their people
against him and his school, because they said it wasn't Methodist, and
it wasn't Baptist, and it wasn't Presbyterian, and it wasn't
Episcopalian, and it wasn't Christian. And they told the people to
keep their children away from that Godless man and his school. But
when he came along and asked to speak to the people they had to leave
him, just as everybody always did--let him do just what he wanted to
do. And when they heard him, the people, they didn't pay no attention
to the preachers, they just sent their children as fast as ever they
could contrive it.

"Now, in those days Mr. Washington didn't have a horse, nor a mule,
nor a wagon, and he wanted to cover more country on those trips than
he could afoot, so he'd just go out in the middle of the road and when
some old black man would come along driving his mule wagon he'd stop
him and talk with him, and tell him about the school and what it was
going to do for the black folks, and then he'd say: 'Now, Uncle, you
can help by bringing your wagon and mule round at nine o'clock
Saturday morning for me to go off round the country telling the people
about the school. Now, remember, Uncle Jake, please be here promptly
at nine,' and the old man would say, 'Yes, boss, I sure will be
here!' That was how he did it--when he needed anything he'd go out and
put his hand on it. First, he could put his hand on anything he wanted
round the town; then, he could put his hand on anything he wanted all
over the county; then he could put his hand on anything he wanted all
over the State; and then finally they do tell me he could put his hand
on anything he wanted away up to New York.

"In those days, after we came to live here on the 'plantation,' I used
to take the wheelbarrow and go round to the office when Mr. Washington
opened up the mail in the morning, and if there was money in the mail
then I could go along to the town with the wheelbarrow and get
provisions, and if there was no money then there was no occasion to go
to town, and we'd just eat what we had left. Most of the white
storekeepers wouldn't give us credit, and they didn't want a 'nigger
school' here anyhow. Times have changed. Now those storekeepers get a
large proportion of their trade here at the Institute, and if there
should be any talk of moving, they'd just get up and fight to the last
to keep us here and keep our trade.

"And in those days the Negro preachers, or the most of them, and the
white fol