Evening star., 1909-04-11
Other Alabama Schools.

Other Alabama Schools.
There is an agricultural and technical
school at Auburn, about sixty miles east
Of Montgomery, for which an appropria-
ton of $226, 600 was made at the last ses-
siOn There is an industrial school for
girls at Montevallo. for which $2OOOOO
has been appropriated. An Industrial
school for boys received $4,000: an asy-
lum for the deaf, dumb and blind got
$5G, 600 and $4,000 was given last year
to the medical department of the uni
yersity.
There has been an educational renais-
sance in Alabama In the last two years,
which. as l suggested In a previous let
ter, has been very largely due to the IN
fuence of the women of the state Nine
new agricultural colleges have been es-
tablished and sixty-seven high schools
one in each cOunty-are now In course OF
erection. while the common school sys-
tenn has received a. thorough overhauiing
and has the benefit of appropriations
more liberal than ever before.
Alabama need no longer be ashamed
-of her school system. 1t is being rapidly
brought up to date.
have made no reference to the several
institutions for the coiored population.
which are prosperous and are doing good
work. Everybody knows about Tuskegee
Institute, where Booker Washington Is
training eighteen hundred young colored
men
GEMS. and that near Huntsville. where w.
HI. Councill Is doing equally good work.
wrote you about KOwaliga only the
other day.
Regarded as Most Useful.
One of the most useful Of these insti-
tutions is the Montgomery Industrial
School, founded in 1886 by two devoted
northern women, Alice L.sWhite and H.
Margaret Beard, who are still in charge
OF the work, and for twenty-three years
have been training negro girls to be good
and true and to earn an honest living.
Henry Fairbanks Of st. Johnsbury, VT,
is the president of the board of trustees;
President Charles F. Thwing Of Western
Reserve University. Cleveland, Ohio.' is
the treasurer. The school is supported
by voluntary contributions from benevo-
lent people in the north who are familiar
with it's usefulness and influence. An
average Of 24O colored girls Is in con-
stant attendance. They are taught the
rudiments of an English education. house.
keeping, sewing. cooking. laundry work
and nursing. and are trained for house.
hold service and to become good wives
and mothers. Although the usefulness
of the institution Is limited by the lack
Of funds, there is none better, and. as
Gen. Armstrong Of Hampton Institute
south or anywhere else in the country.
President Thwing of Western Reserve
University OF Cleveland. Ohio. who, as I
have said. has charge of the financial
interests Of the institution. recently said:
II have reason to believe that the Mont
gomery Industrial School is doing the
noblest work in wise methods for the
training Of colored girls. 1 wish it had
funds Of far greater amount for doing
the work that lies at its doors, but with
the money which is contributed 1t is do
ing the utmost. and 1 know Of no ex-
penditure of equal amount that renders
SO great service to humanity"
Prejudice Is Moderafing.
The prejudice of the white people of
Alabama against the education of the
negroes is gradually moderating
as they recognize the good work that
is being done by such schools as have
referred to. They are beginning to see
that education does not injure a colored
man or woman any more than it Injuries
trary makes better citizens as well as
better servants of them. There is a
growing tendency for the. educated col
ored people to segregate. Here at Bir-
mingham and in other cities of the south
you find negro clubs and negro theaters
at which only actors and actresses of
that race perform Negro doctors, dem
lists, grocers and druggists are found in
every one OF these communities and are
generally patronized by the members of
doing a prosperous business, and the
number of banks owned and managed by
negroes is increasing rapidly. and they
are generally prosperous. There are
newspapers exclusively for negroes in
every town, and negro stenographers and
typewriters, both men and women, are
becoming, quite numerous. have seen
advertisements of negro dancing. mas
ters and negro dramatic schools. and in
New Orleans I ran across a BARRIERS
college" where twelve students are be-
ing educated in the science of shaving,
'hair-cutting and face massage A sign
hanging in the window invites whom
it may concern to Come in and have a
free shave and free haircut. No charge
whatever for any service" But found
up6n inquiry that those who accept this
cordial invitation are the victims of
amateurs. The students of the college"
practice upon them.
OF course. 1t is a college" and it has
quite as good a right to that title as
most Of the universities" you find down
here Everything is UNIVERSITY" no
matter what the standard Of scholarship
or the courses of instruction may be-
There is straight University" and a
Leland University" in New Orleans and
various other universities" founded and
supported by Christian people I'm the
north. and yet the first lesson they teach
is one of deception and public imposture
in their names.