Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-03-24
WORK AT TUSKECEE'
DR.. CRAIG TELLS OF BOOKER T
WASHINGTON AND THE Tus-.
KEGEE INSTITUTE.
Wonderful Growth Of College for Col
ored People - Special Attention is
Paid to Industrial Branches Build
ings Erected by Students.

"That the redemption of the dark
! continent from the ignorance, super
stition and savagery which has envel-
oped it for hundreds of years may ulti-
mately be effected through the efforts
of the educated American negro is not
improbable" said DR.. A. 3. Craig,
pastor of the First Methodist church
in an interesting address on the Work
of Booker T. Washington and the
8 Tuskegee Institute" last evening. Dr.
Craig gave a brief account of the life
of Mr.. Washington and the marvellous
growth of the institution which he es-
tablished.
ut is a long ways" said Dr. Craig,
from the naked savage Livingston en-
countered in the wilds of Africa to
such a man as Booker Washington.
Born in Virginia few years before
the war, he never knew who his father
was. His earliest recollection is 60
ing around in one garment and at an
early age he was put to work in the
salt mines. He laid the foundation of
his education by first mastering the
meaning of the figures on the salt bar
rels rolled from the mine. When he
first started to school he felt embar-
raised because the other children all
had two names and he only one, so he
supplied the. Washington. He gradual
ed from the Hampton institute and in
1881 he established the Tuskegee In
stitute in small church building at
Tuskegee. Alabama.
The Tuskegee Institute.
During his recent trip to the south
DR.. Craig paid visit to the institu-
ton and met Mr.. Washington and was
later shown through the college. Re-
garding the institute in his address
last evening he said: "The Tuskegee
institute consists of sixty-two build
ings some of them as fine and modern
as can be found anywhere. They are
located on 1881 acres of land. No
white man or woman is connected with
thu institution and all of the 120 in
slfuctors are colored people.
Il Work Is Practical.
seWhile there is good academic de-
partment where what we would call a
good, common school education is
taught, especial attention is paid to
teaching the trades and scientific agri-
culture In all sixty-one trades are
taught, such as carpentry, blacksmith
ing, painting, carriage making and
making and laying brick. The girls
are taught dressmaking, tailoring and
household economy. There isga small
cottage on the grounds and four girls
must live in this for week and are
allowed So to meet their expenses. All
Of the uniforms worn blythe students
are made at the college. All of the
furniture is made in the carpentry de-
partment The brick used in the
buildings is made in the plant of the |
institution and laid by the students.
Rules of the College.
''None of the students are allowed to
use intoxicating liquors or tobacco in
any form. No male student can leave
the grounds without first obtaining
permission and are forbidden to at
tend any political mass meeting or
convention. No girl student may leave
the grounds unless accompanied by
one of the women teachers.
Appreciate His Work.
1The people of the south appreciate
the work that Mr.. Washington is do
ing and speak Of him in the highest
terms. The trades are open to the ne
gro in the south and this will do much |
toward elevating the race. The object |
OF the institute is to give the students
the moral literary and industrial edu-
cation such as will make them noble
men and women and fit them to be-
come leaders in their community. |
They are taught the dignity of labor.
Solution of Race, Problem.
"This is Mr.. Washington's practic- |
al solution of the race problem He |
recognizes that for many years the
great mass of the colored people |
must be laborers and believes in teach
ing them along this. line. In an adj
dress recently delivered, Mr.. Washing
ton in referring to the conditions Of
the colored people Immediately after
the war said: 1.-THE trouble with the
freedman was that he misunderstood
the meaning of the word freedom. He
thought it meant freedom from work
instead of freedom from being work
ed" In the institute the men are also
fitted for the ministry and missionary
field. The colored race has progress
ed rapidly and the future for this peo-
pie is most bright and promising
one.