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"No." answered the old man. "I reck
on I've got a right to go. I knows jour
loarnin' and all about ownin* land to live
on. Yap, 1 recollect it. But just you see
Dhere. I own fifty acres and the last dol
lar's all paid on it. f reckon I've got a
right to go to camp meetin*. See this
wagon?y-4t's ail paid for and I reckon it's
got a right to go to camp meetin'.
Sto them- mules? . They're mine, so
I reckon they've got a right to go to camp
me*'tln'. See them gals? ; Their mammy
bought that goods an' I paid fo" it- Every
s-i Itch they've got on she's made and it'.-«
vl\ paid fo'. I reckon they've got a right
to. go to camp meetin'. Reckon so?"
"Kansas?" I queried.
"Yes, Kansas. Goin* to camp meetin'.
Rfckon it's about time I got religion."
"But, Uncle," do you honestly think you
can afford to take thl3 trip? Don't you
think you ought to sta-y home and work?"
On the front scat was an old man and
a little girl, while immediately behind
him sat his wife and another daughter.
"Why, - I'ncle Abe. where are you go
ing?" I asked as he drew rein and cx
changed the greetings of the morning.
"Goln' to Kansas," he answered, shift
ing about on the seat jand getting ready
for a chat. ;'. x .
As I jogged through the country I met
a camp wa^n drawn by two line mules.
Wo. have .many difficulties with which
,to contend, but at the same time the
llt-ld -of bi'.:<iu*>!js in theSouth is openfo
the nrgro and he has about as good an
opportunity to succeed as the white man.
My j^ople are making great strides and
our teachings are not being wasted! This
reminds me of an old man I met last
year while 1 was traveling through the
South.
T rtm striving to toach my people to b»
patient and. forbearing. I am trying to
ttach them that the greatest protection
any mgro can pos.sibly have ia absolute
ust fulness. We mi'st l*»arn to begin at
tho bottom and not commence with a
Great flemish at the top and fall ilown
gi'od and ,hard.
j -After the war. by reason of two thing?.
Ignorance and lack of experience, we
rtiade a great mistake. We were haughty
and proud: v.e wouldn't -work and wa
v.i.uhin't . t)o this and that and the other
tiling. We were free. As such we wanted
to rule in buggies instead of wagons, but
after several light traps had broken duwn
with the weight mit in them we learned
to bo more sensible und-to. buy that whU-n
was best'ailnpted fcr our purpose.
IMy race does not ask nor, does it need
lo have charity extended to It. If you
will think you will remember that it ia
but seldom that you see a black hand
teaching out for charity. The race doe-?
not ask fur this. But it does ask of you
your interest and generosity to".; '-"-have
leaders and teachers sent among them
to teach them how to take the same
.irr.ount of money which they now scat
ter to the four winds buying cheap jew
elry, gaudy finery and the like and put
it Into homes, farms and the building of
school houses.
v.-hite, is taught to do a thing better than
any one else that individual's problem Is
solved.
, Our graduates arc not only in demand
'in large numbers by our race, but " we
cannot begin to supply the demands that
art-- constantly pouring in upon us by
white people for our students to take
charge of farms, dairies, orchard:-! and the
like. Already we have sent out over 200J
people and they are all' doing excellent
work in various parts of the South. ,'
1 know it is not the negro who has been
ttiprpugbjy educated in head, hand an-1
heart who commits the crimes:' it is tho
shiftless, uneducated one who is guilty
of crime.
T belief is that each
laUgm»va'gt»gwr^ one - no rnatter wha".
liuJEfcfSSjSiPP'? his raco or station Ir.
i^ '^«^jS\- lifp na PP cns '" '"•
i H V should learn some spfc-
I |1 j cial trade or industry.
V H / ** ' s ne 'P* u ' from sev
.^^ !sV^ eral points of view. In
yjfiS^^^jggJfr the first place it will
? x lf&y**mm0'?y&r- help him to earn a
\jKmiyv7KXif-fZ-J living, and, secondly,
will strengthen his
moral character. \
I believe, further, that all "the common
trades and industries should be taught in
our public schools. At the Tuskegee In
stitute, in Alabama, we not only teach
our students some industry by which they
are pure of earning a living, but we also
impress upon them an idea of the beauty
and dignity of labor.
