The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-06
LETTERS, TO EDITOR
Institute at Camp Hill

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 The Southern Industrial institute of Camp Hill was established in the fall Of 1898 by Lyman Ward for purpose of giy- ing bows and girls of slender means an opportunity to get an education by work
 ing for the school to pay part or all their expenses. MT. Ward began with practically nothing but his faith and the need of the work to inspire him and impel him to go on to better the educa- tional conditions of the rural districts of this state.
 He believed that if an opportunity was given to the many boys and girls who have not the means to pay $15 and $20 per month that is necessary for board in other schools of the state that it would be one the greatest factors of eliminating Hitter aey within the borders of our state. This was the first and foremost plan growing out of MT. Wards philanthropy ic heart, but he did not stop with this plan of just striking blow at illiteracy, but he said we must teach the boys how to make a bale of cotton to the acre, and from 50 to 75 bushels of corn to the acre, dDu iO keep IIIlPlONillB OI lIlIS uhlll the limit of production was reached. And to teach them the importance of having good live stock and the best way to get the largest results from this great indus try, and the same with brick-making, car- pentry, printing and other industries that the institute is carrying on in connection with the school work.
 faiI r,f |, of this school, even with the limited means we have had at hand up to this time, but l believe that the above brief outline will convince anyone who is interested in education, and the building up of our fair state, that if this school can get an endowment so that it can take in hun dreds of boys and girls each year, that we can hardly estimate the far-reaching results toward making for the prosperity of our people
 l am sure that the good and patriotic people of Alabama do not realize the need of this kind of a school in their midst; if. so. MT. Ward would have long since re- ceived help from the people here in this state that would have enabled him to take
  girls that he has been compelled to turn away from this worthy institution since it was founded on account of the lack of means. Mr. Ward has helped over 300 boys and girls since the school was start ed, many who would today be illiterates in this state if they had not been given the opportunity that this school Is giving to as many as it's means will afford. The students from this school have entered into tine professions teaching, medicine, dentistry, law, etc.
 The present superintendent of the insti- ute farm is an alumnus of the school, having come there at the age of Is with next to no education. He was successful in raising 70 bushels of corn to an acre last year and nearly bale of cotton. mention these facts to show the people that we are really doing something at this school that shows for Itself the good of this institution. One student I would like for people to know what tho school was to him is MT. Harper, the pres ent tax assessor of Tallapoosa county, who entered this school at the age of 20 with but one arm, and with practically no education, having lost his arm at that age. working at a cotton gin. l-He came dependent He went away prepared to take care of himself.
 Friends of education, these are the kind of boys and girls we are seeking to help so as to enable them to enrich our great state. Can there be any greater work than giving to the boys and girls of Anglo Saxon blood in America, who have character. but no education, the oppor- tunity that this institution is seeking to give them? We feel that there is none, and we are doing all we can, and are only limited by the means we have at hand
 It seems strange to say that the man who founded this work came all of the way from New York: had the school in- corporated; made it undenominational and not owned by himself or any individual It is administered by board of trus- tees of II with the power to hold this property and whatever money the school might have In trust, and for the purpose os education. And it has seemed strange to the many philanthropists up north who have given the school nearly S1C00G0 since it's establishment that our people have not helped more, but l believe it is because