The Lake Charles echo., 1886-06-12
(oommunieatsd.
Editor Lake Charles Fcho


Editor Lake Charles Echo
As the columns of your paper are
literally open to communications of
general or useful character, avail my
self of them to call public attention to
Keachi Baptist College.
Kcaehi College was founded in
1856, and the term Veteran has Of
late years been frequently and not in
appropriately applied to it. Il was
the creature Of private bounty, and
was in this manner nurtured through
protected experimental term, which
was marked with series of vicissi
tudes such as few colleges have been
required TO meet, and such as no other
has survived. War with its depicting
influences and vandalism, ragged around
it; death again and again laid hands
upon important members of its faculty;
tornado swept its desolating course
through the grounds and buildings,
SO that fora long time, even the Bap
tist brotherhood, who were reasonably
expected TO render moral and material
support, regarded it as an improbable
experiment. But in spite of all these
troubles it came out triumphant and
secured itself place of interest in the
esteem and affection of the denomina-
tion.
Its board of trustees is composed of
the most substantial and broad-minded
men of Northwest Louisiana, and sue
cess has marked every step of their
administration. In their opinion in
tegrity in educating is as essential as
1t is in any other functionsof life, and
that a wholesome, liberal discipline is
an obligation of most sacred char
acter to parents and society, and they
have shown an infexible determination
TO discharge these obligations in the
full spirit of christian gentlemen.
AT the opening of the present ses-
sion they found themselves called upon
either to endorse 7. N. Coleman then
acting as its president, in measures
they could not approve consclentiously
or cancel the contract with him, and
notwithstanding the session was open
ing with by far the fairest promises
of any the college had experienced,
and it was too late, whether so by
design of MFR. Coleman or not, ] can
not say to employ other officers, the
trustees unhesitatingly accepted the
alternative and cancelled their con-
tract. So considerably had these trns-
tees advanced the popularity of the
school that Mr., Coleman, in charter
ing his own school, gave it the name
of Keachi College, and advertised it
as the same school "uRder neW and
perfect charter"
Meanwhile the trustees have changed
the name to " Keachi Baptist College,"
and are giving their energies, expe-
rience and popularity to the work of
pillaring up structure which has be-
come an object of abiding interest to
the denomination. They have secured
the services of some of the ablest
educators in the South; they have
already secured donations from liberal
friends Of higher education sufficient
to repair the property and to refit the
study, recitation and art halls, and to
refurnish the library, laboratories and
dormitories, more amply than ever be-
fore, and they propose to have this all
completed and every chair of the facnl-
ty filled by the opening of next session.
Nor is this all they have land out
They propose to canvass the State for
funds, and add other grounds and
buildings to the present commodious
property until the comforts, conve-
nienccs and facilities are adequate to
meet any demand that can be made
upon them. The prospects for next
session are as good as they were for
the present session, and the institu-
tion is making friends very rapidly.
] have lately learned that Mr.. Cole
man continues TO offer for sale scholar
ships for terms in "Keachi College,"
and that scholarships of this character
are being sold in this parish. feel
it my duty to say that if these scholar
ships are being offered, that they con-
vcy no privileges in Keachi Col
lege " as known prior to tho date of
Mr.. Coleman's present school charter,
nor in the school now designated,
+" Reachi Baptist College"
S. ID. READ.