other words, he made the community feed itself just as far
as possible. And this he did quite as much because of the knowledge of
the processes of right living which it imparted as for the money which
it saved.

The Treasurer also submitted a daily report of contributions and other
receipts of the previous day with the name and address of each
contributor. Mr. Washington arranged to receive and look over these
daily reports even when travelling. Hence, in a sense, he was never
absent. Only very rarely and under most unusual circumstances did he
cut this means of daily contact with the multifold activities of the
institution.

Although a task master, a driver, and a relentless critic, he was just
in his dealings with his subordinates and his students, very
appreciative of kindness or thoughtfulness, and generous in his
approbation of tasks well done. Three of the younger children of
officers of the school, while out walking with one of their teachers,
discovered a fire in the woods near the Institute one day. After
notifying the men working nearby, the children hurried home and wrote
Mr. Washington a letter telling him about the fire. They had heard him
warn people against the danger of forest fires and of the great harm
they did. This letter the three children excitedly took to the
Principal's home themselves, as it was on Sunday. He was not in, but
the first letter he dictated on arriving at his office the next
morning was this:

_March 24, 1915._

_Miss Beatrice Taylor, Miss Louise Logan, Miss Lenora
Scott:_

I have received your kind and thoughtful letter of yesterday
regarding the forest fire and am very grateful to you for
the information which it contains. It is very kind and
thoughtful of you to write me. I shall pass your letter to
Mr. Bridgeforth, the Head of the Department, and ask him to
look after the matter.

[Signed] BOOKER T. WASHINGTON, Principal.

In the fall of the same year he addressed this letter of appreciation
to Mr. Bridgeforth, director of the Agricultural Department, mentioned
in the note of the children:

_Principal's Office,_
_Tuskegee Institute, Alabama_

_October 4, 1915._

_Mr. G.R. Bridgeforth, Director of Agricultural Department:_

I have been spending a considerable portion of each day in
inspecting the farm, and I want to congratulate you and all
of your assistants on account of the f