The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-01

Much has been said of what Booker T.
Washington is doing for. the negro. So
much has been said that was good of
his influence and so much that was bad,
that We have hesitated between the right
and the wrong of It.
We have sometimes come I'm contact
with our domestic service with an ele-
ment of arrogance, impudence and ig-
norance who claim tutorage, even to have
graduated at Booker Washington's
school, These have prejudiced us
against an attempt to educate the negro.
Again, we have members of the race
living among us giving good, intelligent,
unpretentious service striving quietly for
right. and working capably in their line
of industry.
The ignorant and airy" have had their
influence and the school has received
more criticism for the trihing than praise
for the good.
This Is because we do not know, have
not actually seen what is being done for
the negro, with Alabama as the working
center
A week ago ! left Birmingham FOR Tus-
kegee, reaching there the afternoon OF
about o'clock, l was driven through the
quaint little town, with its huge shade
trees and colonial homes to the Tuske-
gee Normal institute.
The entrance to the grounds proper was
designated by the curving lines of Lin
coin gate" We have realized that Lin
coin to the negro meant freedom, but
that gateway leads to service, work of
the best kind for the negroes today. He
is only free there to catch the spirit of
training building himself to usefulness.
From the moment l entered the grounds
I saw the result of a wonderful indus
try-a small city layed off in streets,
with parks, blooming plants and grav-
eled driveways. The center, the school
plant and its workshops, with a circular
border of we'll kept homes, the homes
of the teachers. At a distance a beau
tiful view of growing fields and meadows
with stock grazing leisurely along.
Amazed does not express my impression
at first, and establishment never ceased
in my rounds All of the route from
Montgomery along the way had noticed
the same old plantation shanty, the wash
pot and the half fed dog; l could never
have imagined such a Transformation
from existence to comfort, from idleness
to work. could have taken place within
so few miles of one to the other.
The story reads like a fable. In 1881,
"a years ago, there was a political cam
paign on In Macon county The negro
had voice in the elections. AS a re-
ward for political service promise was
fulfilled to the leader of the negro voters
that good teacher would be furnished
to the negroes of Tuskegee." Booker T..
Washington was the fulfllment of that
promise-a political product that has
worked well. He had been educated at
Hampton. Va, and came in response
to the demand for a teacher-thus the
negro race became in possession of a
leader whose influence has been felt over
the world, and whose executive ability
has builded a city of his own out of the
barren fields in Macon county Land was
purchased at 81 an acre; then that has
price today Gradually the school prop
erty has increased in acreage until IL
numbers 1900 acres now, with 1900 under
cultivation. Already there are 3S hand
some buildings of brick, dormitories. study
halls, dining hall, a Carnegie library with
circulation of 1000 books, a hospital
recently built and equipped at the cost
of $4,000; an electric plant at a cost
of 100000 has just been finished These
bear the names of the philanthropists
who have made them possible. All of the
labor has been done by the student body
of the school-even the brick are made
on the premises. This is a wonderful
workshop from gateway to field. 1t would
take one a week to see the industry that
is under process of creation along all
lines; and a book to enuermate all l
thought and half that / saw
The entire work of shop and field is
done by the student body, thus the eX-
pense of procuring the advantages offered
by the school is very much reduced to the
pupil.
There Is lesson given in everything
they do, and a demand that they do it
well. They are taught that good work
is elevating and that poor service is
not wanted.
Every pupil, boy or girl, is given the
opportunity of learning a trade, fitting
themselves to do one thing best, though
they learn many lessons in all kinds and
classes of work. They are disciplined. are
taught order, politeness, stimulated to
study when they fail to do their best they
are put in the drone class subjected to
the charge of failure, and this plan has
worked we'll, Think of the lessons learned
from the cultivation of diversified crops,
all done by students-110 acres in Dolly
yam potatoes, and other crops of similar
acreage; the preparation of slo for
winter forage, a butcher pen. cold stor-
age plant, furniture factory, wagons. bug
gies and carriages shoe shops, laundry,
bakery printing press, creamery, a model
daily and kitchen, where every girl is
forced to take cooking lessons, sewing
room, plain and fancy stitches; canning
and preserving; all of these were in OPP
Grafton at the summer school as we'll as