Evening star., 1911-06-04
An Annual Holiday.

the campus.
An Annual Holiday.
For this crowd commencement day at
Tuskegee Is an annual holtday-one
toward which they always look with
the deepest interest and pleasure. and
out Of 1t they get all Of the enjoyment
possible.
The dresses, hats and bonnets OF the
women were simple. neat and we'll fit
ting, and lacked the gaudiness that
tion of twenty years ago. The people
havo been educated by rhe Tuskeyee
idea. Their sons and their daughters
have attended school here, and the
taking the school to these people in
their homes by a kind Of extension
work. They have been taught to dress
in q manner suited to their means. and
to dress we'll.
The most striking thing about this
great concourse OF people was the o.
der they observed. The place seems to
be ruled by the sentiment Of discipline
that pervades all Of it's activities. And
when the exercises OF commencement
were over this great crowd Of folks
went their way In the same orderly
manner that characterized their COM
ing.
The commencement services began Sum
day. May 81. when Bishop John c. Kilgo
of the Methodist Church South delivered
a sermon to the graduating class.
Monday evening the graduating exer-
cises Of the Phelps Hall Bible Training
School were held. Rev. w. A. Blackwell
of Montgomery. Ala. delivered the ad-
dress to the class.
The oratorical contest, held Tuesday
night. for the Trinity Church (Boston)
prizes. was the best in the history Of the
school. The judges were Senator Merritt.
Mayor Powell and w. w. Campbell.
president Of the Macon County Bank.
They praised the efforts Of the contest
ants very highly. The first prize was
won by a senior. who took for his SUBJ
ject Opportunities in Farming for the
Negro" The second prize was for an
Grafton entitled THE Negro in American
History"
Wednesday night the class day exer-
cises were held on the campus.
On Practical Lines.
The Tuskegee commencement program
Thursday was unique. There was plenty
of good music by q well trained choir and
a good orchestra. The representatives of
the graduating class had parts, too, as
they do In other schools. but the speeches
made by them here were all illustrated
by the work to which they have refer
ence. For instance. a boy spoke on 1.-The
Care and Feeding of Cows for Milk Pro-
duction." On the stage by him was q
high-grade Jersey cow. whose record for
the year 1910 was 600 gallons Of milk.
according to the statement posted for the
audience to read, which milk was sold at
2S cents q gallon. bringing in the sum of
$685.. The cost Of keeping this particular
cow was 500; profit. $50.
There was another cow on the stage OF
the scrub breed that gave only 3O3 gal
Ions Of milk for the same period of time
and the keeping Of which cost likewise
500. The milk brought $84.SO. showing q
loss of $14.16. All Of this was done to
impress the visiting farmers that 1t pays
and to care for 1t In such a way that the
profits from the sale Of the milk will soon
offset the difference In the purchase price.
Then came addresses on Building a
maker in Her Community" ''some Sim
pie Operations In Electricity" Carrying
| the School Into the Home,' Making
Over Old Hats and Modern Methods In
Education" all by the graduates. and all
but two supported by concrete illustra-
tions OF the work the student had been
doing along his particular line Of study
| in the school. For 1t must be borne in
mind that Tuskegee gives each student q
trade to take out into the world with
training.
The most impressive number on the
program was a reproduction Of the
activities of Tuskegee on the stage. An
engine had been set up and put In action,
a blacksmith shop was sending forth its
sparks from the forge. q boy was milk
ing a COW, a veterinary fling the teeth
Of horse. dressmaking. millinery. cook
| ing. ironing. serving q dinner. separating
milk from cream by machinery, Matching
chickens by an incubator and other things
taught in the school were illustrated.
The tremendous effect produced by this
exhibition of what is really going on at
Tuskegee every day cannot be described.
The thousands who witnessed the dis
play cheered and cheered and applauded
the effort to the echo.
After tha commencement address had
been delivered by Judge Robert H. Ter
rell OF Washington, D. c., and the
diplomas and certificates had been award
| ed to 17S graduates, the great crowd
poured out on the campus again to In
kpect Tuskegee's exhibit Of its farm
products and fine stock In the way OF
cows horses. mules and hogs-an OBJ
tect lesson to the farmers who had
come to learn as well as to see things.
Growth Of the Institute.
Tuskegee Institute has grown won
derfully In the quarter OF q century