The San Francisco call., 1903-01-18

luck omens. On the other hand. he be
neves Friday is his lucky day, for he can
recall many successful undertakings be-
gun on Friday.
In his first year Of freedom came the
keenest disappointment of the boys life
It was decided to open a school for col
ored people in the village Of Maiden,
where he worked. and now 1t seemed his
one dream was to come true-he could
learn to read. Somehow-no one cares
how-his mother had already secured for
him an old Webster's blue-back spelling
book. Alone he had mastered most OF
the alphabet. but he could not build
words with 1t.
The school opened, but Booker's stepfa-
ther could not spare him from his work
Day after day he saw the boys and girls
passing on their way to school. and all he
could do was to practice making his rs
and stick closer to his old blue-back spell
ting book He was determined to learn
something anyway.
BY and by, however. the boy won and
for q few months was allowed to go to
school by getting up early and working
until O'Clock and returning to work after
school And is there one who can blame
him for moving the hands Of the clock
forward a half hour each morning SO that
he could get to school by O'Clock and
not miss his recitations?
At school he had new difficulty to face
the question of a name.
His mother had named him Booker, an
old Virginia family name, and he was too
young to think of having any other until
he went to school and found that all the
children had at least two names, and
some three.
He was puzzled, for he knew the teach
er would demand two names, and he had
but one. But by the time the teacher got
around to enroll him he had had an in
spiratiOn and he calmly announced that
his name was Booker Washington. Later
he learned that his mother had named
him Booker Taliaferro. and though the
second part had been forgotten, he reviv-
ed it.
A few months Of school. then back to
the salt furnace. and later to work as
a buddy" in coal mine. with only the
night time for study. The darkness OF
the coal mine was full OF horror to the
boy and the dirt of it he hated but IL
was in the depths of this mine he first
heard of Hampton. Two miners wers talk
ing one day of this school for colored peo-
pie and could they have peered into the
darkness of the passage they would have
seen their buddy" idle. wfde-eyed. scarce
breathing lest they should discover him
and cease talking.
He did not know where Hampton was
He did not care. He only knew he was
going there.
4oub AOW4 II lCQuHCu anu
TO this time all his wages had gone to his
mother. He quit the mine and hired him
self house boy to the wife OF the mine
owner-a Yankee woman. who gave him
his first lessons in neatness, promptness,
OF der
Mere than a year he worked and waited
Then with but a half consent from his
mother, and less than half enough money
TO take him to Hampton, he started He
stU did not know where IT was. Five
hundred miles would have seemed a long
way, and it was long before he succeeded
IN covering 1t by walking and begging
rides.
On his first night away from home he
was TO learn what 1t meant to have a
black skin. He applied for lodging at the
hotel where the stage coach stopped and
was refused. Out under the stars he
walked all night, to keep warm, and
wonder what was to become Of him IL all
doors were closed to boys with black
skin.
After several days he reached Rich
mond, dirty. tired hungry, penniless. ev-
erything but discouraged. He had never
been in a city before and did not know
what to do, he walked the streets un-
Ill after midnight, then crept under
sidewalk to rest as we'll as he could for
the tramping Of feet overhead and the
clamor of empty stomach
In Richmond he earned enough money
to land him in Hampton with just 50 cents
in his pocket, and an appearance so
against him that the head teacher hesi-
tated to admit him.