Mr. Russell had been appointed on different committees in the diocese of Virginia, and at the council in Norfolk in 1893, diocese of Southern Virginia, he was made a member of the Committee of the State of the church. He was also notified by Bishop Randolph at this council that he had nominated him for his Arch-deacon of the diocese, to have general charge of the colored work in Southern Virginia. This nomination was confirmed at the meeting of the Church Commission in Washington, October 11th, of the same year, and the Venerable Arch-deacon Russell entered upon his new duties immediately thereafter. This new office relieves him of none of the work already carried by him as principal of the school, for he has the entire care of raising funds to operate his large school at Lawrenceville, situated in the heart of the "Black Belt" of Virginia. The school is inculcating the self-help principle in its students. The education of head, hand and heart are combined.
The industries carried on at present are Blacksmithing, Wheelwrighting, Carpentering, Printing, Shoemaking, Farming, Grist and Saw-Milling for the boys, and Cutting, Fitting, Dress-Making, Tailoring, Cooking, Washing and Ironing for the girls. Machinery and material for these departments are needed and earnestly solicited.
The school has been, and is still, dependent upon voluntary support from the friends of industrial education.
The cost of educating a student in St. Paul's is only $75.00 a year, and the student is required to pay $50.00 in money and labor, and the friends of the school are asked to give the $25.00, styled a scholarship.
There were over 300 students in attendance for session 1895-96. The graduating class numbers twenty, and they represent nine distinct States. The school has students from sixteen States in the Union.
No discrimination is made on account of one's religious belief, but all are treated alike and all are required to comply with the rules and regulations as laid down.
The Arch-deacon would find no trouble in admitting 500 or more students if he only had the necessary accommodations for them. The Arch-deacon is meeting with great success in the mission work of his church in the diocese of Southern Virginia.
COLORED ORPHAN ASYLUM AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL,
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA.
This is one of the most interesting Institutions I know of in the South. It was chartered by the Legislature of Virginia, in the year 1889, and is established for the benefit of colored orphans of the whole continent, to rescue them from brutal treatment, ignorance, vice, and lives of shame and crime, and to endeavor to make of them sensible, sober, chaste, industrious, religious, and useful members of society.
No higher education is here contemplated, exceptional cases aside, than to make of them intelligent farmers, mechanics, cooks, etc.