es and others living near; of the 150 bales got from
the land owned and rented by us, 100 are ours, the other 50 belong to
our tenants.

We raise large quantities of corn, potatoes, and peas, in addition to
our cotton crop.

We are now trying to purchase the 480 acres we have been so long
renting.

The church and the schoolhouse are on four acres of land immediately
adjoining ours. The church is roomy, well-seated, ceiled and painted, in
striking contrast with most of those in the country districts of the
South. The schoolhouse has two rooms, and is but partially ceiled,
though it is nicely weather-boarded. The school is regularly conducted
for five months each year, and part of the time has two teachers. Mr. J.
C. Calloway, a Tuskegee graduate, Class of '96, is principal of the
school. We are cooperating with Mr. Calloway in an effort to supplement
the school funds and secure an additional two months. We helped pay for
the land, and gave a part of the money toward the schoolhouse, and have
done all possible to help, keeping in mind Principal Washington's
oft-repeated statement that "it is upon the country public schools that
the masses of the race are dependent for an education."

My brother and I, with our father, it will be noted, own and rent 2,185
acres of land, but we try to help our tenants in every possible way,
and, when they desire it, subrent to them such tracts as they desire for
ten years, or less. We have established a blacksmith-shop on our land,
and do all our own work and most of that of the whole community. Rev.
Robert C. Bedford, secretary of the board of trustees, Tuskegee
Institute, some time ago visited us, as he does most of the Tuskegee
graduates and former students. He is apprised of the correctness of the
statements set forth above. He wrote the following much-appreciated
compliment to a friend regarding our homes and ourselves: "The homes of
the Reid brothers are very nicely furnished throughout. Everything is
well kept and very orderly. The bedspreads are strikingly white, and the
rooms--though I called when not expected--were in the very best of
order."

This further statement may not be amiss: Under the guidance of the
Tuskegee influences, the annual Tuskegee Negro Conferences, the visits
of Tuskegee teachers, etc., the importance of land-buying was early
brought to our attention, but because of the crude and inexperienced
laborers about us, we found that we could, with advantage to a