of hope and great faith in God. These have always been my greatest
assets in this work. The people in the community were equally poor; not
more than ten acres of land were owned by the colored people within a
radius of ten miles, and there was even a mortgage on these ten acres.
The homes of the people consisted chiefly of one-room and two-room log
cabins. There was not a single glass window to be found. I remember that
shortly after the founding of the school a Negro built a house and
fitted it up with glass windows and people would go ten miles to see
it.

The economic condition of the people was deplorable. They all carried
heavy mortgages from year to year. These mortgages ranged all the way
from $100 to $1500. The people were thoroughly discouraged, and
seemingly had lost all hopes. Everywhere in their religious services,
they sang this song: "You may have all the world, but give me Jesus."
The white man was taking them at their word and giving them all of
Jesus, but none of the world. So disheartened were the people that when
Mr. Simpson offered to give us the first seven acres of land for the
school, many tried to prevail with him not to do so, saying that they
did not want any land. But as I have said, you can always find in any
place a few of our people whose hearts are in the right place; it was so
in this instance; a few of the old men were very stanch friends,--they
stood by me in this fight and we won. Such was the condition of the
people here twenty-five years ago.

Now how changed are these conditions? From the rented log cabin the
school has grown until we have at present, to be exact, 1940 acres of
land and twenty-four buildings, counting large and small. It enrolls
each year between three and four hundred students, teaches fourteen
trades, putting most stress on agriculture. The entire property is
valued upwards of $125,000 and is deeded to a Board of Trustees.

But the worth of an institution is not judged by houses and land, but by
its ability to serve the people among whom it is located. It has never
been our end to acquire houses, land and industries, these we have used
as means of enabling us to accomplish our end, which was and still is
to seek and to save that which was lost. For twenty-five years then we
have been here, seeking lost boys, lost girls, lost men and lost women.
We have tolled our bells that they might hear, and preached the gospel
of work in order that they might understand; w