The Laurens Advertiser

COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO CONFER WITH TRUSTEES OF FURMAN FITTING SCHOOL WITH OBJECT OF SECURING ITS REMOVAL HERE.

Following correspondence and conferences which had been going on for several days last week, a mass meeting of citizens was held in the court house Friday afternoon under the auspices of the Laurens Business League when announcement was made that Laurens would make an effort to secure Furman Fitting School which will be moved from its present site at Groce, in Spartanburg county, on account of the sale of the property to cotton mill interests. The idea had already been endorsed the Sunday previous by the congregation of the First Baptist church, this city.

The meeting, which was one of the most enthusiastic held in the city in years, was presided over by Geo. M. Wright, president of the league. W. G. Lancaster, stating the cause of the meeting, said that the fitting school, formerly known as the Spartan Academy, would be moved next year because its property had been sold to the Pacific Mills corporation. From correspondence he had learned that the school had received $35,000 for its property and expected to receive about $65,000 more from the 75 Million fund. The trustees, he said, had already received flattering offers from other places for the school and that it will be necessary for Laurens to give some financial guarantee of support if it succeeds in bringing it here. The amount necessary to bring the school here, he said, could not be learned, but that this city must be prepared to make a handsome contribution to succeed.

Short talks in which the advantages of such a school for Laurens were pointed out were made by A. C. Todd, Jas. H. Sullivan, Ralph T. Wilson, Rev. C. T. Squires and C. H. Roper.

Following a general discussion of the best method to pursue in laying the claim of this city before the trustees of the school, a committee was appointed to direct the campaign. Geo. M. Wright was named chairman, C. H. Roper, vice-chairman, and M. L. Smith, secretary. The following compose the committee: C. B. Bobo, C. H. Roper, M. L. Smith, M. J. Owings, W. P. Thomason, E. D. Easterby, Geo. M. Wright, A. C. Todd, E. P. Minter, Alison Lee, W. D. Ferguson, W. R. Richey, W. L. Gray, Dr. W. H. Dial, R. E. Babb, H. D. Gray, Albert Dial, C. T. Squires, R. E. Hughes, N. C. Hughes, Joseph H. Nabers, Geo. Blakely, R. T. Wilson, Jas. H. Sullivan, J. W. Dunklin, B. Y. Culbertson, W. G. Lancaster, W. R. McCuen, S. M. Wilkes, C. A. Power, P. F. Kilgo, R. R. Nickels, L. G. Balle, J. C. Owings, C. E. Kennedy, Dr. Weston Bruner, Rev. Thos. Rideout.

The committee held a meeting Monday afternoon when the plans were gone into more thoroughly. A sub-committee was appointed to receive options on sites which might be proffered to the trustees.

This school, according to current information, was started about ten years ago by the Spartanburg Baptist association with its primary object the education of boys and girls from the upper counties of the state. Its foundation was laid through a gift of land and money by Mr. and Mrs. Groce. Several years ago it was taken over by the Baptist convention with plans to make it the fitting school for Furman University. These plans had not entirely matured when an attractive offer was made for the site by the Pacific Mills corporation. Its removal to another site will allow the fulfillment of these plans. Its present student body is composed of about 125 boys. It is expected that this number will be largely increased as the years go by.