The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-03-21
PETER COOpER,S PROyRCT.
The 1nntituto &C limestone gpriaks. goutf
Observation-Disclosures Plans.

tabIishment OF en- Institution in South
Carolina, TO DO of q eomewhat similar
character &c the Cooper Institute. II wss
regarded as q mistake. But It now ap-
peafs, however, that, although the news
was premature, Mr.. Cooper does enter
tain q design of the kind, aud that it is
moro than probable that be will ahortly
pu: Il in execution. Mr. Cooper, some
time since, advanced the sum Of $4,000
10 Mr.. @. Fl. Bomar, who owns q large
property at Limestone Springs, South
Carolina, taking mortgage on the prop.
erty, with the privilege of purchaeingit
at any time within q year for 900, 900.
He subsequently advanced $4,000 inore
for the purpose Of developing some of
the natural resources of the land, which
leavesa balence of $4,000, by the pay.
ment of which the property will become
his, Limestone Springs Is near Spar
tanhurg, on the line Of the Air Limo
Hailfoad, and was in dsfe beii,m days
favorite summer resort for SouthcrIes
and winter resort for Northerners. The
elevation above the sea is about 1900
feet aud the air and water are said to be
exceptionally fine. When tho place was
prosperous it supported young ladies'
college, hotel, large church, &c., but
during the war 1t fell into decay, and
after the war Mr. Bomar, after purchas.
ing the property for Nero cong, tried
to re-establish Che school. Owing to thu
depression of affairs In the South he was
unsuccessful In his enterprise, and find
ing 1t impossible TO carry on the school
and keep the property, he endeayored to
sell il to Mf. Cooper.
Mr. Cnnnee told che rect &C .he s..c:yy
himself to G ereporter yesterday. He was
sitting In his parlor reading O uewspaper.
when the reporter called, ard dropping
his paper he began nc once talking en-.
Enthusiastically of his new project, saying
that If he found everything about the
place to be ns It was represented to him
to be, and If he was able 70 carry out
such arrangements as he had In mind,
he thought that Limestone Springo
would become sort of new Arcadia In
the South. He referred TO the great snc-
cess of the Cooper Institute and the
good done to hundreds Of young men
and women through its fundamentally,
and said that in many respects the new
establishment would probably be made
TO resemble the Cooper Institute. II
have got that going," he said, $50 that
it will support Itself when am gone, /
think. 1t has an income now Of about
$50, 900 year. and want to make the
new institution, If It is started, self.
supporting one. I don't think much Of
these institutions that have to be sup.
ported by begging" He told of mum.
ber of instances Of persons who had
achieved good positions, and of some
who had saved themselves from distress
by the use OF knowledge acquired in the
Cooper Union schools, and, said that he
intended to make the South Carolina
school ono of science and art, applicable
and applied to every day life. "That's
my idea Of useful education" he said
with . smile. Speaking further of the
way In which be became interested in
tho matter, he said: 'The place was
once famous wSter place, and there
YES there college fa- young iEdisa.
The head of 1tie college, I forget his
'neme, conducted it for sixteen years and
ducated some 1000 young ladies and
nad only one death among them in all
that time. He accumulated fortune,
but when the rebel war broke out he
lent the rebels some $4,000. They used
him up, and when the war was over Mr.
Bomar bought the place for song and
undertook 10 carry on q school there,
but everything was depressed as 1t is, /
suppose, all through the South, and he
wes pressed by his creditors and finally
became anxious % sell for $17, 900, al
though I suppose the buildings ON the
property could not be put up for $780,:
coo. He came TO rae aud advanced
him S17, 900. The Grst advance was
only $4,000, but lent him $4,000 after.
.'sssa &C build sons new iin5 aiin5. ITuu
see Inc only place on the mountain
where the limestone appears on the sur-
face is on this property, and they have
had some old-fashioned kilns at work
there, but uow-s..6+ys they make very
different kiins from what they used to ana
he wanted to develop the mine."
; II have never seen the place." con-
tinued Mr.. Cooper, "but what know, of
it learned from pamphlet about it
which was shown to me, and from what
o number Of persons have told mo who
have been there. They say it 10 most
delightful spot, and tho most desirable
site for anything Of the kind In ell the
country around. The climate Is most
healthfnl, and the grounds themselves
are. beautiful, with O great number of
trees Of fine growth, large fruit orcha.%lp,
&c. Then there Is o large building
erected for o hotel and Brick church
capable Of seating 800 persons, and ten
other smaller buildings. Then It Is
thought that by establishing an attrne-.
ton there people will be induced to buy
villa sites and erect reaidences there. 10
which the Southern people will go to
escape the mslaria of tho lower country
in the, summer time, while TIE Northern
paople will 20 there in the winter as
they used to do.n
"Have you then decided FULLY to
estsblish this institutionw asked the
reporter.
s'Well, IL 10 too sooh 10 say that" said
Mr.. Cooper, "but / am going down to
see the place very soon. I'm going to
take my daughter and some others of the
fomily with me, and I shall go down and
find out what the place really looks like,
aad what is necessary to be done. or
courae you know the buildings must be
very much out of repair, and will need
. 4~sa..:.sy of t.ia.iiig ada Ut;aer uortt.
A building will get out of repair when.
it Is neglected for fifteen yearB, as they
have BEEN"
"What do you propose to call the in
stitntioD, or 10 it too soon 10 ask that q"
said the reporter.
ooh, I can't tell that yet. haven't
got as far aa that" said Mr.. Cooper. al
am going doYn there, first to decide
whether ! ahall do anything moro about
II, and then to arrange the details of it
ia case I determine to go on"
"It isaaid that there will be normal
school established in addition to the reg
;:is:s ;:s' % %ssliszTis5 06tiT55 for tho benefit of
thOaai Tho ffItatld to hecnflih fsshheFa Ia