davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24

is now at Newport News taking aboard
bunker coal, and will sail from tina Chesa-
peake within the next day or two on her
long journey. The trip will be made by
way of the Straits of Magellan. and about
three months will be taken by tie ship on
her voyage. After leaving Newport News
she will make calls for coal at Port Cas-
tries, st. Lucia: Pernambuco, Rio de ia
Metro. Montevideo. Sandy Point, in the
Straits Of Magellan; Valparaiso. Cailao,
Acapulco, Mexico and San Diego. Cal.
The Explorer will be employed on tho
Pacific as she was on the Atlantic. In
gathering data regarding the shoals. cur
rents, tides and the like. and the result OF
her researches will be made public in the
publications issued from the headquarters
of the coast survey service on Capitol Hill.
The officers of the ship are w. c. Dibreil,
commander; C. D. Quillan first officer; A.
L. Giacomini, watch officer; E. A. White
head and r. C. Lewis. mates; X. III.
Hawkes.. surgeon; NJ ]. Dunn, chief writer.
and NJ F. Flannery. chief engineer.
1t was stated that the Explorer was going
to the Pacific to take the place or the
steamer Gedney, which was to be con-
demned. At the coast survey headquarters
it is stated that this Is a mistake, and that
the Gedney is being overhauled and made
ready for service on the Alaskan coast dur
ing the coming summer season, and that
the Explorer will be an additional ship on
the Pacific.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24

Washington. At the first conference held
Wednesday more than thousand colored
formers and their wives gathered at Tuske-
gee. coming from all parts of the south.
or course. the majority were from the
nearby country ranging as far as forty or
in every character and description OF We
hicle l. is possible to Imagine, bringing
their wives. and. in many instances, their
children. Hundreds of others came from
far-off states. Texas being we'll represented,
several being present from Florida. while
large groups represented North and South
Carolina. Georgia and Mississippi. These
men and women had evidently not CONE
to Tuskegee for a picnic. They were here
for business, and the dead earnestness
with which they proceeded to go after in
formation of value to them and get it was
one Of the encouraging signs.
The meetings were held in the big chapel,
which holds 5000 people. The first session
was held at 10 o'clock Wednesday morning,
at which time the audience hall was packed
with men and women. farmers and stu
dents. a scattering of visitors from the
north. and the assemblage ranging In color
through all the shades possible for the
human countenance. This session con-
tinued without intermission for more than
FIVE hours. without tagging in the in
terest. 1t had the advantage of having
one OF the best presiding officers II has
ever been my good fortune to see at work.
That was Booker T. Washington. and his
skillful hand and directing brain was Wis
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24

school term and what was the character of
the minister.
Washington continually asked the queS-
tion Are the colored peoples houses in
your section painted or whitewashed?"
and If the reply was, as it usually was,
tn the negative. he would say Wont you
go back and try to get them to spruce
up?" Hhey all said they would
Mode of Living.
Another question was, Are there any
colored people in your neighborhood still
living in one-room cabins?" and If the dele
gate confessed TO some of these. he would
be urged to go home and wipe them out
Much emphasis was also put on the school
question. nearly every speaker being asked
as TO how long the school term was in his
and whether the teacher was a permanent
fixture in the neighborhood. The constant
suggestion from Mr. Washington was that
every school should be kept open at least
six months i'm the year, and that il the
state or county funds for school purposes
were not sufficient for that purpose
the colored people In the neighborhood
should subscribe sufficient money to do it
themselves. 1t was startling fact that
place after place reported different plans
by which they were keeping the colored
country public schools open for months at
their own expense. Some places were SUBJ
scribing money, others were subscribing
labor to work ten. twenty and thirty acres
of ground. the produce from which. when
soldS going to the school fund. The re-
ports wherefore. that swept into the con-
ference< room from all over the south and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24
NO FAITH IN WEATHERWISE.
Unofficial Representations Without
Merit, Saws Prof. Moore.

