The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-11-15

near Hales Ford Franklin County
Va, either In 1863 or 1859, he wa
never quite certain which year II was
The entrance into the world Of slav'
babies WAS not considered worthy o
recording In these days. AThe place o
his birth and early Ct1tid hood was thu
: old one-room quarter house with 6
| dirt floor. hard packed BY many feet
and with a potato hole in the middle
| of the room, where sweet potatoes
/ were kept throughout the winter. He
and his mother were chattels of a
! family named Burrows, but he was
Z little enough affected by the rigors OF
slavery and he used to say that his
/ childhood was' happy In spite OF
! ~retChed poverty and the densest OF
! Ignorance. The fact That he was n
I slave did not bother his childish mind
until one day his mother woke him
up early by kneeling over him and
his brother, John, and praying very
earnestly and sobbing while she
prayed.
"oh Lord save Massa Lincoln and
his armies so we can he free" she
said over and over, and the boy never
forgot the incident 1t was the first
happening in his career that made
him think.
Booker Because He Liked Books.
With freedom came a stirring in
spiration to the boy. lie had loved to
hear books read, had been eager to
hear stories, almost since his baby
hood days. and he had an imagina-
ton that kindled easily 1t was be
cause Of his early liking for books
that he got his name Booker"
He managed to put in some time
at night school and finally. 10y
mr. ~ FsT1 Ia aeriv II n
usually early in the morning and
keep at it unusually late in the even
ings he was able to attend a day
school with some regularity. Accord
ing to his own account OF 1t he was
greatly EN- barraased when the teacher
asked what his name was and he
could not tell her. He had only one
name-Booker But ne was a quick
minded and resourceful lad and ON
the second day, when the teacher
again asked him to give his full name
he said without hesitation: m name
is Washington-Booke IT. Washing
ton"
He thought that while ne was Sc
q good one The ct" ne explained,
stood for Taliaferro, which he had
heard was the name of his father.
After spending several years In this
manner picking UP an education
where and when he could, and work
ing hard all OF the time young Wash
ington found work in the house of a
kind but exacting New England
woman where he remained until
1871. Then he heard of the school at
Hampton. Va. and resolved to 20
there. He reached Hampton on foot
with just fifty cents in his pocket He
remained until he had been graduated
from the school with the honors Of
/ his class having worked his way
through the course
After being graduated he returned
to his old home in Virginia and
taught school for while before he
continued his studies at Wayland
Seminary. Washington, y c. While
at wayiand he was invited to become
teacher at Hampton, and there
he remained for two wears until. in
1881, the citizens Of Tuskegee, Ala.
appealed to General s. G. Armstrone
for an institution along the lines ol
the school at Hampton, an institu-
ton which would develop negroes an
to useful citizens. Washington wa
placed at the head OF the new In
stitute.
Built Tussegee.
When he arrived at Tuskegee h
found there had been no land o.
buildings provided---that there wa
nothing in fact. except the promise
of the State of Alabama to pay 81,
600 annually toward the expenses o
the school But DIR. Washington wen
to work with immense pride, energ,
and optimism. He began to teacl
,fa Mt n no OF
ant only for the instruction OF thir
ty pupils. From that time on thu
growth of the institution was phe
nomenai washington began to sent
from Tusk egee a new sort of negro,
youth who was OF competent mlnt
and hand. who had self-respect. Per
sons all over the country became in
terested In T,uskeeee. and the mar
who was making 1t famous, GIFT
flowed IN, Extensions became pos
sible Now Tuskegee possesses prop
'erty worth 80 900, 900 or more. use
frtv buildings which are upon 3.00'
acres of land. Annually from 1.5o0 &
1000 young negro men and womei
are taught how TO make their live
count for the most for themselves
for their race. and their country.
Prof Washington first became
national character In 1894, when h
spoke for the negro on the OPENING
dav Of the Atlanta Exposition. Pre-
viouslv he had acquired more or les
local fame as an orator, but on tht
occasion he was hailed as the sue
cessor Of Frederick Douglass as tn
leader OF the negroes. Therearte
he was In great demand as a publ
sreaker. and appeared before man
of the best known organizations Il
the country.
He was called into consultation h
President Mckinley in regard TO mat
.ers affecting the negro. Presiden
Roosevelt admired him highly an
frequently consulted him. Presiden
Taft recognized his keenness OF iudg
ment and his sincerity of purpose
Harvard University gave him de
gree in 1896 and other colleges con
ferred degrees upon him subsequent
ly.
WashIngton's Creed.
In.fs92 he married Maggie Y. Muir
raw. who became closely identified
with the work at Tuskegee. She, too.
became prominent in many nationa
movements for the uplift OF tn
negro. particularly in movements 70
the betterment and welfare of negr
mothers and negro women generally