Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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PAGE NUMBER SEVEW Tl Jay, May 14, 1931 0 The John Dc la Howe State School (By Bellvue H. D. Club.) The John De la Howe School is one of the many interesting spots cf McCormick Comity. It owes its origin to Dr. John De la Howe, a French emigre who settled in this section of the country sometime during the latter half of the 18th century, and lived among the Ht&uenots at New Bordeaux, S. C. He was not a Huguenot nor a member of the colony, but was held in high esteem by them and acted as judge and counselor for them. He was a physician by profession and practiced among the people of the community. It is to be re gretted that so little is actually known of Dr. De la Howe’s life for it undoubtedly must have been fill ed with interesting and useful work in" the development of a new country, €.nd the setting up of a heme and civic life in a new world. He was a man of culture and learn ing, with varied interests, and re markable vision into the future. He loved this hew world with its great forests, its streams and wild life and the wonderful possibili ties it had for its new inhabitants. We have' learned through records in Charleston that Dr. De la Howe was married there, but whether his wife came to the up country with him we don’t know. For many years his menage under the care of a faithful housekeeper who preceded him to the grave by ten years. It was his request that he be buired beside her, and an en closure built around the two graves. Today in the heart of the forest, this tomb with its heavy iron door, bearing an inscription in Latin, with each letter wrought and riveted by hand on it marks his last resting place. The inscrip- tfon is this—Johnnes De la Howe, Founder of this Agricultural Sem inary—died January 2, 1797. Dr. De la # Howe had a splendid estate of more than 2800 acres which he called Lethe. Why he chose that name, which means for getting, or what he wished forgot ten he doesn’t tell us, but many stories have grown up around the name. Perhaps there had been trouble, persecutions in the home land which he would forget. Per haps the loss of a lovely young wife who had been willing to brave the hardships cf an unexplored coun try with him, and whose strength had failed, or maybe the story for which there is no foundation, that he had stolen a British army of ficer’s wife, and carried her away with him to this new world and wished the past to be completely wrapped in oblivion, might l^ave suggested the name. Realizing the value of the young people in ^his newly settled coun try, and the importance of educat ing them, and the limited oppor tunities that many of them would have, Dr. De la Howe bequeathed his property to the poor children of Abbeville district, which at that time comprised a large section from which several counties have been formed, to become a school and also a home during the years of study, for 12 poor boys and 12 poor girls, orphans given the pref erence, other things being equal. A pamphlet written by Chas. Pen ny Coates, of St. Louis, Mo., and published by the Bureau of Educa tion, speaks of the Lethe Founda tion as the oldest manual training school in America. In his will Dr. De la Howe states the establishing of the Lethe Agricultural Semin ary was suggested by an article in the Columbian Magazine of April 1787 which is a plan for establish ing Schools in a new country where the inhabitants are thinly settled, and whose children are to be edu cated with special reference to a country life. A brief outline of the Columbian plan is this. A farm school where children can be employed and make their support is recommended. A man ager versed in farming, a school master whose wife will be house keeper, a competent cook skilled in the culinary requirements of the neighborhood, and two assistants to the farm manager make up the personnel of the faculty. The chil dren’s beds and bedding, clothes and materials for clothing must be provided by their parents. The; boys were to be instructed in farm ing, and cultivations of orchards, and during the winter months to care for the cattle, provide fuel and keep up the school’s fences. The girls would “be taught to sew, to knit, to spin, to cook, to make beds, to clean house to make and mend their own clothes, to make) the boys’ clothes when cut out and « ; :viiCK MESSENGER, McCORMICK, SOUTH CAROLINA j«an _. Chilean Nitrate of Soda M. G. & J. J. DORN (Incorporated) Dealers McCORMICK, S. C. NO MORE or mice, after you use RAT-SNAP It’r a sure rodent killer. Try a Pk?. and prove it. Rats killed with RAT-SNAP leave no smell. Cats or dogs won’t touch it. Guaranteed. 