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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　Ernest　Davidson。　The　older　of　these；　Booker；　has　already　mastered　the　brick…maker's　trade　at　Tuskegee。

I　have　often　been　asked　how　I　began　the　practice　of　public　speaking。　In　answer　I　would　say　that　I　never　planned　to　give　any　large　part　of　my　life　to　speaking　in　public。　I　have　always　had　more　of　an　ambition　to　DO　things　than　merely　to　talk　ABOUT　doing　them。　It　seems　that　when　I　went　North　with　General　Armstrong　to　speak　at　the　series　of　public　meetings　to　which　I　have　referred；　the　President　of　the　National　Educational　Association；　the　Hon。　Thomas　W。　Bicknell；　was　present　at　one　of　those　meetings　and　heard　me　speak。　A　few　days　afterward　he　sent　me　an　invitation　to　deliver　an　address　at　the　next　meeting　of　the　Educational　Association。　This　meeting　was　to　be　held　in　Madison；　Wis。　I　accepted　the　invitation。　This　was；　in　a　sense；　the　beginning　of　my　public…speaking　career。

On　the　evening　that　I　spoke　before　the　Association　there　must　have　been　not　far　from　four　thousand　persons　present。　Without　my　knowing　it；　there　were　a　large　number　of　people　present　from　Alabama；　and　some　from　the　town　of　Tuskegee。　These　white　people　afterward　frankly　told　me　that　they　went　to　this　meeting　expecting　to　hear　the　South　roundly　abused；　but　were　pleasantly　surprised　to　find　that　there　was　no　word　of　abuse　in　my　address。　On　the　contrary；　the　South　was　given　credit　for　all　the　praiseworthy　things　that　it　had　done。　A　white　lady　who　was　teacher　in　a　college　in　Tuskegee　wrote　back　to　the　local　paper　that　she　was　gratified；　as　well　as　surprised；　to　note　the　credit　which　I　gave　the　white　people　of　Tuskegee　for　their　help　in　getting　the　school　started。　This　address　at　Madison　was　the　first　that　I　had　delivered　that　in　any　large　measure　dealt　with　the　general　problem　of　the　races。　Those　who　heard　it　seemed　to　be　pleased　with　what　I　said　and　with　the　general　position　that　I　took。

When　I　first　came　to　Tuskegee；　I　determined　that　I　would　make　it　my　home；　that　I　would　take　as　much　pride　in　the　right　actions　of　the　people　of　the　town　as　any