The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-12-02

and fifty-ninth Methodist Conference
and interested laymen with the telling
of their life stories and the life stories
of their classmates at this school,
which tended to show conclusively
Just what a valuable character fac
tory" the South Carolina MethOdists
have in the shape Of this school for
mill boys and girls, Of which ID. L.
Gamak is superintendent.
Many persons who had attended
with the expectation of hearing a
few songs and perhaps a lot of tech
nical details pertaining to the work
Of the Textile school were agreeably
surprised when five young men, of
the average age of "a years and whose
schooling has been twelve to fourteen
months told in a straightforward and
appealing manner Of just how the
school had been q blessing to them.
The gist Of the information supplied
by these young men is that in the Tex
tile School the Methodist Conference
has an institution which puts the
young men and women Of the mill
village in the way of making better
citizens, religiOusly, politically and
technically. AS one of the speakers
said: I'VE young fellows who have
been to this school know that the ma
jority of mill workers follow the low
est type politicians because the we'll
to do classes, they imagine, are their
enemies, but do you know that all of
us who could vote, in this school last
election day voted the anti-administra-
ton ticket" The young speaker
went on to show that the school trains
mill boys to be leaders for better con-
ditions, civic and economic. He said
that instead of having to send to 9TH
er States, often far away, for mill
bosses, that young men prepared for
these jobs at the Textile Industrial
School could hold them just as capab-
ly. The big feature Of the school is
the fact that any young man or wo-
man from the mill districts who wants
to 'get ahead in life, can attend for
there are no tuition fees, and by i
cooperative arrangement a student
pays all expenses by alternately work.
irg one week and attending the school
the next week. The boys told of how
in many cases, this opportunity Of Sc
curing a good education had proven
= providential answer to their prayers
to be able some day to go to school.
Certainly it was plain to be seen that
their short talks, straight from the
shoulder" as it WERE made power
full impression OH the assembled Con-
ference.
After the conclusion Of the speeches
Of the students, c. +. Hammond, a
prominent Methodist, and a business
man, Of Spartanburg, who has been
one Of the main workers for the
school since it's establishment, made
strong plea for the further invest
ment of South Carolina Methodism in
this work which was accomplishing
so much of good. The songs by the
boys of the institute were a feature
much enjoyed. at various intermis.
sions on the program.
The discussion Of the division Of the
| conference was deferred from thit
morning, when it had been set as a
special order of business, until to-
morrow morning, on motion of Rev. u
M. Mcleod. This postponement was
made in order that the members OF
the various classes who were passed
on today and who will be received in
to the conference tomorrow morning
at the business session, might vote on
the question of division. There was
opposition to the postpOnement and
the debate, which was commenced on
Thursday morning, will be continued
tomorrow Immediately after an ad-
dress by Bishop Wilson.
The session Of Friday morning was