I find that in many parts of v the coun
try there is great difficulty in securing
persons to cook and perform other house
hold duties. This comes about by reason
of the fact that there is a social distinc
tion drawn between the woman who
cooks and the one who works in a store
or works lu a factory. At Tuskegee our
young men are taught to respect a girl
v;ho cooks or launders just as highly as
the one who teaches school.
When such industries as cooking, laun
dering and other household branches are
taught in the public schools people will
cease to look upon them as trades fit only
for the poor and ignorant, but will learn
to respect them as distinct callings.
Then, and only then, the social distinc
tion between the cook and the girl wiU
disappear.
As a ruie. people have escaped agricul
tural life and have gone to the cities be
cause agriculture has not been taught in
our schools, and people have learned (o
look upon it as something lit only for the
unskilled and ignorant.
I believe that the time has come when
agriculture should be itaught In the
schools of the rural districts. Children
should bo taught" to 'love, the soil, to love
the grass, corn, trees, birds and animals.
At Tuskegee we impress' upon our stu
dents the importance of owning the foII
and returning to the , country - districts
after having received^ their, education
rather than going to the cities, where
they come into contact with competition
and temptations?, which in many cases
prove too severe for them.
This la what made me resolve to spend
my life as best I could to improve the
industrial, moral and religious condition
of my own people. Not only that, but to
try to make them of such high value as
citizens to the white people among whom
thiy live that the white man would re
spect the negro for his. intrinsic worth. '
At Tuskegce, an which I
started in 1S81, we have tw«nty-nine dif
ferent departments. 'and 'each one is un
¦industry in which each studejit can find
employment as soon as he leaves our
school. The main industry emphasized is
the teaching of agriculture, and our re«J
soi> for making so much of this is that
fully SO per cent of our people make their
living that way. I .have found that my
rate, as a rule, is at Its best when owning
and cultivating the soil. And that is why
•J urge thtm not to visit the cltlt-*, where.
as 1 said before, the trials and tempta
tions frequently prove, their undoing.
It is my firm boiler that my race will
get upon its feet just in proportion as it
is taught to put brains, skill and dignity
into all tho common occupations? that are
ahout our doors in the South. They must
bo taught to do common things in an un
common manner— to do a thing so well
that no one can improve upon what has
been- done. Where any man, black or
IMPORTANCE OF EACH ONE BEING TAUGHT A TRADE.
tain of even that. Finally the mothei
thought to herself surely it won't do any
harm to take just one last look. Just
one look and then, when the family were
thinking and absorbed with their own af
fairs, she turned around.
Xow, what I want to get at is this. You
all remember her fate, but you fail to
think of your own. Still you need not
laugh. Lot's wife did a great deal more
than many of you. She at least started. She
at least started. How many of you can
say the same? I remember a case in Lon
don. A man Baid to me: "General, I'll
give up drink, but I want one more spree.
Surely there can't be any harm in just
one more. And ¦ then I'll be good." He
went on his spree and had a glorious
time, but on the way home he ran into a
cab and was killed. That is what his last
spree cost him. That Is what It might
cost you. It is the same the world over.
Lot's wife thought there was no harm In
having a last look; the Englishman
thought there was no harm in one final
spree and you think there is no harm ia
delaying one day.
But remember, remember. This i3 the
time and right now. Say. My God. my
Gcd, I am coming. Make up your mind
¦if it Is not already made up. When you
have struggled to your feet half the bat
tle is won and there are any number of
our people who will help you on. Back
slider, backslider, listen to me. Come, to
Jesus while there is yet time.
T is no rare thing
. for people to come
!?5?™™|*^ra!?7^ E to me and say:
i I "General, what
' W&ar/l mu?t I do l0 be
' //r&S&y them, "You must
Jj^rK||j They answer me,
Jlt^SL iHHr words go no high
"jJfrTjffisrr^'a. . °f m >' room in
"* which I am kneel
ing."
