No. 4.J THE COLORED RACE. 271 



Lasl September I met one of these men, a type of those 

 to whom I have referred, and L said to him: "Uncle Jake, 

 where are you going?" lie said: "I'se gwine to camp 

 meeting, Mr. Washington." I said : " Do you realty think 

 you are able to go to ramp meeting and spend your time there 

 singing and shouting?" He said: "Yes, Mr. Washington, 

 I am going to cam}) meeting this year, sure. I haven't been 

 for eight years, but I am going this } r ear, sure. Eight years 

 ago I went to the Tuskegee Conference of Farmers, and 3 r ou 

 told the people to buy land." Every year in February there 

 assembles at Tuskegee eight hundred to a thousand farmers, 

 representing the people of their sections in the south, and 

 we talk over all the problems that relate to their industrial, 

 educational, moral and religious life, and this man had at- 

 tended one of those conventions. He said : " Mr. Washing- 

 ton, I haven't been to camp meeting for eight years. Eight 

 years ago I went to the Tuskegee Farmers' Conference, and 

 I heard you tell the people to buy land, and I heard you tell 

 the people to save their money and build decent homes and 

 educate their children. Mr. Washington, I have been trying 

 to follow your advice, and I haven't been to camp meeting 

 for eight years, but I am going this year. I have bought 

 fifty acres of land, and I have paid the last dollar on this 

 land, and I am going to camp meeting this year, Mr. Wash- 

 ington. I've done build a house on the land, too, and the 

 house has got four rooms to it. It's no one-room log cabin, 

 it's got four rooms, and it's painted inside and outside, and 

 I done paid the last cent on the house, and I sure got a right 

 to go to camp meeting this year. Do you see this wagon 

 we's riding in ? This is Jake's wagon. When we w r ere made 

 free I bought a buggy : but I found a negro farmer has got 

 to ride in a wagon before he can ride in a buggy, so I sold 

 the buggy and got a wagon. Do you see that wagon we's a 

 riding in? That is no white man's wagon, no white man has 

 a mortgage on that wagon. That's Jake's wagon. I'se done 



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paid the last dime on that wagon, and that wagon has got a 

 right to go to camp meeting, too. Do you see those black 

 mules that's drawing that wagon ? Those are Jake's mules. 

 Those are no mortgaged mules. I paid the last dime on 



