ted. I was one of the first of the students
examined for entrance in the school. Mr. Washington gave the examination
in arithmetic, grammar, and history. I never knew what a sentence was,
nor that it had a subject and a predicate before he said so. I doubted
very seriously the existence of such terms as these new ones mentioned
by him. I thought I knew grammar, and I did, so far as I had been
taught, but I had no insight into its real meaning and use. Mr.
Washington decided after my examination that I would make a good Junior
pupil. It was all new to me and I could not understand all of the new
words, even though simple they were, used by him. He himself took charge
of our classes, and I have always been very proud that I can say that he
was my teacher. He was most particular in regard to spelling and the
right use of verbs. As a history teacher he was the best I have had the
privilege of studying under. I have often said that if he could teach
the classes in the beginning of history and grammar, and give talks on
spelling at Tuskegee as he did when I was a pupil there, many who finish
at Tuskegee would be thankful in the years to come. However, he can not
do this until he is relieved of the great burden of raising funds for
the school.

The industrial departments at Tuskegee were not, of course, so elaborate
and so many while I was a pupil there. My four years at Tuskegee were
given wholly to class-room work. To my class, that graduated in
1885--the first one to graduate, we proudly boast--three Peabody medals
were awarded for excellence in scholarship. Our diplomas were also
graded. We took an examination for the medals, as there were ten in the
graduating class. I was awarded one of the medals. The Class of '85 had
high ideals and always regretted that any member should receive a
second-grade diploma. I was very thankful to learn after two weeks'
waiting that, in the opinion of the Faculty, I was worthy of a
first-grade diploma.

After graduating, I was employed as the principal of the
training-school--now known as the "Children's House"--of the Tuskegee
Institute. Feeling that I could be of more service to my people, and
could better teach in the outside world the principles for which
Tuskegee stands, I resigned my work at Tuskegee, after several terms,
for a broader field of usefulness.

A call reached Mr. Washington in 1888 for a teacher to begin a work in
the vicinity of Mt. Meigs, Ala., similar to the work do