They may speak
the truth, but If the prayer ascends no
higher than the ceiling it is be
cause they are not earnest. You
must feel — you must feel it yourself. You
are not ready to meet God. You say to
yourself, "In the morning I will be bet
ter prepared, but I am not quite ready
now. Ob. no; not Just now." You must
do as you think and when you think.
Strike when the Iron la hot!
Strike when the Iron Is hot! You mupt
rfmembcr. Take the Bible. Take the
great truth. Study about God the eternal.
God will be merciful to you, and if I can
bring: any such to him I know he will aid
me in the so doing.
Be careful, be careful, be careful of
your actions. Remember Lot's wife. If
"If I find fifty righteous within the city.
then I will spare all the city for their
>akes."
And Abraham said: "If I can find but
forty-flve righteous persons wilt thou not
syare the place for them? And if not for
ty-five, but forty, and if there should be
l-.ut thirty, or if there are only tea
righteous men and women within th«*
city, shall they be spared?" And GoJ an
swered Abraham from heaven, /"I will,
spare them." v . ,
I suppose.it never occurred to Abraham
that he couldn't find at least ten people.
He probably thought of as many friends.
Still, 'it has always been an opinion of
mincthat if. he had kept on asking and
reducing the number he would have. been
able to have saved the entlre'clty.
Yet I can hear him say, "Well, there is
Lot and his wife, besides his two daugh
ters: : Besides, the j daughters are. be
trothed, and tliat makes two more.;-<fod
certainly such 8 good man a^ r LotAyiujdnJt;
have livid In a city as loiig us he "fiaV
and not mac!e some people .betteiv Ten'
will be an easy number to find. 1 Why,'" I
already have .six. There are only four,!
more to find." And so he left off trying.';
But the tfn were not to be found. »
' The time is < oniing, coming, coming',
Iwhen we will all be found wanting, "and
1 want to help, help, help you on your
way to Jesus Christ.
The two. angels of the Lord came to
Sodom in the evening and entered Lot's
yon have a good memory you will recall
what the thirty-second verse of the sev
enteenth chapter of St. Luke says. Re
membtr Lot's wife. Remember Lot's
wife. Now, I frequently see people who
have never given her a thought. God
will take everything into consideration on
the last day. Everything, I say. . '
Remember Sodom and Gomorrah, the
cities in the land of.Judea. They forgot
the words of God. They had nothing to
do. There were plenty of the luxuries of
life, and they spent the time in having a}
good time. But their sins cried to God,
and cried for punishment. You all know
the wages of sin is death. The:r cries
went up to heaven, for God will alway|
hear a cry, and he came down to see. He
came down to see If the people had done
according to the cry of which had come
to him. He said. "Because the cry ot
Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and be
cause their sins are very grievofts."
God will allow people to go just so fai\
young man, young man, and no farther,
and when he found out what these people
had done his anger was aroused. He
knows where there is a will there is a
way.
Abraham drew near and said:' "Wilt
thou consume the righteous with the
wicked. O Lord? There may be fifty
righteous souls, and shall not the judge
of all do right? Oh. my God, my God,
thou are merciful." And see his answer:
house. They told Lot. his wife and his
d.iugiUers to take what little things they
could carrj and prepare to leave the city
and to leave it forever. I can hear. loot's
wife saying: "Leave our home? Certainly
not This is all rubbish."
But the old man thought of the two
men, his sons-in-law. - He walked In the
middle of the night to the home of the
first one and knocked heavily on the door.
After a while the young -man o-oened to
him. When he saw who it 'was- he said:
"Why Father Lot, is it you? What has
gone wrong in the house? lias, anything
befallen your daughter?" "Corae with
me, ; come with ¦' me," answered the old
man. "The Lord is about to punish tho
city and I have been warned that w« may
be saved. Come, with me."
I v >jcan see" the- scorn 'on ; the younger
man's fac.e as he heard' t:ie story. "No."
he. answered. "I'm sleepy and, I'll not go."