35c size - 1 cake - enough for Pantry, Kitchen or Cellar. 65c size - 2 cakes - for Chicken House, coops, or small buildings. $1.25 size - 5 cakes - enough for all farm and out-buildings, storage buildings, or factory buildings. Sold and guaranteed by STROMS’ DRUG STORE McCc.rmick, S. C. to mend them, to milk cows and to make butter and cheese.” “The plainest qnd most important prin ciples of religion and morality were to be taught. The children would be v/ell and uniformly educated in the most necessary learning and in the most important acts of civil life, husbandry and domestic econ omy. They would acquire habits of industry. Their manners and be havior would be formed and rend ered mild and agreeable. In sum ming up the advantages of such a school, we read the following: “A few successive sets of schol ars thus educated returning to their several homes would quite change the face of the country, in point of cultivation, and introduce a pleasing* change in the knowl- ege, manners of the people, and abolish the invidious distinction of citizens and clowns.” This Columbian plan was pub lished about ten years before De De la Howe’s death, and he un doubtedly gave it serious thought and study for he adopted it with very few modifications in the plan for Lethe Agricultural Seminary. Besides providing for twenty-four poor children he asks that, if con venient, other children able or un able to pay for their schooling, but who wished for the advantages of Lethe be instructed. In his will Dr. De la Howe makes a few re quests concerning the management of the Seminary that are rather in teresting, among them, are these: “I do wish and recommend the use of beech leaves, gathered be fore the frost and dried in the shade for bedding: as the leaves of the beech tree, cured as mention ed make a comfortable and by far a more healthy bedding than feathers, as they will remain good for four or five years and may eas ily be renewed. The boys were to be instructed in surveying and taught the fundamentals, along with the girls, of learning, and in addition both boys and girls” “shall be instructed in such chemical principles as the success of their different operations depends upon” Shaw’s Chemistry was the text book to be used. Children having been in school a period of five years or more, and having completed their education and “behaved to the satisfaction of the trustees during their resi dence shall receive such gratifica tion in cattle from the trustees as in their judgment they may think expedient.” The control of the school was to be placed In the hands of the Ag ricultural Society of South Carolina which had been founded in 1785. In case the Society for whatever reason declined the responsibility the legislature of S. C. was asked to assume control and appoint trustees. The History of the Agri cultural Society of S. C. by C. Irvine Walker says “But the dist ance of the estate from Charles ton being probably ten days jour ney prevented the society from at tending to the same and it resign ed the trust and the legislature constituted trustees to fulfill the charitable wishes of Dr. De la Howe.” * Of the forest which constituted the bulk of the Dr.’s estate he says in his will: One thousand acres ia'l forever remain in wood or rest, in order to supply the farm Ith convenient range and with ; 1 4 and timber, and in time con- ibute to the support of the insti- ation.” His provision and fore- .:ight have preserved a wonderful .orcst, one of the finest in the ; ate. The money left by the Dr. vas to be used to buy implements for the :?arm. To certain friends to whom he v/ished to give a remembrance suggesting sentiment rather than momentary value, he left mourning dngs a guinea each. The custom of presenting mouring rings is of great age.' Shakespeare in his will bequeathed two or three to his friends. The history of Lethe Seminary is not fully recorded. Changing conditions of living, wars, and per iods of reconstruction and read justment, vicissitudes of farming and the uncertain income from the estate, the only source of revenue, made the maintaining of a school very difficult at times, and records of the activities and children in attendance were not kept. Seem ing to sense the times wherein we live, and the great need for intelli gent and abundant interest in the school by those to whom he in trusted it Dr. De