The Washington bee., 1912-02-03
BUILDING UP THE NEGRO.

(FrOm Charlotte Daily Observer
At Durham, n. c., there has been
established an institution for the ben
eft OF the Colored race. 1t IS called
the National Religious Training
School and Chautauqua." Its presi-
dent Is James f. Shepard. a most
worthy man, who stands we'll with all
his neIghbOTs, white and cOlored, and
who has done a great work for his
people. The school Is interdenomina-
tional and Is open to both sexes of
the cOlOred race. Its objects are to
send settlement workers To all large
centerS for the purpose of teaching
the Negroes proper methods of sani-
tat1On and how To make OF themselves
good citizens and worthy members
of society; to train missionary work
ers for home and foreign fields: to
tram workers lor the \. AL {. 4. and
\. W, G. \. among the colored peo-
pie; TO train Negro ministers and to
Impart such instruction III industrial
emplOyments as will enable the pu-
pills ct this institution to make them
selves useful and self-supporting and
seIt-respecting members Of the com
munities in which they live.
At a very conservative estimate the
property Of the Training School is
now worth not less than IoI 900. Two
of the buildings on the premises of the
school,, steam heated, we'll supplied
with water and lighted by electricity,
are valued at $4,000. Seven build
ings supplied with water, and light
ed by electricity, are estimated to be
worth not less than 100000. The land
owned by the Training School is
worth $4,000, and the other build
ings, and the furniture and equipment
OF the school go to make up the re-
malnder of the very modest estimate
that has been placed upon the prop
erty. The school now owes in old
bills and notes $4,000, and for cur
rent expenses $500, making d total
of $4,000 The needs of the school
are $4,000 for theological building,
$4,000 for settlement work, $4,000
for additional buildings, $1,000 for
extension work, $1,000 for a better
water supply and $1,000 for larger
equipment It needs most of all
however, an endowment fund of ST.
100000 as it IS now living, and has
been living since its establishment,
upon the uncertain gifts of the gen
erOusly inclined. The school is now
taxed to its utmost capacity 1t is
conducting seven departments with an
attendance of f56 students. The ex-
penSeS tor I0II-I2 are estimated at
SI6,OOO and OF this $1,000 will come
from the students, leaving $4,000 to
be raised for current expenses Two
summer schools have been held at the
institution at which there was an en-
rOllmcnt of two hundred and seventy
preachers, teachers and other leaders,
representing seven States One win
ter school hes been held with an en-
rollment of I37.
The institution has not been ex-
tenSIyely advertised and it has had no
friends among the very rich. but 1t
has done splendid work and it is
richly entitled TO the consideration of
those interested in the development
OF the Negro race. DR. Shepard, the
president of the school. expects to
visit New England shortly in the in
terest OF this institution, and we wish
to commend him and his work most
heartily to thos IN that part OF the
country who are interested in i'm
proving the condition of the Negroes
in the South One of the most i'm
Dortant OF the tasks in this great
school is the training of Negro min
listers There are thirty thousand
Negro ministers in the United States,
only ten per cent of whom have been
trained for their work There are
twenty-seyen thousand unframed Ne
gro ministers upon whom has deyolv-
ed the leading of ten million people
less than fifty years removed from
slavery. 1t seems to us that this is
an opportunity for our Northern
friends 10 aid in this good work for
the benefit OF the colored people. and
wher Dr. Shepard returns from his
trip to New England, 1t Is hoped
that he will come back loaded with
gifts to aid him in the further prose
cution Of his excellent labors.
SENSATION IN THE ODD Eel
LOWS-MR- BEASON AN