A denial has been entered by Prof. Willis
L. Moore. chief of the United States
weather bureau, of the oft repeated state
ment of unofficial weatherwise seers TO the
effect that the climate of this country Is
changing. He has no patience with the
meteorological change artists. he declares.
and says there Is nothing In their theories
neither hot nor cold air.
Prof Moore recently stated that the story
of the climate changing began soon after
Adam and Eve began to take observations
and other things in the Garden OF Eden;
also that some great Americans In the past
have fallen victims of the change theory.
1t is asserted that Thomas Jefferson in
cluded in one of his state papers this:
ut is apparent that the climate of Vir-
ginia is changed. The old inhabitants here
tell me that they remember when snow
lay on the ground four months every year
and they rode in sleighs. Now 1t Is rare
that we get enough snow to have sleigh
ride. 1t is apparent that the climate Of
Virginia has changed since 1907, when the
settlers came into Jamestown"
Referring to this statement Prof. Moore Is
reported to have said:
ssThere has been a great deal of clearing
in the thickly wooded country of Virginia
since 1901 but. really. that would not
change it. The change was in the men
WHO were lciiuS Tic StoTys VIC Hucdoulo
things by a different standard as We grow
older. Every man when he gets to be fifty
years of age will look back and think OF
one great snow storm and he will say: We
had snow four feet deep all winter long.
because all he remembers as he thinks back
is the one snow storm"
1t is said to be the opinion of Prof. Moore
also that the country is In for a long pc
riod of drouth following the long Pc
Rod of abundant rainfall This has las ed
for six years. and the weather chief Is GER
tain that there win be q drouth Of equal
duration.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24
STUDENTS AND BUILDINGS AT TUsKEGEE.

ible all through the discussions. He kept
the speakers to their subjects, asked search
ing questions which brought out informa-
ton of value to the whole body, called
particular attention now and then to some
valuable suggestion made by a speaker,
and through it all for the five hours stood
on his feet and scattered through the whole
of that vast gathering a spirit of ambition
and of hopefulness for the future of his
and their race. To see Washington'S tre-
mendous influence over his students at
Tuskegee is a marvellous thing, but 1t is
even more amazing to observe his influence
in guiding the thought and ambitions OF
these farmers coming in from all portions
of the south.
Ideas for the Race.
The early part of the conference was
one continual drive at these ideas for the
race:
To buy land.
To work hard and then little harder
To improve home surroundings.
To provide better schools and longer
terms.
These thoughts were brought out again
and again by speakers, and were constant
ly driven into the audience by Washing
ton, through questions and by suggestions.
The general method followed throughout
the day was for man after man to
arise in the audience and to make a re-
port on the conditions prevailing in his
section, usually in his county. Occasionally
Mr.. Washington would call on the speaker
himself to make some report from some
special locality. Many women spoke volun-
tarily, or were called on. There were no
signs Of any f1ub-dub oratory, or of long
talks, made chiefly because of the speak
er's admiration of the sound of his own
voice On the contrary. the talks were all
practical. A man would tell of the condi-
tons in his section, and either voluntarily
or by questions from Washington before he
sat down the audience would have a good
idea as to how many colored men In his
section owned land, how many had pur-
of houses they were living in, how good
their schools were, and how long the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24

