From Margaret James Murray

Fisk University Nashville Tenn. 5-21-'89

Dear Sir; You asked sometime ago for a recommendation from President Cravath and also from Mr. Jenkins. Mr. Jenkins wrote you and I had our President write the recommendation, but about that time, I heard of Mrs. Washington' s illness and so have retained the recommendation until now. Enclosed you will find one from President Cravath and one also from Miss Ballantine the Lady Principal of Jubilee Hall.

I shall be very glad if you can give me work. Very Respectfully,

Maggie J. Murray

ALS Con. 2 BTW Papers ATT. Original destroyed.

To Oliver Otis Howard

New York. May 26. 89

Dear Sir: You will be glad to know that Mr. C. P. Huntington gave $1000 to Tuskegee this morning. This with your help puts us in pretty good shape. Gen. Ketchum gave ½ a scholarship and Mr. Barbour is going to send a donation very soon.

I can never forget your kindness. Tomorrow I return South. Yours truly

Booker T. Washington

ALS Oliver Otis Howard Papers MeB.

To Samuel Chapman Armstrong

North Conway, N.H. Aug. 13. 89

Dear Gen. Armstrong: I have tried every way possible to keep from borrowing any money this summer, but I am to the place where I can not get on with out it, and I therefore write to ask you to lend the school $300 till Oct 15 or Nov. 1. The two months that I was compelled to spend at my wife's bed side at a time when I was usually collecting money has made this request necessary. I know no one else to apply to. The amount can be returned promptly at the time named.

The singers are doing well and I hoped to get all that we would need through them, but see I can not.

My address for the next 4 days will be Bethlehem N.H. Yours truly

Booker T. Washington

ALS BTW Folder ViHaI.

To Samuel Chapman Armstrong

Fabyans [Fabyan] N.H. Aug. 19. '89

Dear Gen. Armstrong: Your check for $300 is rec'd and I am very thankful for it and shall see that it is returned at the time promised.

We get before audiences of 50 to 300 every night and I am of ten surprised to find how much haranguing on the Southern Question they will stand. I am sure we reach people in this way that we would not otherwise. We always speak for Hampton, too. Yours faithfully

Booker T. Washington

ALS BTW Folder ViHaI.

From George Washington Cable

Northampton, Mass., Aug [30]th 1889

My dear Mr Washington: Before asking another favor of you, I must first thank you very heartily for your kindness in answering my inquiries concerning an exodus of colored people from Alabama.

In the present instance I ask your help in securing reliable information concerning the crop-lien laws in Alabama.

It would be of great value to the good cause in which I secured your cooperation before, to have an account of the intention, operation and effects of these laws. Could you give this matter the benefit of your own careful attention? If it is impossible for you to do so, can you tell me of some other person who could give me such a statement of the case as would stand before an intelligent or an unintelligent public. The statements must be so made to carry their own authentication with them. Yours truly

G. W. Cable

ALS Con. 92 BTW Papers DLC.

From David Lee Johnston

Pratt Mines Ala. 9-25-'89

Dear Prof. I guess you have heard from all the class since school closed but me. I would have written to you sooner but I knew you were away during summer and did not know just when you returned. I had a letter from Prof. Logan a few days since and I was very glad to hear that so many new students were coming in. I hope you will have a full school this term. Some of the boys up here are not coming at all this term. I have tried to persuade them to come but they think it best to remain out. I thought once of teaching this winter but I have decided not to do so as I have a very good job that pays me from $45.00 to $50.00 per month and I think it best to keep it through the winter. I think of giving the school to Goins,1 but I had much rather some of the girls have it, I find it a hard matter to hear from the girls is why I haven't offered it to some of them. It is a very good school and in a very good community. I am sure most any of them would like it. And too I think it will engage two teachers. I will meet the parents to-night, and if I cannot possibly satisfy them by recommending others I will fill one of the positions my self. Love to all the Teachers. Whenever I can I speak a good word for Tuskegee.

Hoping an early reply I am Very Truly yours

David L. Johnston

P.S. A longer letter next time.

ALS Con. 92 BTW Papers DLC.

From George Leonard Chaney

Leominster. Mass. Sept. 25. '89

Dear Mr. Washington. I enclose the copies of the "Acts" which you sent me. There is no mistaking their language. The control of the School is with the State. Two of the best lawyers I know agree in this opinion.

Have your advisory Board by all means. And if you ever do anything to change the charter — do it slowly and quietly. I start for Atlanta this noon and shall preach there next Sunday. I rejoice with you on the good start you have made. Yours sincerely

Geo. L. Chaney

ALS Con. 94 BTW Papers DLC.

To George Washington Cable

Tuskegee, Ala., Oct 8 1889

Dear Mr. Cable: I am very sorry to be so late answering your letter regarding the operation of the crop lien law in Alabama, but every minute of my time has seemingly been employed since receiving your letter. I am glad you are going to give the subject attention and trust that my information is not too late for use.

Of course when the war ended the colored people had nothing on which to live while the first crop was being made. Thus, in addition to renting the land on which to make the first crop they had to get the local merchant or some one else to supply the food for the family to eat while the first crop was being made. For every dollars worth of provisions so advanced the local merchant charged from 12 to 30 per cent interest. In order to be sure that he secured his principal and interest a mortgage or lien was taken on the crop, in most cases not then planted. Of course the farmers could pay no such interest and the end of the first year found them in debt. The 2nd year they tried again, but there was the old debt and the new interest to pay, and in this way the "mortgage system" has gotten a hold on every thing that it seems impossible to shake off. Its evils have grown instead of decreasing until it is safe to say that 5/6 of the colored farmers mortgage their crops every year. Not only their crops before, in many cases they are actually planted, but their wives sign a release from the homestead law and in most every case mules, cows, wagons, plows and of ten all household furniture is covered by the lien. At a glance one is not likely to get the full force of the figures representing the amount of interest charged. Example, if a man makes a mortgage with a merchant for $200 on which to "run" during the year the farmer is likely to get about $50 of this amount in Feb. or March, $50 May, 50 in June or July and the remainder in Aug or Sept. By the middle of Sept the farmer begins...