up from slavery-第26节

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　that　time；　to　see　how　the　land　lay。　In　the　meantime；　however；　it　had　become　known　in　some　way　throughout　the　car　who　I　was。　When　I　went　into　the　smoking…room　I　was　never　more　surprised　in　my　life　than　when　each　man；　nearly　every　one　of　them　a　citizen　of　Georgia；　came　up　and　introduced　himself　to　me　and　thanked　me　earnestly　for　the　work　that　I　was　trying　to　do　for　the　whole　South。　This　was　not　flattery；　because　each　one　of　these　individuals　knew　that　he　had　nothing　to　gain　by　trying　to　flatter　me。

From　the　first　I　have　sought　to　impress　the　students　with　the　idea　that　Tuskegee　is　not　my　institution；　or　that　of　the　officers；　but　that　it　is　their　institution；　and　that　they　have　as　much　interest　in　it　as　any　of　the　trustees　or　instructors。　I　have　further　sought　to　have　them　feel　that　I　am　at　the　institution　as　their　friend　and　adviser；　and　not　as　their　overseer。　It　has　been　my　aim　to　have　them　speak　with　directness　and　frankness　about　anything　that　concerns　the　life　of　the　school。　Two　or　three　times　a　year　I　ask　the　students　to　write　me　a　letter　criticising　or　making　complaints　or　suggestions　about　anything　connected　with　the　institution。　When　this　is　not　done；　I　have　them　meet　me　in　the　chapel　for　a　heart…to…heart　talk　about　the　conduct　of　the　school。　There　are　no　meetings　with　our　students　that　I　enjoy　more　than　these；　and　none　are　more　helpful　to　me　in　planning　for　the　future。　These　meetings；　it　seems　to　me；　enable　me　to　get　at　the　very　heart　of　all　that　concerns　the　school。　Few　things　help　an　individual　more　than　to　place　responsibility　upon　him；　and　to　let　him　know　that　you　trust　him。　When　I　have　read　of　labour　troubles　between　employers　and　employees；　I　have　often　thought　that　many　strikes　and　similar　disturbances　might　be　avoided　if　the　employers　would　cultivate　the　habit　of　getting　nearer　to　their　employees；　of　consulting　and　advising　with　them；　and　letting　them　feel　that　the　interests　of　the　two　are　the　same。　Every　individual　responds　to　confidence；　and　this　is　not　more　true　of　any　race　than　of　the　Negroes。　Let　them　once　understand　that　you　are　unselfishly　interested　in　them；　and　you　can　lead　them　to　any　extent。

It　was　my　aim　from　the　first　at　Tuskegee　to　not　only　have　the　buildings　erected　by　the　students　themselves；　but　to　have　them　make　their　own　furniture　as　far　as　was　possible。　I　now　marvel　at　the　patience　of　the　students　while　sleeping　upon　the　floor　while　waiting　for　some　kind　of　a　bedstead　to　be　constructed；　or　at　their　sleeping　without　any　kind　of　a　mattress　while　waiting　for　something　that　looked　like　a　mattress　to　be　made。

In　the　early　days　we　had　very　few　students　who　had　been　used　to　handling　carpenters'　tools；　and　the　bedsteads　made　by　the　students　then　were　very　rough　and　very　weak。　Not　unfrequently　when　I　went　into　the　students'　rooms　in　the　morning　I　would　find　at　least　two　bedsteads　lying　about　on　the　floor。　The　problem　of　providing　mattresses　was　a　difficult　one　to　solve。　We　finally　mastered　this；　however；　by　getting　some　cheap　cloth　and　sewing　pieces　of　this　together　as　to　make　large　bags。　These　bags　we　filled　with　the　pine　strawor；　as　it　is　sometimes　called；　pine　needleswhich　we　secured　from　the　forests　near　by。　I　am　glad　to　say　that　the　industry　of　mattress…making　has　grown　steadily　since　then；　and　has　been　improved　to　such　an　extent　that　at　the　present　time　it　is　an　important　branch　of　the　work　which　is　taught　systematically　to　a　number　of　our　girls；　and　that　the　mattresses　that　now　come　out　of　the　mattress…shop　at　Tuskegee　are　about　as　good　as　those　bought　in　the　average　store。　For　some　time　after　the　opening　of　the　boarding　department　we　had　no　chairs　in　the　students'　bedrooms　or　in　the　dining　rooms。　Instead　of　chairs　we　used　stools　which　the　students　constructed　by　nailing　together　three　pieces　of　rough　board。　As　a　rule；　the　furniture　in　the　students'　rooms　during　the　early　days　of　the　school　consisted　of　a　bed；　some　stools；　and　sometimes　a　rough　table　made　by　the　students。　The　plan　of　having　the　students　make　the　furniture　is　still　followed；　but　the　number　of　pieces　in　a　room　has　been　increased；　and　the　workmanship　has　so　improved　that　little　fault　can　be　found　with　the　articles　now。　One　thing　that　I　have　always　insisted　upon　at　Tuskegee　is　that　everywhere　there　should　be　absolute　cleanliness。　Over　and　over　again　the　students　were　reminded　in　those　first　yearsand　are　reminded　nowthat　people　would　excuse　us　for　our　poverty；　for　our　lack　of　comforts　and　conveniences；　but　that　they　would　not　excuse　us　for　dirt。

