Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-30
|SCHOOL At MANASSAS
Work of Industrial Institution
for CoIored Youth.
FOUNDED BY JENNIE DEAN
William Lloyd Garrison Association
Holds Meeting.
ADDRESS BY JOHN c. DANCY
Story Of How Poor Country Girl Pro-
vided Means to Educate Children
Of Her Race.
ADDRESS BY JOHN c. DANcY

| n uldSb meeting was u0lQ lhSl evening,
| under the auspices Of the William Lloyd
Garrison Association Of the District Of CO.
lumbia at Zion Baptist Church. on F street
between Sd and ~ streets. the largest col
ored house Of worship in South Washing
| ton, in the interest Of the Manassas Indus
| trial School for Colored Youth. The church
| was crowded by a sympathetic gathering
| made up largely Of friends Of the school
and Miss Jennie Dean, its founder.
The meeting was presided over by Jus
| tice of the Peace Robert H. Terrell. After
| a brief introduction. explanatory Of the
aim and object of the gathering. he intro
| duced Rev. William James Howard, pas
| tor of the Zion Baptist Church, who deliv-
cred an address. There could be found,
| DR.. Howard pointed out, no better time
than Thanksgiving day to speak of the
splendid results accomplished by the Ma
| nassas Industrial School for Colored
Youth to give thanks for the material ad-
vance along educational and economic
! lines and to pray for the continued prog
ress and prosperity of the institution.
| Address by Miss Dean.
| Miss Dean, the founder Of the institu-
| ton, made a brief address, to which those
! comprising the audience paid the closest
attention. She told how the school, in
| the short space of twelve years, had grown
| from a one-room affair to an institution
| Of sixteen buildings on a 200-acre tract Of
| land.
1t was wonderfully interesting story,
| and Miss Deans auditors seemed to ap-
| preciate the fact. Many Of them knew
1t before, but 1t was none the less inter-
esting because of that-how a poor coun-
| try girl came to the city to earn her living
| and being impressed with the great ad-
| vantages offered by the complete school
| system of the municipality, yet convinced
| that her people should not leave their rural
| environment and their rural pursuits mere
| ly that their children might enjoy in
| creased educational advantages, formed
! the idea of building for them school in
! the country, school qualified to cope with
| thal her people might remain in the coun-
| try and yet send their children to an in
Stitution near home qualified to fully equip
| them for the battle Of lie. 1t was from
| that idea that the Manassas school was
born.
Opened Twelve Years Ago.
The school was opened Just twelve years
| ago, in 1894. and already has graduated
eleven 4arge-sized classes into useful pur-
| suits. The work done by its graduates dur
| ing past years had already demonstrated
| the value of the school as an educational
institution and as an important factor-a
| unit, It might be said-in the general
| scheme for the solution of one Of the most
| perplexing problems Of the present time.
| No one Is more interested in the problem.
| 1t Is explained, than President Roosevelt,
and last winter, when Rev Edward Everett
Hale. the chaplain of the United States
Senate. accompanied Miss Dean to the
White House and presented her to- the
President, the latter was quick to COM
mend in high terms the aim of the insti-
tuition and the practical results 1t had
accomplished. Miss Dean last evening
spoke briefly Of the growth of the school
| and her hope that 1t would continue to
expand in order that its ability to extend
educational advantages to an ever-increas-
ing number might keep pace with the de-
sires in that direction of those now inter-
ested and who have been interested in the
institution since its foundation.
John c. Dancy, recorder Of deeds Of the
District of Columbia, was the principal
| speaker Of the evening. He addressed the
gathering on the Dignity Of an Industrial
| Education"
Mr.. Dancy's Address.
Mr.. John c. Dancy. recorder Of deeds,
made ringing address in the defense of
| the education Of the colored people. He
| said he believes in all kinds of education,
! and particularly in the Industrial or the
| training of artisans, and that the chief de-
sire of the colored man Of today is the
education adono, Of his Children He compared
| wealth Of Virginia with that of Massa-
| chusetts the results of the labor sys-
| tenn introduced at jamestown and at Ply
| mouth Rock.
Mr.. Dancy warmly commended the work
I! of the Manassas school and kindred insti-
| tut.ons, and said they were the hope of the
race for the training of the youthful ener-
| g1es of those who would otherwise become
| the criminal ass His remarks met with
frequent and enthusiastic applause.
The next meeting will be held the second
week in January at the Nineteenth Street
Baptist Church, at which W. T. Vernon,
| register of the treasury, and Miss Dean
will speak.