A GREAT NEGRO.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11574, 18 December 1915, Page 8

A GREAT NEGRO.

There passed away 1 aI; month one of the gieat men of the day. a. negro ■ Booker j, "W nfi'.iiiigtoii, lie was born a slave and whan Lincoln signed the proclamation treeing ail slaves' in tho United Stages Booker Washington was among these who -went out into the world live men. t' ram ,] ln niogt c | eM) . late and humble surroundings liq worked his way up and when, oue day, a President of the United States welcomed him as «. guest at the White House, he became* tho recognised, as he had long I>eo;t the actual, leader of the negro people in the great republic. As a boy h e worked long hours in a salt mill© and whyu only twelve years ol' ago walked many miles to enter a. school at 'Richmond..:. Re had to for a crust, and while at school had to earn his jiving l by working as a janitor. And while, yet a boy he conceived the idea thai the salvation of the negro race could only be gained by teaching it useful trades. In that humble way the lad started out i:pon bis groat education;;! career and in time .ITnrvivd was honoured in henouring him ian(d Dartmoul'h College conferred upon him the • hjgrce of doctor of laws. Booker Washington's life was devoted to the welfare ot hi, own people. Born a Southern slave lie loved the south. " I was bom iu ilie South.'' ha used to .say. " have jived all my liie ii l - the .soutli, and expect to die and be buried in the south.'' (lis widi was granted, lor he died at Tu-ka-ee. 'Jiiirty-Jive years a'/o. m an old brokendown shunt-v, he viarted the Tu>kngfi' Normal and Indi::aria! School. The students tueuhl lirifk-iiiakiii'^, bl'iek-layiiic;, raiper iry ami shoemaking, cooking, farming and im*t of the trades ot mn'itni industrial life. Today tin' institute owns acre.-, in Alabama, and has nearly 100 buildings valued at !.'IOO.<H)0. Thai., in a juatorial sense. ropre<;>'nts the lifo work of this gr*wt. negro. But he did more than. that. He •.trove to lift his fellowmen in -nvrv way; lie planted iti the minds of thousands high ideals and tau.eht the negro the duties of good citiwvns. His was a. life devoted to constructive l.nsks and at sueli a time as I his it stands m: f in con trust. K\President iiooscve't. referring to the late leader. said: •' hie was one ol the distinguished citizens of tho United States: a man who rendered greater service to his own. rate than ever had been rendered by anyone. else. I mourn his loss and <"eel th.it one of the most ■useful citizens ot our land lias gone."