The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-09-28
NC> CAN 60 TO COLLEGE.
Any Vigorous Boy WHO Really Wishes
College Education Can Get 1t if
lie IL Willing to Work for 1t.

Mr.. French's letter to the Young
man who cannot go to college in q re-
cent number certainly ought to be a
great inspiration to that individual.
whoever he may be. / do not think
sufficient stress has been laid on the
fact that any able bodied boy who has
not others dependent on his labor can
get college education if he really
wants it.
Prof. Welborn's letter showed that.
and another also; still it is doctrine
that ought to be persistently preach
ed. SO many fine young fellows,
when asked why they do not go to
college, reply that. they haven't the
money, and think that is a good rea-
son. That is no reason at all. as
thousands of college graduates can
testify.
1T has been my fortune to attend
four different schools, three Of which
were in the South. ~ expenses at
the first two were paid with money
made at home, clerking in my faith
er's store, and it was luck for me
that my father was willing to pay me
the same wages another boy would
nave cost him, for it would have
been hard indeed to get anything to
do at these schools Is years ago. un-
less l had been willing to compete
with darky bootblacks. Several
years later, at the Mississippi A. G.
NJ. college. l found a big farm and a
large amount of labor, the greater
part Of which was done by students
at, If l remember correctly, the rate
of eight cents per hour, which, low
as 1t was. nearly paid the re-
markably low expenses at this in
stltution for number Of the
poorer students Wishing to special
ize in Animal Husbandry, the next
year found ME a student at the Uni
versity OF Minnesota. After register
ing. l tackled the heads OF depart
ments for work. My drawing speech
and deliberate movements, in strong
contrast to the crisp way Of talking
and exuberant energy Of the natives,
did not make a favorable impression,
but finally they concluded that q fell
low who had come that far to get
schooling was at least worth trying
the cattle barn at five next morning
Owing to the crowded condition Of
the school. the only room I could
get was mile from my work, which
meant rising at four. The next two
months will live in my memory after
most other things are forgotten, for
the mercury was soon living around
zero. stuck it out, and was soon
making $40 per month, which paid
expenses, and later, as an instructor,
did considerably better than that.
Few of our Southern boys can rea-
lize with what appalling toll some Of
my schoOlmates paid for their start.
| remember one chap, a Canadian,
bent shoulders Of an old man, tho he
was no more than %, who told me
he had sledded lumber 20 miles all
the previous winter, making the
round trip every day, with the ther-
mometer often 20 to 80 degrees be-
low zero, in order to make the money
to get himself and sister started
at the school He joyfully took the
job Of milking 10 COWS morning and
night. and his sister found something
to do at the Girls Building. He is
now chemist for a big sugar refinery
in Cuba. and his sister has a fine
government position.
His was an exceptionally hard case.
OF the $500 students who were in
the University at that time, l believe
that fully third were paying their
own way by work done out of school
hours and during vacation. Some
had newspaper routes in the city,
others tended furnaces or took care
of horse or COW for private fam
lilies for their board, a great mary
did jantor work in office buildings
and churches, any one Of a thousand
things that could be done outside Of
school hours. During vacations they
would work on farms, drive delivery
wagons, work as walters at summer
about $25 per month. During the
harvest and threshing seasons, hun
dreds would go to the great grain
fields and make $3.50 and $50 per
day and board, working 16 hours per
day.
SurelN those fellows Were not