up from slavery-第23节

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at　while　I　knew　it　would　please　the　students　very　much　to　place　them　at　once　in　finely　constructed　buildings；　I　felt　that　it　would　be　following　out　a　more　natural　process　of　development　to　teach　them　how　to　construct　their　own　buildings。　Mistakes　I　knew　would　be　made；　but　these　mistakes　would　teach　us　valuable　lessons　for　the　future。

During　the　now　nineteen　years'　existence　of　the　Tuskegee　school；　the　plan　of　having　the　buildings　erected　by　student　labour　has　been　adhered　to。　In　this　time　forty　buildings；　counting　small　and　large；　have　been　built；　and　all　except　four　are　almost　wholly　the　product　of　student　labour。　As　an　additional　result；　hundreds　of　men　are　now　scattered　throughout　the　South　who　received　their　knowledge　of　mechanics　while　being　taught　how　to　erect　these　buildings。　Skill　and　knowledge　are　now　handed　down　from　one　set　of　students　to　another　in　this　way；　until　at　the　present　time　a　building　of　any　description　or　size　can　be　constructed　wholly　by　our　instructors　and　students；　from　the　drawing　of　the　plans　to　the　putting　in　of　the　electric　fixtures；　without　going　off　the　grounds　for　a　single　workman。

Not　a　few　times；　when　a　new　student　has　been　led　into　the　temptation　of　marring　the　looks　of　some　building　by　leadpencil　marks　or　by　the　cuts　of　a　jack…knife；　I　have　heard　an　old　student　remind　him：　〃Don't　do　that。　That　is　our　building。　I　helped　put　it　up。〃

In　the　early　days　of　the　school　I　think　my　most　trying　experience　was　in　the　matter　of　brickmaking。　As　soon　as　we　got　the　farm　work　reasonably　well　started；　we　directed　our　next　efforts　toward　the　industry　of　making　bricks。　We　needed　these　for　use　in　connection　with　the　erection　of　our　own　buildings；　but　there　was　also　another　reason　for　establishing　this　industry。　There　was　no　brickyard　in　the　town；　and　in　addition　to　our　own　needs　there　was　a　demand　for　bricks　in　the　general　market。

I　had　always　sympathized　with　the　〃Children　of　Israel；〃　in　their　task　of　〃making　bricks　without　straw；〃　but　ours　was　the　task　of　making　bricks　with　no　money　and　no　experience。

In　the　first　place；　the　work　was　hard　and　dirty；　and　it　was　difficult　to　get　the　students　to　help。　When　it　came　to　brickmaking；　their　distaste　for　manual　labour　in　connection　with　book　education　became　especially　manifest。　It　was　not　a　pleasant　task　for　one　to　stand　in　the　mud…pit　for　hours；　with　the　mud　up　to　his　knees。　More　than　one　man　became　disgusted　and　left　the　school。

We　tried　several　locations　before　we　opened　up　a　pit　that　furnished　brick　clay。　I　had　always　supposed　that　brickmaking　was　very　simple；　but　I　soon　found　out　by　bitter　experience　that　it　required　special　skill　and　knowledge；　particularly　in　the　burning　of　the　bricks。　After　a　good　deal　of　effort　we　moulded　about　twenty…five　thousand　bricks；　and　put　them　into　a　kiln　to　be　burned。　This　kiln　turned　out　to　be　a　failure；　because　it　was　not　properly　constructed　or　properly　burned。　We　began　at　once；　however；　on　a　second　kiln。　This；　for　some　reason；　also　proved　a　failure。　The　failure　of　this　kiln　made　it　still　more　difficult　to　get　the　students　to　take　part　in　the　work。　Several　of　the　teachers；　however；　who　had　been　trained　in　the　industries　at　Hampton；　volunteered　their　services；　and　in　some　way　we　succeeded　in　getting　a　third　kiln　ready　for　burning。　The　burning　of　a　kiln　required　about　a　week。　Toward　the　latter　part　of　the　week；　when　it　seemed　as　if　we　were　going　to　have　a　good　many　thousand　bricks　in　a　few　hours；　in　the　middle　of　the　night　the　kiln　fell。　For　the　third　time　we　had　failed。

The　failure　of　this　last　kiln　left　me　without　a　single　dollar　with　which　to　make　another　experiment。　Most　of　the　teachers　advised　the　abandoning　of　the　effort　to　make　bricks。　In　the　midst　of　my　troubles　I　thought　of　a　watch　which　had　come　into　my　possession　years　before。　I　took　the　watch　to　the　city　of　Montgomery；　which　was　not　far　distant；　and　placed　it　in　a　pawn…shop。　I　secured　cash　upon　it　to　the　amount　of　fifteen　dollars；　with　which　to　renew　the　brickmaking　experiment。　I　returned　to　Tuskegee；　and；　with　the　help　of　the　fifteen　dollars；　rallied　our　rather　demoralized　and　discouraged　forces　and　began　a　fourth　attempt　to　make　bricks。　This　time；　I　am　glad　to　say；　we　were　successful。　Before　I　got　hold　of　any　money；　the　time…limit　on　my　watch　had　expired；　and　I　have　never　seen　it　since；　but　I　have　never　regretted　the　loss　of　it。

