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ng　I　never　taught　pupils　who　gave　me　much　genuine　satisfaction　as　these　did。　They　were　good　students；　and　mastered　their　work　thoroughly。　They　were　so　much　in　earnest　that　only　the　ringing　of　the　retiring…bell　would　make　them　stop　studying；　and　often　they　would　urge　me　to　continue　the　lessons　after　the　usual　hour　for　going　to　bed　had　come。

These　students　showed　so　much　earnestness；　both　in　their　hard　work　during　the　day；　as　well　as　in　their　application　to　their　studies　at　night；　that　I　gave　them　the　name　of　〃The　Plucky　Class〃a　name　which　soon　grew　popular　and　spread　throughout　the　institution。　After　a　student　had　been　in　the　night…school　long　enough　to　prove　what　was　in　him；　I　gave　him　a　printed　certificate　which　read　something　like　this：

〃This　is　to　certify　that　James　Smith　is　a　member　of　The　Plucky　Class　of　the　Hampton　Institute；　and　is　in　good　and　regular　standing。〃

The　students　prized　these　certificates　highly；　and　they　added　greatly　to　the　popularity　of　the　night…school。　Within　a　few　weeks　this　department　had　grown　to　such　an　extent　that　there　were　about　twenty…five　students　in　attendance。　I　have　followed　the　course　of　many　of　these　twenty…five　men　and　women　ever　since　then；　and　they　are　now　holding　important　and　useful　positions　in　nearly　every　part　of　the　South。　The　night…school　at　Hampton；　which　started　with　only　twelve　students；　now　numbers　between　three　and　four　hundred；　and　is　one　of　the　permanent　and　most　important　features　of　the　institution。



Chapter　VII。　Early　Days　At　Tuskegee

During　the　time　that　I　had　charge　of　the　Indians　and　the　night…school　at　Hampton；　I　pursued　some　studies　myself；　under　the　direction　of　the　instructors　there。　One　of　these　instructors　was　the　Rev。　Dr。　H。B。　Frissell；　the　present　Principal　of　the　Hampton　Institute；　General　Armstrong's　successor。

In　May；　1881；　near　the　close　of　my　first　year　in　teaching　the　night…school；　in　a　way　that　I　had　not　dared　expect；　the　opportunity　opened　for　me　to　begin　my　life…work。　One　night　in　the　chapel；　after　the　usual　chapel　exercises　were　over；　General　Armstrong　referred　to　the　fact　that　he　had　received　a　letter　from　some　gentlemen　in　Alabama　asking　him　to　recommend　some　one　to　take　charge　of　what　was　to　be　a　normal　school　for　the　coloured　people　in　the　little　town　of　Tuskegee　in　that　state。　These　gentlemen　seemed　to　take　it　for　granted　that　no　coloured　man　suitable　for　the　position　could　be　secured；　and　they　were　expecting　the　General　to　recommend　a　white　man　for　the　place。　The　next　day　General　Armstrong　sent　for　me　to　come　to　his　office；　and；　much　to　my　surprise；　asked　me　if　I　thought　I　could　fill　the　position　in　Alabama。　I　told　him　that　I　would　be　willing　to　try。　Accordingly；　he　wrote　to　the　people　who　had　applied　to　him　for　the　information；　that　he　did　not　know　of　any　white　man　to　suggest；　but　if　they　would　be　willing　to　take　a　coloured　man；　he　had　one　whom　he　could　recommend。　In　this　letter　he　gave　them　my　name。

Several　days　passed　before　anything　more　was　heard　about　the　matter。　Some　time　afterward；　one　Sunday　evening　during　the　chapel　exercises；　a　messenger　came　in　and　handed　the　general　a　telegram。　At　the　end　of　the　exercises　he　read　the　telegram　to　the　school。　In　substance；　these　were　its　words：　〃Booker　T。　Washington　will　suit　us。　Send　him　at　once。〃

There　was　a　great　deal　of　joy　expressed　among　the　students　and　teachers；　and　I　received　very　hearty　congratulations。　I　began　to　get　ready　at　once　to　go　to　Tuskegee。　I　went　by　way　of　my　old　home　in　West　Virginia；　where　I　remained　for　several　days；　after　which　I　proceeded　to　Tuskegee。　I　found　Tuskegee　to　be　a　town　of　about　two　thousand　inhabitants；　nearly　one…half　of　whom　were　coloured。　It　was　in　what　was　known　as　the　Black　Belt　of　the　South。　In　the　county　in　which　Tuskegee　is　situated　the　coloured　people　outnumbered　the　whites　by　about　three　to　one。　In　some　of　the　adjoining　and　near…by　counties　the　proportion　was　not　far　from　six　coloured　persons　to　one　white。

I　have　often　been　asked　to　define　the　term　〃Black　Belt。〃　So　far　as　I　can　learn；　the　term　was　first　used　to　designated　a　part　of　the　country　which　was　distinguished　by　the　colour　of　the　soil。　The　part　of　the　country　possessing　this　thick；　dark；　and　naturally　rich　soil　was；　of　course；　the　part　of　the　South　where　the　slaves　were　most　profitable；　and　consequently　they　were　taken　there　in　the　largest　numbers。　Later；　and　especially　since　the　war；　the　term　seems　to　be　used　wholly　in　a　political　sensethat　is；　to　designate　the　counties　where　the　black　people　outnumber　the　white。

