The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-09-12
REV. ". P. JACOBS
DIES IN Clinton
Thornwell Orphanage Was One OF
Notable Achievement. of This
Presbyterian Minister.

DIR. William Plummer JACOBS T.
D., IL. D., for many years one OF the
leading figures in the Presbyterian
church in the south, and man whose
name will be immortalized through
living monuments his labors estab-
lished to alleviate the suffering OF
humanity and inculcate the highest
ideals of citizenship, notable among
them the Thornwell Orphanage at
Clinton, S. c., died at $40 Monday
morning at his home in Clinton at
the age of seventy-five years.
Sunday DR.. Jacobs appeared as
well as he has been during the past
wear or so of failing health and
preached twice. He awoke early on
Monday morning, complaining OF
pains in his head. He soon lapsed
into Inconsistencies, which ended
with his death, which physicians at
tribute to Indigestion.
Sketch of His Life.
DIR. Jacobs was born March Is,
1912, at Yorkville, S. c., the son of
Rev. and Mrs. ]. Ferdinand Jacobs.
He was educated at Charleston col
lege. His wife, formerly Miss Mary
J.. billiard, died thirty-eight years
ago. He moved to Clinton when it
was town of about 200 inhabitants
and noted as one of the "bad towns"
of South Carolina, now a prosperous
city, due in large measure to his
influence. Clinton's first Presbyter-
ian church was founded by DR.. ia
cobs, who was its pastor for forty
seven years, finally retiring because
of his health and the pressure OF
other duties.
The Thornwell orphanage, founded
by DR.. Jacobs in 1872 and opened
in 1875, was his greatest work.
From probably the most modest be-
ginning that has ever characterized
a great institution, the orphanage
has grown to be one of the greatest
in America. Through this instltu-
ton the influence of DR.. Jacobs has
pervaded orphanages all over the
country and has resulted in a home
atmosphere and the universal adop-
ton of humanitarian ideals he spon-
sored.
The Thornwell orphanage has al
ways declined to bind its children by
taking their legal custody, preferring
rather to brand deeply into their
hearts and minds high ideals of citi-
zenship and leaving them free when
qualified to take on the greater bur-
dens of life. The result has been
the rearing of men and womn who
have attained prominence in many
endeavors and VINO have reflected in
the most creditable manner the pre-
cepts of the home that brought them
up.
DR.. Jacobs saw to it that both
academic and industrial education
was provided by the orphanage. One
of the features was the unit system
Of construction. Instead of housing
the children in one great dormitory
or feeding them in one great refec-
tory, he built a number of cottages
which he found possessed greater ad-
vantages over the single big build
ings. This system has been adopted
by many progressive orphanages and
kindred institutions over the country.
How Orphanage Started.
Friends of DR.. Jacobs have often
heard him tell of the beginning of
the Thornwell orphanage. A : little
child came to his house and asked to
be taken in. He cared for. him and
when he told the story to his congre-
CATION, another little boy approached
him and offered fifty cents from his
savings bank, asking in sublime
confidence that it would be suftici-
ent that the minister would take the
contribution and build the orphanage
he had spoken of.
'I took the half dollar and built
the orphanage with it," DR.. Jacobs
has said, "for it formed the nucleus
of the fund"
There are now 800 children at the
Thornwell orphanage. One of its sus-
tanning bodies is the Georgia synod
and it's trustees include John ]. Ea-
gan and Rev. Richard Orme Finn,
of Atlanta.
Another monument to DR.. Jacobs
is the South Carolina Presbyterian
college, founded by him as the Clin-
ton High school. This college con-
ferred on him the degree of doctor OF
divinity and he received the degree
IL. .f 1ou,, from Erckine cO1-