Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1870-10-21
Proceedings Of the 0conee Agricultural
and Mechanical Society.
WALHALLA, s. C.,
0ntObnr 1874 (

Il October 3, 1870.
i The Oconeo Agricultural aud Mechanical
&Soccty was called to order by tho President
$Niinutes of last meeting were read aud adop
xted. The President, in very able and i'm !
Impressive manner, appealed to tho members
Sand farmers generally in behalf of the claims
gof the Society. The letter of Gen. Hampton, !,
&in reply to an invitation to address the Soce-
kty, on tho subject of establishing an Agricul.'
Atural College, was read, in which he declined,
sSfor the want of time, caused by detention
Aof the invitation until few days previous to,
meeting. Tho letter expresses hearty;
Wapproval of the object in view; uscribcs praise,
Mand honor to tho Society for inauguratiug
&such move, and the willingness of tho writerl
Ito contribute at any time all the assistance in
ahis power to promote our undertaking. The
8Committee appointed to consider the "practi.l
liability of establishing an Agricultural Coll
8lege IN Walhalla," made through their Chair
Sman, Maj. b. Sloan, the following report:
q Mr.. PRESIDENT Your Committee being!
Afully impressed with the Importance of tho!
Hsubject submitted to them for report, dcsiro'
Ito express their conviction, in the fist place.
Sof the necessity of such an institution, not
|Nonly to the County, but to tho State, and in
to the entire South
n In technical know ledge, the Southern poo.
#ple are sadly deficient. How many farmers,
Shave any knowledge of the character of the|
Ssoils of their fields, or of the constituent ele.
S Sments of the crops they grow7 Tn this region
S3of streams, how many of the land owners can!
Agive you any approximate estimate of the,
%work the streams howinr through their preu.
can perform? Who Can tell anything|
laof the minerals or metals abounding in this
region? How many have thc
safaintcst conception of the wealth which Drain
aage and irrigation can produce? How many
SShave the requisite knowledge of tho laws Of
amcchanics to save them from tugging, Sysy
;Sphus like, ut some everlasting stone2 Should
Mnot these deficiencies in education be sup
Saplicd. and at once, to our people now strug
sHgling against SO many adverse circumstances /?
ff3To those men who shall take the first steps
Atogards clearing away these obstacles will be-
S3duc everlasting honor. Aud should the Col
Elege once be rightly established its stability
#wll be secured. The roll call of its stuaents
Twill be answered from every State in the South i
SXand an era Of prosperity will at once begin to
Sdawn upon the country. In proof of this
Abehold the wonderful and astounding success
SSof the Prussans in the war which they are
Hnow waging, which success can be attributel
ISto nothing under Heaven but the univclsality
din that country of just such technical knowl
faedge as it is the object Of this school to dis
&scminae.
s Many difficulties arc at first to bo encoun
#tered in the establishment of the College, it
Bis to be expected, but the greatest will be to-
Sadrstroy old ideas to get the people out of
3the old educational grooves. 1t las been the
acustom to consider that the Agricuturist
SAas there is no calling which stands so abso
@sivc knowledge Of the laws and secrets nf
sAnature.
eA In spite Of the difficulties to be encounter.
Mcd, however, it is believed by your committee
IXthat there can be no more propitious moment
&fOr the inauguration of this movement than
Mthc present On all sides the people are
EMeagerly seeking for the means to retrieve
\ their fortunes They wish immigration.
Hwhcrcas they have immigration. Can it not
|Abc made clear to them that an enlightened
@and scientific cultivation of the soil will make
$atheir barren old fields teen with vegetable
s. productions That our forests may be made
%to yield up their hidden treasures And
sathnt it is not improbable that there may be
;Adiscovercd to them beneath their very feet,
Hmines of untold mineral wealth; and that
Hthcn, with educational advantages on all sides,
&no power Oil earth can turn back the .esist
81 less tide Of immigration which will surely set
& in upon them.
81 In this important work, then, as n first
E8stcp, your Committee is of opinion that an
sAExecutive Committee, composed of FIVE gen
satemcn, taken from different sections of the
eAState, and known to be thoroughly imbucd
Ra~ith the spirit of this enterprise, should at
Eaonce be appointed. and all details of finance
Eaand Of organization be entrusted to it,
M AS a second step, let the County be can
E8vassed, and the people be pcrsistent'y urged
Slto give according to their means. Whatever
EEA Acan be done in this way, should be done at
Aonce, and the result declared by the lst of
S5ANovcnber, and, if favorable, then the lists
M,hould be opened throughout the entire State,
@,nd in fact throughout the South. At the
@samc time no efforts should be spared to SO
Hrure the State share of the land appropriated
@by Congress for the establishment of such
Mcolleges Nor should an effort be spared &,
Insecure share Of the "Pcabody fund" Ii
EHshould be remembered however, that the sue
Mcess of all these applications depend entirely
8upon tho amount raised in the County. And
Eawhether all Of these projects arc successful OF
@not, it is recommended that as soon as suf
Efficient sum Of money has been subscribed