The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-12-04
SCHOOL GROWTH
In This State the Past Twenty
Five Years Rapid.
WHAT HAS Been DONE.

NleTtih IOIitS OuG ooIle Vi Ill
Things That Have Been Accom-
plished in the Last Quarter of
Century in Educational Matters B,
Our People.
During the last twenty-five year
South Carolina has made marvelou
progress in all lines, and in no othe
line has the advance of this Common
wealth been greater than in educa
ton. There is yet much to be done
The foundations have merely beef
laid for making this Commonwealth
a thorough educated and intelligen
State, where iliiteracy shall be at the
minimum, but at the same time en-,
couragement and hope should be TAX,
en- from the record of accomplish,
ment within a quarter of a century
In his fourth coming annual report
State superintendent of Education
Martin will give some data in the
effort to show the advance within
the period mentioned. twenty-five
years ago the State Superintendent
of Education was Hugh E. Thomp-
son, that splendid gentleman and
educator, who later became Governor
of South CAROLINA, went to Washing
ton in the administration of Grover
Cleveland, and wound up his career
with honor as an official of the great
insurance companies in New York.
Mr.. Martin has taken the last re-
port of Superintendent Thompson and
with it as a basis makes some COM
parsons with the conditions of to-
today. He points out that twenty
five years ago State Superintendent
Thompson "a closing his term of
office, after having done some very
successful foundation and building
work for a public school sytem in
South Carolina. In order to accom-
plish results it was necessary then
for him to encounter a great. deal
of opposition. The statistics in his
reports of his last term of office
show marked development contrasted
with conditions when he first assum-
ed the position. This years stats
tics are very interesting when con-
trasted with those of a quarter of
a century ago. The following items
are worthy of attention:
1882
Total Enrolment :. $500. ..145,974
Average attendance. .. ..101,81G
Total expenditures -. ..$373,567.95
Number of school houses. ..2,7S1
Total number of teachers. lab
No. of local tax districts. -. -
Amt raised by local taxation s2S,6OO
Libraries :. -. =. None reported,
No. of books in pub. school. $50. .
Number of Books in public
school library. None reported,
1907
Total enrolment. . =. ..314.399
Average attendance ..222.lS9
Total expenditures S1,14S,474.11
Number of school houses. ..",7Sf
value. . . :. . .~.E,lEo,oV
Total number Of teachers. ..6,044
Number of local tax districts. sol
Amt raised by local taxa
ton. :. -. :. :. ..$326,072.9t
Libraries $500. . -. :. =. ..1,OOI
Number of Books in Public
school library :. O.. . ..2OO,OO(
The appropriation, at the last ses
sion of the Legislature, of $4,000
for State aid to high schools will
mark an epoch in the progress of ou1
school system. In addition to thu
development which has occurred il
the public schools the facilities TO
higher education have been great.
improved.
twenty-five years ago the Citade
and the South Carolina College hat
Just been reopened and were getting
fairly started after the war of recon
struction. The denominational ant
private colleges were just beginning
a new era of prosperity. 1t would b
a conservative estimate to say tina
at least 100000 had been added
either in equipment or buildings, t
the colleges which were furnishln
higher education to boys and girl
of the state in the early eighties
The increase in endownments Woul
approximate the same amount. Be
sides this, the State Of South Care
lima during that period erected thre
new State institutions, viz, Clemson
Winthrop and the State Colored co.
lege. The plants of these three II
situations are easily worth one an
a half million dollars. Private an
denominational enterprises have ais
erected Converse, Lander and Colun
bia Colleges during the same perioe
These, with the private academic
and high schools which have bee
erected within the last few year
would add at least t~hree-fourths
a million dollars to the total Valu
of the educational property in Sout
Carolina. Of course, these figures q
not indicate the full developmer
which has taken place. The grea'
est improvement of all is found
the sentiment which supports tn
work and in the desire which the pei
ple manifest for continued progress
There are some points in the st;
tistics of this year in contrast wit
last year which are favorable an