The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-04-25
NO. 15o

COueSe, uSluS au aluOuuU SpeclueO III
in the will for buildings and making
tuition as nearly free as they may find
possible or advisable.
It was no sudden freak that inspired
Mr.. Clemson's action. As long ago as
1866 he was interested in the establish
ment of such an institution as his Will
provides for and he was then active in
forwarding scheme to procure private
gifts and subscriptions for the purpose.
After the tragic death of his only son,
killed by railroad accident in 1871, be
became more than ever before interested
and evolved and publicly announced bis
purpose to devote the Calhoun property
to the glorious purpose of promoting
practical agricultural education. Since
then he has thought and talked much Of
the subject and bis will was no surprise
to those who knew him best oc to Mr..
Lee, his son-in-law, who knew long ago
the destination intended for the prop
erty.
On returning from Fort Hill, the
Greenville News representative met at
Central D. K. Norris, now the foremost
leader of the "farmers' movement" and
since Mr.. Tillman's formal retirement,
the most prominent and persistent advo-
cate for separate farmers college. MIR.
Norris was quiet on the subject of the
Clemson bequest, but evidently deeply
enthused and very much in earnest.
He said the gift put the whole matter
of the college in the hands of the farm
ers, aud they could secure magnificent
institution for agricultural education if
they will use the opportunity. With the
amount from the land scrip now given
the South Carolina College and the
money from the fertilizer tax now di-
verted to the college annex and other
purposes--every cent of which, he said,
was legally and morally for the use of
the farmers for educating farmers-an
income of $4,000 a year would be Sc
cured for the new college, with its
grounds and buildings all provided and
some income from the surplus endew-
ment. That was more than the State
Military Academy and the State College
have together, he said, and would give
splendid, thoroughly efficient agricul-
tural college capable of accommodating
hundreds of students, without the addi-
ton of one cent to the taxes. He did
not believe, he said, in free tiition.
That question had been settled in the
case OF the State College. But he
thought it probable a system would be
adopted by which students would be
enabled to pay the whole or large part
of their own expenses by extra work and
service IN the institution.
One valuable feature of the Fort Hill
library will probably puzzle the executor
and the trustees to dispose of it. It is
the manuscript of the completed first
volume of the life of John G. Calhoun,
prepared by the late Pinckney Starke,
with the aid of Mr.. Clemson. It is,
however, all in peculiar short hand
invented by Mr.; Starke himself, and
appears to defy all efforts to translate IT.
Many of the documents, reports and
other manuscript used by MIR. Starke
and collected by him and E. NJ. T.
Hunter, of Virginia, who undertook TO
prepare life Of Mr.. Calhoun, but was
compelled by poverty to relinquish it,
are in an old trunk in the library build
ing and may be found valuable by some
later biographer.
After the talk with Col. Simpson and
Col. Norris and after seeing the intense
earnestness with which they appear to
be inspired in the execution of the work
left with them to do, the News represen-
tative had no difficulty in bringing to
his minds eye the picture that was
doubtless presented to Mr.. Clemson's
imagination many times-the picture of
the homely house, hallowed by the name
of the grim old statesman whose face
with it's Celtic cheek bones and blazing
eyes looks with ife-like gaze from the
inner walls, the centre of group of
statlier buildings-of the rounded slopes
of velvet green, made deep and dark be-
meath the interlseing branches of the
sturdy cedaas ard of lighter and more
delicate shifting tints where they fall
away in the sunlight to the silver river
on one side and the murmuring, spark
ling stream and bending willows on the
other, peopled with the young and
sturdy bone and sinew OF the State
Calhoun loved so well and represented
so grandly, learning how to make her
richer, grander and happier-the glori-
Gus, fruitful home of people as pros
porous and strong as they have ever been
brave, generous and free.