Chapter IX. Anxious Days And Sleepless Nights

by Booker T. Washington

　　The coming of Christmas, that first year of our residence inAlabama, gave us an opportunity to get a farther insight into thereal life of the people. The first thing that reminded us thatChristmas had arrived was the "foreday" visits of scores ofchildren rapping at our doors, asking for "Chris'mus gifts!Chris'mus gifts!" Between the hours of two o'clock and fiveo'clock in the morning I presume that we must have had ahalf-hundred such calls. This custom prevails throughout thisportion of the South to-day.During the days of slavery it was a custom quite generallyobserved throughout all the Southern states to give the colouredpeople a week of holiday at Christmas, or to allow the holiday tocontinue as long as the "yule log" lasted. The male members ofthe race, and often the female members, were expected to getdrunk. We found that for a whole week the coloured people in andaround Tuskegee dropped work the day before Christmas, and thatit was difficult for any one to perform any service from the timethey stopped work until after the New Year. Persons who at othertimes did not use strong drink thought it quite the proper thingto indulge in it rather freely during the Christmas week. Therewas a widespread hilarity, and a free use of guns, pistols, andgunpowder generally. The sacredness of the season seemed to havebeen almost wholly lost sight of.During this first Christmas vacation I went some distance fromthe town to visit the people on one of the large plantations. Intheir poverty and ignorance it was pathetic to see their attemptsto get joy out of the season that in most parts of the country isso sacred and so dear to the heart. In one cabin I notice thatall that the five children had to remind them of the coming ofChrist was a single bunch of firecrackers, which they had dividedamong them. In another cabin, where there were at least ahalf-dozen persons, they had only ten cents' worth ofginger-cakes, which had been bought in the store the day before.In another family they had only a few pieces of sugarcane. Instill another cabin I found nothing but a new jug of cheap, meanwhiskey, which the husband and wife were making free use of,notwithstanding the fact that the husband was one of the localministers. In a few instances I found that the people had gottenhold of some bright-coloured cards that had been designed foradvertising purposes, and were making the most of these. In otherhomes some member of the family had bought a new pistol. In themajority of cases there was nothing to be seen in the cabin toremind one of the coming of the Saviour, except that the peoplehad ceased work in the fields and were lounging about theirhomes. At night, during Christmas week, they usually had whatthey called a "frolic," in some cabin on the plantation. Thatmeant a kind of rough dance, where there was likely to be a gooddeal of whiskey used, and where there might be some shooting orcutting with razors.While I was making this Christmas visit I met an old coloured manwho was one of the numerous local preachers, who tried toconvince me, from the experience Adam had in the Garden of Eden,that God had cursed all labour, and that, therefore, it was a sinfor any man to work. For that reason this man sought to do aslittle work as possible. He seemed at that time to be supremelyhappy, because he was living, as he expressed it, through oneweek that was free from sin.In the school we made a special effort to teach our students themeaning of Christmas, and to give them lessons in its properobservance. In this we have been successful to a degree thatmakes me feel safe in saying that the season now has a newmeaning, not only through all that immediate region, but, in ameasure, wherever our graduates have gone.At the present time one of the most satisfactory features of theChristmas and Thanksgiving season at Tuskegee is the unselfishand beautiful way in which our graduates and students spend theirtime in administering to the comfort and happiness of others,especially the unfortunate. Not long ago some of our young menspent a holiday in rebuilding a cabin for a helpless colouredwomen who was about seventy-five years old. At another time Iremember that I made it known in chapel, one night, that a verypoor 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 whitepeople in the town of Tuskegee and vicinity to help the school.From the first, I resolved to make the school a real part of thecommunity in which it was located. I was determined that no oneshould have the feeling that it was a foreign institution,dropped down in the midst of the people, for which they had noresponsibility and in which they had no interest. I noticed thatthe very fact that they had been asking to contribute toward thepurchase of the land made them begin to feel as if it was goingto be their school, to a large degree. I noted that just inproportion as we made the white people feel that the institutionwas a part of the life of the community, and that, while wewanted to make friends in Boston, for example, we also wanted tomake white friends in Tuskegee, and that we wanted to make theschool of real service to all the people, their attitude towardthe 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 timehas no warmer and more enthusiastic friends anywhere than it hasamong the white citizens of Tuskegee and throughout the state ofAlabama and the entire South. From the first, I have advised ourpeople in the South to make friends in every straightforward,manly way with their next-door neighbour, whether he be a blackman or a white man. I have also advised them, where no principleis 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 topay for the farm went on without ceasing. At the end of threemonths enough was secured to repay the loan of two hundred