The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-01-10
THE BIRTH OF CLEMSON.
DIR. j. W. Daniel Declares He First
Made Suggestion.

BILE for Clemson college, and l am
proud of it." was said by Dr.. ]. W.
Daniel, presiding elder of the Charles
ton district, at meeting Of the board
of stewards at the first quarterly con-
ference, held Sunday night, at Bethel
Methodist church.
To a newspaper man present this
was rather startling statement. Sen
ator B. R. Tillman has been receiving
credit for the achievement in this neck
Of the woods, and doubtless in every
other neck" where the statement OF
DR.. Daniel has not been heard. So the
newspaper man present sat up and
took notice.
The discussion of the efforts being
! made to raise funds for the purchase
of the new district parsonage in Char
lesion caused the remark Dr. Daniel
is very much interested in this recent
purchase by the Methodists of the
! Charleston district, and was asked by
a member of the board to tell those
present about it. This occurred in one
of those delightful informal periods
punctuating all of DR.. Daniels meet
ings with the stewards of his district,
when he becomes reminiscent.
He said that when he was quite a
young man, having just entered the
ministry, he was sent to the old Pen
dieton charge At that time Thomas
c. Clemson was an old eccentric man,
and a sceptic He had never been
A.cwn to go to church, but after sew
cral visits bg.Dr. Daniel, he came at
once to his church. DR.. Daniel said
there seemed to spring up liking for
him by ;he old man who was quite
talker.
About his time a meeting of the 10
caI Acricntl raj Fair association was
held, and Governor Perry was present
as a speaker Attention was thus di-
rected to the subject of agricultural
development Shortly after this Col.
Simpson came to see DR.. Daniel, and
! in conversation informed him that Mr..
Clemson was thinking of leaving his
possessions to found a mining college
Col Simpson, being an alumnus OF
Wofford college, was anxious to get
this property for his alma mater. DR..
Daniel said to Col Simpson:
''It would be foolish for Mr. Clemson
to leave his money to found college
on mines or mining, as there is moth
ing to mine in this State but a few fish
bones down on the coast, and if he
wants to found college why doesn't
he found an agricultural college?" Col.
Simpson, Dr. DaIiel> said, was very
much impres ed with the suggestion
and stated that he was going right
over and suggest it to Mr.. Clemson,
,hich he did; Mr. Clemson at once be-
coming quite enthusiastic
This" said Dr. Daniel, was the
birth of Clemson collsge, which has
become such a splendid school. Mr..
Tillman and othels may not like ne to
say this, but these are facts"
After the meeting adjourned, DR..
Daniel was asked by the reporter if he
had any objection to the use Of his
remarks relative to the foundation OF
Clemson college. None whatever,
was the reply. "Tney are facts, so
why should l mind?'
1t requires no stretch of the inagi-
nation to believe that this was the real
birth Of the college, to one who knows
Dr.. Daniel. A close student of condi-
tions and affairs, and with an intense
ly practical mind, such suggestion
was but logical sequence. A book,
which is now in the hands of the pub
fishers, written by him, shows how
very practical he can be- This book,
THE Bottom Rail-" will create SEN
sation, it is predicted, when it comes
from the press, and perhaps will have
as far reaching effects as the sugges-
ton to Mr.. Clemson that he leave his
money to found an agricultural col
Iegs.