describe washington efforts to reach hampton to pursue his studies
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Please find below the solution to the asked query:
In the fall of 1872 Washington determined to make an effort to get to Hampton. He had no definite idea of the direction in which Hampton was, or of what it would cost to go there. The thing that touched and pleased him most in connection with his starting for Hampton was the interest that many of the older coloured people took in the matter. They had spent the best days of their lives in slavery, and hardly expected to live to see the time when they would see a member of their race leave home to attend a boarding-school. Some of these older people would give him a nickel, others a quarter, or a handkerchief. The day he started for Hampton, he had only a small, cheap satchel that contained what few articles of clothing he could get. At that time there were no through trains connecting that part of West Virginia with eastern Virginia. Trains ran only a portion of the way, and the remainder of the distance was travelled by stage-coaches. The distance from Malden to Hampton is about five hundred miles.He had not been away from home many hours before it began to grow painfully evident that he did not have enough money to pay his fare to Hampton. He had been travelling over the mountains most of the afternoon in an old-fashioned stage-coach, when, late in the evening, the coach stopped for the night at a common, unpainted house called a hotel. All the other passengers except Washington were whites. In his ignorance he supposed that the little hotel existed for the purpose of accommodating the passengers who travelled on the stage-coach. The difference that the colour of one’s skin would make he had not thought anything about. After all the other passengers had been shown rooms and were getting ready for supper, he shyly presented himself before the man at the desk. He had practically no money in his pocket with which to pay for bed or food, but he had hoped in some way to beg his way into the good graces of the landlord, for at that season in the mountains of Virginia the weather was cold, and he wanted to get indoors for the night. Without asking as to whether he had any money, the man at the desk firmly refused to even consider the matter of providing him with food or lodging. This was Washington's first experience in finding out what the colour of his skin meant. In some way he managed to keep warm by walking about, and so got through the night. His whole soul was so bent upon reaching Hampton that he did not have time to cherish any bitterness toward the hotel-keeper. By walking, begging rides both in wagons and in the cars, in some way, after a number of days, he reached the city of Richmond, Virginia, about eighty-two miles from Hampton. When he reached there, tired, hungry, and dirty, it was late in the night. He had never been in a large city, and this rather added to his misery. When he reached Richmond, he was completely out of money. He had not a single acquaintance in the place, and, being unused to city ways, he did not know where to go. He applied at several places for lodging, but they all wanted money, and that was what he did not have. Knowing nothing else better to do, he walked the streets. In doing this he passed by many food-stands where fried chicken and half-moon apple pies were piled high and made to present a most tempting appearance. At last he became so exhausted that he could walk no longer. Yet he was not discouraged. Just about the time when he reached extreme physical exhaustion, he came upon a portion of a street where the board sidewalk was considerably elevated. He waited for a few minutes, till he was sure that no passers-by could see him, and then crept under the sidewalk and lay for the night upon the ground. The next morning he found himself somewhat refreshed, but he was extremely hungry, because it had been a long time since he had had sufficient food. As soon as it became light enough for him to see his surroundings he noticed that he was near a large ship, and that this ship seemed to be unloading a cargo of pig iron. He went at once to the vessel and asked the captain to permit him to help unload the vessel in order to get money for food. The captain, a white man, who seemed to be kind-hearted, consented. He worked long enough to earn money for his breakfast. His work pleased the captain so well that he was told he could continue working for a small amount per day. Washington continued working on this vessel for a number of days. After buying food with the small wages he received there was not much left to add to the amount he must get to pay his way to Hampton. In order to economize in every way possible, so as to be sure to reach Hampton in a reasonable time, he continued to sleep under the same sidewalk that gave him shelter the first night he was in Richmond. Many years after that the coloured citizens of Richmond very kindly tendered him a reception, at which there must have been two thousand people present. This reception was held not far from the spot where he slept the first night he spent in that city. When he had saved what he considered enough money with which to reach Hampton, he thanked the captain of the vessel for his kindness, and started again. Without any unusual occurrence Washington reached Hampton, with a surplus of exactly fifty cents with which to begin his education. To him it had been a long, eventful journey; but the first sight of the large, three-story, brick school building seemed to have rewarded him for all that he had undergone in order to reach the place. He felt that a new kind of existence had now begun—that life would now have a new meaning. He felt that he had reached the promised land, and he resolved to let no obstacle prevent him from putting forth the highest effort to fit himself to accomplish the most good in the world.
