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at while I knew it would please the students very much to place them at once in finely constructed buildings； I felt that it would be following out a more natural process of development to teach them how to construct their own buildings。 Mistakes I knew would be made； but these mistakes would teach us valuable lessons for the future。
During the now nineteen years' existence of the Tuskegee school； the plan of having the buildings erected by student labour has been adhered to。 In this time forty buildings； counting small and large； have been built； and all except four are almost wholly the product of student labour。 As an additional result； hundreds of men are now scattered throughout the South who received their knowledge of mechanics while being taught how to erect these buildings。 Skill and knowledge are now handed down from one set of students to another in this way； until at the present time a building of any description or size can be constructed wholly by our instructors and students； from the drawing of the plans to the putting in of the electric fixtures； without going off the grounds for a single workman。
Not a few times； when a new student has been led into the temptation of marring the looks of some building by leadpencil marks or by the cuts of a jack…knife； I have heard an old student remind him： 〃Don't do that。 That is our building。 I helped put it up。〃
In the early days of the school I think my most trying experience was in the matter of brickmaking。 As soon as we got the farm work reasonably well started； we directed our next efforts toward the industry of making bricks。 We needed these for use in connection with the erection of our own buildings； but there was also another reason for establishing this industry。 There was no brickyard in the town； and in addition to our own needs there was a demand for bricks in the general market。
I had always sympathized with the 〃Children of Israel；〃 in their task of 〃making bricks without straw；〃 but ours was the task of making bricks with no money and no experience。
In the first place； the work was hard and dirty； and it was difficult to get the students to help。 When it came to brickmaking； their distaste for manual labour in connection with book education became especially manifest。 It was not a pleasant task for one to stand in the mud…pit for hours； with the mud up to his knees。 More than one man became disgusted and left the school。
We tried several locations before we opened up a pit that furnished brick clay。 I had always supposed that brickmaking was very simple； but I soon found out by bitter experience that it required special skill and knowledge； particularly in the burning of the bricks。 After a good deal of effort we moulded about twenty…five thousand bricks； and put them into a kiln to be burned。 This kiln turned out to be a failure； because it was not properly constructed or properly burned。 We began at once； however； on a second kiln。 This； for some reason； also proved a failure。 The failure of this kiln made it still more difficult to get the students to take part in the work。 Several of the teachers； however； who had been trained in the industries at Hampton； volunteered their services； and in some way we succeeded in getting a third kiln ready for burning。 The burning of a kiln required about a week。 Toward the latter part of the week； when it seemed as if we were going to have a good many thousand bricks in a few hours； in the middle of the night the kiln fell。 For the third time we had failed。
The failure of this last kiln left me without a single dollar with which to make another experiment。 Most of the teachers advised the abandoning of the effort to make bricks。 In the midst of my troubles I thought of a watch which had come into my possession years before。 I took the watch to the city of Montgomery； which was not far distant； and placed it in a pawn…shop。 I secured cash upon it to the amount of fifteen dollars； with which to renew the brickmaking experiment。 I returned to Tuskegee； and； with the help of the fifteen dollars； rallied our rather demoralized and discouraged forces and began a fourth attempt to make bricks。 This time； I am glad to say； we were successful。 Before I got hold of any money； the time…limit on my watch had expired； and I have never seen it since； but I have never regretted the loss of it。
Brickmaking has now become such an important industry at the school that last season our students manufactured twelve hundred thousand of first…class bricks； of a quality stable to be sold in any market。 Aside from this； scores of young men have mastered the brickmaking tradeboth the making of bricks by hand and by machineryand are now engaged in this industry in many parts of the South。
The making of these bricks taught me an important lesson in regard to the relations of the two races in the South。 Many white people who had had no contact with the school； and perhaps no sympathy with it； came to us to buy bricks because they found out that ours were good bricks。 They discovered that we were supplying a real want in the community。 The making of these bricks caused many of the white residents of the neighbourhood to begin to feel that the education of the Negro was not making him worthless； but that in educating our students we were adding something to the wealth and comfort of the community。 As the people of the neighbourhood came to us to buy bricks； we got acquainted with them； they traded with us and we with them。 Our business interests became intermingled。 We had something which they wanted； they had something which we wanted。 This； in a large measure； helped to lay the foundation for the pleasant relations that have continued to exist between us and the white people in that section； and which now extend throughout the South。
Wherever one of our brickmakers has gone in the South； we find that he has something to contribute to the well…being of the community into which he has gone； something that has made the community feel that； in a degree； it is indebted to him； and perhaps； to a certain extent； dependent upon him。 In this way pleasant relations between the races have been simulated。
My experience is that there is something in human nature which always makes an individual recognize and reward merit； no matter under what colour of skin merit is found。 I have found； too； that it is the visible； the tangible； that goes a long ways in softening prejudices。 The actual sight of a first…class house that a Negro has built is ten times more potent than pages of discussion about a house that he ought to build； or perhaps could build。
The same principle of industrial education has been carried out in the building of our own wagons； carts； and buggies； from the first。 We now own and use on our farm and about the school dozens of these vehicles； and every one of them has been built by the hands of the students。 Aside from this； we help supply the local market with these vehicles。 The supplying of them to the people in the community has had the same effect as the supplying of bricks； and the man who learns at Tuskegee to build and repair wagons and carts is regarded as a benefactor by both races in the community where he goes。 The people with whom he lives and works are going to think twice before they part with such a man。
The individual who can do something that the world wants done will； in the end； make his way regardless of race。 One man may go into a community prepared to supply the people there with an analysis of Greek sentences。 The community may not at the time be prepared for； or feel the need of； Greek analysis； but it may feel its need of bricks and houses and wagons。 If the man can supply the need for those； then； it will lead eventually to a demand for the first product； and with the demand will come the ability to appreciate it and to profit by it。
About the time that we succeeded in burning our first kiln of bricks we began facing in an emphasized form the objection of the students to being taught to work。 By this time it had gotten to be pretty well advertised throughout the state that every student who came to Tuskegee； no matter what his financial ability might be； must learn some industry。 Quite a number of letters came from parents protesting against their children engaging in labour while they were in the school。 Other parents came to the school to protest in person。 Most of the new students brought a written or a verbal request from their parents to the effect that they wanted their children taught nothing but books。 The more books； the larger they were； and the longer the titles printed upon them； the better pleased the students and their parents seemed to be。
I gave little heed to these protests； except that I lost no opportunity to go into as many parts of the state as I could； for the purpose of speaking to the parents； and showing them the value of industrial education。 Besides； I talked to the students constantly on the subject。 Notwithstanding the unpopularity of industrial work； the school continued to increase in numbers to such an extent that by the middle of the second year there was an attendance of about one hundred and fifty； representing almost all parts of the state of Alabama