up from slavery-第17章

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　young　men；　I　noticed　that　they　did　not　seem　to　take　to　it　very　kindly。　It　was　hard　for　them　to　see　the　connection　between　clearing　land　and　an　education。　Besides；　many　of　them　had　been　school…teachers；　and　they　questioned　whether　or　not　clearing　land　would　be　in　keeping　with　their　dignity。　In　order　to　relieve　them　from　any　embarrassment；　each　afternoon　after　school　I　took　my　axe　and　led　the　way　to　the　woods。　When　they　saw　that　I　was　not　afraid　or　ashamed　to　work；　they　began　to　assist　with　more　enthusiasm。　We　kept　at　the　work　each　afternoon；　until　we　had　cleared　about　twenty　acres　and　had　planted　a　crop。

In　the　meantime　Miss　Davidson　was　devising　plans　to　repay　the　loan。　Her　first　effort　was　made　by　holding　festivals；　or　〃suppers。〃　She　made　a　personal　canvass　among　the　white　and　coloured　families　in　the　town　of　Tuskegee；　and　got　them　to　agree　to　give　something；　like　a　cake；　a　chicken；　bread；　or　pies；　that　could　be　sold　at　the　festival。　Of　course　the　coloured　people　were　glad　to　give　anything　that　they　could　spare；　but　I　want　to　add　that　Miss　Davidson　did　not　apply　to　a　single　white　family；　so　far　as　I　now　remember；　that　failed　to　donate　something；　and　in　many　ways　the　white　families　showed　their　interested　in　the　school。

Several　of　these　festivals　were　held；　and　quite　a　little　sum　of　money　was　raised。　A　canvass　was　also　made　among　the　people　of　both　races　for　direct　gifts　of　money；　and　most　of　those　applied　to　gave　small　sums。　It　was　often　pathetic　to　note　the　gifts　of　the　older　coloured　people；　most　of　whom　had　spent　their　best　days　in　slavery。　Sometimes　they　would　give　five　cents；　sometimes　twenty…five　cents。　Sometimes　the　contribution　was　a　quilt；　or　a　quantity　of　sugarcane。　I　recall　one　old　coloured　women　who　was　about　seventy　years　of　age；　who　came　to　see　me　when　we　were　raising　money　to　pay　for　the　farm。　She　hobbled　into　the　room　where　I　was；　leaning　on　a　cane。　She　was　clad　in　rags；　but　they　were　clean。　She　said：　〃Mr。　Washin'ton；　God　knows　I　spent　de　bes'　days　of　my　life　in　slavery。　God　knows　I's　ignorant　an'　poor；　but；〃　she　added；　〃I　knows　what　you　an'　Miss　Davidson　is　tryin'　to　do。　I　knows　you　is　tryin'　to　make　better　men　an'　better　women　for　de　coloured　race。　I　ain't　got　no　money；　but　I　wants　you　to　take　dese　six　eggs；　what　I's　been　savin'　up；　an'　I　wants　you　to　put　dese　six　eggs　into　the　eddication　of　dese　boys　an'　gals。〃

Since　the　work　at　Tuskegee　started；　it　has　been　my　privilege　to　receive　many　gifts　for　the　benefit　of　the　institution；　but　never　any；　I　think；　that　touched　me　so　deeply　as　this　one。



Chapter　IX。　Anxious　Days　And　Sleepless　Nights

The　coming　of　Christmas；　that　first　year　of　our　residence　in　Alabama；　gave　us　an　opportunity　to　get　a　farther　insight　into　the　real　life　of　the　people。　The　first　thing　that　reminded　us　that　Christmas　had　arrived　was　the　〃foreday〃　visits　of　scores　of　children　rapping　at　our　doors；　asking　for　〃Chris'mus　gifts！　Chris'mus　gifts！〃　Between　the　hours　of　two　o'clock　and　five　o'clock　in　the　morning　I　presume　that　we　must　have　had　a　half…hundred　such　calls。　This　custom　prevails　throughout　this　portion　of　the　South　to…day。

During　the　days　of　slavery　it　was　a　custom　quite　generally　observed　throughout　all　the　Southern　states　to　give　the　coloured　people　a　week　of　holiday　at　Christmas；　or　to　allow　the　holiday　to　continue　as　long　as　the　〃yule　log〃　lasted。　The　male　members　of　the　race；　and　often　the　female　members；　were　expected　to　get　drunk。　We　found　that　for　a　whole　week　the　coloured　people　in　and　around　Tuskegee　dropped　work　the　day　before　Christmas；　and　that　it　was　difficult　for　any　one　to　perform　any　service　from　the　time　they　stopped　work　until　after　the　New　Year。　Persons　who　at　other　times　did　not　use　strong　drink　thought　it　quite　the　proper　thing　to　indulge　in　it　rather　freely　during　the　Christmas　week。　There　was　a　widespread　hilarity；　and　a　free　use　of　guns；　pistols；　and　gunpowder　generally。　The　sacredness　of　the　season　seemed　to　have　been　almost　wholly　lost　sight　of。