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Please find below the solution to the asked query:
In the fall of 1872 Washington determined to make an effort to get to Hampton. He had no definite idea of the direction in which Hampton was, or of what it would cost to go there. The thing that touched and pleased him most in connection with his starting for Hampton was the interest that many of the older coloured people took in the matter. They had spent the best days of their lives in slavery, and hardly expected to live to see the time when they would see a member of their race leave home to attend a boarding-school. Some of these older people would give him a nickel, others a quarter, or a handkerchief. The day he started for Hampton, he had only a small, cheap satchel that contained what few articles of clothing he could get. At that time there were no through trains connecting that part of West Virginia with eastern Virginia. Trains ran only a portion of the way, and the remainder of the distance was travelled by stage-coaches. The distance from Malden to Hampton is about five hundred miles.He had not been away from home many hours before it began to grow painfully evident that he did not have enough money to pay his fare to Hampton. He had been travelling over the mountains most of the afternoon in an old-fashioned stage-coach, when, late in the evening, the coach stopped for the night at a common, unpainted house called a hotel. All the other passengers except Washington were whites. In his ignorance he supposed that the little hotel existed for the purpose of accommodating the passengers who travelled on the stage-coach. The difference that the colour of one’s skin would make he had not thought anything about. After all the other passengers had been shown rooms and were getting ready for supper, he shyly presented himself before the man at the desk. He had practically no money in his pocket with which to pay for bed or food, but he had hoped in some way to beg his way into the good graces of the landlord, for at that season in the mountains of Virginia the weather was cold, and he wanted to get indoors for the night. Without asking as to whether he had any money, the man at the desk firmly refused to even consider the matter of providing him with food or lodging. This was Washington's first experience in finding out what the colour of his skin meant. In some way he managed to keep warm by walking about, and so got through the night. His whole soul was so bent upon reaching Hampton that he did not have time to cherish any bitterness toward the hotel-keeper. By walking, begging rides both in wagons and in the cars, in some way, after a number of days, he reached the city of Richmond, Virginia, about eighty-two miles from Hampton. When he reached there, tired, hungry, and dirty, it was late in the night. He had never been in a large city, and this rather added to his misery. When he reached Richmond, he was completely out of money. He had not a single acquaintance in the place, and, being unused to city ways, he did not know where to go. He applied at several places for lodging, but they all wanted money, and that was what he did not have. Knowing nothing else better to do, he walked the streets. In doing this he passed by many food-stands where fried chicken and half-moon apple pies were piled high and made to present a most tempting appearance. At last he became so exhausted that he could walk no longer. Yet he was not discouraged. Just about the time when he reached extreme physical exhaustion, he came upon a portion of a street where the board sidewalk was considerably elevated. He waited for a few minutes, till he was sure that no passers-by could see him, and then crept under the sidewalk and lay for the night upon the ground. The next morning he found himself somewhat refreshed, but he was extremely hungry, because it had been a long time since he had had sufficient food. As soon as it became light enough for him to see his surroundings he noticed that he was near a large ship, and that this ship seemed to be unloading a cargo of pig iron. He went at once to the vessel and asked the captain to permit him to help unload the vessel in order to get money for food. The captain, a white man, who seemed to be kind-hearted, consented. He worked long enough to earn money for his breakfast. His work pleased the captain so well that he was told he could continue working for a small amount per day. Washington continued working on this vessel for a number of days. After buying food with the small wages he received there was not much left to add to the amount he must get to pay his way to Hampton. In order to economize in every way possible, so as to be sure to reach Hampton in a reasonable time, he continued to sleep under the same sidewalk that gave him shelter the first night he was in Richmond. Many years after that the coloured citizens of Richmond very kindly tendered him a reception, at which there must have been two thousand people present. This reception was held not far from the spot where he slept the first night he spent in that city. When he had saved what he considered enough money with which to reach Hampton, he thanked the captain of the vessel for his kindness, and started again. Without any unusual occurrence Washington reached Hampton, with a surplus of exactly fifty cents with which to begin his education. To him it had been a long, eventful journey; but the first sight of the large, three-story, brick school building seemed to have rewarded him for all that he had undergone in order to reach the place. He felt that a new kind of existence had now begun—that life would now have a new meaning. He felt that he had reached the promised land, and he resolved to let no obstacle prevent him from putting forth the highest effort to fit himself to accomplish the most good in the world.
Hope this information will clear your doubts about the topic.
If you have any more doubts just ask here on the forum and our experts will try to help you out as soon as possible.
Regards.