After having given a good deal of thought to the subject,
we finally had the plans drawn for a building that was estimated to
cost about six thousand dollars. This seemed to us a tremendous sum,
but we knew that the school must go backward or forward, and that our
work would mean little unless we could get hold of the students in
their home life.
One incident which occurred about this time gave me a great deal
of satisfaction as well as surprise. When it became known in the town
that we were discussing the plans for a new, large building, a
Southern white man who was operating a sawmill not far from Tuskegee
came to me and said that he would gladly put all the lumber necessary
to erect the building on the grounds, with no other guarantee for
payment than my word that it would be paid for when we secured some
money. I told the man frankly that at the time we did not have in our
hands one dollar of the money needed. Notwithstanding this, he
insisted on being allowed to put the lumber on the grounds. After we
had secured some portion of the money we permitted him to do this.
Miss Davidson again began the work of securing in various ways
small contributions for the new building from the white and coloured
people in and near Tuskegee. I think I never saw a community of
people so happy over anything as were the coloured people over the
prospect of this new building.
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