The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1874-02-20
The roor Boys College.

cured by Their organized influence, cheap
education, they would confer blessing
on the whole country. Our farmers, by
availing themselves of the advantages
afforded by eur free school system and
the Peabody fund, can establish good,
substantial academic schools IN every
neighborhool in East Tennessee, where
the children OF the rich and poor alike
may receive the benefits Of good edu.
cation for nominal amount of money,
aud where loung men who desire the
advantages of collegiate course may
30 prepared to enter upon It.
And here | would state that we have
in our very midst n first class college,
where the expenses are so moderate that
tho poorest roung man in the country
can, by his own exertions, obtain ii o.
rough classical training. / refer to Hi.
wassee College, situated seven miles
east o: Swceiwater, in Monroe county.
The faculty Of this institution is equal
in ability TO that of any College in the
State. Its President, Rev. j. II. Brun-
ner A. NJ, isa large-hearted gentleman,
with much experience as a teacher. The
other three professors are earnest, ex-
perienced and cultured educators, and
the institltion may well be termed the
Poor Boys College," for all the expen-
ses for boarding, washing and tuition
for collegiate year amount to less than
one hundred and fifty dollars, and
yeung men WHO go into the dormiiories
and board themselves need not spend
more than sIxty.fve or seventy dollars.
Last year two young men Of this school
during the summer vacation went out
among the farmers and helped them
harvest and thresh their wheat, and by
this means made money enough 10 pay
their expenses for full term. Situated
in the country, there are no temptations
to spend money there, and fine clothing
is entirely out of place, as the young
men there are seeking an education and
are in earnest about il. Many of them
are poor boys, dependent upon theil
own exertions for means. A majority
perhaps, arc farmers sons who wear
the clothes that their mothers spun. wove
and made for them. No one there is
ashamed Of n homemade james suit, foI
fully half the students are clothed in
this good old Tennessee dress, which
in the purer days of the Republic, An.
drew Jackson was not ashamed TO wear
in the United States Senate. This Is an
old College, but it has never had as
much blow about it rs other institutions
I could name of greater pretensions and
less worth. It's Alumni are now.filline
positions of usefulness all over the
Southwest. I could name two Of them
who are distinguished Judges, and 9th.
ers who are eminent physicians, farm
ers, lawyers, merchants and ministers
and many Of these were poor boys who
paid their own way through College
Let the Grangers make education one
Of their necessities that can be had fol
little money; let them encourage good
institutions of learning already cstab.
lished in their midst: let them establish
good and permanent schools in every
neighborhood, and let them, by theil
combined and systematic support, make
the cost Of education in East Tennessee
so cheap that the poorest boy in tho
country can get one. Then the tide o.
emigration from this country to the wes1
will cease: for the poor man. when he
hears OF. fortunes easily made in Texas
or Colorado, will consider tho advan.
tage Of our good schools to his children
and remain among us. When we raise
our boys in ignorance, and turn them
out ut twenty-one as farm hands at ter
or twelve dollars a month. and they, az
ter two or three years experience, find
they are making no hcadway in The
world, who can blame them for going
west? Or, who can blame the poor
man, with n wife and house full o
children dependent upon his labor q,
twelve or fourteen dollars n month fol
bread, and no means to procure that in
tellectual food for his offspring, whicl
is to ct them for usefulness and happi
ness-I say, who can blame the thou
sands Of good men, the bone and sinev
Of the land all over East Tennessee, thu
situated, for going west? How are w
to stop our lnboring classes from emf
grating? sd how arc we 10 restore th,
fertility OF our worn out lands? Thcs,
arc two great problems for our pcopl,
to solve. Education for ali our people
education for the head, aud heart-wil
solve The first, and improved systems o
husbandry will solve the second. Now
If our Granger friends will provide III,
cS CuaN In ,.,tIl