to General J.F.B.  Marshall, treasurer of Hampton Institute, placing the matter before him and asking for the loan of two hundred and fifty dollars.  General Marshall replied that he had no authority to lend money belonging to Hampton Institute, but that he would gladly advance the amount needed from his personal funds.  Toward the paying of this sum the assisting teacher, Olivia A. Davidson (afterwards Mrs. Washington), helped heroically.  Her first effort was made by holding festivals and suppers, but she also canvassed the families in the town of Tuskegee, and the white people as well as the Negroes helped her.  “It was often pathetic,” said the principal, “to note the gifts of the older colored people, many of whom had spent their best days in slavery.  Sometimes they would give five cents, sometimes twenty-five cents.  Sometimes the contribution was a quilt, or a quantity of sugarcane.  I recall one old colored woman, who was about seventy years of age, who came to see me when we were raising money to pay for the farm.  She hobbled into the room where I was, leaning on a cane.  She was clad in rags, but they were clean.  She said, ’Mr. Washington, God knows I spent de bes’ days of my life in slavery.  God knows I’s ignorant an’ poor; but I knows what you an’ Miss Davidson is tryin’ to do.  I knows you is tryin’ to make better men an’ better women for de colored race.  I ain’t got no money, but I wants you to take dese six eggs, what I’s been savin’ up, an’ I wants you to put dese six eggs into de eddication of dese boys an’ gals.’  Since the work at Tuskegee started,” added the speaker, “it has been my privilege to receive many gifts for the benefit of the institution, but never any, I think, that touched me as deeply as this one.”

It was early in the history of the school that Mr. Washington conceived the idea of extension work.  The Tuskegee Conferences began in February, 1892.  To the first meeting came five hundred men, mainly farmers, and many woman.  Outstanding was the discussion of the actual terms on which most of the men were living from year to year.  A mortgage was given on the cotton crop before it was planted, and to the mortgage was attached a note which waived all right to exemptions under the constitution and laws of the state of Alabama or of any other state to which the tenant might move.  Said one:  “The mortgage ties you tighter than any rope and a waive note is a consuming fire.”  Said another:  “The waive note is good for twenty years and when you sign one you must either pay out or die out.”  Another:  “When you sign a waive note you just cross your hands behind you and go to the merchant and say, ’Here, tie me and take all I’ve got.’” All agreed that the people mortgaged more than was necessary, to buy sewing machines (which sometimes were not used), expensive clocks, great family Bibles, or other things easily dispensed with.  Said one man:  “My people want all they can get on credit, not thinking of the day of settlement.  We must learn to bore with a small augur first.  The black man totes a heavy bundle, and when he puts it down there is a plow, a hoe, and ignorance.”