Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1881-08-11


double buggy, and that too in a man
ner that betokens less jeopardy to life
and limb than when his big master
holds the reins.
Yours truly, BRER. FoX.
| For the Advertiser
An Article Which Deserves Not Only
Reading, Bit Careful study and
serides Reflection.
EDITORS ApvrRT!sEn En--In these
times Of awakening when the South
is said to be assuming her new garb,
and consequently the great question
OF education is becoming Of such wide
Importance, there certainly is one
thing that ought to be brought promi-
nently before the minds of our com
munity, and especially the young
men and boys who live in and about
our village; and that is the evident
and indisputable need Of a Public
Reading Room and Library in our
town.
Let every observant person read
, the signs of the times, and he will
find that with all eur boasted patri-
otism and spirit IN the fierce political
campaigns that have swept over our
State, we are beyond a doubt in the
rear guard Of the rapidly advancing
civilization around us, as regards
public tone, sentiment end esprit ID
corps. And those Of us who are old
enough can recall the days when
Edgetield had the finest bar in the
State, when she led society, and sent
forth some Of the very best represen-
tatiYe men of South Carolina. Con.
trast those days with the state of her
affairs now. See her citizens divided
into cliques and clans, the inevitable
consequence of the absence of culture;
the restless and degrading character
of her young men; and heryouth and
boys growing up in absolute igno-
rance. Where such facts force them
selves upon US, it is time topauee and
to treble tor the future. This is no
croaking.
The beauties and benefits OF a Read
ing Room in little town, every hon.
est and fair minded man will admit.
But the possibilities OF establishing
one lie not in talking and writing
about these, but in going about in the
right way and succeeding. There
fore the appeal comes directly to the
young men to put their shoulders to
it, for it is very much TO he feared
-That our Older citizens have fallen
into q lethargy as it were, and have
drilled into themselves certain efiete
and decomposed ideas which M ust not
be appealed to. For speak TO them
on the subject, and every one will
say: What an excellent thing it
would be, but then you can't get up
such a thing in Edgefeld." Well
how are we to ever do anything il
such notions are prevalent? 1t is a
noted fact in the history Of our town,
since the war, that it is almost next
to an impossibility to keep up a good
school more than one year, at the nj
most two. Right hore too where
there ought to he one Of the very hest
academies IN the State.
The natural consequence OF such
management is that most OF orr boys
get an extremely meagre school edu-
cation. Then they go to work, and
argue that If they can make enongh
to live on and have good time, that ia
sufficient. Hence the Indifference Of
the clerks, merchants, farmers and
others to such movement as We pro-
pose. To say that they can't derive
any benefit from it, is simply an abb
surdity. To cay that they havn't
money or time, ia equally absurd and
foolish, for the time and money which
the majority of the young fellows i'll
the village throw away playing pool
billiards, gassing, &C., &c, could be
far more prohtably employed in keep
ing up with the current and leading
IDEAS and Issues, as found in the best
newspapers and magazines. And
then too, they would get more OF the
real essence OF life, more real ENJOY.
ment in an hours reading every day
THAN all of the excitement and so
called pleasures which they go there
with.
If, therefore, education is the great
est blessing, and tie great essential to
human existence, az well as true en-
ioyment, and il, furthermore, q pub
lie Reading Room furnishes wonder
full facilities at comparatively little
expense, for men Of all ages and the
humblest mind, what can be possibly
argued against it, and why III the
name Of common sense can't we es-
tablish one in our village? If we
cant, then we are bound to believe,
although it is deep reflection upon
us, that it is purely from general
"cussedness.