The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-06-27

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by practical training for the vocations
they may fill in the various branches
of industry. We believe that the Land
Script Fund donated by the General
Government for that purpose should
mOo1 be applied as directed" Then
followed a demand that the fund be
transferred from the University to a
school which shall be for the industrial
training of youth.
On October 9Th THE PROGRESSIVE
FARMER had another equally strong
demand for an agricultural college,
also an account of the one then in
operation in Kansas. October 18th
contained another. Also a communi-
cation written by MI. j. E. Smith,
Newcomes, IN. O., favoring the A. q
M. College. He closed his article as
follows: LET THE PROGRESSIVE
FARMER continue its brave and noble
work until the University shall dis
gorge that $97, 900 which Of right be-
longs to the farmers of North Carolina"
On November Sd The PROGRESSIVE
FARMER stated that the Board Of Agrl-
culture had bought lands near Raleigh
for the location of the Industrial
| School Then it said: '"This is NOV
ing in the right direction and it must
go on until we have a we'll eqipped
"AqricuIturaI and Mechanical Col
Leqe." There was another article on
the oath of November. In the issue of
of December 1, 1886, Col. William H.
S. Burgwyn has a communication set
ting forth the Importance of calling a
convention of farmers to be held in
Raleigh during the sitting of the next
legislature, which met in January,
1887. Col. Polk wrote a long editorial
endorsing the suggestion heartily and
naming a number of issues that should
be presented for discussion, prominent
among them, the Agricultural and Me
chanical College. In the issue of Jan
uary 5th, 1887, the convention was
called by Col. Polk mainly to con
slider this question" says Mr.. Peele.
By this time Col. Polk had helped
to organize about five hundred
Farmers Clubs in the State, some
in nearly every county. They we're
all merged into the Alliance soon
afterward. One club in Wake county
Swift creek had declared in favor of
the Agricultural and Mechanical Col
lege. A Grange in Edgecombe county
had so expressed itself some years be-
fore. During January, 1887, The Pro
GREssIvE FARMER contained many let
ters from clubs and individuals approx
ing of the calling of the convention to
be held on January 26th. THE Pro
GREssTvE FARMER of that date contained
a brief account of the convention. The
issue of the I'd of February contained
a full report. A plan to organize the
State was adopted and Hon, Elias Carr
was elected permanent chairman. In
the matter of the A & M. College, Mr..
s. o. Wilson, representing Swift Creek
Farmers Club, Wake county, said he
was instructed to present the follow
ing resolutions, which he read:
"ReSOIUed, That the necessities of
the farmers Of North Carolina require
the establishment of an agricultural
college, and that the proceeds of the
land scriptfund donated by the Federal
Congress of 1862, and which has been
applied to the State University, should
be transferred to the support of said
college.
-. That the State Department of
Agriculture should be re organized on
such a basis as shall give the con
troll and management of the same
into the hands Of practical farmers and
thus bring it into closer union with the
farming interests of the State"
A motion was made and seconded by
several. DR.. Battle secured the floor
and opposed resolution No 1 vigor-
ously. Mr.. Chas. Mcdonald, of Ca
barrus, and Mr. S. o. Wilson defended
it and it was passed by an overwhelm
ing majority. So was No. 3.
From the above brief extracts here
and there a good idea of the work of
Col. Polk may be formed. During all
these years it had been uppermost in
his mind. In every speech and almost
every issue of his paper he had some
thing to say on the subject.
At the laying of the corner stone of
the A. & M. College, August 23d, 1853,
Mr.. J.. w. Peele, representing the
Watauga Club, read a history prepared
by himself of the College and the
efforts to get it established. 1t was
published in this paper June 18th, 1889,
and, also, about six months later. Mr..
Peele says Col. Polk fully endorsed the
history. Of this we have no doubt,
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