Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-07-18

now strong confidence that it will wiz
from Greenwood.
STORY OF YORKVILLE'S LUCK.
That Yorkville is to have high
grade military academy, inferior in
efficiency, appointment and thorough
ness to no other private institution ot
the kind in the south, is no longer 8
matter of doubt. The energetic, we'll
directed business-like operations Of
Colonels Davis and Stephenson have
about removed the last lingering
shadow of reasonable incredulity.
The people of Yorkville have been
slow to conviction but this is not
strange. Of all the traditions of the
town, the days when the Kings Noun
tain Military school fourished are the
dearest. The spectacle of that digni'
fed old building empty and going to
decay in the midst of its spacious
grounds, surrounded and dotted with
beautiful elms, oaks and hickories
has been an ever present source Of
sadness. The action of individuals q
few years ago in going down into their
pockets and donating the money with
which to repair the property for school
purposes, gave unmistakable evidence
of the towns deep and practical in
terest. The disappointment that fol-
lowed only seemed to deepen the
gloom that had prevailed before, and
the final coming of the prince, therefore,
in the person of educators of expert
ence, ability and means to apply the
rejuvenating wand, was so like the old
fairy story as to be almost beyond be-
lief to those who had 80 long hoped
against hope.
In the circumstances, the readers of
THE ENQUIRER will, no doubt, be in
terested to know how it all came
about, and the reporter has been max
ing inquiries to develop the facts. 1t
is simple story, of plain business
venture on the part of Colonels Davis
and Stephenson with certain element
of chance that brought them to York
Vile instead of taking them elsewhere.
Colonels Davis and Stephenson had
been successfully engaged in school
work from the time they were gradu-
ated from college. They had labored
together and in separate institutions.
With a practical knowledge of the
methods of all the best academies in
Virginia and the surrounding states,
they were agreed upon common
ideal, and they determined to establish
it. They, of course, did not question,
for moment, that there was plenty
\ of room in Virginia but for personal
reasons they preferred not to enter
into competition with former COL
leagues, so they inserted an advertise
ment in the Atlanta Constitution in.
uuiring for desirable place for the
establishment of high grade school
somewhere in the southern states.
In answer to this advertisement
there came about thirty replies, prin-
cipally from Georgia, Alabama, South
Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee,
West Virginia and Virginia. Some of
the replies offered strong inducements
in the shape of cash subscriptions, do
nations of lands and buildings free of
rent. Every proposition was investi-
gated, most of them by Colonel Davis
and Colonel Stephenson in person, and
after careful consideration of all sep
arately and as whole, the question of
choice narrowed down to three especi-
ally desirable locations.
Just about the time the decision was
to be announced, there came letter
from Judge I. D. Witherspoon. 1t
told of the Kings Mountain Military
school building, of the successful school
that had been conducted here in years
gone by, of the healthfulness of the
location, of the intelligent and liberal
educational sentiment Of the local pop
ulation, and of the generally friendly
and hospitable character of the people,
at was this letter that decided us, "
says Colonel Stephenson. "That was
all we could ask for. A town in which
there had been frst-class school, a
suitable building already available, and
a population already educated up to a
proper appreciation of such an enter
prise as we have in view. With all
this, in most desirable Piedmont To-
cation, we did not care to seek further.
Then and there, we virtually agreed
that here we would establish our
school, taking the old name and past
history as our own and making future
of which our predecessors shall never
have occasion to be ashamed"
Following up the pleasant impression
made by Judge Witherspoon's letter,
Colonel Davis came to Yorkville, in
vestigated the school property, took Il
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