During　this　first　Christmas　vacation　I　went　some　distance　from　the　town　to　visit　the　people　on　one　of　the　large　plantations。　In　their　poverty　and　ignorance　it　was　pathetic　to　see　their　attempts　to　get　joy　out　of　the　season　that　in　most　parts　of　the　country　is　so　sacred　and　so　dear　to　the　heart。　In　one　cabin　I　notice　that　all　that　the　five　children　had　to　remind　them　of　the　coming　of　Christ　was　a　single　bunch　of　firecrackers；　which　they　had　divided　among　them。　In　another　cabin；　where　there　were　at　least　a　half…dozen　persons；　they　had　only　ten　cents'　worth　of　ginger…cakes；　which　had　been　bought　in　the　store　the　day　before。　In　another　family　they　had　only　a　few　pieces　of　sugarcane。　In　still　another　cabin　I　found　nothing　but　a　new　jug　of　cheap；　mean　whiskey；　which　the　husband　and　wife　were　making　free　use　of；　notwithstanding　the　fact　that　the　husband　was　one　of　the　local　ministers。　In　a　few　instances　I　found　that　the　people　had　gotten　hold　of　some　bright…coloured　cards　that　had　been　designed　for　advertising　purposes；　and　were　making　the　most　of　these。　In　other　homes　some　member　of　the　family　had　bought　a　new　pistol。　In　the　majority　of　cases　there　was　nothing　to　be　seen　in　the　cabin　to　remind　one　of　the　coming　of　the　Saviour；　except　that　the　people　had　ceased　work　in　the　fields　and　were　lounging　about　their　homes。　At　night；　during　Christmas　week；　they　usually　had　what　they　called　a　〃frolic；〃　in　some　cabin　on　the　plantation。　That　meant　a　kind　of　rough　dance；　where　there　was　likely　to　be　a　good　deal　of　whiskey　used；　and　where　there　might　be　some　shooting　or　cutting　with　razors。

While　I　was　making　this　Christmas　visit　I　met　an　old　coloured　man　who　was　one　of　the　numerous　local　preachers；　who　tried　to　convince　me；　from　the　experience　Adam　had　in　the　Garden　of　Eden；　that　God　had　cursed　all　labour；　and　that；　therefore；　it　was　a　sin　for　any　man　to　work。　For　that　reason　this　man　sought　to　do　as　little　work　as　possible。　He　seemed　at　that　time　to　be　supremely　happy；　because　he　was　living；　as　he　expressed　it；　through　one　week　that　was　free　from　sin。

In　the　school　we　made　a　special　effort　to　teach　our　students　the　meaning　of　Christmas；　and　to　give　them　lessons　in　its　proper　observance。　In　this　we　have　been　successful　to　a　degree　that　makes　me　feel　safe　in　saying　that　the　season　now　has　a　new　meaning；　not　only　through　all　that　immediate　region；　but；　in　a　measure；　wherever　our　graduates　have　gone。

At　the　present　time　one　of　the　most　satisfactory　features　of　the　Christmas　and　Thanksgiving　season　at　Tuskegee　is　the　unselfish　and　beautiful　way　in　which　our　graduates　and　students　spend　their　time　in　administering　to　the　comfort　and　happiness　of　others；　especially　the　unfortunate。　Not　long　ago　some　of　our　young　men　spent　a　holiday　in　rebuilding　a　cabin　for　a　helpless　coloured　women　who　was　about　seventy…five　years　old。　At　another　time　I　remember　that　I　made　it　known　in　chapel；　one　night；　that　a　very　poor　student　was　suffering　from　cold；　because　he　needed　a　coat。　The　next　morning　two　coats　were　sent　to　my　office　for　him。