So, pi)pr. ohl _ Lot turned, his face . to
.\\«al».'tb.e t juUJ * of. *the #tyv.-wh(.re v . hi!
otfier> -^son-in-law , lived. ¦ Asalii ' he*
'knocked and after-, a while the doer
was \ opened. .Again the young man
said:' "What, Father Lot, here this time
ofhight? AVhat is the matter?" And the
same story was refold. After looking sit
him. with pity his son said: "Do you oee
iany' difference in the heavens to-night
i than from last night? Are not the stars
as clear?" And Lot shook his hr-ad and
answered: "Yes."
'¦Can you think of the old man wearily
For awhile they walked briskly, for the
two angels led the way, but then they
commenced to lag. See what they were
leaving behind. Kverythlng but salvation
and in their own minds they were not cer-
Van't you see this little party as they
loft their home in the small hours of the
early, morning? The girrj, bless their
hearts, thinking of the two men they
lovetl: the mother of her home and luxury
and Hot of his bank, the costly mansion
and the new row of houses which he wa3
just putting up. Probably he thought
what a fool he had been to work so hard
and Hi! for nothing.
trudging home again after such a fruit
less journey? Poor old fellow, he knew
how badly his daughters w'ould feel and
he <iuite fully realized how difficult it
wouid be for them to leave the city anil
them behind.
But when the morning came the angels
hastened Lot. savins: "Arise, take thy
wife and thy two daughters which are
here, lest thcu be consumed in the iniquity
of the city." * Then Lot's wife gave them
trouble. She wouldn't go and leave all her
good clothes behind. Her nome and htr
friends were there and she didn't want to
be lonely. -Finally she cried and said:
"Am I forced to leave my home?" And
the angels' answered: "Xo; stay and be
consumed if you so desire." But her fam
ily talked and pleaded and finally per
suaded her and she started grumbling on
her way.
ADVICE TO YOUNG PEOPLE
AX FRANCISCO as
.. | . r i ¦. .— mm a "fire town" is one
r -LAj^prO of the worst in tho
/? ilvlSsr l "nited States. When
"worst." 1 mean
worst in this light.
///^JSS^^/ Suppose you pick out
(t»^>2Y\¥x any other city of the
I v T»r r, \ i I seme size In the
¦¦¦¦¦^^¦¦* United States and
could place it side by
elde with this city just as you would stack
up two brush piles, then quietly takeaway
the fire departments and touch a match
simultaneously to both cities— it is safe to
say that San Francisco would be a mass
of ashes first.
In other words If given a fair chance
without any interference this city would
burn up at a world's-record pace.
Why? Why, for the simplest reason In
the world — because 95 per cent of th~
buildings are of wood.
• The climate helps us out to a certain
extent with its heavy fogs to keep the ex
terior wood of our buildings damp; but
then this is offset by the severe winds
that are apt to rise at a moment's notice.
Another point— the topography of this
city favors fire, for the flames will lick
up houses on a hillside In much better
time than if they were all on level
ground.
Putting our present Improved facilities
Another method In vogue with the de
partment here ia our system of patrol.
The city is divided into seven districts
and at the head of each is a battalion
chief, it ia the duty of each chief to fa
miliarize himself with every building in
his district and to keep up as it were a
continual patrol, so that if at any time
any changes are made they are done only
with the sanction of the Fire Depart
ment. This prevents people from, wit
tingly or unwittingly, -making llretraps
The electrical hazard now cuts'iulte.a
figure in. fire! liabilities', but owing to the
careful Inspection that is made by city
authorities of all electrical work done on
every, building, this danger is" greatly ob
viated, and, to come back to" the old
proposition of keeping your eye on the
bad man, such work is watched so care
fully . that there is very seldom a fir©
leak through such causes. .;
city of the United States. Fire escapes
may not add to the architectural beauty
of a building, but their use as life-savers
in time of need is too well known to re
quire any further comment. As a con
venience of practical value to the firemen
they are indispensable. A fire escape on
a building means from our standpoint
that^we already have a good, substantial
ladder right, up to the roof of that build
ing 1 and that we can . have a stream of
water up there in a jiffy; for at the side
of every, escape -runs a standpipe, to
which a hose can be connected at the
bottom and water can be hosed in from
an-" outlet, on every floor or on "the roof.
for tig ti ting fire out of the question we
are In much the same position as was
Chicago when, in 1871. with a population
of 23£.0C0, the great fire destroyed 17,000
buildings.
