people OF
the South
In reDose his face would be serious but
for the cheerful. optimistic upward turn
Of the line Of his mouth. q mouth al once
firm and sensitive HIS fearless gray eye
Elances from beneath e heavy brow, ana
the lines that deepen so readily at the
corners betoken q sense OF humor never
dormant
There is determination n his firm. big
footed tread in the tight, quick grasp OF
the hand that ne extends IN greeting
with every confidence that Il viii not be
refused
TFis broad shoulders are rounded from
from the heavy toll Of salt furnace and
coal mine where he had his first taste OF
II leed0-u-
With head bent forward and eyes low
cred DE seems not 10 notice what is go
ing on about him. least OF all whether
people are looking at him But the old
c0l0red woman at TUskegee was right
when she said.
Uncle Booker is the beatinest man I
ever see. He 5es walks long wild his head
down like he doan see muffin; but oar
amt kDat kin git by him"
Uncle Booker-yes, he is Uncle Booker
O. every negro in the South. from the
nanny. and no prouder title would he
ask than this voluntary tribute Of affec-
ton
Booker Washington does not know just
hen or where he was born. Il was
somewhere IN Virginia, and the year was
1856 or 1853.
What. IN those days. was one black
Dickaninny more OF less2 He might
weu have been a new kitten or a colt for
all the notice he got.
OF his ancestry beyond his mother he
knows nothing No doubt they came over
fn slave ships from Africa
'ln the days Of slavery" he says, mot
much attention was paid 10 family rec
ords-that S. black family records"
or his father he knows even less than
NJ bis u0ther-not even his name He
has heard that he was a white man living
on nearby plantation.
HIS earliest memories are OF the slave
quarters on the Burroughs plantation in
Virginia. where his mother was the plan
tation cook. Here as a baby he rolled
about on pile Of rags on the dirt floor
shaking his little black fists at a world
that would treat q negro baby so.
The cabin had no windows. The door
was NOT big enough for the opening and
wide cracks in the sides made the .cat-
hole" down in the corner quite superiu-
Ous.
Ia these surroundings he grew UP as
best he might. for his mother had little
time 10 give to him and his brother and
sister
Ibid ] play any"
He thought for an instant as he sat in
the chair. his hands thrust deep in his
pockets, bis head bent slightly forward.
his gray eyes shaded by dropping upper
Ids.
AS he talks he looks straight at you out
Of these half-clOsed eyes that have a
habit cf opening suddenly very wide, as
II 10 emphasize the things that most in
terest him
Not until that question was asked me
recently had it occurred TO me that there
has been no period Of my life devoted TO
play From the time ] can remember
anything almost every day Of my life has
been full of work. Although but a little