The Detroit times., 1910-01-15
NEGRO BOYS make
sK|LFUL ARTISANS
Fr. M. L. Gumbleton Tells Of Worl
in Industrial School in Clayton,
Delaware.

That Negro boys make skillful ar
t:sans and good farmers when prop
erly trained is the opinion of the Rev.
FIR. Michael Leo Gumbleton. OF the
st. Joseph Society OF the Sacred Heart
for Colorec Missions. who IL visiting
Judge James Phelar In Detroit. He
Is connected with tha Industrial school
for coloret boys in Clayton. Del.
The Clayton school is somewhat
similar Ia its aims to the 'Tuskegee
seminary OF Booker T. Washington,
although IL is yet on a smaller scale
and Is religious instead OF secular
institution. II is maintained by the
ST. Joseph society, which has it's head
quarters in Baltimore. and makes its
mission the elevation of the Negroes.
We f1nd that the boys learn rapidly
under good discipline. and those who
have left the school are credit to it,
says FIR. Gumblcton. 1.-The school Is
located on farm of 395 acres, Of
which S25 acres Is titled by the pupils.
A herd of 60 registered Holstein cat
tie and drove of fine Berkshire hogs
are maintained, beside good horses and
good breeds OF chickens and geese.
The boys learn modern farming prac-
tically. and we hope that they will
teach better agriculture to their race.
Each boy also learns a trade. We
have printing shop In which the st.
Anthony's Monthly Is published. Sub
scriptions to this are the chief sup
port OF the school. Some OF the boys
learn tailoring, others carpentry, and
others different trades to which they
are suited. have a suit of clothes
made by a 17-year-old Negro boy In
our school which IL as well cut and
made as it would have been had the
best tailor In your city had the making
OF It,
AT present, we have 80 boys in the
school. They come from all over the
country. bet the greatest share are
from the Drexel founding home in
Cornwall. Pa. They come to the school
at the age of II, and remain until they
are IL to 10 years Of age. Half the
day Is spent in the school room,
where they receive a good education.
such as would be given In any parc-
chial school, and the other half OF the
day Is spent in trade work. Some
times 1t takes little discipline at tirst
TO impress a boy with the necessity of
working, but once they become ac-
customed to the school, there Is no
further trouble.
Some of our boys are sent on to
Montgomery, Ala, to college, where
they may take up profession. One
OF the boys who left the school three
years ago came back for a visit re.
Gently. He had a good position and q
bank account OF $500.
The school in Clayton was founded
IL years ago by FIR. De Ruyter. Bel
gian priest The st. Joseph society
which has Negro missions in charge
has its own seminary In Baltimore
with curriculum similar to that o.
ST. Marys seminary. The young
lpriests, however, instead Of taking the
vow OF poverty, take vow to work
among the Negroes and among Nc
groes alone. About so young priests
who have been ordained to this work
are now engaged in mission effort
among the Negroes. There are AZ stu
dents In the Epiphany college in Balti-
more, which is preparatory school,
and % In st. Joseph's seminary.
FIR. Gumbleton Is young man, hav-
ing been ordained less than two years
ago. He is now preparing to conduct
nom Catholic missions In the south.