aged me very much indeed.

To my surprise, three months before my graduation I was asked to remain
in the employ of the Tuskegee Institute as one of the assistant teachers
in the carpentry division. I had contracted, however, to do some work at
Montgomery, Ala., and I could not accept the place offered. I spent
about four months working at my trade in Montgomery, and was again
reminded of the offer made me at Tuskegee. I returned to Tuskegee, but
did not remain long, as the Executive Council of the Institute
recommended me, when application was made for a competent man to take
charge of the carpentry division of the Fort Valley High and Industrial
School, Fort Valley, Ga. The terms offered were satisfactory and I
accepted the position.

I began work here November 9, 1900, in a shop 30 feet by 60 feet. No
tools and no work-benches were provided, only a lot of inexperienced
boys to whom I was expected to teach carpentry. I owned a chest of
tools, and these I used until the school could secure some. I proceeded
at once to make work benches, and my boys had their first lessons in
carpentry in providing these. Quite often visitors who come to see us
ask if these benches were not made at some factory, they are so well
made. We next proceeded to fit out a drawing-room, as I intended that my
boys should work--as I had been compelled to do from the very beginning
at Tuskegee--from drawings. Everything I had done there had to be
carefully worked out in advance, and, knowing the value of that kind of
thing, I did not want these boys to have anything less than the kind of
instruction I had had. We made tables and desks for the drawing-room;
next we ceiled and finished twelve rooms in the main school building
that had long been left unfinished. All of the work pleased the
authorities of the school, I have reason to know. Near the close of my
first term at Fort Valley it was decided to erect a dormitory building
for girls. I was asked to submit plans and specifications. My training
as a carpenter at Tuskegee had fitted me for just that kind of thing,
and I set about designing a building that would meet the requirements of
the young women attending Fort Valley.

My plans were finally accepted, and I thought to go on with the erection
of the building during the summer, as had been planned; but one or two
of the building committee began to object, urging that I was too young,
that I had not had enough experience, and that a building o