There is the theory of San Franclscoas
a "fire town" in a nutshell. Now for the
practical part.
For a city, of, our size we have a smaller
fire loss per, annum than any other city
In the Union. The reason for this Is we
know so well San Francisco would burn
un with half a chance that we never give
her that chance. It Is like the Western
sheriff who has caught a "bad man" in
the act. the sheriff simply keeps him cov
ered and nevf-r takes his eye off the sight
o/ his gun. That is the principle that has
kept our percentage of losses so low; the
principle of adhering closely to the idea
of the old saying, "an ounce of preven
tion Is worth a pound of cure," and add
ing to this, "if a cure Is ••necessary get
the medicine to work in short order."
One of the preventions is a good equip
ment for the Fire Department. We now
have thirty-seven first-class engines; a
larger number in proportion to our pop
ulation than has any other city in the
United States. ¦' "We -have also improved
machinery of the greatest value not at
present in use in any other city; for ex
ample our. systems of movable batteries.
whereby the combined streams of six en
gines can be forced through one nozzle,
giving sufficient monuntum to the water
to literally tear down a solid wall as well
as to extinguish the flames by its flood of
water. Our high percentage of efficient
equipment is necessary, for San Fran
cisco must depend solely Upon its own
apparatus. In the big Boston fire of 18S9
that city's engine muster numbered forty
three, but finding an urgent need as the
firo gained upon them, the firemen bor
rowed fifty-seven extra engines from the
neighboring towns. You can imagine
what would have. become' of. the' city had
not • this loan been", available. San Fran
cisco has no such bank account in reserve
to draw from. On. a pinch she might get
an engine or two from Oakland, but that
would j be all."'- ' Nearly, ; all of the other
large cities pt the : Union have this extra
reserve that they, may,' draw : upon '. in an
extremity, but with us -it Is our own de
partment, or nothing. 1
One point "in our favor is the high
hydrant pressure. Our hose lines always
precede their engines to a fire and if the
conflagration Is not a serious one the hose
is' at- once attached to the hydrant and
then it is that this pressure counts, for
the stream of water is often powerful
enough to at or.ce quench flames that
might become serious if the men were
obliged to wait even those few extra sec
onds necessary to get the. heavier engines
on the spot.
Another item of advantage in the way
of prevention Is the splendid ordinance
passed some time ago in this city regard
ing fire escapes and standpipes on all
buildings of any height. This ordinance
is the best of its kind in vogue in - any
goes still further; for, supposing that
engine 2 has been called out on duty that
should have fallen on the absent engine
1, the district covered by engine 2 is cov
ered in turn by some other engine. This
third engine, the moment It notices the
call of engine 2 to go to this second flrv,
has left its own house and moved to the
house usually occupied by engine 2; thus
it is that for the time being engine. 3 be
comes engine 2 and will perform any du
ties that might chance to arise for the
engine whose house it now occupies.
By this system all the ground is cov
ered and It also means that In case of a
small fire suddenly turning into a bad
one the engines not at that" time in use
are within easy reach, for they have
thus all been drawing closer to the dan
ger point during the successive alarm?
that may have been turned in.
Every engine house in the city is pro
vided with a pegged board that enables
the men, the Instant an alarm is turned
in, to keep close watch of the positions of
other lire companies and to know just
what is, or may be, expected of their
own company. The men are drilled an
hour every day on Just this point, so'
they have all the possibilities that might
arise in their district right at their fin
gers' ends.