la Howe says in his will, “I beg the honourable leg islature graciously to keep the in stitution under their fatherly pro tection.” This the Legislature of 1918 did, assuming the control and support of the institution, and ex tending its privileges to every county in the state. At that time the name was changed from Lethe Agricultural Seminary to Dr De la Howe State School,-and as such is now known throughout the state. The present management, realizing that the world marches forward on the feet of little children, feels the responsibility entrusted to him by the spirit of the founder of the school, and the State of South Carolina to set those little feet on the upward path, and have them to march ever forward. x Washington Gommission Urges Participation WASHINGTON, D. C„ May 11.— Two things should be strongly em phasized with respect to the cele bration of the Two Hundredth Anniversary of the Birth of George Washington next year, according to the Bicentennial Commission. 1. It will be a nation wide, even a world wide series of celebrations in which every state, city and town—every organization and in stitution, every home and individ ual—in the United States, together with Americans and others in mahy foreign countries,' will par ticipate. Every community is ex pected to plan and carry out its own program of events, in co-op eration with the National George Washington Bicentennial Commis sion and the State Commissions. 2. It will last from Washington’s Birthday, February 22, 1932, to Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1932, with special local and na tional celebrations everywhere on all holidays, anniversaries, or oth er days which can be connected with the life of George Washing ton. It will take time to prepare local programs and arrange for the lo cal celebrations. Every program should relate to the great life and work of the First President and Founder of the Republic. Tne Na tional George Washington Bicen tennial Commission urges mayors and other officials of every city and town in the United States to appoint George Washington Bicen tennial Commissions or Commit tees, in order to prepare for the events of the Bicentennial Year in co-operation with the National and State Commissions. AH organizations and institu tions of whatever character—civic, business, labor, educational, fra ternal, literary, social and others —are urged to plan for a “George Washington Year” in 1932. Ma sonic lodges should be especially active in this work as the life of the First President was so closely associated with his membership in that Fraternity. The National George Washing ton Bicentennial Commissioin, Washington Bldg., Washington, D. C., will gladly send literature and suggestions for local programs to any committee, organization or group that will write for them. History may be bunk and all that, but it provides a lot of good material for after-dinner ad dresses. .. GOVERNMENT BOOK, “FURNI TURE, ITS SELECTION AND USE,” USEFUL FOR FARM HOME-MAKERS Because the farm home is an im portant social element represent ing nearly half the families of the country, the new government man ual for the home-maker: “Furni ture, Its Selection and Use,” should be highly interesting to housewives n ruial communities. This is the cpinion of M. S. Winder, Chicago, Illinois, executive secretary of the American Farm Bureau Federation, who is a member of the subcom mittee of the National Committee on Wood Utilization cf the Depart ment cf Commerce, under whose guidance the booklet was prepared. “It is unquestionably true that modern living conditions, the farm home interior in general, is far more attractive than it was a de cade or two ago,” Mr. Winder said. “With present-day transportation facilities, social gatherings have increased and the farmer’s wife, through easy access to sources of supply, has beccme more discrim inating in her choice of furnish ings. The home is the laboratory as well as the dwelling place of the rural family, and it is highly im portant that it be tastefully, use fully and economically furnished. “This new bulletin will aid the home-maker in the rural commun ity to check up on the construction of her furniture; it will aid her in apportioning her home furnishings budget; it will tell her something about the various styles, and ex plain how they may be grouped in accordance with the principles of harmony. It should also con vince her that it is not necessary to store every comfortable chair in the barn or attic.” The bulletin is intended primar ily