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up from slavery-第37章

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 the value of the Christian life; the Christlike work which the Church of all denominations in America has done during the last thirty…five years for the elevation of the black man would have made me a Christian。 In a large degree it has been the pennies; the nickels; and the dimes which have come from the Sunday…schools; the Christian Endeavour societies; and the missionary societies; as well as from the church proper; that have helped to elevate the Negro at so rapid a rate。

This speaking of small gifts reminds me to say that very few Tuskegee graduates fail to send us an annual contribution。 These contributions range from twenty…five cents up to ten dollars。

Soon after beginning our third year's work we were surprised to receive money from three special sources; and up to the present time we have continued to receive help from them。 First; the State Legislature of Alabama increased its annual appropriation from two thousand dollars to three thousand dollars; I might add that still later it increased this sum to four thousand five hundred dollars a year。 The effort to secure this increase was led by the Hon。 M。F。 Foster; the member of the Legislature from Tuskegee。 Second; we received one thousand dollars from the John F。 Slater Fund。 Our work seemed to please the trustees of this fund; as they soon began increasing their annual grant。 This has been added to from time to time until at present we receive eleven thousand dollars annually from the Fund。 The other help to which I have referred came in the shape of an allowance from the Peabody Fund。 This was at first five hundred dollars; but it has since been increased to fifteen hundred dollars。

The effort to secure help from the Slater and Peabody Funds brought me into contact with two rare menmen who have had much to do in shaping the policy for the education of the Negro。 I refer to the Hon。 J。L。M。 Curry; of Washington; who is the general agent for these two funds; and Mr。 Morris K。 Jessup; of New York。 Dr。 Curry is a native of the South; an ex…Confederate soldier; yet I do not believe there is any man in the country who is more deeply interest in the highest welfare of the Negro than Dr。 Curry; or one who is more free from race prejudice。 He enjoys the unique distinction of possessing to an equal degree of confidence of the black man and the Southern white man。 I shall never forget the first time I met him。 It was in Richmond; Va。; where he was then living。 I had heard much about him。 When I first went into his presence; trembling because of my youth and inexperience; he took me by the hand so cordially; and spoke such encouraging words; and gave me such helpful advice regarding the proper course to pursue; that I came to know him then; as I have known him ever since; as a high example of one who is constantly and unselfishly at work for the betterment of humanity。

Mr。 Morris K。 Jessup; the treasurer of the Slater Fund; I refer to because I know of no man of wealth and large and complication business responsibilities who gives not only money but his time and thought to the subject of the proper method of elevating the Negro to the extent that is true of Mr。 Jessup。 It is very largely through this effort and influence that during the last few years the subject of industrial education has assumed the importance that it has; and been placed on its present footing。



Chapter XIII。 Two Thousand Miles For A Five…Minute Speech

Soon after the opening of our boarding department; quite a number of students who evidently were worthy; but who were so poor that they did not have any money to pay even the small charges at the school; began applying for admission。 This class was composed of both men and women。 It was a great trial to refuse admission to these applicants; and in 1884 we established a night…school to accommodate a few of them。

The night…school was organized on a plan similar to the one which I had helped to establish at Hampton。 At first it was composed of about a dozen students。 They were admitted to the night…school only when they had no money with which to pay any part of their board in the regular day…school。 It was further required that they must work for ten hours during the day at some trade or industry; and study academic branches for two hours during the evening。 This was the requirement for the first one or two years of their stay。 They were to be paid something above the cost of their board; with the understanding that all of their earnings; except a very small part; were to be reserved in the school's treasury; to be used for paying their board in the regular day…school after they had entered that department。 The night…school; started in this manner; has grown until there are at present four hundred and fifty…seven students enrolled in it alone。

There could hardly be a more severe test of a student's worth than this branch of the Institute's worth。 It is largely because it furnishes such a good opportunity to test the backbone of a student that I place such high value upon our night…school。 Any one who is willing to work ten hours a day at the brick…yard; or in the laundry; through one or two years; in order that he or she may have the privilege of studying academic branches for two hours in the evening; has enough bottom to warrant being further educated。

After the student has left the night…school he enters the day…school; where he takes academic branches four days in a week; and works at his trade two days。 Besides this he usually works at his trade during the three summer months。 As a rule; after a student has succeeded in going through the night…school test; he finds a way to finish the regular course in industrial and academic training。 No student; no matter how much money he may be able to command; is permitted to go through school without doing manual labour。 In fact; the industrial work is now as popular as the academic branches。 Some of the most successful men and women who have graduated from the institution obtained their start in the night…school。

While a great deal of stress is laid upon the industrial side of the work at Tuskegee; we do not neglect or overlook in any degree the religious and spiritual side。 The school is strictly undenominational; but it is thoroughly Christian; and the spiritual training or the students is not neglected。 Our preaching service; prayer…meetings; Sunday…school; Christian Endeavour Society; Young Men's Christian Association; and various missionary organizations; testify to this。

In 1885; Miss Olivia Davidson; to whom I have already referred as being largely responsible for the success of the school during its early history; and I were married。 During our married life she continued to divide her time and strength between our home and the work for the school。 She not only continued to work in the school at Tuskegee; but also kept up her habit of going North to secure funds。 In 1889 she died; after four years of happy married life and eight years of hard and happy work for the school。 She literally wore herself out in her never ceasing efforts in behalf of the work that she so dearly loved。 During our married life there were born to us two bright; beautiful boys; Booker Taliaferro and Ern
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