and shingle mill. Other speakefs were =.
II. Johnston. president Of the Virginia Nor
NAL Institute, Petersburg. Va<Mr. Hutch
ba@a and pr nreseent Of
Guadalupe College, Texas.
School Day for Farmers.
This was the first day of the conference
and is sometimes called the one school
day of the year for the colored farmers
The second day was given up to the work
ers' conference and Of that session and of
the work Of Tuskegee hope to write
later. This is the sixteenth farmers con-
ference that has been held at Tuskegee, and
1t is almost impossible to measure the ire
mendous influence for the betterment of
race conditions that has gone out from
these meetings. During the whole session
there was not one word of bitterness, there
was not a reference to Brownsville; not an
intimation Of race troubles in the past, or
dangers from race conflicts in the future.
Before adjourning the conference adopted
a set of, resolutions which, in general
way, sums up the result of the gathering,
and when 1t Is remembered that the reso-
lutions along with the oral statements 'rnn
the people who attended have been carried
into thousands of negro homes ..uI-
dreds of negro communities, scattered
throughout the south and that for weeks
and months this growing circle will be dis
cussing again and again the things dis
cussed at the conference at Tuskegee and
endeavoring to live up to the resolutions
adopted there, some slight idea can be OBJ
tanned of what the farmers conference,
meeting with all the Tuskegee surround
ings and presided over by Booker WASH
ington, means to the race.
Set of Resolutions.
These are the resolutions adopted:
/. We reaffirm our conviction that the
future of the negro people is in the south.
We therefore again urge our people to
make use, before it is too late, of the op-
portunity that now exists to buy land. We
would urge them to build homes and per-
manently establish themselves on the soil.
We believe that ownership of the soil by
the individual who tills it is the first step
in the working out of our future. In the
forty years since slavery negro farmers,
according to the last federal census, have
come into possession of nearly as much
land as is contained in the territory Of two
European states-Holland and Belgium.
This proof of our ability to buy land and
hold 1t should encourage us to do better in
the future.
2. We must do more in the future than
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24
Gripping their own schools and helping to
build up the white schools.
~ Tho

Gripping their own schools and helping t
| build up the white schools.
Some of the Evils.
Some Of the other evils brought out wer,
the following:
That young men were leaving the farm!
and going to the cities.
The combination Of whisky concealed
weapons and gambling. On the latter sug
gestion considerable discussion ensued as
to the best way of dealing with hose three
things with the general decision that theil
communities would be urged to build up a
public sentiment that would os tracize the
colored men guilty of any of the three
evils
Laziness
Too extensive farming.
Lack of honor.
These were only a few of the evils in the
race suggested by the speakers and 1t
must be remembered that the suggestions
were from colored men and women, and
were made to colored men and women. The
same people discussed them with the great
est freedom, the greatest earnestness and
with a seemingly intense desire to find rem
edies. One woman told of the organiZa-
ton in her neighborhood of a reform So
ciety which had done good work in stamp
ing out gambling and drinking. Others told
of steps that were being taken, or had
tone in their community. Others called
earnest attention to the fact that most Of
the evils arose from the neglect Of proper
home training for the children, and one
woman in eloquent terms said that much
Of the evils were due to the women, be-
cause if the colored women of the south
demanded that their men should be of the
proper character they would become so.
Session in the Evening.
In the evening another session was held.
at which nearly all Of the students of the
institute were present along with the farm
ers and visitors. The meeting was opened
by magnificent singing by the Tuskegee
choir, led by Mrs. J. c. Lee. The session
in a general way was given up to reports
from other colored institutions. Rev. Rich
ard Carroll Of South Carolina, who was
the president Of the recent South Caro-
lima race conference and who has large
institution for his race right down in Sena-
tor Tillman's neck of the woods, made an
interesting report. Carroll is a colored man,
but reported that he Is receiving very
marked assistance from the white people In
his section in his work, among those who
are helping him being Senator Tilman. He
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24

