CAMPAIGNING FOR FUNDS IN THE NORTH.
The matter of raising money for undenominational schools in the South is
no easy task, and right here I ought to state just why I preferred to
have such a school. Our people in the rural South are mostly Baptists
and Methodists, and of course the denominations have their schools,
located in certain cities. While no one is barred from these schools, it
is a fact that undue influence is exerted upon the pupils to make them
become members of the church that supports the school. This is not only
true of the Methodist and Baptist schools, but is also true of all
denominational schools in the South. I did not like that and our people
do not like to have any one influence their children to join churches
other than the one of their choice. We may shut our eyes to this truth,
but the fact remains that Methodists do not want their children to be
persuaded to join some other church, neither do the Baptists want theirs
taken away from them.
Now, I wanted that my school should be free from such "isms." I wanted a
school for all the Negroes, thoroughly religious in its spirit, but
entirely undenominational. For twenty-five years now we have adhered
strictly to this policy. Many times when all was dark and there seemed
to be no way, some of these denominations would come and offer me the
money to run the work, provided I would accept their faith. But this I
have never done, I had rather that the work should die than to sell my
principle for money. I repeat that raising money for such a school is a
hard task. I have never been particularly interested as to the choice of
the church that my students make, but I have been profoundly interested
in their finding salvation.
A great many people to whom I appeal for aid from time to time, tell me
that they give all their alms through their church. But in spite of all
this, I feel that the kind of schools most needed for our people, should
be broad and not narrow, deep and not shallow.
After winning the approval of the people in the community, both black
and white, and getting whatever help I could from them, my thoughts
turned towards the North for means to run the work. My first attempt was
in March, '97. I got as far as Washington, D. C., and saw the
Inauguration of President McKinley, and then I returned home.
The following June Dr. Washington wrote me to come to Tuskegee so as to
accompany the Tuskegee Quartet North that summer. It must not be
understood that I was one of the singers; that was not my good fortune.
I was to tell what Tuskegee had done for me and was to show in turn what
I was trying to do for my people. Dr. Washington reasoned in this way I
would have a chance to meet some of the best people of the country and
thereby gain support for my work. There was to be no collection taken
for Snow Hill, but those who became interested would often come up
after the meetings and give me something for my work.
We left Tuskegee about the first of July. We spent most of the month of
July in the southeastern part of Massachusetts, known as the Cape and
South Shore. We had meetings at most of the churches and resorts in that
section. Dr. Washington himself met us at the most prominent places.
In August we came to Boston and from there went up the North Shore. This
was my first visit to Boston and it was here that I met Miss Susan D.
Messinger and her brother William S. Messinger. Their home was at 81
Walnut Avenue, Roxbury, Mass. Miss Messinger had been an abolitionist.
Both she and her brother were deeply interested in the welfare of my
people. They listened attentively to my story and from that day became
my best friends.
Although I have been going North now for twenty years, I have never met
such welcome as was shown me at their home. I think I have never met
such Christ-like people anywhere. It was largely through Miss
Messinger's appeals in the "Transcript" that the people of Boston and
New England learned of our work at the Snow Hill Institute. Through her
appeals from time to time, we raised much money for our school. I
cannot, in words, express the valuable aid these people gave us in our
work. Sometimes when I had worked hard all day with poor results, I
would go to their home in the evening discouraged and low-spirited, but
would always find there a hearty welcome and a word of cheer. I would
always leave with new zeal and fresh courage. Their home has been to me
a home now for twenty years and although they are now dead, I never go
to Boston but that I find time to go out to Mt. Auburn and put a fresh
flower on their graves. The old home is lonely now, but the Messinger
spirit still abides there in the person of Mr. Reed, their nephew. I
still receive from him the hearty welcome and support that they used to
give in days of old.
Another friend whom I met that summer was Mrs. J. S. Howe of Brookline
(now Mrs. Herman F. Vickery). She became interested in our work through
Miss Messinger and from that time to this her interest has steadily
grown. Had it not been for the encouragement and aid received from the
Messingers and Mrs. Howe on this trip, I am sure that I should have
given up the struggle.
After leaving Boston, the Tuskegee singers went up the North Shore and
on to the Isles of Shoals. There we had a very good meeting, and as Mr.
Washington could not be present, I was the principal speaker. The people
were greatly interested in what I said and although we took up a good
collection for Tuskegee, my private collection was equally large. This
the leader of the quartet did not like. It was the duty of this man who
was a teacher at Tuskegee, to speak as well as myself, but for some
reason he did not like to do it and would always shirk it when he could.
But after this meeting he cut off my support and when we reached
Portsmouth, he told me that I was dividing the interest and that he
could not use me further on that trip. Of course, what little money I
had been getting I had sent to the school, so I was almost penniless
when he turned me off. I ought to say, however, that he gave me my fare
back to Boston. I reached Boston that night about eight o'clock with no
money and nowhere to go, but finally, I went to the place where we had
stopped when the quartet was in Boston and I found R. W. Taylor, who at
the time was financial agent in the North for Tuskegee. He saw that I
was discouraged and insisted that I tell him why I had come back to
Boston. When he had learned the facts he told his landlady to provide
lodging and board for me at his expense until I could do better.
It was some time before Dr. Washington found out that I was not with the
quartet, and as soon as he knew it, he wrote me to meet him at Lake
Mohonk, N. Y. When the leader of the quartet found out that I was to be
at Lake Mohonk, he tried to interfere so as to prohibit my going there,
but when Dr. Washington said a thing, it had to be done, and I went to
Lake Mohonk and I met the quartet again; also Dr. Washington. We had a
great meeting at Lake Mohonk and after the meeting Mr. and Mrs. S. P.
Avery, who were guests there, gave me $200. From here we returned South
and reached Tuskegee about the first of September. From there I returned
to Snow Hill.
My trip North during the summer of '98 was very much saddened by the
illness and death of my aunt Rina Rivers, whom I had learned to love as
a mother, and to whom I always feel that I owe my life, for had it not
been for the care she gave me during my sickness, I could not have stood
the ordeal. Her death came while I was in Boston and without sufficient
funds to take me either to her bed-side or to her funeral. This incident
in my life has always been a cause for deep sorrow and as the years go
by I feel it more keenly. I had always hoped that she could have lived
until I could make her life happy, but this pleasure has been forever
denied me. However she left behind four daughters and many grandchildren
and I have tried to be unusually kind to them because of my great love
for their mother and grandmother. Again this was a hard year because of
the Spanish War and the consequent excitement.
I returned to Snow Hill early in the fall, cast down, but not destroyed.
I had to adjust myself to the loss of my best earthly friend. In the
meantime, our enrollment was constantly increasing and new teachers and
industries were being added from year to year.
My campaign in the North during the summer of 1899 was made alone, just
as the previous one had been. I got much needed experience during this
summer.
In this house-to-house campaign for money, one must expect many rebuffs,
but on the other hand one meets some of the finest people that have ever
lived. I find, however, that as I grow older the strain is harder. I
don't think that I am a very successful money raiser. However, on April
5th, 1906, at the 25th anniversary of Tuskegee, I delivered an address
that interested Mr. Andrew Carnegie and he gave the Snow Hill Institute
ten thousand dollars. (See Appendix.)
[Illustration: PARTIAL VIEW OF SNOW HILL INSTITUTE]