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To　speak　of　Tuskegee　without　paying　special　tribute　to　Booker　T。　Washington's　genius　and　perseverance　would　be　impossible。　The　inception　of　this　noble　enterprise　was　his；　and　he　deserves　high　credit　for　it。　His　was　the　enthusiasm　and　enterprise　which　made　its　steady　progress　possible　and　established　in　the　institution　its　present　high　standard　of　accomplishment。　He　has　won　a　worthy　reputation　as　one　of　the　great　leaders　of　his　race；　widely　known　and　much　respected　at　home　and　abroad　as　an　accomplished　educator；　a　great　orator；　and　a　true　philanthropist。


The　Hon。　John　D。　Long；　the　Secretary　of　the　Navy；　said　in　part：

I　cannot　make　a　speech　to…day。　My　heart　is　too　fullfull　of　hope；　admiration；　and　pride　for　my　countrymen　of　both　sections　and　both　colours。　I　am　filled　with　gratitude　and　admiration　for　your　work；　and　from　this　time　forward　I　shall　have　absolute　confidence　in　your　progress　and　in　the　solution　of　the　problem　in　which　you　are　engaged。

The　problem；　I　say；　has　been　solved。　A　picture　has　been　presented　to…day　which　should　be　put　upon　canvas　with　the　pictures　of　Washington　and　Lincoln；　and　transmitted　to　future　time　and　generationsa　picture　which　the　press　of　the　country　should　spread　broadcast　over　the　land；　a　most　dramatic　picture；　and　that　picture　is　this：　The　President　of　the　United　States　standing　on　this　platform；　on　one　side　the　Governor　of　Alabama；　on　the　other；　completing　the　trinity；　a　representative　of　a　race　only　a　few　years　ago　in　bondage；　the　coloured　President　of　the　Tuskegee　Normal　and　Industrial　Institute。

God　bless　the　President　under　whose　majesty　such　a　scene　as　that　is　presented　to　the　American　people。　God　bless　the　state　of　Alabama；　which　is　showing　that　it　can　deal　with　this　problem　for　itself。　God　bless　the　orator；　philanthropist；　and　disciple　of　the　Great　Masterwho；　if　he　were　on　earth；　would　be　doing　the　same　workBooker　T。　Washington。


Postmaster　General　Smith　closed　the　address　which　he　made　with　these　words：

We　have　witnessed　many　spectacles　within　the　last　few　days。　We　have　seen　the　magnificent　grandeur　and　the　magnificent　achievements　of　one　of　the　great　metropolitan　cities　of　the　South。　We　have　seen　heroes　of　the　war　pass　by　in　procession。　We　have　seen　floral　parades。　But　I　am　sure　my　colleagues　will　agree　with　me　in　saying　that　we　have　witnessed　no　spectacle　more　impressive　and　more　encouraging；　more　inspiring　for　our　future；　than　that　which　we　have　witnessed　here　this　morning。


Some　days　after　the　President　returned　to　Washington　I　received　the　letter　which　follows：

Executive　Mansion；　Washington；　Dec。　23；　1899。

Dear　Sir：　By　this　mail　I　take　pleasure　in　sending　you　engrossed　copies　of　the　souvenir　of　the　visit　of　the　President　to　your　institution。　These　sheets　bear　the　autographs　of　the　President　and　the　members　of　the　Cabinet　who　accompanied　him　on　the　trip。　Let　me　take　this　opportunity　of　congratulating　you　most　heartily　and　sincerely　upon　the　great　success　of　the　exercises　provided　for　and　entertainment　furnished　us　under　your　auspices　during　our　visit　to　Tuskegee。　Every　feature　of　the　programme　was　perfectly　executed　and　was　viewed　or　participated　in　with　the　heartiest　satisfaction　by　every　visitor　present。　The　unique　exhibition　which　you　gave　of　your　pupils　engaged　in　their　industrial　vocations　was　not　only　artistic　but　thoroughly　impressive。　The　tribute　paid　by　the　President　and　his　Cabinet　to　your　work　was　none　too　high；　and　forms　a　most　encouraging　augury；　I　think；　for　the　future　prosperity　of　your　institution。　I　cannot　close　without　assuring　you　that　the　modesty　shown　by　yourself　in　the　exercises　was　most　favourably　commented　upon　by　all　the　members　of　our　party。

With　best　wishes　for　the　continued　advance　of　your　most　useful　and　patriotic　undertaking；　kind　personal　regards；　and　the　compliments　of　the　season；　believe　me；　always；

Very　sincerely　yours；

John　Addison　Porter；

Secretary　to　the　President。

To　President　Booker　T。　Washington；　Tuskegee　Normal　and　Industrial　Institute；　Tuskegee；　Ala。



Twenty　years　have　now　passed　since　I　made　the　first　humble　effort　at　Tuskegee；　in　a　broken…down　shanty　and　an　old　hen…house；　without　owning　a　dollar's　worth　of　property；　and　with　but　one　teacher　and　thirty　students。　At　the　present　time　the　institution　owns　twenty…three　hundred　acres　of　land；　one　thousand　of　which　are　under　cultivation　each　year；　entirely　by　student　labour。　There　are　now　upon　the　grounds；　counting　large　and　small；　sixty…six　buildings；　and　all　except　four　of　these　have　been　almost　wholly　erected　by　the　labour　of　our　students。　While　the　students　are　at　work　upon　the　land　and　in　erecting　buildings；　they　are　taught；　by　competent　instructors；　the　latest　methods　of　agriculture　and　the　trades　connected　with　building。

