Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-11-13

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be done. For five years he had
charge Of the State School for the
Blind. When his church at Vinton
had no pastor he preached and
taught the gospel for two years. He
established a farm paper. There
were few such papers in the country
at that time. He, with others, &C l.
Quoted an agricultural campaign.
fThe first course IN agriculture in
the Iowa College was organized and
the graduation of the first class took
place during his incumbency as mo-
fcssor and president.
Another crisis in Dr.. Knapp's life
came about this time. His health
gave way under a severe attack OF
rheumatism. A board Of physicians
said he must give up college work
and that he had only a few months
to live. His reply was that he would
accept their advice in regard to Civ
ing up the college work, but lot in
The matter Of giving up his life.
Turning his face to the Sunny South
he organized Il great development
company, bought a million acres of
land in Southwest Louisiana and
sent invitations all over the North
west, "Comc South. Young men, and
grow UP with the country" Several
thousand came. For many years he
had believed that the South was des-
tined or a wonderful future. He
said, Here is a people Of pure An
glo-SaXon stock, energetic but con-
sentative, without much admixture
of foreign blood. These people
should be the conservators Of the
best American traditions. Here is
a productive soil, delightful climate
and lo~ng-growing seasons" In con-
v%ersation with Chancellor Barrow, Of
the University Of Georgia, once, these
points being stressed. Chan
cellor Barrow was impressed with
the earnestness and optimism Of the
speaker, but remembering the diff
culties n struggles Of the Southern
people he could not quite see how
the South vas to become the garden
spot Of the world, SO he asked DR..
Knapp for a reason for the faith that
was in him. Dr.. Knapp's reply was,
because the terminating power of
the South is five times as great as
that OF any other part Of the coun-
try Chancellor Barrow says that
he has thought about this reply a
hundred times over, and that it Is
one OF the most complete and satisfy
ing answers he ever heard. He said
that DR.. Knapp had absolutely gone
to the bottom Of the question.
His Real Life Work.
The Farmers Cooperative Demon
stration Work was started in a small
way in 1903. DR.. Knapp visited one
small farm near Terrell, Texas, about
twice a month and directed the opc
r@ations there. ~Neighbornig farmers
met him in field meetings. At the
close OF the yea he had proved that
cotton could be grown in the lace Of
the boil weevil, and was urged to
extend his teachings and his meth
DDS throughout the whole country
devastated by the pest. The next
year, with funds furnished by Con
gress and by local business men. he
appointed a few agents and began
to organize different counties in
Texas. The work soon attracted tho
attention of the country. Congress
enlarged its appropriation, local aid
was increased and the work was ex-
tended to Louisiana and Mississippi
ADou this time the General Educa-
ton Board of New York asked to be
allowed to appropriate money fol
similar work in other cotton States
In a few short years this great work
had covered the entire South, had q
force of a thousand agents, an en-.
rollmcnt Of one hundred thousand
farmers, seventy-five thousand boys
in the Corn Clubs, and twenty-five
thousand girls in the Canning Clubs
Every State in the South began &c
show an increase in the average corr
production per acre, as we'll as Other
crops, and Southern Corn Club bows
attracted the attention OF the worlt
by producing more than two hun.
dred bushels Of corn to the acre a.
low cost. Girls, too, demonstrated
practical, scientific work in garden
and home. During the year Of hi.
death Russia, Brazil, England, Soutl
African and Argentina sent rCDrcsen.