up from slavery-第15部分

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　former　salves　or　their　descendants。

An　example　of　what　I　mean　is　shown　in　a　story　told　of　George　Washington；　who；　meeting　a　coloured　man　in　the　road　once；　who　politely　lifted　his　hat；　lifted　his　own　in　return。　Some　of　his　white　friends　who　saw　the　incident　criticised　Washington　for　his　action。　In　reply　to　their　criticism　George　Washington　said：　〃Do　you　suppose　that　I　am　going　to　permit　a　poor；　ignorant；　coloured　man　to　be　more　polite　than　I　am？〃

While　I　was　in　charge　of　the　Indian　boys　at　Hampton；　I　had　one　or　two　experiences　which　illustrate　the　curious　workings　of　caste　in　America。　One　of　the　Indian　boys　was　taken　ill；　and　it　became　my　duty　to　take　him　to　Washington；　deliver　him　over　to　the　Secretary　of　the　Interior；　and　get　a　receipt　for　him；　in　order　that　he　might　be　returned　to　his　Western　reservation。　At　that　time　I　was　rather　ignorant　of　the　ways　of　the　world。　During　my　journey　to　Washington；　on　a　steamboat；　when　the　bell　rang　for　dinner；　I　was　careful　to　wait　and　not　enter　the　dining　room　until　after　the　greater　part　of　the　passengers　had　finished　their　meal。　Then；　with　my　charge；　I　went　to　the　dining　saloon。　The　man　in　charge　politely　informed　me　that　the　Indian　could　be　served；　but　that　I　could　not。　I　never　could　understand　how　he　knew　just　where　to　draw　the　colour　line；　since　the　Indian　and　I　were　of　about　the　same　complexion。　The　steward；　however；　seemed　to　be　an　expert　in　this　manner。　I　had　been　directed　by　the　authorities　at　Hampton　to　stop　at　a　certain　hotel　in　Washington　with　my　charge；　but　when　I　went　to　this　hotel　the　clerk　stated　that　he　would　be　glad　to　receive　the　Indian　into　the　house；　but　said　that　he　could　not　accommodate　me。

An　illustration　of　something　of　this　same　feeling　came　under　my　observation　afterward。　I　happened　to　find　myself　in　a　town　in　which　so　much　excitement　and　indignation　were　being　expressed　that　it　seemed　likely　for　a　time　that　there　would　be　a　lynching。　The　occasion　of　the　trouble　was　that　a　dark…skinned　man　had　stopped　at　the　local　hotel。　Investigation；　however；　developed　the　fact　that　this　individual　was　a　citizen　of　Morocco；　and　that　while　travelling　in　this　country　he　spoke　the　English　language。　As　soon　as　it　was　learned　that　he　was　not　an　American　Negro；　all　the　signs　of　indignation　disappeared。　The　man　who　was　the　innocent　cause　of　the　excitement；　though；　found　it　prudent　after　that　not　to　speak　English。

At　the　end　of　my　first　year　with　the　Indians　there　came　another　opening　for　me　at　Hampton；　which；　as　I　look　back　over　my　life　now；　seems　to　have　come　providentially；　to　help　to　prepare　me　for　my　work　at　Tuskegee　later。　General　Armstrong　had　found　out　that　there　was　quite　a　number　of　young　coloured　men　and　women　who　were　intensely　in　earnest　in　wishing　to　get　an　education；　but　who　were　prevented　from　entering　Hampton　Institute　because　they　were　too　poor　to　be　able　to　pay　any　portion　of　the　cost　of　their　board；　or　even　to　supply　themselves　with　books。　He　conceived　the　idea　of　starting　a　night…school　in　connection　with　the　Institute；　into　which　a　limited　number　of　the　most　promising　of　these　young　men　and　women　would　be　received；　on　condition　that　they　were　to　work　for　ten　hours　during　the　day；　and　attend　school　for　two　hours　at　night。　They　were　to　be　paid　something　above　the　cost　of　their　board　for　their　work。　The　greater　part　of　their　earnings　was　to　be　reserved　in　the　school's　treasury　as　a　fund　to　be　drawn　on　to　pay　their　board　when　they　had　become　students　in　the　day…school；　after　they　had　spent　one　or　two　years　in　the　night…school。　In　this　way　they　would　obtain　a　start　in　their　books　and　a　knowledge　of　some　trade　or　industry；　in　addition　to　the　other　far…reaching　benefits　of　the　institution。

