The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-19

debts paid, taxpayers produced. and State and local negro conferences that have been organized in every section of the South as a result of our little beginning twelve years ago. think we have some right to feel that these meetings have not been held in vain.
 Throughout the entire race we must kep alive a feeling of hope and en- couragement We have seen darker days than those through which we now seem to be passing No race that Is patient, long suffering industrious, economical and yirtuous, is persistent in efforts that make for progress and that cultivates spirit of good will toward all mankind IS ever left without reward. we snall gst more out of struggle than out Of content ment."
 After MT. washingtons opening re- marks, he announced that they Woulu first hear from those who had acquireo hcmes MT. Provo of Sprague Junction, Ala, said he owned 67 acres. lie got IL by living close and working hard. They call me. where I live, "old Close" Il never did buy a whole suit at once. He works fcur horses and what he wants he can get at the Farley National Bank Montgomery T did not set any big ta- bies often lived on milk and bread. was lucky in marrying woman whose father gave her a COW. l aint got no fine clock or organ, I did once get buggy, but 1t was a shabby one and now we ride in a wagon or l go horse back on a horse that raised. that is worth s250. I make a good show off on it. l have five rooms to my house. I started with one and that was of logs. I add a room every year. I don't spend too fast. Our school will go about five months. l have seven children in it. The moral con dition is tolerably good They don't go l to fail much now. Some of my neighbors are buying land-three this last year. made twelve bales of cotton to the mule. Mir Wood of Barbour County, one of the youngest men of the conference, said he had bought land. He started when l boy He loved his mother and grand mother too well to leave them, He | bought land of loan company and now
 has 500 acres paid for, lacking s624. He l has 12 houses on his place, built by him. self, and only two that have but one | room He has a gin on his own land,
 and his wife runs store. He saw corn
 was going to be short last year. so in
 July he sowed peas and has plenty to feed his thirteen head of stock.
 Mir. Ford of Tallahassee, Fla, has a
 good home. Had $500 when he got mar
 ried. He now has 200 acres of land. paid |
 T did without most everything till
 got 1t paid for" He has 57 head of cat-
 tie, all raised by himself, six work horses | and five colts, all home-raised. He raised | over 150 turkeys last year. He supplied the State with 65 turkeys when they hal! the banquet at the completion of the State Capitol.
 E. L. Jackson of Albany, Ga, said: "i
 came to get my keg full of good news
 and glad tidings to carry back to Georgia
 and have got 1t. I started blowing with
 my pants rolled up and bare-footed. I
 saved $500 and bought a home In Albany.
 bought 25o acres for q per acre and paid for 1t In three years. I made that pay
 for 25O acres more. I then bought 1900 | acres of land. I live On that land. It is
 all paid for. I have 25 buildings and
 they came out of my pocket book. That
 land Is now worth &20 per acre. If the | colored people of Georgia will live econ-
 omically they can get land and have no
 trouble. When a man prospers 1t don't
 make his head bigger. It only makes
 him feel better. For distance of five
 or six miles from my settlement there
 has not been man in the chain gang
 for years. I work H head of mules The
 only way we will, ever be a race is by getting homes and a virtuous life.
 don't give mortgages; I take mortgages
 on black and white. I had one room fir
 my first house; four now. I have put
 the first bale of cotton on the market in
 Georgia for eight years.'
 Squire Jones of Ft. Gaines, Ga,, quite
 a young man, said: "I began working
 for myself when IS years old; my father l and mother died when I was a child.
 first worked for $50 per month, cleared
 sSS the first year. Then worked on shares
 for awhile. Then I bought a mule on
 credit, using my money to support my | set. while raising crop own
 1,5OO acres of land; all paid for.
 l have six rooms in my house. I don't
 give any mortgage, have twenty three
 blows and bank account. 1 haul, on
 my drays, about 10000 bales of cotton
 every year. l have fifty acres of land
 near Fort Gaines on which l have a six
 room house. Our school runs about | seven months"
 Mrs. Lucy Nelson, Dadeville, Ala, said
 good many in her neighborhood owned l homes, others are getting homes. They have from one to five room houses. There | are three in my family and 1 am the boss. l save about s100 a year. l give | no mortgage I plant every thing that a farmer can plant. I raise my own syrup,
 meat, peas. corn and everything to eat. l have three cows. You have got to go
 low down to get up high. I traded a | little puppy with my brother for a pig l He had eight head of little pigs and
 from this one pig that I got of him raised eight pigs. For seven years I
 have not bought pound of meat. I am living on the strength of that little puppy yet. I own forty acres and sometimes
 rent some have a good winter garden. | Mrs. Smith of Tuskegee has a nice little home. At first she thought 1t was un-
 reasonable to try to buy. She only made
 90 cents per week at washing. Now she | has a house with three rooms and front | porch.
 | Rev Mir Rankin of Evergreen said he
 was a renter for seven years. Then he | bought forty acres. He would split rails 1 during the day and carry them around | at night and his wife would lay them up, | during the day 'ln nine years We paid
 for 400 acres of land, now l own l,0l5
 acres. About fifty of my own color are dependent upon me. 1 have twenty-five
 head of hogs. I raise my own horses,
 mules and cows. I do not make mort gages. but take Instead. l can ride for
 five miles In my county and not find three | white men. Nearly all the people own | their homes In that section. 1 own the land where I used to live when a renter 1 and live in the house of the man of whom | I once rented. The public school in our | section runs three months. we have ad- ded two months. by our own money" | R. B. Moore Macon County. said "I got my home by hard work. l have 29 I d