Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-08-31
CAPT. JoNEs's VERSION.


The following is from the Columbia
State Of last Saturday:
Gov. Ansel has received from Capt
Iredell Jones Of Rock Hill letter set
ting forth one side Of the controversy
in Rock Hill over the school property
It will be recalled that some time ago
the trustees Of Winthrop college offer
ed to purchase what is known as the
high school property, offering to edu-
cate certain number Of the children
Of Rock Hill free. This proposition
was accepted, but the minority tied 1t
up in the courts. Since then an offer
has been made to rent the property by
Winthrop and according to Capt. Jones
the entire community has been split
into factions over the outcome.
This letter to Gov. Ansel Is as fol-
lows:
my dear Governor: Your letter of
the 18th instant duly received and has
tees. The vote on the proposition to
rent the high school property to Win
throp college stood three against and
three for the resolution, and therefore,
the motion to rent the property was
lost.
"The report of the superintendent,
herewith inclosed, showed our schools
to be overcrowded and therefore the
necessities of our schools require that
the high school building should be
used by school district pupils. The
three trustees voting In the negative
felt that their first obligation and duty
Is to provide for the school children
Of the district. The three trustees who
favor the sale Of the property in ques-
tion are opposed to its use for purposes
of the school district.
Governor, this question OF the
states taking charge Of education In
our school district is intensely vital to
the welfare Of all concerned.
1.-The board Of trustees Of Winthrop
college, in their first proposition to
purchase the high school property, pro-
posed to educate, free Of charge,
through the tenth grade, from 300 to
500 annually Of the Rock Hill school
district children. AS you remember
this was rejected by our school board
as impracticable, and doubtful Of full
fillment Since then our position on
this point has been sustained by a
committee of the legislature. The prop
osition to purchase for 100000, which
was afterwards accepted by vote OF
a bare majority, does not, on Its face
promise to educate any number OF the
ChHoieH VI LILO hsoSh hAhi oSiooA NS
trict.
"Our board is tied up on the PROPOSE.
ton to rent, as we'll as on the propo.
sition to sell; our people divided into
two antagonistic parties; education
impeded, and breaches made which Il
may be impossible to heal. And al
Of this brought about by the interfer-
ence Of the state in our local schoo
affairs. The action Of the WinthroI
board, through its officers, has already
cost us much In money and has inter
fered with what Is more valuable thar
money-the peace and good feeling OF
our community.
I'VE do not think your board is fully
acquainted with the methods which
have been resorted to by the president
Of Winthrop college, in company with
others who took sides with him to ac-
quire this property. The first move tc
purchase was the passage Of a resolu-
ton by the chamber of commerce re-
questing the board Of trustees Of the
school district to sell the high schoo
property to Winthrop college. We are
Informed that President Johnson was
the originator Of this move The next
step was a banquet, to which the
friends Of the movement were general
ly invited. Next, q petition was got
up, addressed to our board Of trustees
with 76 names upon 1t, In city or 1O,
900 inhabitants. A counter petition to
the board was afterwards obtained
with little effort, containing 456 names
Whereupon the first petition, as / re-
member, was not presented. Suisse
quently a bare majority Of our board
accepted $4,000 for the property, with
the tacit assurance, but not expressed
in the resolution, that Winthrop COL
lege would, Furthermore, educate, free
of charge, annually, from 300 to SOD
Rock Hill school children. Twenty
thousand dollars Is less than the build
ngs on the high school property cost
counting nothing for the beautiful site
Of land, valued by experts at not less
than $4,000, making $4,000 at least
as the value of the property in our
judgment, while some believe 1t to be
worth not less than $4,000.
1T ought not to surprise you, after
this showing. that our board can not
agree. And you can readily see why
the matter is in the courts.
THE conditions now existing retard
education in our school district, ano
1t seems strange to us that the officials
Of Winthrop college should, in any
way, be hindrance to the establish
ment Of high school in Rock Hill,
such as our school board inaugurated,
when the whole state has favored
greatly, and made large appropriations
to encourage. high school education.
II the president Of Winthrop college
had not coveted our holdings and used
powerful and unusual means In the
attempt to obtain them, we would, be-
fore this, have had a creditable high
school established"
The Record In Reply
In an extended reply to the fore
going. the Rock Hill Record of yes
terday leaves an impression Of very
decided difference Of opinion as to
the correctness Of the facts stated,
and issues the following challenge:
Capt. Jones says that the editorial
from the Rock Hill Herald, which he
enclosed in his letter to the governor,