Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-10-24

others who came TO attend the com
mencement exercises, a program o
y things they were most interested in
One young woman graduate, for in
, stance, gave a complete demonstra
tion of the preparation and serving
of an ideal farmers dinner Another
interesting example of this feature
was the effect of a young man las
May who gave an account of how ht
planted, cultivated and harvested Z
crop of turnips. Understand, thai
this was not an essay on the Culture
Of Turnips" or the Psychology OF
the Turnip,' but just plain raising
turnips. Not only did he fell about
the turnips but on a table back OF
him he had placed a large pile OF
turnips and he closed his remarks by
displaying a couple Of the most per-
feet turnips produced The young
mans remarks were greeted with
rounds and rounds of cheers that no
graduates oration would ever have
called forth.
There are two advantages in this
sort of thing" said Mr.. Washington,
First the student knows what he is
talking about; and, Second, his aud
ience knows what he is talking about 3"
In conclusion, DR.. Washington
spoke of the need for support for
| Tuskegee Institute. The workers
have two problems to face he de
clared "The elevation of our own
race and the conversion of the white
man to an attitude of justice in the
distribution of support for school
purposes to include the education of
the black child. | wouldn't change
color with the whitest white man.
My race has a problem and no mem
Der of it need be ashamed that he is
black"
When DR. Washington appeared
upon the stage at the Opera house,
the house was packed the isles were
crowded with people and hundred
school boys sat upon the stage The
children from the public schools were
allowed to attend this meeting and
it was to them that the speaker ad-
dressed the majority Of his remarks.
Supt f. + Ellsworth designated him
as one of the greaest educ ators in the
world and the one man more than
any other to get the newest things
in education
In this address. DR.. Washington
told of his life and the foundation
of Tuskegee Institute and ended with
the progress made by the negroes |
in the last two decades He was
born a slave on a Virginia farm in
1858 and at an early age went to the ]
northern hills of West Virginia with
his mother At years of age he
was coal miners helper Soon af-
ter he heard of the Hampton Insti-
tute at Hampden Virginia, and here
he gained admittance after many dis
couraging experiences. He walked |
the 500 miles to that school, begging !
his food, working at odd jobs and
sleeping wherever night overlook
him.
He related the experiences of his
life after graduation in the founding
OF his school and of the progress that
school had made. Different storie.
were told of the lives OF others who
had gone into the south after gradu-
alton from Tuskegee and had given
their lives to the betterment of their
race. With undaunted spirit, these
people have built school houses for
the education of the black children
and the result OF the whole work is
~ al, Al.
there are 10000 stores owned by the
negroes, 500 drug stores, 81 banks
and innumerable farms. They are
tax payers. They deal with the
white people and are receiving their
patronage and aid. Today 6s per
cent of the black race can read and
write as compared with per cent
at the time they were freed. More
than that i'm many stores the black
clerks are working along side of the
white clerks. A negro bank was re-
gently established in Waco Texas,
and the President of the First Ma
tional Bank of that city sent his most
clerk to the negro bank (
% aid in the installation Of the bank |
ng system. The moral and religious !
aspect of the negro is constantly be-
coming better. Only two graduates
If Tuskegee Institute have ever been s
placed behind the locked door of a
prison.
The students of Tuskegee help
themselves. They pay for their board S
clothing and books but the burden c
If tuition is too great An endow-
nent gives the school 100000 per
year and $175,OOO more per year is
leeded.
AT the conclusion of both address,
IS collections were taken, the money ,
o go for scholarships for the school.
Nbout 500 was raised here.
Earl Clapp and family spent Sum ,
lay with Mrs. Clapp's parents, Mr..
nd Mrs Thomas Beatty of Pompeii.
1onday they visited Mr. Clapp's par
MS MIR aud Mrs w L C1ooO of ;