The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-02-20
COUNTY TEACHERS MEET
DR.. Kinard Gives Interesting Sketch
OF Lie Of Geo. Peab0dy-Other
Matters.

On last Saturday morning a large
number Of the teachers OF the county
met at the court house in the regu-
lar monthly session. Mr.. Swearingen
had been asked to be present, but was
detained in Columbia. Dr., Kinard,
the president of the association, made
a short talk on the life of George
Peabody
George Peabody, said the speaker,
was born in South Danvers (now
Peabody, Mass. He left school at
eleven years of age and became a
clerk in country store. Later he
moved to Baltimore and engaged in
business for himself After making
several trips to London in the inter-
est Of his business, he finally settled
in London, where he remained till
his death in 1869.
In his long life as merchant Mr..
Peabody did more than any man OF
his day to. establish friendly trade
relations between the United States
and England In doing this he had
opportunities for building up a con-
siderable private fortune. Mr. Pea
body was never married, and being
greatly interested both in England
and in his own country, he gave large
sums of money for the benefit OF each.
Among his mos; notable gifts were
million and a quarter dollars to
provide better living conditions for
the London poor, and over a million
dollars for the Peabody Institute in
Baltimore.
On his death in London in 1869, his
body was placed for several days III
Westminster Abbey, and then, by or
der of Queen Victoria, was brought
to this country in an English man-of-
war. He was buried in the little
town in which he was born.
Mr.. Peabody was interested in the
South, and for.saw the hardsh1ps that
the South would pass through after
the war. In 1867, two years before
his death. he gave three million dol
lars for education in the South. Thfs
gift was placed in the hands Of q
board OF trustees, of which Mr.. Ro-
bert C. winthrop was the first chair
man. For many years only the m
terest on the money was used; oat
with this the trustees were able TO
do much to foster education in the
Southern States.
Peabody college was established at
Nashville, Tenn, and scholarships
worth $500 each, were allowed to b
certain number in each State. There
are many teachers in South Carolina
today who were enabled to get an
education only by the help Of these
scholarships.
Mr.. winthrop as agent for the Pea
body fund, allowed fifteen hundred
dollars a year to the Training School
for Teachers in Columbia, S. c., and
in gratitude for this the school was
called the Winthrop Training School
for Teachers (now Winthrop college,.
In 1909 the trustees decided to
close no the affairs of the fund and
distribute all the money. IN this Dis
tribution of the fund many OF the
State universities in the South re-
cei7ed $4,000 each, and Winthrop
college received 100000.
Last Wednesday, February :, was
celebrated generally throughout the
South as Peabody Day. it being at
that time just fifty years after MF.
Peabody made his generous gift.
Mr.. Barre, the county superintend-
ent of education, talked on Field Day,
and distributed programmes for that
event.
A committee consisting of Mr.. J. N.
Bedenbaugh, Miss Sadie Goggans, and
Mrs. Fannie Rawl Morris, was ap-
pointed to draft suitable resolutions
on the death of Mr.. w X. Tate.
DR.. Kinard and Miss Swittenoers
were elected delegates to the council
of the State Teachers association,
which will meet in Columbia, March
Is, 1917.