The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-12-09
THE FARMtRS AND MECHANICS COLLEGE
A COMPLETE SKETCH OF GLEN
SON.

trial COlICGc LII thO S'c"'' s''
Different Departments and thcii
Eouipment and Methods Of Teach
ing.
TO the Editor Of The News and Courier:
Believing that the people OF the
State will be glad to know how Glenn
son College is equipped for the work
of Industrial education, and how this
eouipment of teaching force, buildings
and apparatus are employed, | very
GLADLY comply with your request to
write for The News and Courier an
outline sketch of Clemson and the work
of training our youth into lines which
will fit them for maximum usefulness
in the battle of life under the new
alignment Of its Industrial actlvltles;
You have done much through the
columns of your journal, which you
have conducted upon such an elevated
plane as to command the respect OF all
Intelligent readers, to convey corrcct
impressions Of Clemson anu It's work.
DEPARTMENT. or MECHANICS.
This department Is composed Oh SIN
divisions, embracing the school OF
physics, wood shop work, machine
shop work, forge and foundry elcctri,
cal engineering, and drawing and
of a competent instructor, under the
general direction of the head of the
department, who is a chief engineer de-
tailed from the naval service Tor this
work.
The work in this department pro-
cceds hand in hand with that in the
agricultural department. The student,
are given such instruction in theory
and such practical work aS viii bc
beneficial to them in any walk IN HE,
but especially 50 If they decide TO be
come farmers.
In the division Of physics they az,
taught the laws Of nature which have
special bearing upon the operations o
the agriculturist and mechanic. Thrl
learn how the forces OF nature may be
measured, turned to useful account
and controlled to what purpose each
form is best adapted, and the best
method Of utilizing each, whether thC
water power they find in streams, o.
the coal which is brought from dis
tance and has to be handled with
economy. They learn how heat, light
and electricity may be transferred At
will, and made more Obcuicnt than
any hired labor and far more reliable.
In the division Of draw ing. the student
Is IduHDl Gllc ldHS uSSC vi tIiS lHtll
ing" He learns how TO express him
self brio l'v and effectively by sketches
and working, drawing in man
uer in which he can be understood.
not merely at home, but in any
part OF the civilized world, for draw
lug is the only appr ach to uni vcrsai
language since the time OF the building
of the Tower Of Babel.
The course begins with free hand
drawing Of sketches Of simple models
to give facility Of execution to the
muscles Of the hands and teach the eye
to Judge and estimate dimensions and
proportions. Then instruments are
taken up alSi exact working drawings
are produced, and traCings and blue
prints are made ready for use in tn,
shops. Later on original designs o
simpler forms OF machinery ar,
moulded out. and the patterns, cast
ings and completed machines mad,
from them and used in the depart
mcnt rs part OF the working plant
The students seem fully alive To tn,
Importance Of this branch, and recent,
it has been found necessary to grcatl,
enlarge the draughtng rooms, adding
nearly 30 per cent more space, iii.ordrl
to accommodate the numerous applicants
for instruction.
In the division Of woodwork the
student gets an excellent introduction
to the use Of MS brains and hands a,
the same time. From the nature o
the material the work Is clean ant
light, imp ovCmcnt is rapid, and tn,
beginner thereby encouraged TO un
dertakc more difficult manual labor
The training OF the hand and eye ac
,,inol in W., fr,n hn Iru,,
him in good stead here, and assist
him greatly in producing work that i
pleasing in appearance, rs wcll a
adapted to its purposes. This work i
very attractive to the students, AN
many Of them spend IL cunSidcrabl
part Of their leisure hours working 4
the benches and lathcs.
The foundry is well equipped. An
there the students are shown hO
moulds are made from patterns a.
The castings in brass and iron PFC
duccd. He learns quickly what yer
few people ever KnOw~-how variuu
articles in daily Lae are produced, a.!
why some are so much more cXpcnsiv
than others OF similar general appear
ance. Here the student assists in max
ing castings for machinery to BE- bull
and used in the shops. 1t has bee
found that irCn castings made her
are sounder and better than th0s
bought from Dealers
In the forge Shop series Of grad,
exercises in forging ana welding ~
gone through with, Luc system I'm
arranged to give facility to the use ,
all the mere common tools. Th
ability to measure and Judge dinner
sions by the eye acquired in the draw
ing room comes in again hero, an
greatly cXpeditCs the work OF brins
ing down masses Of hot metal to II,
required shapes ard sizes, ready +,
use IN the machine :hops. There Al
eighteen forgcs, with sets Of tools con
plete.
The machine shop is well cQuippc
with twelve benches, with sets Of tool
latbcs and other machines, such a
shapers, drill, presses, etc. AS i
work k with forge and foundry th
student is required to produce set {
finished pieces OF metal. working fr0l
drawings. The exercises are graded
and are such as are found by cy
periencc in the best technical schools
to be adapted to giving the most per