He was not in doubt long as to what it meant to be a leader. One of the first things that happened was the large number of invitations that came to him to deliver addresses. These requests came from all parts of the country and from all sorts of organizations. A very large number of these invitations he was compelled to refuse. However, when he felt he could serve his institution and his people, he always accepted. He represented the Negro at the unveiling of the monument of R. G. Shaw, in Boston; and at the Peace Convention in Chicago in 1898, at which time President McKinley spoke. He attended most of the large religious gatherings of his people throughout the country, and spoke before them. Almost immediately there began to pour in on him a perfect flood of letters from all parts of the country, from white and black, high and low, rich and poor, asking a thousand different questions. Now it would be a letter from a railroad president asking about some problem of dealing with his employees; now from a school man asking about the segregation of the races in schools. Again, from a legislator, asking advice on some legislation; but principally the letters came from his own people, asking all sorts of questions about a multitude of things. One man wanted Washington to use his influence to secure the adoption of a flag for the negro race; another wanted his backing for a patent medicine that would take the curl out of the negro’s hair. Another wanted to know if the negro race was dying out; another, if the race was being blended with the white race; another, if he thought the negro was being treated right politically. Perhaps the most remarkable request, however, was from a woman, who wanted him to find her husband who had deserted her some years before. And in order that he might be easily identified she describes him: “This is the hith of him 5–6 light eyes dark hair unwave shave and a Suprano Voice his age 58 his name Steve.”[30] To all of these letters he replied in the fullest and frankest and kindest way. Whenever there was race friction in the South, he was invariably called upon either to go in person or to send a message. For example, when the Atlanta riots occurred in 1906, Washington was in the North. He took the first train South. He went among his own people in Atlanta first, and then he went to the white people—to the Governor, the Mayor, the leading citizens, ministers and merchants. Largely through his wise counsel and efforts order was restored, and plans were made for the future. As a spokesman for his people he wrote constantly for the press. Such papers as the _Montgomery Advertiser_, the _Atlanta Constitution_, the _New Orleans Picayune_, the Louisville _Courier Journal_, the Chicago _Inter-Ocean_, and the Boston and New York papers gladly published his articles. He also contributed frequent articles to the weekly journals, such as _The Outlook_, and to the monthly magazines, such as _The Century Magazine_.