And so It is. that although San Fran
cisco is one of the "worst fire tnwn.«."
yet nor fire losses are the smallest — ail
because, like the sheriff and the "ba<i
man." we kefp our eyes pretty closely
glued to the sight of the gun barrel and
take no chances.
out of their stores or houses ajiit also
gives the department the key to the sit
uation regarding possibilities In case of
fire. For. instance, supposing a fire starts
in a certain building, it is the duty of that
chief to be able to tell all about the con
tents, whether explosive. or not, and also
to be fully cognizant of the most ad
vantageous positions from ¦which the fire
may be fought and controlled. -
Thus, you see, we are constantly going
over throughout the different districts
every possibility that might arise from a
fire starting anywhere and we have our
plans all laid as to just what should be
done and .how we should marshal our
forces to the best advantage. - :
Carrying this idea still further, we have
a -."covering- in system," as It Is called,
that has probably been brought to a high
er-degree of perfection here than in any
other city. As we cannot borrow any en
gines we are obliged to husband our re
sources to the utmost, consequently this
"covering in" plan has been adopted to
make all of our apparatus count for the
highest percentage of efficiency possible.
. The Idea of this system in brief is this:
Every engine house Is provided with a
bcoK giving details covering all contin
gtncles that might arise as a fire box is
rung in. If, say, engine 1 has gone to a
fire, that fact Is known In every house of
the department and should another fire
in that same district occur while that par
ticular engine is at work it is down there
in black and white just what other engine
shall take the place of engine 1 for the new
fire. Moreover, this "covering in" system
THE SUNDAY CALL.
¦* r y OME people go
\ -^^^K ~ through life like
/^¦'1n Jk :i P° lkct edition
(^ %i^Ow ot the Sa|vatiu »
//yy^&P'lffJ ' If we realized th«>
\^&i^&' J opinions entertain -
I t r< j o f us by our
.. # ' friends manj» of us
would wish to lead
hermit lives.
A pious crank winds up all my antago
...
When people entertain you by telling
you what th«lr fathers were, listen and
ask, "Now, my friend; 'what are you?"
It Is a curtain-ringer every time.
• ¦ • »
"When a woman Is in love she wants to
be on a hot trail for misery, or In a bal
loon ascension of glory.
'V'-.' • • • 0 :
If we could wind some people up and
let them go or run down at our pleasure
we should feel real happy over It.
• .- •- •¦
A man who Is touchy about his hon
esty Is a candidate for State's prison.
• • •
I am not particularly superstitious,, and
don't care anything about walking, under
a ladder, but I would not drink out of a
cracked glass or cup on Monday morning
and risk being hoodooed for the week for
a farm or a string of race horses.
• ¦ • i •
A blue ribbon friendship Is better than
an honorable mention love.
• • •
The rooster does the crowing, but the
hen attends to business.
• * *
Some women could not be happy unless
they were Just bunched up In trouble.
¦ i ' • ' • • • v:'. v : '
Poverty, and not money, is more often
the root of evil.
• • •
The people who "told you so" for your
own good and keep a supply of "sense of
duty" always on tap need a shotgun to
put them out of business.
f'-V^'ii • • • "
A woman cries when she gets mad, and
a* man -swears and wants to kick some
thing.
• • • ',,..•-..,.
Don't give' advice; the other fellow
would "rather have a "smile" and the
glad hand.
If you- will fall in love look before you
leap. ;^v.';
:';;• ''¦¦¦^•. i- .'• • ' ' "
A trifling argument may end in a rec
ord-smashing quarrel.
There are lots of people who learn by
experience why Cupid runs- about un
chained with a bandage over his eyes.
The fellow who gushes over his rela
tives seldom gives his relatives cause to
gush over him.
A chafing: dish fiend expert is very dif
ferent from a good old-fashioned cook.
Callow youths contemplating matrimony
will please' take warning.
? - * *
I always feel sorry for little G. Wash
ington. He had to tell the truth about
that old cherry' tree because he was the
only boy on the farm.
Experience teaches some men to appre-
ciate the Ineffable peace of mind that
must reign where a deaf and dumb wife
reigns.
' Men are moral triangle?, with a business
side, a club side and a domestic side.
.-„• -v • ••_•¦'.
Seme women like a case* of malaria —
a chill and then a fever.
• • •
Should children be, spanked? . For hea
ven's sake, not until after the mothers
get what Is coming to them. (After you.
my dear Alphonse.)
• • • ju "-
You can't help being a "has .been" or n
"never was," but you've yet your chanca
at the "get theres" and comin' vis."
ME-OWS OF A KITTY
SAN FRANCISCO AS A FIRE TOWN
7
