The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-07-26
OPPORTUNITY FOR NEGRO
MIR. n. b. ERoUGHTON DIsCtrun,
THE NATIONAL REIdc,,,
TRAINING SCHOOL AND TN,
HOW THE WORK WAS Sr,pr,.
AND HAS PROGRESSIsD


spent Thursday last. July 21s+
the busy. rapidly growing CITY os
ham, N. c. The special purposa
visit was that might inspect ~,
buildings and work going on IN ~,
or the National Religious Tr,intnt
ocnooi and Chautauqua, an institnt,n7
being established there for naprn.s
was astonished and delighted T.,
find four large. handsome Inttf,cr,
had been erected and the Snmr3s
School. which opened for the flrs,
time two weeks ago.. already had ~
enrolment of 107, with seven Statas
represented.
The location is about one mile AMI
a half south of the Union station in
Durham, a beautiful situation Of "a
acres Of land.
Dr.. James E. Shepard. who far
several years was the superintendent
Of work among the negroes of the In
ternational Sunday School Association
is president of the institution. and II
Is. in reality. a creation Of his faith
and effort. Travelling over the South
mon the people Of his race in tha
interest Of the Sunday school cause
he saw the one great need was leaders
men and women trained for the
work Of teaching and directing Sunday
schools, and that the progress in the
organization Of negro Sunday schools
must be very slow until this great
hindering cause was met
In meeting this special need DR..
Shepard felt the necessity OF general
educational preparation combined
with thai of industrial qualification.
his idea being to do a work like that
done for the whites at Mortified.
Mass, and at Hampton or Tuskegee.
for negroes.
He called to his aid an advisory
board OF white and colored men and
placed before them his great plan. At
ter mature consideration and careful
going over the same it was adopted.
At that meeting, which was held in
Durham, Judge Jeter c.. PritChard was
elected president OF the Advisory
Board and Gen. J. S. Carr. treasurer.
DR.. Jas. E. Shepard at once began an
active canvass for funds with which
to establish the institution. In a short
while a number Of situations We're Of
fered for its location. but Durham,
with it's usual wide-awake business
methods, offered so acres of ground,
splendidly located and its hearty CO.
operation and sympathy through en-
dOrsement of the movement by It's
Board of Trade.
To his was added the enthusiastic
support and cooperation of the lead
ing colored men and women OF Dur
ham. And those who know the color
I'd people Of that city will appreciate
what this mean
DR.. Shepard directed his efforts to-
ward raising money mainly among the
people Of the North. but the largest
gift, so far, has come from Mrs. Avery,
of Kentucky. who gave $4,000 toward
the building of what is now known
as the Avery Auditorium, a very stTik-
ing and we'll arranged building.
Ground was broken just four
months ago, and building commenced
ninety days ago. To-day four large.
striking. well arranged structures
greet the eye dormitory for women;
a dormitory for men, a dining nan
and the Avery Auditorium.
1 do not hesitate to say that there
has hardly been the equal Of ihS
achievement at any time.
DR.. Shepard and his c~o-laboreTs mas
brought to pass in a few short nouns
what seemed a work of years.
The regular school session OF ms
institution is to open octoDef -
and to continue right along It's ID"
term Of SO weeks
[ do not believe a more lmp"Fl@"|
work for the negroes or a CREATE ~
to help them has beeh un
dertaken anywhere or at any I'm,
and / believe the National ReiI8i'p'
School and Ch~autauGn@ -
at Durham. n. G.. mas =
great work and 8 great future pfI''0
it.
In its scope Of work its grea, ~
we are informed, will be to ohei ~
the poorest woman and the poo'''s
man desiring to become Quaiited .'f
useful, helpful life the opportunity 80
so. And the fact that lnt5 a.
now furnishing board lodgfu6
at $3.50 per week for the -
mer School is an evidence o. "h0
proposed to be done.
n. B. BROUGHToN.