The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-10-16
PELZER. S. {.
This Mill Pays Operatives TO Attend
School
.SMunu S0MfH.

institutions for the benefit of it's em
ployees have for many years becl
highly successful, hnd might we'll be
copied by other manufacturing enter.
priscs.
Captain Ellison Adgcr Smyth, who
is the manager of the Pclzer mills, is
the inspiration of the methods used
by the corporation TO transform this
mill settlement into model village.
A complete free school system is pro-
yided by the company for the children
Of the mill workers, including mod
ern kindergarten for the tinicst tots.
A Lyccum lecture course is also ar
ranged for the pleasure and instruc
tion of the grown-up contingent.
The school is run entirely at the
expense Of the company, so that it
does not cost the children Of the
working people one cent for the best
Of educational advantages. On the
contrary, in order to encourage those
parents who are disposed to be indif-
fcrent to the educational welfare oe
their children, little scheme Of pay
ing 10 cents a month ,is rcsorted to
by the management to persuade such to
send their children. This arrange
ment operates by suasion instead of
coersiOn in lieu of q compulsory cdu-
cation law IN the town.
This school opened September ..
There are ten teachers in the primary
department, including two trained
and skillful kindcrgarteners. The
kindergarten is of especial bene-
fit to those families who work
in the mills and have no one at
home to care for the little ones during
the day. Through its bcncfcent in
fuence hundreds Of little children are
developed morally, mentally and ply
sically by elevating and wholesome
kindergarten methods.
The schools have an average attend
ance of about 700 children, and there
have been over 5000 to pass through.
# there wero compulsory school law,
the field would be much larger, as
there are as least one.t third more chill
dren who should have the benefits cx-
tended. Many of the parents fully
cooperate, but those that are ignor-
ant themselves do not perceive how
they are depriving their children.
The lectures are given free of charge
in the auditorium to all the people at
the expense Of Captain Smyth, whose
object it is to afford an instructive
entertainment to men, women and
children who would have no other ad-
vantages when their daily labors
were over. The auditorium is an i'm
mense hall, just back of the school
house proper. t is used for public
exercises of the school and for chapel
exercises. 1t is lighted by electricity,
filed with comfortable seats and tho
acoustic properties are excellent.
At one end OF the hall is wall-eauip-
ped stage, where musical and theatri-
cal affairs are conducted.
The main part of the building is de-
voted to the regular school rooms Of
the Pelzer graded schools, which are
virtually graded primary school for
children from 2 to 10 or IL years of
age. These school advantages are
not only furnished free to the pat
rons, but every effort is made to in-
duce the parents to benefit their chill
dren.
Besides the school advantages Pei
zcr has free circulating library where
the best literature in both books and
periodicals is always accessible. There
are also church advantages for five
different religious denominations, and
six Sunday schools.
Captain Smyth, who is at the head
Of the Pelzer Manufacturing Com.
pany, was the organizer Of these i'm.
provements in the conditions of the
wageworkers. The idea was the in
spiration of benevolent and progress
sive spirit. Primarily pbilanthropic
in intent, it has been proved that
many things else have been added
unto it," The advantages offered the
mill hands aud their children have
met with their heartiest appreciation
and cooperation, and tangible results
are seen every day in the vast increase
in the happiness and we'll being of the
villagers.
1t is interesting and gratifying to
know that the cost of these benevo-
lent improvements has been more than
counter-balanced by the increased
capacity Of the workers. For every
dollar expended by the mill owners