The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1911-05-06
By CLEVELAND G. ALLEN.

Company Organized.
By CLEVELAND c. ALLEN.
Kowaliga, Ala.-The cornerstones OF
four new buildings at the KowaHga
school, In ElmOre county, Ala, were
formally laid during the Easter holi-
days. and within a few weeks these
structures. now approaching compile
ton. will be dedicated to the uses OF a
colored community that is 'leveling
up" TO use the phrase Of its leader.
through the medium Of simple educa-
| tion and we'll directed industry. The
buildings take the place Of those de-
stroyed by fire some two years ago
and are remarkable. inasmuch as they
are the product Of cOlOred wOrkmen,
who felled and sawed timber for them,
made the shingles and joiner work
and called upon the outside world for
no materials save nails and hardware.
Kowaliga differs widely from other
colored schools In that II seeks NOT to
train highly educated academic or in
dustr5al leaders for the race at large.
but to develop the economic resources
Of a restricted territory by teaching
the landowners and tenants how to
take advantage Of the opportunities
open to them. incidentally. their moral
welfare is not neglected. and In the
surrounding country the Kowaliga
people have the reputation OF being
law abiding as well as industrious.
Without the advantages afforded by
the school II is reasonable to assume
that few Of these people would have
outgroWn the ignorance In which they
were bred, and without the industries
that have sprung up to reinforce the
educational features Of their life 1t Is
doubtful whether they could have pro-
crossed to any sppreciable extent
along Industrial lines.
How Community Was Founded.
The history Of Kowaliga community
dates back forty years, when John
Benson bought 16O acres OF land form
ing part Of the plantation on which be
had lived as a slave. He was 2 thrifty
man and could turn bis hand a. lost TO
anything. When be received his free
dom he went to work for $40 a month
and at the end OF bis frst year be had
saved 500 That was the way be &C
cumulated money enough TO purchase
land His wife was a government
schooIteacher. one Of the very frst Of
her race. who had been sent into the
county In the reconstruction period to
impart to the colored people what lit
tie knowledge she bad acquired
All Of the Benson children received
a sound education. and when the son.
william Z. Benson. returned to his
home after graduating from Howard
university in 1895 be determined to
see what he could do to raise the
standard OF living among his neigh
bors.
They had little capital. and their
knowledge OF modern agricultural
methods was practically NIL. Under the
circumstances their children were des-
tined TO follow the same Improbable
path on the farm or suffer worse luck
by drifting TO the city. unless their en-
yironment underwent a change.
So Benson junior. in company with
a clAssmate and teacher. called the
farmers 20 the cabin schOolhouse where
be got bis rudimentary education and
told them be wanted to give their
children a grammar school education
and q certain amount Of industrial and
domestic training BE wanted. he said
to develop their latent abilities so that
they might become intelligent and
thrifty. Logs were felled and cut In
the sawmiIl owned by Benson senior;
shingles were made and kiln Of brick
was burned for the foundation and
ehimneys. BensOu's father provided
ten acres Of land. and 10 two years
the FIRST building OF KowalIga school
was completed
In 1900. four years after the school
was opened. Benson put into effect bis
labor scheme by organizing the Dixie
Industrial company. in which several
northernerS took siO'-k. Some OF them
did not expect 20 ser their money
again. but were willing 20 make the
experiment of building up an industrial
f0mmuulAg. lEutA W 'iAH' WIZ "
virgin timbprland WAS purchased at a
low hgurP. and the plan 60 provide
work the whnlP year thrngh was de-
relOIIed aIung definite 1ine7s.
There are HbOuI laSo people In che
Kowaiiga di,Strict. w-hirh e. nine miles
long and six wide. and ~ these about
thirty families. representing One-qaar-
ter Of the population. own their
farms. on whieh they plant cotton
and vegetables and raise stock and
poultry. They ARE better housed today
thap eVer 4RfOrP. because the aawntlls
they help 90 opeEHfe pros Ne them Nth
baildiRg materials at moder1te prices.
while the valueldf the md has doubled
N tee yeacs. owing 70 tbt l5|tattoA
OF the idifrict. ne eolnpahF he's In
creased In holdings to 10000 acres.
and while q h turning OTef some Of
the cleared land 70 the farmer 4 e