General　Armstrong　asked　me　to　take　charge　of　the　night…school；　and　I　did　so。　At　the　beginning　of　this　school　there　were　about　twelve　strong；　earnest　men　and　women　who　entered　the　class。　During　the　day　the　greater　part　of　the　young　men　worked　in　the　school's　sawmill；　and　the　young　men　worked　in　the　laundry。　The　work　was　not　easy　in　either　place；　but　in　all　my　teaching　I　never　taught　pupils　who　gave　me　much　genuine　satisfaction　as　these　did。　They　were　good　students；　and　mastered　their　work　thoroughly。　They　were　so　much　in　earnest　that　only　the　ringing　of　the　retiring…bell　would　make　them　stop　studying；　and　often　they　would　urge　me　to　continue　the　lessons　after　the　usual　hour　for　going　to　bed　had　come。

These　students　showed　so　much　earnestness；　both　in　their　hard　work　during　the　day；　as　well　as　in　their　application　to　their　studies　at　night；　that　I　gave　them　the　name　of　〃The　Plucky　Class〃a　name　which　soon　grew　popular　and　spread　throughout　the　institution。　After　a　student　had　been　in　the　night…school　long　enough　to　prove　what　was　in　him；　I　gave　him　a　printed　certificate　which　read　something　like　this：

〃This　is　to　certify　that　James　Smith　is　a　member　of　The　Plucky　Class　of　the　Hampton　Institute；　and　is　in　good　and　regular　standing。〃

The　students　prized　these　certificates　highly；　and　they　added　greatly　to　the　popularity　of　the　night…school。　Within　a　few　weeks　this　department　had　grown　to　such　an　extent　that　there　were　about　twenty…five　students　in　attendance。　I　have　followed　the　course　of　many　of　these　twenty…five　men　and　women　ever　since　then；　and　they　are　now　holding　important　and　useful　positions　in　nearly　every　part　of　the　South。　The　night…school　at　Hampton；　which　started　with　only　twelve　students；　now　numbers　between　three　and　four　hundred；　and　is　one　of　the　permanent　and　most　important　features　of　the　institution。



Chapter　VII。　Early　Days　At　Tuskegee

During　the　time　that　I　had　charge　of　the　Indians　and　the　night…school　at　Hampton；　I　pursued　some　studies　myself；　under　the　direction　of　the　instructors　there。　One　of　these　instructors　was　the　Rev。　Dr。　H。B。　Frissell；　the　present　Principal　of　the　Hampton　Institute；　General　Armstrong's　successor。

In　May；　1881；　near　the　close　of　my　first　year　in　teaching　the　night…school；　in　a　way　that　I　had　not　dared　expect；　the　opportunity　opened　for　me　to　begin　my　life…work。　One　night　in　the　chapel；　after　the　usual　chapel　exercises　were　over；　General　Armstrong　referred　to　the　fact　that　he　had　received　a　letter　from　some　gentlemen　in　Alabama　asking　him　to　recommend　some　one　to　take　charge　of　what　was　to　be　a　normal　school　for　the　coloured　people　in　the　little　town　of　Tuskegee　in　that　state。　These　gentlemen　seemed　to　take　it　for　granted　that　no　coloured　man　suitable　for　the　position　could　be　secured；　and　they　were　expecting　the　General　to　recommend　a　white　man　for　the　place。　The　next　day　General　Armstrong　sent　for　me　to　come　to　his　office；　and；　much　to　my　surprise；　asked　me　if　I　thought　I　could　fill　the　position　in　Alabama。　I　told　him　that　I　would　be　willing　to　try。　Accordingly；　he　wrote　to　the　people　who　had　applied　to　him　for　the　information；　that　he　did　not　know　of　any　white　man　to　suggest；　but　if　they　would　be　willing　to　take　a　coloured　man；　he　had　one　whom　he　could　recommend。　In　this　letter　he　gave　them　my　name。