I　have　referred　to　the　disposition　on　the　part　of　the　white　people　in　the　town　of　Tuskegee　and　vicinity　to　help　the　school。　From　the　first；　I　resolved　to　make　the　school　a　real　part　of　the　community　in　which　it　was　located。　I　was　determined　that　no　one　should　have　the　feeling　that　it　was　a　foreign　institution；　dropped　down　in　the　midst　of　the　people；　for　which　they　had　no　responsibility　and　in　which　they　had　no　interest。　I　noticed　that　the　very　fact　that　they　had　been　asking　to　contribute　toward　the　purchase　of　the　land　made　them　begin　to　feel　as　if　it　was　going　to　be　their　school；　to　a　large　degree。　I　noted　that　just　in　proportion　as　we　made　the　white　people　feel　that　the　institution　was　a　part　of　the　life　of　the　community；　and　that；　while　we　wanted　to　make　friends　in　Boston；　for　example；　we　also　wanted　to　make　white　friends　in　Tuskegee；　and　that　we　wanted　to　make　the　school　of　real　service　to　all　the　people；　their　attitude　toward　the　school　became　favourable。

Perhaps　I　might　add　right　here；　what　I　hope　to　demonstrate　later；　that；　so　far　as　I　know；　the　Tuskegee　school　at　the　present　time　has　no　warmer　and　more　enthusiastic　friends　anywhere　than　it　has　among　the　white　citizens　of　Tuskegee　and　throughout　the　state　of　Alabama　and　the　entire　South。　From　the　first；　I　have　advised　our　people　in　the　South　to　make　friends　in　every　straightforward；　manly　way　with　their　next…door　neighbour；　whether　he　be　a　black　man　or　a　white　man。　I　have　also　advised　them；　where　no　principle　is　at　stake；　to　consult　the　interests　of　their　local　communities；　and　to　advise　with　their　friends　in　regard　to　their　voting。

For　several　months　the　work　of　securing　the　money　with　which　to　pay　for　the　farm　went　on　without　ceasing。　At　the　end　of　three　months　enough　was　secured　to　repay　the　loan　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　to　General　Marshall；　and　within　two　months　more　we　had　secured　the　entire　five　hundred　dollars　and　had　received　a　deed　of　the　one　hundred　acres　of　land。　This　gave　us　a　great　deal　of　satisfaction。　It　was　not　only　a　source　of　satisfaction　to　secure　a　permanent　location　for　the　school；　but　it　was　equally　satisfactory　to　know　that　the　greater　part　of　the　money　with　which　it　was　paid　for　had　been　gotten　from　the　white　and　coloured　people　in　the　town　of　Tuskegee。　The　most　of　this　money　was　obtained　by　holding　festivals　and　concerts；　and　from　small　individual　donations。

Our　next　effort　was　in　the　direction　of　increasing　the　cultivation　of　the　land；　so　as　to　secure　some　return　from　it；　and　at　the　same　time　give　the　students　training　in　agriculture。　All　the　industries　at　Tuskegee　have　been　started　in　natural　and　logical　order；　growing　out　of　the　needs　of　a　community　settlement。　We　began　with　farming；　because　we　wanted　something　to　eat。

Many　of　the　students；　also；　were　able　to　remain　in　school　but　a　few　weeks　at　a　time；　because　they　had　so　little　money　with　which　to　pay　their　board。　Thus　another　object　which　made　it　desirable　to　get　an　industrial　system　started　was　in　order　to　make　in　available　as　a　means　of　helping　the　students　to　earn　money　enough　so　that　they　might　be　able　to　remain　in　school　during　the　nine　months'　session　of　the　school　year。

The　first　animal　that　the　school　came　into　possession　of　was　an　old　blind　horse　given　us　by　one　of　the　white　citizens　of　Tuskegee。　Perhaps　I　may　add　here　that　at　the　present　time　the　school　owns　over　two　hundred　horses；　colts；　mules；　cows；　calves；　and　oxen；　and　about　seven　hundred　hogs　and　pigs；　as　well　as　a　large　number　of　sheep　and　goats。

The　school　was　constantly　growing　in　numbers；　so　much　so　that；　after　we　had　got　the　farm　paid　for；　the　cultivation　of　the　land　begun；　and　the　old　cabins　which　we　had　found　on　the　place　somewhat　repaired；　we　turned　our　attention　toward　providing　a　large；　substantial　building。　After　having　given　a　good　deal　of　thought　to　the　subject；　we　finally　had　the　plans　drawn　for　a　building　that　was　estimated　to　cost　about　six　thousand　dollars。　This　seemed　to　us　a　tremendous　sum；　but　we　knew　that　the　school　must　go　backward　or　forward；　and　that　our　work　would　mean　little　unless　we　could　get　hold　of　the　students　in　their　home　life。

One　incident　which　occurred　about　this　time　gave　me　a　great　deal　of　satisfaction　as　well　as　surprise。　When　it　became　kno