Begin at the Bottom and Climb
Booker Washington began in his leaky cabin and little school of thirty. It has grown to sixty-seven buildings and 1,218 students; and he has grown with it. If he had been placed over an institution with sixty-seven buildings and 1,218 students, in all probability he would have utterly failed. But he was willing to begin at the bottom and climb. Many white persons want a full-fledged institution to start with. They feel that they must start high to make a success, as Darius Green, of flying-machine fame, felt it was necessary to start at some elevation. They sooner or later fall as did Darius, as effectually if not as dramatically. It is better to learn to walk and run before we attempt to fly. It is better to be willing to try our talents in a small place before we try the larger. It is better to grow up or be built up than to be merely puffed up.