There　are　in　constant　operation　at　the　school；　in　connection　with　thorough　academic　and　religious　training；　thirty　industrial　departments。　All　of　these　teach　industries　at　which　our　men　and　women　can　find　immediate　employment　as　soon　as　they　leave　the　institution。　The　only　difficulty　now　is　that　the　demand　for　our　graduates　from　both　white　and　black　people　in　the　South　is　so　great　that　we　cannot　supply　more　than　one…half　the　persons　for　whom　applications　come　to　us。　Neither　have　we　the　buildings　nor　the　money　for　current　expenses　to　enable　us　to　admit　to　the　school　more　than　one…half　the　young　men　and　women　who　apply　to　us　for　admission。

In　our　industrial　teaching　we　keep　three　things　in　mind：　first；　that　the　student　shall　be　so　educated　that　he　shall　be　enabled　to　meet　conditions　as　they　exist　now；　in　the　part　of　the　South　where　he　livesin　a　word；　to　be　able　to　do　the　thing　which　the　world　wants　done；　second；　that　every　student　who　graduates　from　the　school　shall　have　enough　skill；　coupled　with　intelligence　and　moral　character；　to　enable　him　to　make　a　living　for　himself　and　others；　third；　to　send　every　graduate　out　feeling　and　knowing　that　labour　is　dignified　and　beautifulto　make　each　one　love　labour　instead　of　trying　to　escape　it。　In　addition　to　the　agricultural　training　which　we　give　to　young　men；　and　the　training　given　to　our　girls　in　all　the　usual　domestic　employments；　we　now　train　a　number　of　girls　in　agriculture　each　year。　These　girls　are　taught　gardening；　fruit…growing；　dairying；　bee…culture；　and　poultry…raising。

While　the　institution　is　in　no　sense　denominational；　we　have　a　department　known　as　the　Phelps　Hall　Bible　Training　School；　in　which　a　number　of　students　are　prepared　for　the　ministry　and　other　forms　of　Christian　work；　especially　work　in　the　country　districts。　What　is　equally　important；　each　one　of　the　students　works　。　。　。　each　day　at　some　industry；　in　order　to　get　skill　and　the　love　of　work；　so　that　when　he　goes　out　from　the　institution　he　is　prepared　to　set　the　people　with　whom　he　goes　to　labour　a　proper　example　in　the　matter　of　industry。

The　value　of　our　property　is　now　over　700；000。　If　we　add　to　this　our　endowment　fund；　which　at　present　is　1；000；000；　the　value　of　the　total　property　is　now　1；700；000。　Aside　from　the　need　for　more　buildings　and　for　money　for　current　expenses；　the　endowment　fund　should　be　increased　to　at　least　3；000；000。　The　annual　current　expenses　are　now　about　150；000。　The　greater　part　of　this　I　collect　each　year　by　going　from　door　to　door　and　from　house　to　house。　All　of　our　property　is　free　from　mortgage；　and　is　deeded　to　an　undenominational　board　of　trustees　who　have　the　control　of　the　institution。

From　thirty　students　the　number　has　grown　to　fourteen　hundred；　coming　from　twenty…seven　states　and　territories；　from　Africa；　Cuba；　Porto　Rico；　Jamaica；　and　other　foreign　countries。　In　our　departments　there　are　one　hundred　and　ten　officers　and　instructors；　and　if　we　add　the　families　of　our　instructors；　we　have　a　constant　population　upon　our　grounds　of　not　far　from　seventeen　hundred　people。

I　have　often　been　asked　how　we　keep　so　large　a　body　of　people　together；　and　at　the　same　time　keep　them　out　of　mischief。　There　are　two　answers：　that　the　men　and　women　who　come　to　us　for　an　education　are　in　earnest；　and　that　everybody　is　kept　busy。　The　following　outline　of　our　daily　work　will　testify　to　this：

5　a。m。；　rising　bell；　5。50　a。m。；　warning　breakfast　bell；　6　a。m。；　breakfast　bell；　6。20　a。m。；　breakfast　over；　6。20　to　6。50　a。m。；　rooms　are　cleaned；　6。50；　work　bell；　7。30；　morning　study　hours；　8。20；　morning　school　bell；　8。25；　inspection　of　young　men's　toilet　in　ranks；　8。40；　devotional　exercises　in　chapel；　8。55；　〃five　minutes　with　the　daily　news；〃　9　a。m。；　class　work　begins；　12；　class　work　closes；　12。15　p。m。；　dinner；　1　p。m。；　work　bell；　1。30　p。m。；　class　work　begins；　3。30　p。m。；　class　work　ends；　5。30　p。m。；　bell　to　〃knock　off〃　work；　6　p。m。；　supper；　7。10　p。m。；　evening　prayers；　7。30　p。m。；　evening　study　hours；　8。45　p。m。；　evening　study　hour　closes；　9。20　p。m。；　warning　retiring　bell；　9。30　p。m。；　retiring　bell。

We　try　to　keep　constantly　in　mind　the　fact　that　the　worth　of　the　school　is　to　be　judged　by　its　graduates。　Counting　those　who　have　finished　the　full　course；　together　with　those　who　have　taken　enough　training　to　enable　them　to　do　reasonably　good　work；　we　can　safely　say　that　at　least　six　thousand　men　and　women　from　Tuskegee　are　now　at　work　in　different　parts　of　the　South；　men　and　women　who；　by　their　ow