The Appeal., 1911-03-18
A TRIP TO DIXIE LAND.


Nashville were without incident. We
arrived at Tuskegee the morning OF
the 23d. The trustees of the Insti
tute were in annual session, conse.
quently Mr.. washington was a very
busy man, but, notwithstanding these
conditions, he found time TO receive
us and show us some courtesies which
we highly appreciated. It being near
the noon hour we were taken in
charge by Prof: Geo. w. Carver, di-
rector of Agriculture, who escorted US
to ''Tomkins Hall" where we lunched
This building is the new and very
magnificent $175,000.00 dining hall
recently erected by, the Students We
met many old friends in this building,
among whom was Mr.. Noah D. Thomp-
son, formerly of Chicago, but now
who kindly joined us on a sightseeing
expedition.
At the Carnegie library we were en-
tertained by Mr.. Chas. Winter Wood,
the librarian, who showed us all the
attention that his amiable disposition
would permit. In company with Miss
Emily Moore, Capt. B. E. Ammons
and Prof Carver, the hospital, Ia
tum Hall, Rockefeller Hall, machine
shop, wood working division, also the
dairy and stock form were visited
and enjoyed. All were neat and we'll
kept White Memorial Hall Girls
Dormitory), received the next call,
Mr.. White of N. Y, his wife and
daughter donors in memory of their
family, being present at the dedica-
ton, which took place on the 23d;
that evening at chapel, Mr. White
gave q very interesting talk to faculty
and Students Mr.. B. T. Washington
presided with his usual grace and
ease, his wit and humor being the
| life of the occasion. Tuskegee's ia
nous choir of Is voices furnished the
music for the occasion, it was their
singing, a year ago, that struck a
responsive chord in the breast of Mr..
White.
We spent some time with Mr.. En-
NIT Scott, private secretary to MI.
! Washington, he is one of the busiest
men on the campus, but nevertheless
showed appreciation of the call. We
also visited with Mrs. B. T. Washing
ton in her magnificent home and were
shown all the. attention that a grand,
good. broad woman of her caliber
| could give.
On the morning of the Oath, we
visited parade grounds and witnessed
guard mount. There were some 8 Or
10 companies, in charge Of Capt. Aus
| tin formerly of the Sth Illinois. The
boys went Through the manual Of
arms with precision and their march
ing in twos, fours and battalion for
| nation was excellent. They were led
by the Tuskegee Institute band of SO
pieces; this band had just returned
from concert tour through Georgia.
In Atlanta they played before 10000
people, the admission being SOC. Capt.
Austin informed us that the band had
an engagement at Chicago during the
coming summer, also at Milwaukee
and perhaps would come to the Twin
Cities. We have touched briefly on
the trip to this famous school, pre-
sided over by the grandest educator
Of the age. In order to realize the
magnitude of this great work one must
see for himself and then, after see
ing, I'm inclined to think you would
express yourself as did Sheba's Queen
(after having heard of Solomon's
domain) "The half has never been
told!"
On the oath we arrived in Mobile,
Ala, the same evening attended a
full dress party given by the o. O. DIS.
Order of Doves, in the beautiful Mill
and Timber hall Decorations and
costumes represented Dante's Inferno.
Continuous music was the feature.
At one end Of the hall Pope's Creole
band of Is pieces and at the other end
Faustina's orchestra played alternate
ly. From the morning of the 25th to
March I'd, we made a careful study
Of the condition of the Afro-American
people. We found them in all avenues
Of business life, operating grocery
stores, drug stores, furniture stores,
both new and second hand, undertake
ers and bank, and in every case the
head of the different business enter
prises said. about the same thing: "If
we can manage to keep what the
people want they will patronize us"
Their insurance Offices were very
attractive. With all Afro American girls
as clerks in various Offices and Afro
American men as heads of depart
ments, with modern business methods
of records and files, adding machines
etc. Out of five Caucasian undertak-
ers and two Afro-Americans the firm
of Allen and Harney (Afro-Ameri-
cans) buried 40 per cent of the dead
! of Mobile for 1910. We called at the
post office met assistant postmaster,
superintendent of carriers (Afro-
Americans), all carriers at this post
office, 33 in number, are Afro-Ameri-
cans. also many of the clerks. The
relations between the races seem very
cordial, most of the Afro-Americans
own homes and a great many have
horses and buggies, that their wives
may enjoy. In Pensacola, Fla, we
found the Afro-Americans as they
were in Mobile in all kinds of busi-
ness enterprises and with monopoly
on labor. In Montgomery, Ala, we
found very prosperous element of
Afro-Americans with fine stores of all
kinds, one bank received on deposits
the first day it opened for business
more than $4,000. So far as the gen.
eral relations of the Afro-Americans
are concerned, both North and South,
will state briefly that each have an
advantage, the Northern Afro-Ameri-
can has rights which the Southern
Afro-American has not. Such as
right Of franchise, steam and electric
cars, etc. The Afro-Americans in the
South has the advantage to work in
all the trades and professions, unions
are glad to have them, as are also the
non-union employers.
The race leaders are striving there
to teach the Afro-Americans the dig.