Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-06

est boost for business the world has ever
seen. So. for the life Of me. I cannot
understand the presidents attitude.
]. G. BLESSING.
An Appreciation OF Booker wash
ingtOn.
OMAHA. Dec. $40 the Editor Of The
Bee: I first saw Booker Washington at
Lincoln, where he delivered the COM
mencement address to the class Of 1903 OF
the University of Nebraska. Approx
mately 5000 people had packed the Audi
torium. and his first utterance II was
born slave" was repeated in whispers
all through the audience. 1t struck me
as a tremendously impressive thing for
the great cultured classes TO be doing
homage to a black man who was born
slave. It presented to us the spectacle
OF slave who had become a master-a
master OF a social condition and a leader
of men. He told us the simple story of
how he had gone into the black belt and
started a farm and trade school on the
red hills Of Alabama became fired
with the ambition to go down there and
lend what assistance could to such
deserving movement, and so a few years
later. upon the Recommendation OF DR..
was elected to an instructorship in
English and American history.
My close personal contact with Mr..
Washington enabled me to learn many
OF his characteristics and the things he
stood for. First Of ALL the doctrine OF
economy enters into his every act and
thought and deed. Booker Washington
never wasted even words 1t was always
the other fellow who did the talking. and
he was listening and thinking. He talked
of nothing but business and his work,
and all of such talk was either done from
the platform or In q conference which
had some specific object in view. AS
In most modern families, II devolved
upon the wife to do the small talk and
the socializing for the family. which the
amiable Mrs. Washington could do very
creditably. i remember taking breakfast
with Mr.. and Mrs Washington. together
with a number OF other teachers, one
Sunday morning. We were there per-
hars an hour and a half. and the most
he said was the blessing. Yet the man.
'ner of the man seemed sufficiently cor
dial as to not make one feel uncomfort-
able Notwithstanding his amazing few
ness of words
Booker was eminently fair with his
teachers and students. He never took
snap Judgment on anyones case, and
equity ara justice was the basis Of his
every decision. When in 1904 the 1900
students complained that the few hours
on each OF the five days given them to
work at their trades was insufficient, he
solved the difficulty by making Satur-
day a school day, thereby enabling the
students to give three whole days a
week TO their trade and academic work,
respectively. No student ever left T1is-
kegee because of lack OF money, and no
student was ever prevented from coming
there because Of such lack. He never
forgot that he swept his way through
Hampton Institute. and the boy or girl
who was willing to work at Tuskegee
could be educated.
II was a fixed custom Of Mr.. Washing
ton to give a Sunday evening talk to his
students. This he did most earnestly.
and the grandest lessons In thrift and
economy were enunciated here. 1t Is
my recollectitn that he Undertook to in
cuIcate I'm the minds of students the
Walt e to the race OF the pioneer, the
necessity OF starting at the bottom. and
the fact that continuous effort along q
direct line will surely bring success.
Most Tuskegee graduates are prospecting
because OF the example set and the les
sons taught by their late principal His
talks were equally instructive to student
and teacher.
Booker Washington stood for simplicity.
He never liked high-sounding words when
simple English was adequate. He scorned
extravagant dress and had as much
aversion to silk hats and canes as he
had for the ragged negro man he told
OF seeing with stick OF peppermint
candy. Pomp and ostentation among his
people was source OF much regret and
shame TO him.
There Is considerable speculation as to
the probable successor OF Booker Wash
ington as principal OF the Tuskegee In
stitute. II Is generally conceded. how
ever. that Mr.. Emmett Scott, private
secretary to Mr.. Washington, win be the
next head OF Tuskegee. Mr.. Scott is a
practical man, an executive Of rare
ability and a young man OF a fine in
tellect. WILL n. JOHNSON.