Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-07-04
VALUE OF THE COLLEGE.
Rev. Or. MePheeters Offers Some In
formation of Interest.

Rev. Or. MePheeters Offers Some In
formation of Interest.
The following letter from Rev. DR..
w. M. McPheeters, chairman Of the
committee on location Of the Presbyte-
rian College of South Carolina, to Rev.
S. J. Cartledge of Anderson, Is pub
lished, by request. 1t gives an idea
Of the present and prospective value
of the college to the community in
which 1t may be located:
Since my previous letter to you I
have received a communication from
Mr.. H. Frank Wilson, master for Sum-
ter county. making the following very
pertinent inquiries: First, what en-
dowment, IL any, has the Presbyterian
college? Second, what property, II
any, will follow the change Of location?
Third, the number Of students In at.
tendance upon the college last year?
Fourth, the number Of trustees and
how elected?" AS these, or similar
questions have come from other quar-
ters, shall defer for the present some
other matters that I had intended to
lay before you, and, through you, be-
fore the Presbyterians of the entire
state, and address myself at once to
the answer to Mr.. Wilson's inquiries.
His order Is not material, and there
fore in my reply l shall follow an
order Of my own.
1st. Number of Trustees and How
Chosen-The total number of trustees
Is 81. or these three are chosen by
each Of the six presbyteries composing
the synod of South Carolina, and the
remaining three by the alumni associa-
ton. Persons desirous of fuller infor-
nation on this point may be referred
to the charter of the college, copy
Of which will be found In the last
catalogue Of the institution. Catalogues
can be had on application to Prof. A.
E. Spencer, Clinton, s. c.
End. Material Property of the Col
lege, as at Present Located-At pres
ent the college has no endowment 1t
has. however, material property OF
which the fair estimate value Is from
$4,000 to $4,000. This includes
grounds, buildings and furnishings OF
all sorts. 1t Is not necessary, think,
that should go into details. It Is i'm
portant, however, that / should say
very clearly and distinctly that, Of the
total sum named, the trustees OF the
college hold a fee simple title to but
about $1,000 or $4,000 worth OF the
property, including furnishings, and
further, that against this there Is a
mortgage Of $2,500. Hence 1t will be
seen that the movable values Of the
college amount to only about $4,000
to SIS 900. This. think. answers the
first and second Of Mr.. Wilson's ques-
tions. 1t is understood, Of course, that
give these figures, all Of them, only
according to the best Of my knowledge
and belief. I feel reasonably sure
though that they are not far wrong
one way or the other.
3rd. Number Of Students Last Ses-
sion.-The number of students last ses-
sion was seventy-two (72). 1t ought to
be added, however, that this summer
year ago was the first opportunity
that the college has had for some years
to make a canvass for students. Though
this canvass was but an imperfect one,
Ii resulted in an Increase OF about 4O
per cent in the attendance. q give
these figures without the catalogue Tor
1904 at hand. But I am sure. that
they are approximately correct). II
should also be borne In mind that the
college has only in the last Is months
passed into the unreserved and un-
trammelled ownership and control OF
the presbyteries. Finally, 1t should be
remembered that, in addition to the
Presbyterian youths Of college age who
are at present attending no college
whatever, there are, by actual count.
not less than 300 Presbyterian youths OF
college age who are now attending
other colleges in this state. 1t Is
practically certain that, as soon as
the Presbyterians Of South Carolina
have a college Of their own that Is
adequately equipped. considerable
part OF these 300 will be found there.
4th. Valuable Asset Of Another Kind
i have tried to answer Mr.. Wilson's
questions as fairly and frankly as
know how. But were / to stop mere
I should leave the main point OF his
inquiry really unanswered. Nay.
should have even suggested a wrong
answer to 1t. He evidently wants 10
know the present assets OF the college
that have a pecuniary value. or these
have yet to mention those that, In
Inv Judgment, are by far the most I'M
portant. I refer then to the fact that
the college has at this present time:
First, a president recognized as one OF
the leading men in this synod, a man
than whom no man In the synod, per-
haps, has a stronger hold upon the con-
fidence and the esteem Of the Presby-
terians Of this state, ministers and
laymen, those who live In the cities,
the villages, and the country alike;
a man Of force, Of prudence and OF
energy: a man worthy to lead move
ment like this, and capable OF lead
ing II to success. Second, FACULTY,
not at present large In numbers, but
Of tried men. men who have approved
themselves by the hold that they have
gained upon the confidence and good
will of the students that have been
under them. Third, board Of trus-
tes who believe in their president, In
their faculty, In their college, and In
their constituency-the Presbyterians
of this entire state; men who, with no
personal axes to grind, have set their
hands to the work Of making the Pres
byterian College Of South Carolina
worthy of the name 1t bears, and or
the body that 1t is designed to serve; ;
men who purpose. sparing themselves
no personal labor in effecting the high
aim they have set before themselves.
Fourth, the 1873 ministers, $50 ruling
elders and 21,136 communicates that
compose the synod Of South Carolina,
every one of whom ought to be and
very many Of whom certainly will be
interested and active agents In build
ing up the material equipment OF their
college wherever 1t may be located.
The community that cannot appreciate
the money value to 1t of the united
md unpaid (by them) service Of such
a body Of men, all of them bent heart
and soul upon building up an enter
prise that will upbuild the community
in manifold ways-I say the community
that cannot appreciate the money value
to itself Of such a body Of work.
ers Is certainly benighted enough to
need a college, but probably too be-
nighted to be sufficiently aware Of Its
need to make any suitable effort to
secure one.
5th. Present and Prospective Mon
ey Assets Other Than Those Already
Named-As stated above. the college
has only $4,000 (net) worth Of prop
erty, to which 1t has fee simple title.
1t would be a mistake, however, to in
fer from this, as might too easily be
done, that $4,000 represents its entire
money value to the community where
it is located. For last year the insti-
tuition had an income Of $5.400. This,
as a moments reflection will show
represents per cent on an invest
ment Of $4,000. Double the num-
Der of students, as We expect to do
within five years, and 1t Is easy to see
that the income of the college will
represent an investment of not less
than $1S0.000. In this connection 1t
should be noted further. that the
$5.400 mentioned above does not in
clude the money spent in the COM
munity by the student body for 9TH
er things than tuition and board