andfifty dollars to General Marshall, and within two months more wehad secured the entire five hundred dollars and had received adeed of the one hundred acres of land. This gave us a great dealof satisfaction. It was not only a source of satisfaction tosecure a permanent location for the school, but it was equallysatisfactory to know that the greater part of the money withwhich it was paid for had been gotten from the white and colouredpeople in the town of Tuskegee. The most of this money wasobtained by holding festivals and concerts, and from smallindividual donations.Our next effort was in the direction of increasing thecultivation of the land, so as to secure some return from it, andat the same time give the students training in agriculture. Allthe industries at Tuskegee have been started in natural andlogical order, growing out of the needs of a communitysettlement. We began with farming, because we wanted something toeat.Many of the students, also, were able to remain in school but afew weeks at a time, because they had so little money with whichto pay their board. Thus another object which made it desirableto get an industrial system started was in order to make inavailable as a means of helping the students to earn money enoughso that they might be able to remain in school during the ninemonths' session of the school year.The first animal that the school came into possession of was anold blind horse given us by one of the white citizens ofTuskegee. Perhaps I may add here that at the present time theschool owns over two hundred horses, colts, mules, cows, calves,and oxen, and about seven hundred hogs and pigs, as well as alarge 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 landbegun, and the old cabins which we had found on the placesomewhat repaired, we turned our attention toward providing alarge, substantial building. After having given a good deal ofthought to the subject, we finally had the plans drawn for abuilding that was estimated to cost about six thousand dollars.This seemed to us a tremendous sum, but we knew that the schoolmust go backward or forward, and that our work would mean littleunless we could get hold of the students in their home life.One incident which occurred about this time gave me a great dealof satisfaction as well as surprise. When it became known in thetown that we were discussing the plans for a new, large building,a Southern white man who was operating a sawmill not far fromTuskegee came to me and said that he would gladly put all thelumber necessary to erect the building on the grounds, with noother guarantee for payment than my word that it would be paidfor when we secured some money. I told the man frankly that atthe time we did not have in our hands one dollar of the moneyneeded. Notwithstanding this, he insisted on being allowed to putthe lumber on the grounds. After we had secured some portion ofthe money we permitted him to do this.Miss Davidson again began the work of securing in various wayssmall contributions for the new building from the white andcoloured people in and near Tuskegee. I think I never saw acommunity of people so happy over anything as were the colouredpeople over the prospect of this new building. One day, when wewere holding a meeting to secure funds for its erection, an old,ante-bellum coloured man came a distance of twelve miles andbrought in his ox-cart a large hog. When the meeting was inprogress, he rose in the midst of the company and said that hehad no money which he could give, but he had raised two finehogs, and that he had brought one of them as a contributiontoward the expenses of the building. He closed his announcementby saying: "Any nigger that's got any love for his race, or anyrespect for himself, will bring a hog to the next meeting." Quitea number of men in the community also volunteered to give severaldays' work, each, toward the erection of the building.After we had secured all the help that we could in Tuskegee, MissDavidson decided to go North for the purpose of securingadditional funds. For weeks she visited individuals and spoke inchurches and before Sunday schools and other organizations. Shefound this work quite trying, and often embarrassing. The schoolwas not known, but she was not long in winning her way into theconfidence of the best people in the North.The first gift from any Northern person was received from a NewYork lady whom Miss Davidson met on the boat that was bringingher North. They fell into a conversation, and the Northern ladybecame so much interested in the effort being made at Tuskegeethat before they parted Miss Davidson was handed a check forfifty dollars. For some time before our marriage, and also afterit, Miss Davidson kept up the work of securing money in the Northand in the South by interesting people by personal visits andthrough correspondence. At the same time she kept in close touchwith the work at Tuskegee, as lady principal and classroomteacher. In addition to this, she worked among the older peoplein and near Tuskegee, and taught a Sunday school class in thetown. She was never very strong, but never seemed happy unlessshe was giving all of her strength to the cause which she loved.Often, at night, after spending the day in going from door todoor trying to interest persons in the work at Tuskegee, shewould be so exhausted that she could not undress herself. A ladyupon whom she called, in Boston, afterward told me that at onetime when Miss Davidson called her to see and send up her cardthe lady was detained a little before she could see MissDavidson, and when she entered the parlour she found MissDavidson so exhausted that she had fallen asleep.While putting up our first building, which was named Porter Hall,after Mr. A.H. Porter, of Brooklyn, N.Y., who gave a generous sumtoward its erection, the need for money became acute. I had givenone