as an aid to the consumer who seeks information concerning bud geting, comfort, utility, construc tion, materials, styles, ensembles, and details in the care and repair of furniture. With more than 50 illustrations and diagrams, it ex plains in non-technical language the important features for which the prospective purchaser should look when selecting home furnish ings. Alexander B. Trowbridge, Wash ington, D. C., a member of the American Institute of Architects, is chairman of the special sub-com mittee under whose guidance the bulletin was prepared. An advis ory committee also co-operated in reviewing the manuscript, and this body includes representatives of governmental divisions, and na tionally renowned museums, and authorities on decoration. The bulletin is available in single copies and quantity lots. It may be obtained from the Superintend ent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., or from district offices of the De partment of Commerce in leading cities. The booklet sells for 20 cents a single copy, $7 a hundred and $65 a thousand. X THE POWER OF ADVERTISING They tell a story about William Vrigley, Jr., the chewing gum man. le was crossing the country on a rack train when an individual yho had learned that Mr. Wrigley /as aboard came to him and in- roduced himself. After talking awhile he said to 4r. Wrigley, “why do you continue o spend such a tremendous sum f money on advertising every ear? You’re established now. I uppose more of your gum is sold a this country than all the oth- rs put together. And still you ontinue to pour hundreds of housands of dollars into advertis- ig. Is it really necessary?” Wrigley glanced out of the win- ow. “How fast are we traveling?” ie asked. His inquisitor looked uzzled. What had the speed of he train to do with chewing gum dvertising, he wondered. “Now suppose,” said Mr. Wrigley, that they cut off the engine, how mg do you think we’d continue to ravel at that rate of speed?” “Not very long, of course,” ad- litted his visitor. “That’s how it would be with my usiness if I let up on my adver- Lsing,” was Wrigley’s next state ment. “Momentum would carry his train along for quite a dist- ,nce, it’s true. But it would be lowing up all the time. So will ,ny business if its motive force is ut off.”—The Madisonian. X In union there is strength until he judge severs the knot. txt When Nature undertakes to pro- uce a real fool, she generally does , one -hundred per cent p job: Close Spacing Of Cotton Proves Best By Test EARLY POISONING FOR BOLL WEEVILS IS PROFITABLE Four-H Club En rollment Substan tially Increased CLUBSTERS GOING IN FO*. CORN AND LIVESTOCK CLEMSON COLLEGE, May 12.— Thinning of cotton and early pois oning for boll weevils will be im portant farm operations during May and June, according to R. W. Hamilton, extension agronomist, j who urges that a large number of I cotton plants be left per acre. To further stress the importance | of close spacing and the early use of sweet poison in cotton produc tion, attention of farmery is called by Mr. Hamilton to the following results obtained by the South Car olina Experiment Station: “Tests have been conducted over a five-year period with Cleveland variety in which the spacing was one plant every 6, 9, 12, 16, and 24 inches. No poison was applied to these plots except three early applications of molasses ooison. All spacings have averaged a bale of cotton or more per acre over this period. Under these condit ions, the closer the plants are in the drill the greater the yield. For the five-year period, six-inch spac ing has yielded 1,659 pounds of seed cotton per acre; nine-inch spacing yielded 1,601 pounds; 12-inch spac ing 1,571 pounds; 16-inch spacing 1,455 pounds; and 24-inch spacing 1,398 pounds. Six-inch and nine- inch spacings made the best yield in 1930, 1,530 and 1,550 pounds per acre respectively. The wider spacings, 16 and 24 inches, pro duced only 1,285 and 1,127 pounds per acre. “From results obtained in these tests it is evident that a good yield of cotton can be made by leaving a large number of plants per acre and by properly applying three applications of sweet poison. “The first poison application was made at the appearance of the first squares, followed at intervals of five days for the second and third applications.” X Recognition Given America’s Discoverer At last there is becoming appar ent a tendency to bestow upon Leif Ericson some of the honors due him as the first known ex plorer to have touched upon Am erican shores. For many years