The Freeport Democrat gives the following complimentary notice to a Greenwood girl: "Miss Alice Schofield gave a whistling solo which charmed everyone present and she was compelled to return three times. She is a perfect artist and gave this appreciative audience one of the grandest musical treats it had ever been their pleasure to enjoy." Gleaner 8-24-1900

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Bio: Schofield, Allie - Performing

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Schofield, Washington

----Source: Greenwood Gleaner 6 May 1902

In a letter written in April to her father, Allie Schofield tells of a visit of the company she is singing with, to Booker T. Washington’s famous industrial school for the Negroes at Tuskegee, Alabama. The letter is so full of interest for Gleaner readers that we give it in entirety after the introductory.

Miss Schofield says: “It will be a year in July, but it seems like 3 years for I have been so far, seen so much of the country. We are all very tired today, for yesterday we gave a matinee and evening performance both. The matinee we gave at the Booker T. Washington Industrial School at Tuskegee, Alabama. Never did I enjoy a performance as I did that. There are 2500 students (all Negroes) and the chapel was packed. My how they did cheer us – every number encored. The only way we could quiet them would be to go out for our next number. The Chapel is a new building, was donated to the school by their northern friends, and has a seating capacity of 2400 in the main auditorium. It’s a beautiful building and every brick in the building was made by the students. The grounds and buildings at the school are lovely and kept in perfect order. My, you cannot imagine the difference in appearance of the outside and kept in perfect order. My, you cannot imagine the difference in appearance of the outside Negro and those at the school.. They are brought up there to be so polite and neat and dress nicely, and can actually pick up their feet and move! When we went out for our first quartette you can imagine how funny it looked to see 2500 black and yellow faces peering at you and all with a smiling face for you. I forgot to state that before our program one of the boys came to our dressing room with a mammoth bouquet of flowers for us with the ‘compliments of the boys.’ After our concert was over votes of thanks were sent up to us, and some came to us personally and expressed their thanks.

From the chapel we were driven to the office of Booker T. Washington, and after an introduction to the company, he invited us to his private office and there we had quite a visit. You have no doubt heard of him for he is certainly a wonderful colored man to found such an institution. Roosevelt entertained him at the White House not long ago. I felt quite honored to meet him, for he is no doubt the smartest colored man found in this country. At 5:45 p.m. we drove back to the hotel, had supper, and at 7 went to the Opera House to give our evening concert. Had a good house, considering it rained hard all evening. The hotel we stayed at (the only one in the town) was an ‘Ante Bellum Place’, and the landlady was a talking machine of herself. We hadn’t been at the place ½ hour ‘till we knew how many grandchildren she had (27 in number), how long she had lived there (53 years), and was going to have thousands and thousands of strawberries. I can’t begin to tell you how funny it all was to hear her chatter. Well, I must leave you now.

With love to all, your loving daughter,
“Allie”