Brickmaking　has　now　become　such　an　important　industry　at　the　school　that　last　season　our　students　manufactured　twelve　hundred　thousand　of　first…class　bricks；　of　a　quality　stable　to　be　sold　in　any　market。　Aside　from　this；　scores　of　young　men　have　mastered　the　brickmaking　tradeboth　the　making　of　bricks　by　hand　and　by　machineryand　are　now　engaged　in　this　industry　in　many　parts　of　the　South。

The　making　of　these　bricks　taught　me　an　important　lesson　in　regard　to　the　relations　of　the　two　races　in　the　South。　Many　white　people　who　had　had　no　contact　with　the　school；　and　perhaps　no　sympathy　with　it；　came　to　us　to　buy　bricks　because　they　found　out　that　ours　were　good　bricks。　They　discovered　that　we　were　supplying　a　real　want　in　the　community。　The　making　of　these　bricks　caused　many　of　the　white　residents　of　the　neighbourhood　to　begin　to　feel　that　the　education　of　the　Negro　was　not　making　him　worthless；　but　that　in　educating　our　students　we　were　adding　something　to　the　wealth　and　comfort　of　the　community。　As　the　people　of　the　neighbourhood　came　to　us　to　buy　bricks；　we　got　acquainted　with　them；　they　traded　with　us　and　we　with　them。　Our　business　interests　became　intermingled。　We　had　something　which　they　wanted；　they　had　something　which　we　wanted。　This；　in　a　large　measure；　helped　to　lay　the　foundation　for　the　pleasant　relations　that　have　continued　to　exist　between　us　and　the　white　people　in　that　section；　and　which　now　extend　throughout　the　South。

Wherever　one　of　our　brickmakers　has　gone　in　the　South；　we　find　that　he　has　something　to　contribute　to　the　well…being　of　the　community　into　which　he　has　gone；　something　that　has　made　the　community　feel　that；　in　a　degree；　it　is　indebted　to　him；　and　perhaps；　to　a　certain　extent；　dependent　upon　him。　In　this　way　pleasant　relations　between　the　races　have　been　simulated。

My　experience　is　that　there　is　something　in　human　nature　which　always　makes　an　individual　recognize　and　reward　merit；　no　matter　under　what　colour　of　skin　merit　is　found。　I　have　found；　too；　that　it　is　the　visible；　the　tangible；　that　goes　a　long　ways　in　softening　prejudices。　The　actual　sight　of　a　first…class　house　that　a　Negro　has　built　is　ten　times　more　potent　than　pages　of　discussion　about　a　house　that　he　ought　to　build；　or　perhaps　could　build。

The　same　principle　of　industrial　education　has　been　carried　out　in　the　building　of　our　own　wagons；　carts；　and　buggies；　from　the　first。　We　now　own　and　use　on　our　farm　and　about　the　school　dozens　of　these　vehicles；　and　every　one　of　them　has　been　built　by　the　hands　of　the　students。　Aside　from　this；　we　help　supply　the　local　market　with　these　vehicles。　The　supplying　of　them　to　the　people　in　the　community　has　had　the　same　effect　as　the　supplying　of　bricks；　and　the　man　who　learns　at　Tuskegee　to　build　and　repair　wagons　and　carts　is　regarded　as　a　benefactor　by　both　races　in　the　community　where　he　goes。　The　people　with　whom　he　lives　and　works　are　going　to　think　twice　before　they　part　with　such　a　man。

The　individual　who　can　do　something　that　the　world　wants　done　will；　in　the　end；　make　his　way　regardless　of　race。　One　man　may　go　into　a　community　prepared　to　supply　the　people　there　with　an　analysis　of　Greek　sentences。　The　community　may　not　at　the　time　be　prepared　for；　or　feel　the　need　of；　Greek　analysis；　but　it　may　feel　its　need　of　bricks　and　houses　and　wagons。　If　the　man　can　supply　the　need　for　those；　then；　it　will　lead　eventually　to　a　demand　for　the　first　product；　and　with　the　demand　will　come　the　ability　to　appreciate　it　and　to　profit　by　it。

About　the　time　that　we　succeeded　in　burning　our　first　kiln　of　bricks　we　began　facing　in　an　emphasized　form　the　objection　of　the　students　to　being　taught　to　work。　By　this　time　it　had　gotten　to　be　pretty　well　advertised　throughout　the　state　that　every　student　who　came　to　Tuskegee；　no　matter　what　his　financial　ability　might　be；　must　learn　some　industry。　Quite　a　number　of　letters　came　from　parents　protesting　against　their　children　engaging　in　labour　while　they　were　in　the　school。　Other　parents　came　to　the　school　to　protest　in　person。　Most　of　the　new　students　brought　a　written　or　a　verbal　request　from　their　parents　to　the　effect　that　they　wanted　their　children　taught　nothing　but　books。　The　more　books；　the　larger　they　were；　and　the　longer　the　titles　printed　upon　them；　the　better　pleased　the　students　and　their　parents　seemed　to　be。

I　gave　little　heed　to　these　protests；　except　that　I　lost　no　opportunity　to　go　into　as　many　parts　of　the　state　as　I　could；　for　the　purpose　of　speaking　to　the　parents；　and　showing　them　the　value　of　industrial　education。　Besides；　I　talked　to　the　students　constantly　on　the　subject。　Notwithstanding　the　unpopularity　of　industrial　work；　the　school　continued　to　increase　in　numbers　to　such　an　extent　that　by　the　middle　of　the　second　year　there　was　an　attendance　of　about　one　hundred　and　fifty；　representing　almost　all　parts　of　the　state　of　Alabama