had no obstacles placed in the way of his becoming a
congressman, governor, bishop, or President by reason of the accident
of his birth or race. I used to picture the way that I would act under
such circumstances; how I would begin at the bottom and keep rising
until I reached the highest round of success. . . .

One day while at work in the coal mine I happened to overhear two
miners talking about a great school for coloured people somewhere in
Virginia. This was the first time that I had ever heard anything about
any kind of school or college that was more pretentious than the little
coloured school in our town.

In the darkness of the mine I noiselessly crept as close as I could to
the two men who were talking. I heard one tell the other that not only
was the school established for the members of my race, but that
opportunities were provided by which poor but worthy students could
work out all or a part of the cost of board, and at the same time be
taught some trade or industry.

As they went on describing the school, it seemed to me that it must be
the greatest place on earth, and not even Heaven presented more
attractions for me at that time than did the Hampton Normal and
Agricultural Institute in Virginia, about which these men were talking.
I resolved at once to go to that school, although I had no idea where
it was, or how many miles away, or how I was going to reach it; I
remembered only that I was on fire constantly with one ambition, and
that was to go to Hampton. This thought was with me day and
night. . . .

In the fall of 1872 I determined to make an effort to get there,
although, as I have stated, I had no definite idea of the direction in
which Hampton was, or of what it would cost to go there. I do not
think that any one thoroughly sympathized with me in my ambition to go
to Hampton unless it was my mother, and she was troubled with a grave
fear that I was starting out on a "wild-goose chase." At any rate, I
got only a half-hearted consent from her that I might start. The small
amount of money that I had earned had been consumed by my stepfather
and the remainder of the family, with the exception of a very few
dollars, and so I had very little with which to buy clothes and pay my
travelling expenses. . . .

Finally the great day came, and I started for Hampton. I had only a
small, cheap satchel that contained what few articles of clothing I
could get. My mother at the time was rather we