The Washington bee., 1908-02-29
or the benefit of the school.

for the benefit of the school.
Sam Baker, of Elmore county, said
that he had not been to the conference
for six years. Six years ago, when he
came here, he had s. in his pocket and
he was out OF debt md he felt pretty
we'll off, but what he had seen had
made him dissatisfied Since that time
he had purchased a tract of land and
had home of his own, and now he felt
entitled to speak, and so he had come
back
S. I. Porvo, farmer of Montgomery
county said he had paid for eighty
acres since last year But he reported
that there was no school house in his
community yet, and school was held
in the church. He promised that be-
fore next conference he would do some
thing to get a school building
l. D. Poo, another farmer from Ra-
mer, who claims TO own POI acres, says
that he stocked one Of his farm houses
for school building"
Nearly all the farmers reported that
their neighbors were buying farms.
Joe Parker, of Kowaliga, said that
within a radius of five miles of his
home there were thiry-three Negroes
who owned their own farms Similar
| reports were received from other parts
the State indicating that thee is a con-
stantly growing class of thrifty Negro
farmers.
Lewis Gilbert, of Prospect Tenn, has
$50 acres, for which he has been paying
S. San acre.
| ]. D. McDufie, of Ocala, Fla, is the
owner of 647 acres from which he ship
ped sixy-fve carloads of canteloupe:
and watermeions last year. The previ-
Gus year he shipped one hundred and
one carloads, he said. The conference
gave him a severe cross-examination
but he seemed to understand his busi-
ness.
{ J. N. Sanifer, of Ethelsville, Pickens
county, who always comes to the con-
ference with something new from hi
community, brought handsome home
spun blanket this year which he saiC
his wife had spun from wool grown or
his farm. He also had a goat yoke o.
which he presented Washington mod
el.
One of the most interesting incident
of the session was short address b.
! ]. H. Dillard, the general secretary o
the trustees of the Jeaness Fund, sun
of 100000 which has been given, th'
interest of which is to be used to ai'
the rural schools Mr.. billiard was for
merly dean of Tulane University, New
Orleans. He is a Virginian by birth
however, and has been all his life, a
he said himself in the schools
Or Washington has told you" h
said, about my work. 1t is an attemp
to improve the rural districts. Their,
is new movement in education sweep
| ing over the country. 1t means tha
we must try to wed academic ulture t(
work That is true of the white people
lust as much as it is true of the blacks
| You must get together and organize tc
help carry on this work"
At the conclusion of the session
series of declarations was adopted near
" three thousand packets OF garden
seeds sent by Secretary James Wilson
of the Department of Agriculture a
| Washington were distributed among the
farmers, so as to encourage them tc
diversity their crops and raise their owr
food supplies; and an old-fashionec
Southern barbecue for the refreshment
Of the delegates was served them before
starting for their homes.
/ The declarations urge the Negroes &c
own property; to improve farming IA
cilities: not to pass good business op,
portunities; to educate them children
to keep before the Negroes high stand
| ards of morality; qualification at the
prohibition movement, and practice
of the elemental virtues
| Tomorrow the Workers Conference
will Be held. The discussions will be
participated IN by leading educators
white and black, and many others IN
terested in work among the Negroes.