Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-06-27
FARMERS SOCIETY
PendIeiOn Association Has Long and
Honorable Service.
CALHOUN WAS The FIRST PRESIDENT
Col. stribling the = Present President
Has Been an Officer Forty Years
Claim is That Clemson College Gre"

More han q centenarian Is the
pendleton Farmers society, and now,
as so tften is the case, the son mas
outgroSn the father-for the Pendie-
ton Farmers society is the progenitor
of tie great Clemson College, writes
Mr.. Carrie McC. Patrick in the Green
vile News. 1t was here that the IDEA
was born when Major Thomas Green
Clemson was put on board TO devise
some manner which would appeal to
their fellowmen for aid to found an in
stitution for educating the people. IN
the science of agriculture. The other
members of this board were, Hon. r. F..
Simpson and Col. w. A. Hayne, This
was at q meeting held November "a,
1866. Major Clemson was made chair
man.
In a letter drafted by Hon. w. A.
Trescot, upon the request of this COM
mittee, he stated that this institution
would be for educating the people in
the sciences, to the end that our agri-
culture be improved, our worn and
Impoverished landS be recuperated,
and the great natural resources Of. the
south developed. If this, our prayer,
meets with sufficient response, an
institution will go into operation from
whence science of the highest order, in
all it's forms, will be gratuitously dis
pensed to unborn millions"
The great Clemson College is the
answer to this prayer, and that it has
not only brought education to the un-
born but education to the fathers as
well, shows that the prayers Of these
good men were doubled, may, even
trebled in the fulfillment.i And. as
Clemson College prospered there was
not such a dire need Of the old
Farmers society of Pendleton. Glenn
son college is Situated only a few
miles from the birthplace and home of
this society. "a
Still the first agricultural society in.
the United States exists todayLand the
present president, Col. Jesse c. Strib-
ling, has been an officer in the society
for more than forty years. Many times
he has begged to resign stating that
newer blood should come in, but the
members will not accept his resigna-
ton. He is the only one Of the "old
guard" left-he has the good Of the
society in his heart and mind at all
times, and he is still fired with the
imagination which made the dream of
a great agricultural school come true.
He sticks TO the letter Of the law, and
SAYS that the laws of the organization
are as the laws of the Medes and Per-
slams, and are actually chselled in
marble over the front door of the hall.
Women Now Members.
These laws, however, never stated
that women could not become men,
bers, for no such thing was ever
thought of in that day and time. The
dainty woman of that period, for the
society was formed in 1915, had only
to think of directing the forces of the
household, and her pretty head was
not bothered by any affairs pertaining
to the broad acres of the farms. After
1O7 years have elapsed twenty-seven
women were voted members at the last
meeting-the Civic association of
Pendleton-and three women honorary
MEMBERSHIPS Fred Brown, Miss Sara
McCrady Trescot and Mrs. c. Nc. C.
Patrick, the president stating that,
1--WE have been 107 years coming to
this stage, and we are now just doing
our full duty" .y'r
One adjunct of this organization,
and a very important one, was the
Social Visiting Farmers club This
club would meet at one of the MEM
bers' homes, probably the day would
be spent, and most of. the time taken
up in discussing agricultural questions.
The farmers, would exchange their
views, and not only views, but practi-
cal experience, and one would benefit
from another's work. They would plan
to keep their soil from washing, this
was one of the problems OF that time
for they had never heard Of the
methods of terracing which is used
today, which probably is the result OF
some of these meetings. AT one OF
these meetings n member advocates
doing away with ditching on the hill
sides, that this system would not dc
on steep lands. The statement was
made in the record of this meeting that
mo method of saving washing bottoms
seemed to be known or imagined, un-
less it be setting them in grass"
These things are mentioned so thu
the present-day farmer may see what
some of their forefathers had TO con.
tend with, they had no help in an cX.
tension way from n college. nor die
they have a county farm demonstra
tion agent, with his scientific skill t,
assist them. This Farmers societ.
was the only agent they had, addresse
by such men as Governor Perry, VIII
delivered the address at the sixty