The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-10-31
In The Opera House
Saturday Evening
To IN Attentive and Good Sized Audi.
ence. Reception Followed in the
Municipal Court Room.

much frequent applause. 1t was +
largely through the efforts OF Herbert
Libby of Wateryille that people here
were given the privilege of listening
to Or. Washington, Rev. George Mer-
riam assisting Mr. Libby in many of
the local details.
The speaker of the evening was in
troduced with much grace by Judge
Fred F Lawrence and Dir. Washing
ton spoke chiefly upon the accom-
plishments of his own race since the
days of the Civil Waf In telling this
interesting story, ne introduced a
chapter or two of hk own life. and of
his connection with5the great institu-
ton which he has built up at Tuske-
gee
The speaker expressed the belief
that, considering the comparatively
few years the Negro race had been
free, his people had made commend
able progress AT the time of Lincolns
Proclamation his race was in poverty,
the great mass of them could not read
and write. and their ideas of correct
living We're badly warped But in
the years that have followed since
they have become large property hold
ers. owning millions Of dollars worth
of good productive farm lands,
fine houses, business blocks, mills
and banks; while schools throughout
the South have been educating the
/ Negro SO that very large percent
/ have the fundamentals of an educa-
/ ton.
With this SLOW evolution of a race,
said the speaker, the white race has
been "A little impatient. The worst
type of the Southern Negro has been
brought prominently before these PEG
pie to the great prejudice of the large
mass of fairly intelligent and thrifty
Negroes of the South. As a race they
gent although perhaps not scholarly.
and ambitious To be useful American
citizens. All the old notions about
depOrting their race as a means OF
solving the race problem have long
since been given up. The solution
must come in the teaching of both
the whites and the blacks of the South
that there must be community OF
interests and common ideals. Above
and beyond all else the dignity and
beauty of labor must be strongly EN-
phasized.
In referring 10 his own life, he
stated that he had been born a slave,
but never knew just when or where
he was born He very early had the
desire in his heart to get an education,
and one day he left his home TO go 20
/ Hampton Institute an educational in
i stitution for Negroes of which by acct
dent he had heard. On his way there,
he slept under board sidewalk in
/ the City of Richmond for several sue
cessive nights, working on board
sums to pay his passage. When he
arrived In Richmond with hardly
cent in his pocket. he said he was
scared almost to death. An old Negro
had been telling him for weeks prior
to his leaving his home that when he
got into a city he wanted 10 be very
careful lest he should be robbed, and
! his occupancy of Richmond frightened
him badly. Arriving at Hampton, he
was permitted to begin his schooling.
/ Subsequently he graduated, became
teacher, and was finally called to
Tuskegee. Here he began the work
of building up from nothing the pres
ent Tuskegee Institute.
In speaking of Tuskegee, DR.. Wash
ington pointed out that at present
they have an enrolment of 1915 men
and women, with 1S6 instructors
i They own a thousand acres of land
some 9G school buildings, the yalua-
ton of the entire property being ia
excess of one million dollars. Eight
thousand men and women have been
graduated from this school. and its
influence has been marked all over
the South
DR.. Washington has great fund of
Negro stories which he drops into his
address here and there. In speaking
OF the JOY that he has in belonging to
new race with its future before it,
as distinguished from an older race
which has much of its future behind
it, he told The story of the reply which
he got from a southern Negro woman
whom he met hurrying along the pub
lie highway Good morning. Aunt
Car'line," accosted DR.. Washington,
where you going this morning.
"Whah is I going? Why, Dress yoh,
Mistah Washton | haint gwine no.