Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-04-24
BEAUFORT AND THE Sea ISLANDS.
Their History and Traditions.
NUMBER FOURTEEN.
BY j. A. j.

lOl plOmUllIS dLu ShNooioSAS >
cation of children, and assisting and es-
tablishing schools for that purpose in
Beaufort District. This seems to have
been the first movement, after the Revo-
luton looking to educational advance
ment. The act names John Smith, Sen.
John Mcpherson, Cornelius Dupont and
others. ,....-
''The Beaufort College" was founded
by legislative enactment in 1875, and the
following prominent and influential citi-
zens designated as the first board of
trustees, viz. John Barnwell, Robert
Barnwell, w. H..Wigg, William Elliott,
Stephen Elliott, Henry Holcombe, Thos.
Fuller, John Mcpherson, John A. Cuth-
bert, John jenkins SEN, William Fripp,
John Bull and John NJ. Verdier. In
furtherance of the sobject in view large
and commodious building was erected on
a commanding site, west Of the present
court house. 1t was built of tabby, at
that time very extensively used for such
purposes. The location proved unhealthy;
and wooden structure of modest pre-
tensions was substituted. This was erec-
ted on Craven Street, east of the resi-
dence of D. c. Wilson, Esq, whence it
was removed nearly fifty years ago, to
the lot now occupied by the Female Sem
mary, at the corner of North and New
castle Street, where it remained until the
erection of the present brick structure,
more eligibly situated ''down town. The
liberal endowment of this institution en-
abled its trustees to offer an excellent ed
ucation at an almost nominal cost. A
number of unclaimed lots in Beaufort,
and any property in the District which
might appertain to the State by virtue of
escheat were generously bestowed on the
college," Some ofthosc lots were dis
posed of at very exorbitant prices, when,
on previous occasion, our citizens were
speculating on the vast future of Beau
fort. There is lying before me, convey
ance of three ~ lots, without any i'm
provements on them, situated zoo, in the
north western part fthc town, for which
the purchaser paid ''four hundred and
ffty-four 454 pounds sterling. /" 9th
ers more eligibly situated commanded
even larger figures. Most Of these sales
were effected so advantageously to the
College, about the year 1901.
The fund realized from such sources was
invested in stock of the U. s. Bank; and
so considerable was the revenue thus de-
rived, that the Board was enabled to se-
cure at all times, the services of a classical
teacher of the highest grade, with an
assistant fully competent to instruct in
mathematics, (includiog algebra and
geometry anl all the English branches.
The cost for instruction in these two
departments, was thirty, aud twenty dol
lars respectively, per annum.
These extraordinary advantages were
not neglected by our people. There were
none too poor to send their sons at such
low rates,-none too penurious to give
them education when So literally offered.
This noble institution, the foster.child of
our community, continued for years to
distribute its blessings, to shed its light
on all who came within the pale Of its
benign influences. Nor were its gifts re-
stricted to the youth of Beaufort, or Of
South Carolina; its doors were open to
all, come whence they might This Sol
lege'' has laid the foundation upon which
has been erected superstructurc which
has shone with brilliancy in every walk of
life. The legislative halls of South Caro-
lima and of the United Stateshave echoed
the voices of those who had been it's pu-
pills, advocating, with no pigmy force,
the rightsof an oppressed and overridden
minority. The judges bench, the chair
| of the professor, the governor, the editor;
the gown of the advocate and the clergy
man yea, the mitre Of the bishop,
these have all been adorned by the off
spring of this Alma Mater.
The failure of the banking institution
in whose securities the trustees had so
largely, and so confidently invested its
funds, entailed upon it irretrievable loss.
This disastrous event necessitated an ad-
vance in the rates of tuition; and the
English pupils were assessed at thirty,
while those in the classical department
were required to pay forty dollars per
annum. This enhanced rate was still
within the means of all, hence a commu-
nifty of proverbial intelligence was the
result. Such'wer the reading habits of
our people that the fact was publicly no.
ticed at the general post Office in Wash
ington, that the newspaper postage of
this town exceeded that of any other in
the U. S. of the same population. In
deed, there was scarcely one house where
q newspaper was not taken.
When the South Carolina College was
reorganized in 1885, not less than three
of its professors were chosen from Beau
fort, two of them natives, and the third