The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-12-08
WHEN TUSKEGEE
 LOST HER LEADER
How Teachers and Students Took Booker Washing
 toms Death.
BY CLEMENT RICHARDSON Of The Teaching Staff of Tuskegee
 Institute.
(Exclusive Service The Survey Press
 Bureau.)

1 (Exclusive Service The Survey Press i Bureau.)
 In one sense Tuskegee was in no way surprised at the death of Dr.. ! Washington. Indeed, had he fallen i two or three years ago many of us
 could only have said "alas! it is what ! we have been expecting" The trus- tees had urged and almost ordered ! him to rest Again and again at home
 his physician had put him to bed and
 ordered him to remain there. When
 school closed last May he seemed a l worn out man, having striven to close l the year free of debt.
 In a little while, he went North
 and sailed away to Canadian waters l to rejuvenate; but no rejuvenation 1 came For all that he went on to ltBoston and conducted the National Negro Business League. of which he was president and founder. Then it I appeared that of a certainty all was
 over. In the North he lay pros
 trate- He had reached the point
 where he received no mail not even a
 telegram, which for him was amaz- ing; for by letter and by telegram he was in the habit of keeping his finger
 on every pulse in Tuskegee Institute.
 How the End Came
 Then all of sudden he appeared l III Eno~INeSFOa aNaJlOnaI bapI1SI #OOIlVS11- 1 tion at Chicago, where he was listed l for address. Once more there was a siege of pain and several sleepIess ] nights. Again. however, he efrebound- i ed and was off to Mobile for a few days fishing. When he returned he seemed a new man.
 Seeing that he defied nerves and baff1ed pain, we hoped. It was in the hour of hope that the last stroke came, and we felt that pulling at the throat l which we should have felt had he gone by sudden accident.
 How Tuskegee took Dr. Washing 1 tons death can probably best be ap- preciated by an account of what his life meant among his teachers. Off cially he was a stern and exactings self he imposed heavy tasks upon oth- CTS In the home. however, he had a genius for cheering by little kind nesses and by 8 thoughtful word. Now he would send around basket Of vegetables from his garden, now a cut of one of his pigs which he had kill ed and in which he took great delight.
 People who sent books and pictures to NTuskegee can hardly realize what a double pleasure they were shipping; the pleasure they gave him and others through him. He would have the boxes opened and books and pictures brought into his office. Then from aI1 his heaps of rrespondence, from business engagements, from matters of national importance, he would turn aside and go thfough these himself. He would sort pile here for this ing to what he considered would suit each In all things he received but to share.
 Learning From a Poor Farmer
 Then he h4d a way of letting or ganization go to pieces for a few min utes. If some rural school had a. credita ble exhibit he Wot1 ld4ordeR tn at the senior class 15D strong should be taken there. whether 1t was one mile or ten niIes away. He would order the classes out to Tsee how this poor i1Iiterate farmer hkd raised a bumper crop of peas. corn. sugar cane and peanuts, how he surrounded himself with conveniences, both inside and outside the home.
 Now he would declare a half holf- day: now he would allow the students to sleep half hour later in the morn ing In the same way the teachers would get an outing once or twice a year, sometimes at night, sometimes in the day. AS the teachers are on duty for both day and night school. and as the students usually rise at 5:30 and breakfast at 6:00, these little breaks were windfalls. They sent each one back to his labors with a smile. He knew. the value of change and the psychology of cheer: No won der that when death came both teach CTS and students went about with eyes that told too plainly what the heart felt.
 Just as he touched the students and teachers with little thoughtful deeds so he touched the town and state, boths white and black. One feature of his funeral Illustrated how completely had been his triumph over marrow 5prejudices He, was always talking about that white man tip the hollow, back in the woods. How many times. have I heard him urge picfuresQue1y upon gatherings of teachers to win that old fellow zwhos when you begin Ito talk Negro education and Negro school house scratches his head, leans tb one side and looks far away. That's the man. he would say, "tfat you've got to convince that Negro education is not a farce 7,
 All the Countryside Was There
 well, thai. man was at Booker IT. Washington's funeral He came there on foot, on horse back, in buggies, in wagons. He was there in working clothes, in slouched hat, with no col- lar During the service I chanced to stand near the end of the platform Pretty soon felt a, rough brushing against my elbow. As I. sturnned T saw a small white, child poorly clad being trust upon the end of the flow CT laden platform. Then followed an old white man, co1larless, wearing a. dingy blue shirt and a coat somewhat ta6tered. After him came two strap ping fellows, apparently. his sons. All grouped themselves here and listened eagerly How thankful would Dr. Washington have been for their pres ence. What a triumpTel Ten years ago those men would not stop at the school. They cursed it, cursed the whole system and the man at theI head of it. But quietly, persistently he had gone on with that everlasting doctrine that service can Win. even the