Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-03-23
Expensive School Charts.

State Superintendent of Education Nc.
Mahan has caught Oh to tho shrewd
school chart racket being worked by ono
w. w. Tutwilcr on tho trustees of ro-
moto country districts throughout tho
State. It seems that charts worth not
moro than $5, have bccn sold to llnin-
formed trustees for $3.50 each. This is
n fabulous price, and besides, tho chart
is practically useless, for II good teacher
does not need it, whilo a poor teacher
could mako littlo Or no use of it, In
order to make no mistake in tho matter
Mr. McMahan says:
granted an opportunity TO Mr.. Tut
wiler to set forth tho merits Of his chart,
and secured tho presence of Prof. Col
cock, of tho department of mathematics
in tho South Carolina College, who was,
at one timo, County Superintendent of
Education in Charleston, and Prof. Pat
torson Wardlaw, of tho department of
time recognized leader among tho
graded school suporintondonts of the
State, and Mr.. McGhoo, Of tho Columbia
schools After Mr.. Tutwilor's cxhibi-
ton of his chart for two hours and half, =,
these gentlemen agreed that, whilo tho
chart could be used to advantage in
some cases, yet it was prepOstcrouS for
such prico as $3.50; they SGT its value
AZ between five and ten dollars, and
thought that at ton dollars tho wisdom
of its purchase, by tho richest graded
school, is questionable, while tho aver
ago country school ought not to buy it at
any price.
Mr.. Tutwilcr is himself an intorest ting
study. was impressed with tho thought
that if his pluck, got-up and hustle wero
harnesscd in tho interest of truc educa-
ton in South Carolina, thoro is no cal
culating what wonders we should sec.
l have been told that when ono of these
agents strike town, they hire buggics
at S5 q day and got around among tho
trustees before the town gossips could
locate their business, or DO sure that
they wero not whiskey spies; that they
tell tho trustees moro than tho trustees
know about tho amount of money to tho
credit of their districts and the amount
to come from tho disponsary fund, about
tho right of tho trustees to draw war
rants upon tho school fund Of next year
or of year after next if they arc fearful
Of curtailing their school fund now, and
every agent is armed with copy of a re-
markable decision of Assistant Attorney
General Townsend oBviating tho statute
which forbids tho present expenditure
OF tho taxes of future years. The cvi-
dence is that as soon as tho warrants
(Which the agents carried around with
them in blank books) were signed by
tho trustees, who were caught on the fly
here and there and everywhere, the war
rants were transferred to presumably in
noccnt holders at large discounts, Tut
wiler getting his profits and leaving 9th
ers to fight for the payment of warrants
whore questions of illegality and fraud
arise.
Tho people pay for all this and the
school children suffer for it, Let this
experience serve to teach tho State a
lesson in school management.
Mr.. Tutwilor was in Oconcc last fall,
but did not succeed in selling any charts
rs tho trustees were little too sharp for
him.
1t is estimated by State Supcrintcnd-
ent of Education McMahan that tho sum
of 100000 of tho public school fund of
last year was expended for these charts.
Mr.. McMahan deserves comnlondation
for tho discovery and exposure Of this
fraud and imposition upon the people of
tho State.