the public generally has been taught to look upon Columbus, who "nearly five hundred years later than Ericson touched upon land in the Western Hemisphere in his search for a route to Jndia, as the dis coverer of .America. Minnesota has decided to make October 9, Leif Ericson Day. A bill just signed by Gov. Floyd B Olsoti requires the public schools of the state to devote a half hour on that day “to appropriate exer cises relative to and in commem- oratiSn of the life and history of Leif Ericson and the ideals he fos tered.” “Teachers can say all they want to about Columbus and his jaunt across the Atlantic in 1492; and they can pay tribute to the Italian on his day, October 12; but on Oc tober 9, young Minnesota must pause to consider the prior claims of the Norseman. His friends do not ask that Columbus be banish ed from the history books but they do want the youth of the nation to be taught that Leif Ericson got over to the mainland for a first call about four centuries sooner,” states an article in the Christian Science Monitor. Other states have also taken steps toward recognition of the Norseman. Wisconsin has a Leif Ericson Day which it observed for the first time last October. A bill to this effect passed the ' lower house at the last session of the legislature of Washington, but fail ed because of adjournment before the Senate could act. The new magnificent lake-shore boulevard in Chicago is officially known as “Leif Ericson Drive.” Norwegians of the city have obtained permis sion of the park officials to erect a large monument to the explorer in a commanding position on tho drive, and a campaign to raise $400,000 for the purpose has been launched. XXI Scientists are searching for a gasoline substitute. Better stiil | would be a substitute for the thing that consumes the most of it. CLEMSON COLLEGE, May 12.— South Carolina’s white 4-H club boys’ enrollment show’s a substan tial increase this year over th it ol 1930, states Dan Lewis, acting stahr- club agent, who reports chat 5.351 white beys this year are con ducting 6.298 demonstraticins as against 4,910 boys with 5,536 dem onstrations in 1930. That is, nint* per cent more boys are conducting 14 per cent more demonstrationjc this year than in 1930. These 4-H club boys have a more diversified program this year, hav ing decreased their cotton in favor cf food and livestock demonstra tions. Corn demonstrations havt* increased from 1,229, in 1930, tk 2,038, in 1931, or 65 per cent; pi^ demonstrations increased from 1,- 203 to 1,559, or 30 per cent; an*, calf demonstration increased front 337 to 353. Cotton demonstration*; have increased from 1,554 in 193CI to 1,236, in 1931, or 21 per cent; poultry from 721 to 632, or 12 per cent. All other demonstrations it 1930 were 542 as against 480 m 1931. Many of the boys are growing: the old reliable combination pig- corn demonstration this year. Tfrf^ entire membership of 65 boys in Georgetown county is developinr this combination demonstration with a view of shipping several carloads of demonstration-fed hog* to market this fall. Mr. Lewis say* all livestock 1-H demonstrators ax«- encouraged to grow feed for their animals and this year’s corn cluk# members are being encouraged use their 1931 crop of corn to feeil out demonstration-fed hogs neaiJ* fall and winter. — 1 - 11 1 Schedule Of Services At Colored Churches Schedules of services at the Ccfe- ored Churches are as follows: Young Mt. Zion, Chappell, Flisfc Sunday. Old Mt. Zion, Epworth, Seconil Sunday. Bethany, McCormick, Tttjadl Sunday. New Hope, Plum Branch, Fomflir Sunday. REV. J. F. MARSHALL, : pashst, Springfield, First Sunday. Ebemezer, Second Sunday. Shiloh, Third and Fourth So»- days. REV. DOUGLASS, Pastoc Zion Chappel, First Sunday. Piney Grove, Second Sunday. Bailey Bethel, Third Sunday. , j REV. W. S. MIMS, Pastes: ; Liberty Spring, Second Sunday. Mt. Moriah, Third Sunday. REV. WILLIAM PETERSON, Pastor. Cedar Spring, first Sunday. Shady Grove, second Sunday. Mt. Herman and Mt. Lebai^aa. third Sunday. Carry Hill, fourth Sunday. REV. C. M. MIDDLETON, Pastor St. Charlotte, First Sunday. j Mt. Moriah, Second Sunday. Hosannah, Third Sunday. New China, Fourth Sunday. * REV. E. D. TALBERT. Pastor ALL LIGHT CARS $6.65 l WHITTLE BATTERY SERVICE 622 BROAD PHONE 11M ' AUGUSTA, GA. -X- History is a great comfort. After reading it, we still have some hope for the present generation. FOR SALE The Henderson House, 9 rooms, and adjoining lots on Augusta Street. For quick sale, S 1,200.00. Terms W. K. CHARLES Attorney