presently the hen-house was utilized for the same purpose. . . .

Nearly all the work of getting the new location ready for school
purposes was done by the students after school was over in the
afternoon. As soon as we got the cabins in condition to be used I
determined to clear up some land so that we could plant a crop. When I
explained my plan to the young men, I noticed that they did not seem to
take to it very kindly. It was hard for them to see the connection
between clearing land and education. Besides, many of them had been
school-teachers, and they questioned whether or not clearing land would
be in keeping with their dignity. In order to relieve them from any
embarrassment, each afternoon after school I took my axe and led the
way to the woods. When they saw that I was not afraid or ashamed to
work, they began to assist with more enthusiasm. We kept at the work
each afternoon, until we had cleared about twenty acres and had planted
a crop.

At the end of three months enough was secured to repay the loan of two
hundred and fifty dollars to General Marshall, and within two months
more we had secured the entire five hundred dollars and had received a
deed of the one hundred acres of land. . . .

Our next effort was in the direction of increasing the cultivation of
the land, so as to secure some return from it, and at the same time
give the students training in agriculture. All the industries at
Tuskegee have been started in natural and logical order, growing out of
the needs of a community settlement. We began with farming, because we
wanted something to eat.

Many of the students, also, were able to remain in school but a few