The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1922-07-27


"hat ! asked had been in my hear
lor q long time. l confided my secret
llrst, to my pastor, he in turn to m,
rather, then It was no longer secret
MY father was a railroad man a
she time, and worked away from
nome. When he came home, w.
"a'ked down to the spring together
and he told me that he was glad +,
know that l wanted to preach. Tho
tears were flowing from his ewes
and his voiced trembled, but he man
aged to say Slowly that might de.
pend on him to help me all he could
winch was not much for he had (;
large family dependent entirely uoo,
his daily labor. In few days, with.
out any previous notice he wrote ~,
! to go at once to Clemson COLLEGE l.,
two hours after receiving his lcttt,
| had put my handful of bclcnp:nys
into small trunk and was on NV
way to Clemson. This was on tn,
twcnty-flrst Of July, 1893, just three
weeks after the College first opened
her doors. had made no arrange
ments at all for my admission but
PRESIDENT Craighcad was exceptional
~ kind to me and allowed me to
/ matriculatc.
was assigned to the preparatory
department, and having now new
llfe and purpose, I applied myself
with all diligence, SO that when the
Preparatory Department was divided
INTO higher and lower preparatory,
tsEas assigned to the higher. | was
''how in my twentieth year and just
beginning. In November l was taken
sick and after spending about five
weeks i'll the College hospital, went
home till after the winter vacation.
| resumed my work in the higher
preparatory class, having lost too
much time in my sickness to pass into
the Freshman class. My father was
seriously injured in March of this
year, 1894, and it became clear that
his injury was permanent, and that
| could not look to him for help much
longer. He generously stood by me
till ! had finished the Freshman year
at Clemson. The two years and a
half cost him about S275OO. The
rest Of the cost paid with work for
the College at eight and five cents
per hour. BY the time school closed
in 1895 (Clcmson had vacation in
winter for the first few years. it was
clear that | was in the wrong school,
and that my dependence upon my
father must stop entirely. The time
spent at Clemson was we'll spent and
think it a kind providence that sent
ne there. 1t was now December Of
1895. was on my own resources
;"d hal to wait till the following
September for the opening Of the
other schools. For something over
two months did night duty for the
Edgemorc Bridge Company while
they were constructing a steel bridge
over the Enorcc river at Enorcc. Fo:
this work received dollar per nig:t
and went back to my fathers l:ttlc
farm at SwitZcr with $52 in cash.
This deposited in a Spartanburg
bank till September. In the mean
ti"'e | helped my father and brothcr
make crop and assisted in gathering
i. ill about the middle Of September.
| accented no compensation for the
work Ct this year, but let it go as
q partial return for my fathers past
favor.
At this time Brother I. w. Wingo
had hourishing high school at
Campobello. A good friend directed
my attention to it. Thithcr | went
with my $500 and the promise Of
good friends at home to stand by me.
This they did in every needed way
Before my departure they met, the
pastor and deacons and few Of the
leading brethren : of the Switzcr
church, and after consulting with me-
it developed that my pastor was not
very favorably impressed with me as
prospective minister, and one uf the
deacons was not in favor of helping
any young man prepare for the min
istry. "Let him fight his own battle"
was his theory, and very economi
cal one it was. But the brethren IN
the main endorsed me and pledged
about $50 or $50 for my support when
it was needed. l want to record here
my everlasting gratitude to DR.. j. B.
Stepp, who was at that time mem
Der OF the Switzer church. He was