The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-10-05

Inc oWDeTF ODSeTNcI udo O 'Ciy
teresting editorial on the value OF New
berry College to that town. Says the
Observer: ,
"The people of Newberry are mighty
proud OF Newberry college. They show
It by sending their SONS there to be ed
ucated; and they show it In various other
ways that give proof that they honor the
institution and regard 1t as a high order
Of excellence.
Do they realize the value OF the college
to the business life Of the city,. To some
extent, no doubt, they do; and yet they
probably do not think enough OF; the dol
lars and cents that it pours into the chan-
nels of Newberry's trade and commerce.
A college Is q splendid asset to any
town, not only in the high moral and IN
telIectual tone that it helps to, establish
and maintain; it is also q great help to
business. Any town or city in South Car
DINA would be glad to have such an IN,
stitution in its midst, and would pay well
for the privilege. -.
only as q center Of learning, but as n OF
its most valuable commercial n business
enterprise.
The Daily Mail comments on the above
editorial as follows:
I'VE are sure that what the Observer
says Is true. We are sure the college is
one OF Newberry's most valuable assets
from q business standpoint, to say moth
ing of It's value In an intellectual and
social way.
Wouldn't it be q splendid thing for An
derson II we had a big college here, for
either boys or girls?
Such an Institution would pay big diyi-
dends. It would stimulate trade. 1t
would draw desirable people to the com,
munity, 1t would enhance the value OF real
estate.
But, most important Of all, it would give
q tone and vigor to u social atmosphere
that is now sadly lacking"
The above comments are true. There Is
no estimating the value Of q college to a
town. To figure out such advantages Is
a"sum'' for the shrewdest mathematician.
While many Of the .denominational and
smaller colleges are doing more work
than they have ever done before and while
they are accommodating more young men
and women than they have ever accom-
modated before still the attendance is not
up to what it ought to be by any means.
) Why L. this so? Why 10 young men not
sttend our literary institutions in larger
numbers? In this. golden age 1t would
seem that more colleges would have to be
built In order 10 accommodate those In
search for higher education.
The reason is found in a sentiment,
which Is current and ever increasing, for
education for efficiency, education for
bread winning. So long IS a dry goods
clerk can make more money than a man
with q literary education can in following
literary pursuits, we may expect literary
colleges to suffer. So long as four years
training behind q counter Is worth more
per month than four years in classic walls
we may expect, young men to elect the
former pursuit.
The average young man has not much
money to spend on his education and
when he elects a course In a literary COL
lege he is usually in debt when he finishes.
What can such q young man do when he
receives his diploma? What avenues are
open to him along the Rialto Of life?
There are just two things that he is fitted
for; one is to secure a position as teacher
the other is to prepare for making OF him
self q preacher. Now we no not in the
least discount these vacations but we do
say that It ii very unreasonable to i'm
agine that all the young men who attend
literary institutions are fitted in temper
ament to fill creditably such vacations.
But the young men Of today are not
following the traditians Of the fathers.
They ask themselves the bare, bald, bold
question: what can We do that will put
us In the way Of making bread" And
once having proposed the question they
push their enquiries to the logical answer;
educate for efficiency.
And so 1t Is today that the chronological
and agricultural schools are full to over.
flowing and even turn off hundreds OF
pupils every year, while the literary col
leges are only holding their own. They
do not turn pupils on for lack Of accom-
modations.
In the chronological, scientific, and
agricultural schools the boy may find
scores Of pursuits open to him. He may
become a vetinary surgeon, a cotton
mill man, a railroad engineer, a chemist,
q hor%ticulturist-a specialist In scores Of
things. These vocations are held out, too,
at cheaper rates than the. two vacations
first mentioned. Is it any wonder that
the boy selects the latter?
As soon as he finishes his college career
insuch an institution he at once finds q place
for the exercise Of his talents. Such men
are In demand. The demand Is even great
er than the supply. Little wonder then
that the young men are all looking toward
such schools for their mental discipline as
as well as manual training.
The literary colleges, for the present
at least, are doomed. That is q college
that Is purely literary and offers no oppor.
tunities for education for efficiency other
wise than to train for school teaching or
other polite professions. The demand for
trained men In industrial pursuits is so
great that the youth Of the land are turn
ing their faces toward Institutions where
special training may be had In the par
ticular branch In which they may wish to
develop their talents.
The sooner the smaller colleges realize
this and turn their attention toward adop-
ting some practical means Of giving the
young men what they want the better
they will succeed.