WORKING WITH THE HANDS
MR. WASHINGTON IN HIS OFFICE AT TUSKEGEE
WORKING
WITH THE HANDS
BEING A SEQUEL TO "UP FROM SLAVERY"
COVERING THE AUTHOR'S
EXPERIENCES IN INDUSTRIAL
TRAINING AT TUSKEGEE
By
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
Illustrated from photographs by Frances Benjamin Johnston
NEW YORK
DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY
1904
Copyright, 1904, by
Doubleday, Page & Company
Published, May, 1904
INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL
SUBSCRIPTION EDITION
There are few subjects that are more important to the people of allsections of the country than emphasising the value of labour with thehands. It has an especial interest for the people who dwell in smalltowns and in country districts. It has an interest for the farmer,the mechanic, and for the woman who is engaged in domestic work, aswell as for those whose occupations are more in the direction ofmental work alone. How to dignify all forms of hand-labour, and tomake it attractive instead of repulsive, is a question that vitallyconcerns every family. It is my earnest desire that what I have saidin the following pages may reach that class of people in our country,especially those who are struggling with the hands to reach a higherand more useful plane of life. It is my further wish that many youthswho may read what I have said may have their ambition quickened andtheir courage strengthened for the battle of life.
For several years, I have been receiving requests, from many parts ofthe United States and from foreign countries as well, for some detailedinformation concerning the value of industrial training and the methodsemployed to develop it. This little volume is the result, in part, ofan attempt to answer these queries. Two proved facts need emphasis here:
First: Mere hand training, without thorough moral, religious, andmental education, counts for very little. The hands, the head, and theheart together should be so correlated that one may be made to help theothers. At the Tuskegee Institute we find constantly that we can makeour industrial work assist in the academic training, and vice versa.
Second: The effort to make an industry profitable should not be the aimof first importance. The teaching should be most emphasised. Our policyat Tuskegee is to make an industry pay its way if possible, but at thesame time not to sacrifice the training to mere economic gain. Thosewho undertake such an endeavour, with the expectation to getting muchmoney out of an industry, will find themselves disappointed, unlessthey r