Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-02-15
The Clifton Forge Negro School.

writes from Washington as follows:
The Peoples High Industrial
School" is the rather high sounding
title of an institution at Clifton Forge.
Va. in which Washington people are
becoming interested, through the
efforts of the head OF the school, and
some of the white board OF visitors
there OF Rev. Geo. E Fountain. a young
colored man, who Is the pastor Of the
colored Baptist church at Clifton
Forge, is tue principal of. the school,
and has beea here interesting people
il it for a week or so.
Tue school has about hundred in.
mates. boys and girls. Its object is
to train negro youth for domestic ser
vice. Pupils are taught to read aud
write, and given az elementary knOwl-
edge of arithmetic Further than
that the principal makes no effort to
train bis pupils intellectually.
IL try to make my pupils honest. and
to give them sense of honor" said
Fountain. Il believe that If the negro
servant were given strong sense OF
honor he would prove an acceptable
servant. He is not acceptable now,as
a rule. The trouble which the people
of the South, where the negro predom-
mates, are having in obtaining good
servants is disheartening to contem-
plate, when l think of the splendid
opportunity which the field of domes-
tic service offers Il e negro. The &c.
mand for farm la borers in the South,
which the negro could supply and
which be will not, is also condition
which confrouts US.
IL am trying to teach the negro to
work. l am not trying to make a
teacher of him. I do not Try to make
of him lawyer, or doctor, to make
him believe he may aspire to be Sen
ator, or Representative, or Governor,
1 am doing the best l can to teach him
to work with his hands in field where
his services are needed. am trying
to make good cooks and maids Of the
girls, 1 am trying to have them taught
how to do the work wanted Of them
and l am trying to give them principl
which will not only make them honest
but which will make them honorable
i and do their work TO the best of thei
ability, and stick to their positions
If girl trained in my school shout
leave her mistress without so much
; All hours notice. even, / should ie'
that we had failed to IL AXE of her th
kind of servant we are trying to max
This is a white man country. III
negro ought to think of it as his
" rule. 1t is his in the sense that be WI
born here. The white man has alwa!
ruled wherever he mas been. The neg
y must do tue work at his hand. To
) field of service is his if he will only tai
s. it. never talk politics to my pupil
nor to my congregation, for that ma
70 ter. The negro never bettered b
D. condition by knowing about polite
10 The less be has to do with 1T the be
~ ter. Bad leaders have been the cur
10 of the race. / am trying all the TIL
io to make the negro think better Of tt
10 white man, and the white man Of u
~ South is the best friend the neg
ever had :"
~ " have nothing to say of Il
~ Brownsville affair." he said, when IL
IA subject was introduced. Il do N
'o think the negroes are doing themseiv
~ any good by discussing that subJec
i'll But l will say this, the President new
ia does the negro race service by az
pointing one of them to office. Sue
~ appointments always create sent
~ ment against tre black man on tt
part If the whites and do the who
negro race harm. Let the white ms
81 hold the offices l am not trying to
l. the negro for office-helding. l am tr
ing to teach him to work with b
er hands, and earn an honest living al
o. good living"
" Regarding Booker 7. Washington
e. he said that Nv ashington was doll
ty a line work. but be goes into poiiti
N entirely too much.
About q dozen of the promlne
K white citizens of Clifton Forge a
members of the board OF trustees
I'd the school, and many Of them ha'
;. contributed to its support. Money
keep the school going is badly needle