The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-06-10
For the anderson Mtelligeneer.
BeltOn Academy.
RELTON. S. c.. Jun

DELION, D. ", y uue 4, 1Oio.
MIR. EDITOR: A pretty village is Bolton,
with its vine-wreathed cottages, its stately
mansions and its brown farm houses in the
distance; it numbers among its inhabitants
some of the wealthy and influential citizens of
our County, merchants, farmers, physicians,
hotel keepers and mechanics. But with these
you are acquainted, and I do not propose to
say more The modest school house occupies
a commanding position on the village green, in
the least picturesque part of the place, and of
it we propose to write. For number of years,
owing to some undefnable cause, Belton Acad-
emy has fallen into the back ground. True,
the Board of Trustees employed able, expert
enced and unexceptionable teachers, yet the
number of pupils was small. Last year, how
ever, the Trustees secured the services of Mr..
@. B. Williams, son of the great and good Rev.
VIM. Williams, D. D., of Greenville. The Sc
lection was a fortunate ONE. Mr.. Williams is
young gentleman of thorough education and
training, of fine enthusiasm and strict dis
ciplinarian, and has infused new energy into
the Trustees, and has awakened new interest
on the subject of education among the youth
and parents Of this community. His efforts
were so successful last year, that his services
we're secured for the present year; and certain
ly the exercises of Belton Academy on the 9th
of May, while they must have been pleasing to
the friends and patrons of the school and graft,
flying to the pupils, most sriumphantly illustra-
ted the ability, aptitude and zeal of the rector
At an early hour the examination of the
various classes, male and female, commenced
in Stringer's Hall before large and apprecia-
tive audience, and was as thorough and salts.
factory as the most ostexacting could require. Al
IL o'clock a. m. the examination closed and
American-iike, some speaking was demanded
Mr.. NJ. E. Mitchell and Warren D. Wilkes
Esq, being present, responded in impromptu
speeches of moderate length, and I suppose
pleased the audience in the matter of theil
address, from the applause they elected. BY
invitation, the crowd in the hall joined the
larger one congregated in the grove at the
Presbyterian Church, and did ample justice to
as profuse and sumptuous pic mic feast as
ever saw. After the whites had feasted, the
viands not being half consumed, the colored
people present were thoughtfully invited to
help themselves, and done so with good will
and appetite. Dancing among the young peo'
pie so inclined, varied the afternoon scene.
At night Stringers Hall, which had been
tastefully wreathed with evergreens and flow
ers and we'll lighted, was crowded to its utmost
capacity with large audience, eager to hear
more speaking and witness the further exercises
of the pupils of the Academy. The exercises
of the evening were opened by DIR. w. G.
Brown with an address upon Energy. Being
nigh type Of the energetic man, the Doctors
address was we'll conceived, happily delivered
and was loudly appauded The delivery Of
select speeches, recitation of poetry and acting
of charades by the pupils, which were al cred
table indeed, entertained the grati6ed audi
ence until late hour, when the exercises were
closed with another short speech from Warren
D. Wilkes, Esq.
predict successful career for Mr.. William,
as teacher, and higher fame and prosperity fol
Belton Academy. w.