Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1907-09-18

school for teaching this business, not
knowing that Clemson College was
already well equipped for this work,
which the following letter from DR..
Nell explains. 1t Is now up to the
farmers to send up a small class
of bright young men to take this
special course that our warehouse
system may be prepared to pass upon
the grades Of their own cotton.
Clemson College, Sept. Il, 1907.
Mr.. j. G. Stribling,
Pendleton, 8. G..
Dear Sir: At the last. meeting of
the Board of Trustees Col. Alan
Johnstone presented to them your
request to have established in our
textile department a practical course
In the grading and sampling of cot
ton for the benefit of the farmers
OF the State. The Board referred
this matter to the executive commit
tee to look into the entire question
and determine II such a course was
practical without serious interrupt
tion to the regular work Of the
young men who are pursuing work
in the department, and If the COM
mittee could find that the request OF
the Farmers Union could be COM
piled with to grant the same. The
executive committee held a meet
Ing on the 4th instant, and after a
careful investigation they requested
me to write you as follows:
1. There Is already an excellent
course in the textile department
which prepares young men for doing
efficiently the very work contemplat-
ed In the plan you unfolded to Col
onel tombstone. The farmers son
who pursues this course Is amply
able to sample and grade the cotton
his father proposes selling. The
Board of Trustees would be pleased
to know that the Farmers Union
contemplates opening places which
will give positions to farmers sons
who are every year graduating in
the textile courses of Clemson Col
lege.
2. We are now permitting young
men from the farms and the cotton
mills of the State to take special
courses in the textile department If
money to take the four years degree
course. This short course will pre-
pare young men for the work of
grading cotton.
3. There can be no objection raised
to small number Of farmers attend
ing special practical courses If they
so desire, provided the following
facts are clearly borne in mind by
them:
1. The department can accommo-
date only a small number at one
time. The establishment of the
scholarships in textile industry by
the last General Assembly will con-
sidcrably crowd the lecture rooms
and the machines, and we will, there
fore, find difficulty in making room
for the fathers Of the boys, If they
come In large numbers.
2. There will be no room in the
dormitories for sleeping and in the
mess hall for boarding, now that we
have opened the college to 700 boys.
Therefore, If the farmers come they
will have to secure board and lodg-
ing in the neighborhood.
3. In order to master efficiently
this subject of cotton grading 1t will
require two months or more constant
attendance at the college in daily
work. Can the farmers spare this
valuable time from their farms? All
things therefore considered the ex-
ecutiye committee have thought 1t
wise to suggest that you recommend
to the Farmers Union the advisable
ity of employing our graduates in
this work Of sampling and grading
the cotton raised in South Carolina.
In this way the Farmers Union will
be giving employment to the farmers
sons. The committee feels confident
that in this way much better work
will be accomplished, and thereby
greater satisfaction given the farm
ers in their efforts to properly mar
kct the cotton crop.
Very truly,
a P. II. NELL, President.