pursued. and a half dozen people reported
from as many sections that the same thing
was being done in their localities.
]. M. Sanifer, from Pickens county, Ala
bama, was one OF the features He called
attention to the suit of clothes he wore,
and announced that he didn't spend any
money buying clothes from the stores but
that the suit of clothes and those worn
She raised the sheep. sheaHed them. carded
the wool, made 1t into cloth, cut it out
and made the clothes. Amid applause he
summed 1t up by stating that the route
was direct from the sleeps back to his
back. That 1t was not a lone case was
shown by the statement of q woman dele
gate, who called attention to her dress,
which, she said, had been made entirely
by herself She had raised the cotton and
had carried the cotton through every pro-
cess, except the ginning, which she had
hired white man to do for her. to the
dress as 1t appeared that day. She said
she had a good home, which was all paid
for. and she produced two axe handles as
samples of the work done by her husband
at night with his knife, by which he made
an average of an extra dollar day.
Garden Spot Of the World.
A Mr. Dunlap, from Thomas county.
Georgia. spoke in eloquent terms of Thorn
as county and Of his own farm in particu-
lar. Thomas county was the garden spot
Of the world, and the Dunlap farm was
the best thing in Thomas county He had
500 acres, and told with pride and enthusi-
asm of the things he is doing, and those
things were worth while dong too.
A man from Geneva county reported that
negroes own 1900 acres of land in that
county.
And so it went hour after hour and
speaker after speaker. Finally Mr.. Wash
ington announced that the last half-hour
of the session would be given up to one
minute discussions the subject, What
is the greatest evil in your community, and
how can it be cured?"
That brought out a volley of suggestions
and panaceas. One man thought the great
est evil was the failure of the colored people
to pay the poll tax. In most places it was
explained, the poll tax money paid by ne
groes is used for the negro schools, and the
general failure to pay the tax deprives the
negro schools of much-needed funds. The
suggestion was repeated over and over
again. Others thought that the dispensary
/ system and its big patronage from the col.
ored people Is the biggest evil. 1t was
explained that the view was from both
moral and practical grounds. The use OF
liquor was denounced in itself and then Il
was further explained that the revenues
from the dspensaries are used for the
white schools and that by retaining from
paying the poll tax and paying money to
| the dispensary the colored people were
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24
WERE IN DEAD EARNEST
COIored People Attend Confer
ence at Tuskegee.
FOR FARMERS AND OTHERS
Progress in Arriving at Solution of
Negro Question.
BOOKER WASHINGTON PRESIDES
Tremendous Influence Over Students
Questions and Answers-Adop-
ton of Set of Resolutions.
FOR FARMERS AND OTHERS
BOOKER WASHINGTON PRESIDES

Special From a STAFF Correspondent.
TUSKEGEE, Ala, February 23.-Dur-
ing the past week a small library of
books has been printed, hundreds of de-
bates have been held and thousands of
speeches made on the negro question. All
Of these things put together, however.
have not moved the matter toward a solu-
ton to one-thousandth the extent that the
past week at Tuskegee, Ala, has done.
Wednesday and Thursday last there was
held at Tuskegee what is known as the
annual farmers and workers conference,
both being presided over by Booker =.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24
VICTIMS OF CAMORRA
TWO MURDERS IN ROME TRACED
TO SECRET SOCIETY.
Special Cablegram to The Star.

Special Cablegram to The Star.
ROME, February 23.-In. the Trbuna
of June IL last reference was made to
the manner in which the police were baf-
fed by the Camorra in their endeavors
to trace the authors of two murders which
happened at the time, and special mention
was made of the opinion expressed by the
heads Of the Neapoltan detective force that
If the crimes were committed by persons
belonging to the upper grades Of the
Camorra it was useless to expect their
capture.
The murders referred to were committed
simultaneously Signor Gennaro Cuocolo.
a prominent member of the Camorra, was
found stabbed to death on the beach at
Tore del Greco during the night of June
q, while his swife was murdered almost
simultaneously and literally covered with
wounds at their home in Naples. The con-
nection between the two tragedies was evil
dent. Several persons were Immediately
arrested, but all of them were subsequently
liberated.
GARDINER Traces Crime.
This double tragedy had almost slipped
from the public mind. Now. however, after
a lapse Of eight months, 1t seems as If the
carabiniers have succeeded where the police
had failed. Further arrests have been eff
lcClcO dS Tic IcSull VI pdtiSit .HNtStiSd-
tons, initiated by Emilio Capezzuti. an ex-
perienced and astute GARDINER, who
wormed himself into the confidence of the
secret society, and thus got scent of the
guilty members. CuocolO and his wife were
murdered In revenge for disclosures made
by them to the police in number of anony-
nous letters. betraying the authors of vari-
Gus thefts. Cuocolo. who moved in good
society, and was thus able to plan success
full hauls, insisted on the lions share of
the booty which his accomDlices refused.
Hence his disclosures.
The most prominent among the arrested
persons is a certain Gennaro de Marinis.
who aspired to fill Cuocolos positsion as the
originator of thefts. Originally a butcher. he
became a man of fashion and was seen
daily driving a handsome team, always
dressed In the latest London styles He
spent large sums on flowers and invariably
wore red carnation In his buttonhole in
the morning, tea rose in the afternoon
and a gardenia in the evening. 1t has been
ascertained that the death of the Cuocolo
couple was decreed at secret meeting
held few evenings before the murders.
which are alleged to have been carried out
by four persons under the direction of
Marinis. Further arrests and revelations
are expected.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24
COAST SURVEY STEAMER.
Explorer Has Started on Journey to
the Pacific.

