The free citizen. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-11-06
.How sto.Getssan Education.

what means they can secure what
they seem very anxious to gain-an
education. Some of them are waiting
for good friends to aid them. But if
any one wishes to be educated, Ilet
them go to work and get it. There
is way where there is will. No
one should ever wait for something
to turn up, but. just take hold and
turn it up. Rev. M. Trafton, D. d.,
Of the New England conference tells
in Zion's Herald how he went TO work
to get an education, and the. same
path of grand success is open to our
young men of the South. After tell
ing us how he earned S25O.OO in one
year to buy himself off from obliga-
tions to learn q trade, he says:
"The last Of December, and my
last weeks work was finished, and
settled my account with my old mas
ter. l had earned the money, and
he brought out my indentures, and
put them into my hands. was free
But l declined, and asked him to
retain them, which lie finally con-
sented to do. / had no home to
which to go, and thought it would be
kind Of bond connecting me with
the visible world; and I might be
glad to go back to my bench again.
Had he died, his executors could
have called me back by the terms of
the instrument, after had joined the
conference, rs I was not of age at
the time of my union with that body.
And now for Fents Hill. TO me
it seemed the original Eden. 1 com
menccd my preparation. It may
strike the reader as strange, but /
could get no money for my labor,
nothing but store pay, as it was
called. I procured some clothes,
made bargain with the stage agent
for a passage to Augusta, and paid
him in shoemaking. The last of Feb
ruary got into the stage at 8 o'clock
in the evening, reaching Augusta in
tbe morning, stopped with father
Oliver Beale, the preacher stationed
there, and by some means reached
kcnts Hill two days before the open.
ing OF the term. No shoemaking
was done thcrc-farming and furni-
turc manufacturing only. | at first
went to turning chair stuff, six hours
a day. The scholars labred for their
board which was rated ct one dollar
per week, devoting the morning and
evening to study. After a short
time saw an easier way to get on.
| had good trade, and had brought
my kit (tools) with me. Why not
become cure Of ''solcs" without or
dination?
We were crowded into one build
ing, and lodged in one room, on little
cot bedsteads, and all occupying one
room for study. connected with the
seminary was little one story house,
at short distance called the hos
pital, and, as it was without patients,
a few of US petitioned to the agent for
its use, which was granted. Two
took the front room, and l got the
old kitchen and bed room adioin-
ing. In the kitchen l put bench
and spread my kit, and put out my
sign.
I found I could by half days la
Dor pay for weeks board. 1 bor-
rowed an old bedstead from Rev. G.
F. Cox, financial agent of the school,
which bedstead wouldn't stand, or
couldn't, unless it was supported by
the walls. I vent into the swamp
near by and pulled some hazel-bark
of which twisted bed cord and so
lashed the old thing together; filed
a sack with straw, procured some
blankets from the Seminary, and.
with an old chair, and little nine