of our creditors a promise that upon a certain day he shouldbe paid four hundred dollars. On the morning of that day we didnot have a dollar. The mail arrived at the school at ten o'clock,and in this mail there was a check sent by Miss Davidson forexactly four hundred dollars. I could relate many instances ofalmost the same character. This four hundred dollars was given bytwo ladies in Boston. Two years later, when the work at Tuskegeehad grown considerably, and when we were in the midst of a seasonwhen we were so much in need of money that the future lookeddoubtful and gloomy, the same two Boston ladies sent us sixthousand dollars. Words cannot describe our surprise, or theencouragement that the gift brought to us. Perhaps I might addhere that for fourteen years these same friends have sent us sixthousand dollars a year.As soon as the plans were drawn for the new building, thestudents began digging out the earth where the foundations wereto be laid, working after the regular classes were over. They hadnot fully outgrown the idea that it was hardly the proper thingfor them to use their hands, since they had come there, as one ofthem expressed it, "to be educated, and not to work." Gradually,though, I noted with satisfaction that a sentiment in favour ofwork was gaining ground. After a few weeks of hard work thefoundations were ready, and a day was appointed for the laying ofthe corner-stone.When it is considered that the laying of this corner-stone tookplace in the heart of the South, in the "Black Belt," in thecentre of that part of our country that was most devoted toslavery; that at that time slavery had been abolished only aboutsixteen years; that only sixteen years before no Negro could betaught from books without the teacher receiving the condemnationof the law or of public sentiment--when all this is considered,the scene that was witnessed on that spring day at Tuskegee was aremarkable one. I believe there are few places in the world whereit could have taken place.The principal address was delivered by the Hon. Waddy Thompson,the Superintendent of Education for the county. About thecorner-stone were gathered the teachers, the students, theirparents and friends, the county officials--who were white--andall the leading white men in that vicinity, together with many ofthe black men and women whom the same white people but a fewyears before had held a title to as property. The members of bothraces were anxious to exercise the privilege of placing under thecorner-stone some momento.Before the building was completed we passed through some verytrying seasons. More than once our hearts were made to bleed, asit were, because bills were falling due that we did not have themoney to meet. Perhaps no one who has not gone through theexperience, month after month, of trying to erect buildings andprovide equipment for a school when no one knew where the moneywas to come from, can properly appreciate the difficulties underwhich we laboured. During the first years at Tuskegee I recallthat night after night I would roll and toss on my bed, withoutsleep, because of the anxiety and uncertainty which we were inregarding money. I knew that, in a large degree, we were tryingan experiment--that of testing whether or not it was possible forNegroes to build up and control the affairs of a large educationinstitution. I knew that if we failed it would injure the wholerace. I knew that the presumption was against us. I knew that inthe case of white people beginning such an enterprise it would betaken for granted that they were going to succeed, but in ourcase I felt that people would be surprised if we succeeded. Allthis made a burden which pressed down on us, sometimes, itseemed, at the rate of a thousand pounds to the square inch.In all our difficulties and anxieties, however, I never went to awhite or a black person in the town of Tuskegee for anyassistance that was in their power to render, without beinghelped according to their means. More than a dozen times, whenbills figuring up into the hundreds of dollars were falling due,I applied to the white men of Tuskegee for small loans, oftenborrowing small amounts from as many as a half-dozen persons, tomeet our obligations. One thing I was determined to do from thefirst, and that was to keep the credit of the school high; andthis, I think I can say without boasting, we have done allthrough these years.I shall always remember a bit of advice given me by Mr. George W.Campbell, the white man to whom I have referred to as the one whoinduced General Armstrong to send me to Tuskegee. Soon after Ientered upon the work Mr. Campbell said to me, in his fatherlyway: "Washington, always remember that credit is capital."At one time when we were in the greatest distress for money thatwe ever experienced, I placed the situation frankly beforeGeneral Armstrong. Without hesitation he gave me his personalcheck for all the money which he had saved for his own use. Thiswas not the only time that General Armstrong helped Tuskegee inthis way. I do not think I have ever made this fact publicbefore.During the summer of 1882, at the end of the first year's work ofthe school, I was married to Miss Fannie N. Smith, of Malden, W.Va. We began keeping house in Tuskegee early in the fall. Thismade a home for our teachers, who now had been increase to fourin number. My wife was also a graduate of the Hampton Institute.After earnest and constant work in the interests of the school,together with her housekeeping duties, my wife passed away inMay, 1884. One child, Portia M. Washington, was born during ourmarriage.From the first, my wife most earnestly devoted her thoughts andtime to the work of the school, and was completely one with me inevery interest and ambition. She passed away, however, before shehad an opportunity of seeing what the school was designed to be.