Before　going　to　Tuskegee　I　had　expected　to　find　there　a　building　and　all　the　necessary　apparatus　ready　for　me　to　begin　teaching。　To　my　disappointment；　I　found　nothing　of　the　kind。　I　did　find；　though；　that　which　no　costly　building　and　apparatus　can　supply；hundreds　of　hungry；　earnest　souls　who　wanted　to　secure　knowledge。

Tuskegee　seemed　an　ideal　place　for　the　school。　It　was　in　the　midst　of　the　great　bulk　of　the　Negro　population；　and　was　rather　secluded；　being　five　miles　from　the　main　line　of　railroad；　with　which　it　was　connected　by　a　short　line。　During　the　days　of　slavery；　and　since；　the　town　had　been　a　centre　for　the　education　of　the　white　people。　This　was　an　added　advantage；　for　the　reason　that　I　found　the　white　people　possessing　a　degree　of　culture　and　education　that　is　not　surpassed　by　many　localities。　While　the　coloured　people　were　ignorant；　they　had　not；　as　a　rule；　degraded　and　weakened　their　bodies　by　vices　such　as　are　common　to　the　lower　class　of　people　in　the　large　cities。　In　general；　I　found　the　relations　between　the　two　races　pleasant。　For　example；　the　largest；　and　I　think　at　that　time　the　only　hardware　store　in　the　town　was　owned　and　operated　jointly　by　a　coloured　man　and　a　white　man。　This　copartnership　continued　until　the　death　of　the　white　partner。

I　found　that　about　a　year　previous　to　my　going　to　Tuskegee　some　of　the　coloured　people　who　had　heard　something　of　the　work　of　education　being　done　at　Hampton　had　applied　to　the　state　Legislature；　through　their　representatives；　for　a　small　appropriation　to　be　used　in　starting　a　normal　school　in　Tuskegee。　This　request　the　Legislature　had　complied　with　to　the　extent　of　granting　an　annual　appropriation　of　two　thousand　dollars。　I　soon　learned；　however；　that　this　money　could　be　used　only　for　the　payment　of　the　salaries　of　the　instructors；　and　that　there　was　no　provision　for　securing　land；　buildings；　or　apparatus。　The　task　before　me　did　not　seem　a　very　encouraging　one。　It　seemed　much　like　making　bricks　without　straw。　The　coloured　people　were　overjoyed；　and　were　constantly　offering　their　services　in　any　way　in　which　they　could　be　of　assistance　in　getting　the　school　started。

My　first　task　was　to　find　a　place　in　which　to　open　the　school。　After　looking　the　town　over　with　some　care；　the　most　suitable　place　that　could　be　secured　seemed　to　be　a　rather　dilapidated　shanty　near　the　coloured　Methodist　church；　together　with　the　church　itself　as　a　sort　of　assembly…room。　Both　the　church　and　the　shanty　were　in　about　as　bad　condition　as　was　possible。　I　recall　that　during　the　first　months　of　school　that　I　taught　in　this　building　it　was　in　such　poor　repair　that；　whenever　it　rained；　one　of　the　older　students　would　very　kindly　leave　his　lessons　and　hold　an　umbrella　over　me　while　I　heard　the　recitations　of　the　others。　I　remember；　also；　that　on　more　than　one　occasion　my　landlady　held　an　umbrella　over　me　while　I　ate　breakfast。

At　the　time　I　went　to　Alabama　the　coloured　people　were　taking　considerable　interest　in　politics；　and　they　were　very　anxious　that　I　should　become　one　of　them　politically；　in　every　respect。　They　seemed　to　have　a　little　distrust　of　strangers　in　this　regard。　I　recall　that　one　man；　who　seemed　to　have　been　designated　by　the　others　to　look　after　my　political　destiny；　came　to　me　on　several　occasions　and　said；　with　a　good　deal　of　earnestness：　〃We　wants　you　to　be　sure　to　vote　jes'　like　we　votes。　We　can't　read　de　newspapers　very　much；　but　we　knows　how　to　vote；　an'　we　wants　you　to　vote　jes'　like　we　votes。〃　He　added：　〃We　watches　de　white　man；　and　we　keeps　watching　de　white　man　till　we　finds　out　which　way　de　white　man's　gwine　to　vote；　an'　when　we　finds　out　which　way　de　white　man's　gwine　to　vote；　den　we　votes　'xactly　de　other　way。　Den　we　knows　we's　right。〃

I　am　glad　to　add；　however；　that　at　the　present　time　the　disposition　to　vote　against　the　white　man　merely　because　he　is　white　is　largely　disappearing；　and　the　race　is　learning　to　vote　from　principle；　for　what　the　voter　considers　to　be　for　the　best　interests　of　both　races。

I　reached　Tuskegee；　as　I　have　said；　early　in　June；　1881。　The　first　month　I　spent　in　finding　accommodations　for　the　school；　and　in　travelling　through　Alabama；　examining　into　the　actual　life　of　the　people；　especially　in　the　court　districts；　and　in　getting　the　school　advertised　among　the　glass　of　people　that　I　wanted　to　have　attend　it。　The　most　of　my　travelling　was　done　over　the　country　roads；　with　a　mule　and　a　cart　or　a　mule　and　a　buggy　wagon　for　conveyance。　I　ate　and　slept　with　the　people；　in　their　little　cabins。　I　saw　their　farms；　their　schools；　their　churches。　Since；　in　the　case　of　the　most　of　these　visits；　there　had　been　no　notice　given　in　advance　that　a　stranger　was　expected；　I　had　the　adva