Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-11-28
GRAVE ERRORS IN GEOGRAPHY.
FIagrant Mistakes Cited in South
Carolina Text Books.

| TO the Editor of The News and
Courier: | have found some very
| llagrant errors in the South Carolina
edition Of Maury's New Complete
Geography. These errors do not oc-
cur In all the books, but eighteen
| copies out Of twenty-one in one grade
have the following serious misstate-
ment Of facts. | quote the words Of
the book:
Higher Education - Throughout
the history Of the State attention has
| been paid to the subject Of educa-
ton. South Carolina College was
| established at "Columbus" in 1901.
| In 1906 1t was made by Act of the
Legislature the "University Of South
Carolina The university included
| Claflin College for colorcd students at
| Orangeburg. The Clemson AgricuI-
tural College, which is known as the
"Coloreu Normal, Industrial and Me.
chanical College," etc, about the
other colleges in the State.
1T seems from the above that our
beloved Clemson College is a colored
normal for colored students. Whilo
these books will not be studied but
| very little outside OF our own safe
still we do not enjoy the sentiment
Of such an uncalled for error. Note
also that South Carolina College vas
IA ,{cl, r~l
stead of Columbia. l did not know
before that Clailin College for C, l.
ored students at Orangeburg was a
part Of the University Of South Caro-
lima.
In naming the list Of colleges in
the State the book does not mention
Chicora College and Greenville Fe-
| male College, at Greenville, and
Limestone College, at Gaffney. note
that all the colored colleges in the
State are mentioned. Under the head
OF Military Schools it gives military
institute at Anderson.
On page it states that Anderson
county IS a prosperous one and that
the city Of Anderson has large trad
in cotton and rice How about
the "rice?" The rest is true. On
page 10 we note the following about
Walhalla: Walhalla, capital Of Oco-
nee county. delightfully."- situated
near the mountains, and a favoritc
summer resort. 1t is actively en-
gagged in trade and manufactures
The town is the seat Of Adger Col
lege, (Presbyterian.) This college
out Of existence over twenty years
ago
On page 10 Of the descriptive part
Of the book this error is found in
some OF the books in my school:
Effect Of Elevation-The temper
ature of mountains increases" about
one degree for every 800 feet Of per-
pendicular ascent.
My teachers have found other er-
rors of minor Importance as they
have advanced with their classes in
the book. The above, however, are
the most fiagrant errors and should
be corrected Immediately. We can't
afford to teach our children out of
books that are so careless. 1t seems
stranf too, that some Of the books
shoulC correct as to the above
while IT, others are not. In my
school nearly all OF the books have
the above errors.
1t seems to me that the publishers
should redeem all such books wher-
ever found in the State and replace
them at their own expense with new
ones. | would like for the State
Board OF Education to look into this
matter and see if the errors cannot
be corrected and new books given in
exchange for the ones with errors.
NJ. E. Brockman,
superintendent Seneca Schools.
Seneca, S. c., Nov. 20.