File:John Richard Freeman to Alice Mary Longfellow, 30 March 1898 (712cc40b-9337-441d-8d8f-4a65d1fcf123).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1007.001/002.003-001#088

[printed letterhead: Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute]
Tuskegee, Ala. Mar. 30 -98.
Dear Miss Longfellow,
I am glad that time has allowed me to write to you again and tell you some things I have been during for the past year. Last term I was in the A prepartory [sic] class. This year I am in the Junior class. The longer I stay in school I like it better. I worked twelve (12) months here and went to night school. Last year I left school before it closed. I was not able to stay till it closed. But I was successful in making my class. I left school April the twenty fifth (25). and walked about eighteen (18) miles. At a large sawmill where I secured a job of work.
I worked there three months and saved some money.
I have been a way from home two years six months.
I determined to go home and see my people, but on the account or the yellow fever floating around over the Southern states I was prevented from going home.
On the tenth (10th) of September I returned to the normal school and entered school on the twelvth (12th)
Every body entered school was vaccinated.
[p. 2] There was a glad time among the people when the cold weather come and yellow fever disappeared.
There is a good business started up here for training the colord people of the south in Agricultural lines. This business is carried on by the Normal school. The building which is devoted to this work was dedicated on the 30th of November 1897. It was honord by the presence of Secretary Wilson secretary of Agriciltral [sic].
This is a farmer's work among the colord people of the south. I thank you very much for the opportunity of writing to you.
Yours gratefully. John Richard Freeman.

• Keywords: long archives; document; alice m. longfellow papers (long 16173); correspondence; education; tuskegee institute; Manuscripts (1007.001); (LONG-Subcollection); Correspondence (1007.001/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Scholarship Student Correspondence (1007.001/002.003); (LONG-SubseriesName); Letters to Alice Longfellow (1007.001/002.003-001); (LONG-FileUnitName)