Several　days　passed　before　anything　more　was　heard　about　the　matter。　Some　time　afterward；　one　Sunday　evening　during　the　chapel　exercises；　a　messenger　came　in　and　handed　the　general　a　telegram。　At　the　end　of　the　exercises　he　read　the　telegram　to　the　school。　In　substance；　these　were　its　words：　〃Booker　T。　Washington　will　suit　us。　Send　him　at　once。〃

There　was　a　great　deal　of　joy　expressed　among　the　students　and　teachers；　and　I　received　very　hearty　congratulations。　I　began　to　get　ready　at　once　to　go　to　Tuskegee。　I　went　by　way　of　my　old　home　in　West　Virginia；　where　I　remained　for　several　days；　after　which　I　proceeded　to　Tuskegee。　I　found　Tuskegee　to　be　a　town　of　about　two　thousand　inhabitants；　nearly　one…half　of　whom　were　coloured。　It　was　in　what　was　known　as　the　Black　Belt　of　the　South。　In　the　county　in　which　Tuskegee　is　situated　the　coloured　people　outnumbered　the　whites　by　about　three　to　one。　In　some　of　the　adjoining　and　near…by　counties　the　proportion　was　not　far　from　six　coloured　persons　to　one　white。

I　have　often　been　asked　to　define　the　term　〃Black　Belt。〃　So　far　as　I　can　learn；　the　term　was　first　used　to　designated　a　part　of　the　country　which　was　distinguished　by　the　colour　of　the　soil。　The　part　of　the　country　possessing　this　thick；　dark；　and　naturally　rich　soil　was；　of　course；　the　part　of　the　South　where　the　slaves　were　most　profitable；　and　consequently　they　were　taken　there　in　the　largest　numbers。　Later；　and　especially　since　the　war；　the　term　seems　to　be　used　wholly　in　a　political　sensethat　is；　to　designate　the　counties　where　the　black　people　outnumber　the　white。

Before　going　to　Tuskegee　I　had　expected　to　find　there　a　building　and　all　the　necessary　apparatus　ready　for　me　to　begin　teaching。　To　my　disappointment；　I　found　nothing　of　the　kind。　I　did　find；　though；　that　which　no　costly　building　and　apparatus　can　supply；hundreds　of　hungry；　earnest　souls　who　wanted　to　secure　knowledge。

Tuskegee　seemed　an　ideal　place　for　the　school。　It　was　in　the　midst　of　the　great　bulk　of　the　Negro　population；　and　was　rather　secluded；　being　five　miles　from　the　main　line　of　railroad；　with　which　it　was　connected　by　a　short　line。　During　the　days　of　slavery；　and　since；　the　town　had　been　a　centre　for　the　education　of　the　white　people。　This　was　an　added　advantage；　for　the　reason　that　I　found　the　white　people　possessing　a　degree　of　culture　and　education　that　is　not　surpassed　by　many　localities。　While　the　coloured　people　were　ignorant；　they　had　not；　as　a　rule；　degraded　and　weakened　their　bodies　by　vices　such　as　are　common　to　the　lower　class　of　people　in　the　large　cities。　In　general；　I　found　the　relations　between　the　two　races　pleasant。　For　example；　the　largest；　and　I　think　at　that　time　the　only　hardware　store　in　the　town　was　owned　and　operated　jointly　by　a　coloured　man　and　a　white　man。　This　copartnership　continued　until　the　death　of　the　white　partner。

I　found　that　about　a　year　previous　to　my　going　to　Tuskegee　some　of　the　coloured　people　who　had　heard　something　of　the　work　of　education　being　done　at　Hampton　had　applied　to　the　state　Legislature；　through　their　representatives；　for　a　small　appropriation　to　be　used　in　starting　a　normal　school　in　Tuskegee。　This　request　the　Legislature　had　complied　with　to　the　extent　of　granting　an　annual　appro