The Booker T. Washington Papers, Vol.2, page 146, Sept. 1881, U. of Illinois Press

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The BOOKER T. WASHINGTON Papers To the Editor of the Southern Workman Tuskegee, Ala., Sept. moth. 18 Editor Southern Workman: Please allow me through your paper to express my heart felt thanks to the ''vacation'' students of Hampton for their noble efforts in behalf of the Tuskegee Normal School. We were all no little surprised and gratified when we received a letter a few days ago, from Mr. M. M. Snowden,~ stating that the students had raised, through an entertainment $60 or $~5 to help us in the purchase of our farm. To all who in any way aided in raising the money, the teachers at this school join me in words of praise and thankfulness. With this generous gift and the aid of other friends, we are already nearly able to return the $ooo borrowed to make our first payment. We have directed nearly all our efforts towards paying for the land, because this will give us a sure foundation on which to work. That the colored people begin to help each other, is the best evidence of their progress. I was about to say that every dollar that we can get out of the colored people themselves, for educational purposes is worth two coming from elsewhere. There is hope for an individual or a race when they begin to look outside of themselves. In my last letter I reported that the school opened with thirty students. Now we have an enrollment of sixty. We have made some efforts to interest the people in the different counties, in education. Many of the teachers and others begin to see their deficiencies and new students come in every week. The people in this state have suffered not so much from the failure of the state to support the free schools, but from incompetent teachers. We hope within a few months to make our humble efforts here felt in the surrounding counties. Of course we have to labor under many disadvantages, not having apparatus, school furniture and suitable buildings. This ought not to be so, for when teachers come here thirsty for knowledge and with only money enough to remain in school a few months, we ought to be able to give them the best advantages at once. Some of these wants are being supplied by friends and we hope in a few months to double the advantages of the school. There is much 146