The United States coast and geodetic sur
vey service steamer Explorer. which has
been In service on the Atlantic coast since
she was built about three years ago. has
sailed from Baltimore under orders to go
to the Pacific for service on that coast and
about the adjacent islands. The Explorer
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24

announced as his platform the theory that
the negro should never fight. but should
keep on working harder and harder. He
said that Washington was the greatest man
among the colored people and that Tus-
kegee was the greatest school.
William Benson of Kowaliga, Ala, who Is
q graduate of Howard University, told an
interesting story of the work he is heading
in his section. He has organized the Dixie
Industrial Company, which employs 300
men. and runs saw mill. tUrpentine works
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24
every man. white or black. as God helps US
TOM C. MOVES.

Rev. Thomas Getz 4iill. curate of En-
manuel Protestant Episcopal Church. Cum
berland, Md. has accepted a call to Holy
Trinity parish. Baltimore. Carroll and Har-
ford counties. Nd He will reside at Sykes
vile. and st. Barnabas' Church will be the
main charge in the parish.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24

| we have in the past in the way of diversi-
| flying our crops and improving the quality
| of the soil. The raising of chickens, hogs
1 and cattle not only for the food they sup
| ply, but because they help to make the soil
| on which they are kept healthy and pro-
ductive, should receive more attention.
| 3. We feel compelled to emphasize upon
our people the duty of practicing greater
economy in the future than in the past. We
must save our money, start bank accounts
and eventually put these savings into land,
buildings. Stock machinery and other things
that contribute to make our homes more
desirable places to live. We are cheered to
know that members of our race already,
and mostly within the past few years, have
established more than thirty banks in the
southern states, and that the amount de-
posted in these banks and building and
loan associations owned and controlled by
our people amount to more than half mil
lion dollars.
Greater Interest in Education.
4. We rejoice to observe that the south
ern states are taking new and greater in
terest in education. We regret. however
that in many instances the colored schools
are not getting Their fair share of the pub
lie school funds, and that the schools of our
people sometimes receive less support from
the state now. when the state appropria-
lions for education have been Increased,
than they did when the amount Of those ap-
preparations was less. we note with Salts
faction. however. the extent to which our
people in different parts of re south are
submitting TO voluntary taxation, giving
from their small earnings something to in
crease and improve the school buildings and
supplement the salaries paid by the state to
our school teachers. so that the school terms
have In many places, been extended to
seven. eight and often nine r;onths in the
year.
8. While the past year, because Of clashes
between the races, has been one Of anxiety
to many of us, we are cheered and COM
forted by the evidences that we frequently
see around US that our friends among the
white people. cooperating with the leaders
among our people, are determined more in
the future than In the past to prevent such
outbursts. In order to cooperate with the
forces of law and order in our several COM
munities. we urge upon our leaders and
teachers that they earnestly seek in every
way to reduce the number of idlers and
Migrants Of our race, especially in the cities
6. Finally, let us be assured once more
that there Is no greater security for our
present defense or success than the patient
and persistent effort on our part to go
forward. to do right and act justly toward