Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-09-25

J. SOME FACTS ABOUT j.
Il CHICORA COLLEGE. j.
s5.s.s3.....'3..i..sst5.. ss.I..2.3..S.S..s. i.f.
published by Request.)

On July I'd last & large party of
prominent citizens, living in the city
of Laurens, came into Greenville by
night, for a purpose-as it develop
ed later, a very definite purpose.
GOOD business men Of Laurens, as
elsewhere, do not go off at a tangent
and seldom do they go on a wild
goose chase" They usually pursue
a definite object, and have obtained
from some source, assurance or at
least a strong basis Of hope, for Ill
innate success in their undertaking.
The people of Laurens knew when
this committee of its citizens came
to Greenville, that the object of
their visit would meet with q def
mite support from certain Of the
membership Of the board Of trus-
tees Of Chicora College, or they
would not have come.
Greenyille, on the other hand, had
not the remotest reason for thinking
that any matter of SO grave import
ance and radical a nature as the re-
moyal of Chicora College from her
midst would be even considered,
much less taken up and concluded.
What reason did the nine trustees
less than a third of the entire
board-have for forcing their views
upon the other members Of the
board?
They took such action as no board
Of directors Of a business organiZa-
ton would have considered for a
moment. No previous notice was
given that the question Of removal
to Laurens was to be considered.
To claim as the motive that they
we're prompted 'olely by their desire
to free tie college from debt Is pue-
rile, for a moments thought would
convince any thinking man that a
greater profit could be realized by a
different mode of Selling out" Lau-
rens, though, and Laurens only, was
any other city Of South Carolina, was
to be in the running.
The proposition to Laurens, from
nine out Of a total of twenty-eight
trustees (but the nine constituted a
majority of those present at that
meeting Of the board) was some
thing like this: Raise seventy-f1ve
thousand dollars In cash or good
notes, secure a suitable site In your
midst, and then we will expend the
money you raise in your own town;
bring to o about q hundred thou
sand dollars that we think will be
left after the payment of existing
debts; and placing behind these the
prestige and support Of all the Pres
byterians OF South Carolina, we will
give you a splendid thing; and no
other town in the wide, wide world,
not even G%reenville, would be allow
ed to get In the way of Laurens.
Of course Laurens took up their
offer! Not to have done so would
hQ va haan n Atcorndif {N- fhnir frfo1l{
gence and business acumen for all
time. Genuine hve-dollar gold
pieces nj The rate OF about . dollar
ma y hoIf each VIII always be hRr
gains.
rho alienation Of III" more mar
twelve hundred ProsNytcrians Of
together With AuNQYel.
In other parts Of the State, from
Chicora-and this alienation would
be justified in the minds of all who
understand the case-is OF no mo-
ment to these nine men. Nor does
1t seem to matter that the almost
vindictive fight some men who are
connected with other Of the churches
institutions are making, have engen-
dered animosities that may reason
ably be expected to adversely affect
these places.
The fancied injury to Laurens
must be salved, though South Caro-
II Presbyterianism is sorely
wounded in its application.
Practically every dollar in net
value vested in Chicora's property
has been put there by Greenville.
Every one agrees hat there is a
good margin between the indebted
ness on the college property and the
actual value Of the property.
The president Of the college is
quoted as saying: There seems to
be no reasonable ground to doubt
that, given a little time and the
property. properly handed, would
bring not less than $15O,O0O."
1t Is probably safe to that
this reference to value only included
the worth Of the realty and did not
embrace any Of the costly equipment
that a well furnished college must
always have. 1t Is doubtful If this
could be purchased for $4,000.
If the foregoing statement and
surmise are correct, then there is
a margin Of 100000 between debt
and property value in the colleges
balance sheet. Greenville alone ere
ated the property value; the Synod,
which includes Greenville, made the
debt.
Some people have asked, Why is
Greenville idle? Why isn't she on
her mettle and up and doing?
In the first place, we had no notice
of the step until tho action was
taken, and then We were told in I'M
mistakable words that the question
involved was between Chicora Col
lege and the city OF Laurens, and
that no offers from Greenvil,e or any
other place in South Carolina were