ortant centres--Detroit and
Cleveland.

Each representative carried letters of introduction to leading men and
women in the various centres throughout his territory. All these
letters were personally signed by Mr. Washington. At the close of each
day each collector telegraphed Mr. Washington at Tuskegee giving the
amount of subscriptions and pledges he had secured that day. The next
morning Mr. Washington wired each collector, stating the total amount
of gifts and pledges secured by all five collectors. When the Trustees
met in New York City, on the last Thursday of June, 1915, all but four
or five thousand dollars of the over $245,000 had been raised.

The Trustees themselves made up the difference by increasing by this
amount their own subscriptions. Thus was successfully concluded the
last great and difficult task which Booker Washington was to be
permitted to perform.

Of the hundreds of invitations to speak here, there, and everywhere
which kept pouring in upon him certain ones he definitely accepted
because of the money-raising opportunities either direct or indirect
which they offered; others of less promise he tentatively accepted to
fall back upon in case the more desirable ones for any reason
miscarried. Chautauqua engagements he considered only where they
provided an opportunity for direct appeal for contributions for the
work, or at least the chance to distribute printed matter. Chautauqua
bureaus offering him as much as half the gate receipts above $500 in
addition to a guarantee of $300 a night he turned down out of hand if
they did not include one or both of these opportunities. No matter how
much money they offered he would never accept such propositions unless
they carried with them some opportunity to make a direct appeal for
his work. It was sometimes suggested to him that he might receive
these fees personally and then turn them over to the school. This he
declined to do because he was unwilling to give even the appearance of
capitalizing his reputation and oratorical gifts for his personal
enrichment. Booker Washington was not one of those simple-hearted
individuals who are guided solely by what they deem inherently right.
He always strove to avoid the appearance of evil as well as the evil
itself; and, with one unhappy exception, he always succeeded. He fully
realized that his conduct was under constant scrutiny by enemies in
both races eager to find some pretext to drag him down. So circumspect