River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-02-18

"hu iAoS pens ou tHiS udy. Ouiludy
was busy day; first, an early prayer
meeting by the student right after
their breakfast; second, at 9 o'clock,
a. M, Christian Endeavor meeting
third, at eleven o'clock chapel SER
vices with Sunday school at noon
fourth, Y. M. c. A. at ago p. M,
and fifth, the evening chapel services
at which Pres. Booker 7. Washing
ton gave his usual Sunday evening
talk to the students. Among those
present as visitors were parties from
New York and Boston, and one
gentleman of considerable note, ex-
Governor P. B. S. Pinchbeck, the
former "colored" governor of Louisi-
ana. Monday, the 18th, was de-
voted, first, to visiting the academic
departments of the Institute and af-
ter dinner to a drive over the lands
belonging to this institution, about
seventeen hundred acres in all. At
4:25 p. m. | left for Montgomery
where there is large state Normal
school for colored students, under
care of w. B. Patterson, gentle
man of over thirty years experience
in the South as an educator. Here
are nearly thousand colored stu
dents enrolled. Here, also, are to
be seen the industrial and academic
as we'll as the normal training of the
young people of this race. Here
you will listen to the discussion of
questions in science and sociology
or any of the branches taught in our
northern schools, by as intelligent
and bright young students as you
will find anywhere, even if they are
of darker hue. Mr.. Patterson's
school is recognized by the people
in Montgomery as valuable and
worthy institution and he has an
excellent corps of assistants. Tues
day, the 10th, | went via Selma,
Ala, to Beloit, Dallas county, Ala,
where the work of The Industrial
Missionary Association is carried on
under the efficient management of
its organizer and president, Rev. c.
B.. Curtis, formerly of Be'oit, Wis.
Here we find ourselves in the Black
Belt "for shur," as the darby says.
Black soil, black people, black in
tellectually and black morally. One
wishing to do African missionary
work need not go farther; here it is.
And here in the midst of this dark
ness | find workers from Massa-
chusetts, New York and Wisconsin.
Educated young women and others,
who are socially equal to any edu-
Gators in the north, devoting their
time and strength of body and mind
to the enlightening of this Africa of
America. All, but you say they are
paid for it. Yes, paid about one
half what such teachers get in the
north. You say again that they
like that kind of work. Yes, they
say to me that they enjoy it, for the
good they can do in this way. 1t is
good that there are some who are
willing to go into a work where
they are practically shut out from
society and isolated from home ties.
Here I spent the greater part of
two weeks, sometimes in the saddle
as Mr.. Curtis and myself rode out
among the cabin homes, then in the
buggy as we drove here and there,
then l would take walk alone and
visit some in their cabins. Then |
would seek the old slave owner and
after telling him pleasantly that my
father had laid down his life trying
to whip them and that / am a Yam
kee, we would enter into a CONVEX
sation which would have only the
elements of friendliness End always
part with good feeling, and know
on my part a better knowledge of
the burdens the south has had to
bear and still has to bear. Again |
have met and talked with the south
ern business man who has spent his
life in dealing with these people,
but wherever [ went or whomso-
ever l met, l found a kindly express
sion towards the work of the Indus
trial Missionary Association by all
who knew of it. To use the words
of one who has had years of expert
ence in southern matters, "to help
the people to ownership of soil and
to show them how to properly work
If iS one of the greatest needs of the