Another　thing　that　has　been　insisted　upon　at　the　school　is　the　use　of　the　tooth…brush。　〃The　gospel　of　the　tooth…brush；〃　as　General　Armstrong　used　to　call　it；　is　part　of　our　creed　at　Tuskegee。　No　student　is　permitted　to　retain　who　does　not　keep　and　use　a　tooth…brush。　Several　times；　in　recent　years；　students　have　come　to　us　who　brought　with　them　almost　no　other　article　except　a　tooth…brush。　They　had　heard　from　the　lips　of　other　students　about　our　insisting　upon　the　use　of　this；　and　so；　to　make　a　good　impression；　they　brought　at　least　a　tooth…brush　with　them。　I　remember　that　one　morning；　not　long　ago；　I　went　with　the　lady　principal　on　her　usual　morning　tour　of　inspection　of　the　girls'　rooms。　We　found　one　room　that　contained　three　girls　who　had　recently　arrived　at　the　school。　When　I　asked　them　if　they　had　tooth…brushes；　one　of　the　girls　replied；　pointing　to　a　brush：　〃Yes；　sir。　That　is　our　brush。　We　bought　it　together；　yesterday。〃　It　did　not　take　them　long　to　learn　a　different　lesson。

It　has　been　interesting　to　note　the　effect　that　the　use　of　the　tooth…brush　has　had　in　bringing　about　a　higher　degree　of　civilization　among　the　students。　With　few　exceptions；　I　have　noticed　that；　if　we　can　get　a　student　to　the　point　where；　when　the　first　or　second　tooth…brush　disappears；　he　of　his　own　motion　buys　another；　I　have　not　been　disappointed　in　the　future　of　that　individual。　Absolute　cleanliness　of　the　body　has　been　insisted　upon　from　the　first。　The　students　have　been　taught　to　bathe　as　regularly　as　to　take　their　meals。　This　lesson　we　began　teaching　before　we　had　anything　in　the　shape　of　a　bath…house。　Most　of　the　students　came　from　plantation　districts；　and　often　we　had　to　teach　them　how　to　sleep　at　night；　that　is；　whether　between　the　two　sheetsafter　we　got　to　the　point　where　we　could　provide　them　two　sheetsor　under　both　of　them。　Naturally　I　found　it　difficult　to　teach　them　to　sleep　between　two　sheets　when　we　were　able　to　supply　but　one。　The　importance　of　the　use　of　the　night…gown　received　the　same　attention。

For　a　long　time　one　of　the　most　difficult　tasks　was　to　teach　the　students　that　all　the　buttons　were　to　be　kept　on　their　clothes；　and　that　there　must　be　no　torn　places　or　grease…spots。　This　lesson；　I　am　pleased　to　be　able　to　say；　has　been　so　thoroughly　learned　and　so　faithfully　handed　down　from　year　to　year　by　one　set　of　students　to　another　that　often　at　the　present　time；　when　the　students　march　out　of　the　chapel　in　the　evening　and　their　dress　is　inspected；　as　it　is　every　night；　not　one　button　is　found　to　be　missing。



Chapter　XII。　Raising　Money

When　we　opened　our　boarding　department；　we　provided　rooms　in　the　attic　of　Porter　Hall；　our　first　building；　for　a　number　of　girls。　But　the　number　of　students；　of　both　sexes；　continued　to　increase。　We　could　find　rooms　outside　the　school　grounds　for　many　of　the　young　men；　but　the　girls　we　did　not　care　to　expose　in　this　way。　Very　soon　the　problem　of　providing　more　rooms　for　the　girls；　as　well　as　a　larger　boarding　department　for　all　the　students；　grew　serious。　As　a　result；　we　finally　decided　to　undertake　the　construction　of　a　still　larger　buildinga　building　that　would　contain　rooms　for　the　girls　and　boarding　accommodations　for　all。

After　having　had　a　preliminary　sketch　of　the　needed　building　made；　we　found　that　it　would　cost　about　ten　thousand　dollars。　We　had　no　money　whatever　with　which　to　begin；　still　we　decided　to　give　the　needed　building　a　name。　We　knew　we　could　name　it；　even　though　we　were　in　doubt　about　our　ability　to　secure　the　means　for　its　construction。　We　decided　to　call　the　proposed　building　Alabama　Hall；　in　honour　of　the　state　in　which　we　were　labouring。　Again　Miss　Davidson　began　making　efforts　to　enlist　the　interest　and　help　of　the　coloured　and　white　people　in　and　near　Tuskegee。　They　responded　willingly；　in　proportion　to　their　means。　The　students；　as　in　the　case　of　our　first　building；　Porter　Hall；　began　digging　out　the　dirt　in　order　to　allow　the　laying　of　the　foundations。

When　we　seemed　at　the　end　of　our　resources；　so　far　as　securing　money　was　concerned；　something　occurred　which　showed　the　greatness　of　General　Armstrongsomething　which　proved　how　far　he　was　above　the　ordinary　individual。　When　we　were　in　the　midst　of　great　anxiety　as　to　where　and　how　we　were　to　get　funds　for　the　new　building；　I　received　a　telegram　from　General　Armstrong　asking　me　if　I　could　spend　a　month　travelling　with　him　through　the　North；　and　asking　me；　if　I　could　do　so；　to　come　to　Hampton　at　once。　Of　course　I　accepted　General　Armstrong's　invitation；　and　went　to　Hampton　immediately。　On　arriving　there　I　found　that　the　General　had　decided　to　take　a　quartette　of　singers　through　the　North；　and　hold　meetings　for　a　month　in　important　cities；　at　which　meetings　he　and　I　wer