SOUTH CAROLINA.
Brewer Normal School—The Year’s Work.
J.D. BACKENSTOSE, GREENWOOD.
This institution has just closed the best year of its history, and looks out upon the year to come more hopefully than ever before. The examinations on Tuesday and Wednesday were close, and eminently satisfactory to all present, and there was a good attendance.
The great day, July 4th, dawned. The morning was a little cloudy, the air was cool and delightful. A great crowd of people assembled at eleven o’clock in the morning, to hear orations from four of our former students: W. W. Frazier, R. J. Holloway, B. H. Wimms and L. C. Waller, who are now engaged in teaching. The young men acquitted themselves nobly, and all who were present speak highly of them.
The dinner given by the patrons and friends of the institution equalled anything of the kind ever given in this place. The table was loaded with everything that heart could wish for and that loving hands could provide. An exhibition, consisting of speeches, recitations and dialogues, interspersed with singing, took place in the evening. The house was filled to its utmost capacity, and it was with difficulty that the speakers could make their way to the stage. All present seemed delighted with the exercises.
Prizes were awarded to Miss Louise Griffin and Miss Maria Logan for being the best speakers.
Several of the white citizens of the place, including Rev. Mr. Smart, of the M. E. Church south, and Prof. Hodges, of the Male Academy of this place, were present at the exhibition, and expressed themselves as pleased with what they saw and heard. All the colored pastors of the place, with the exception of the African Methodist, were present during most of the exercises, and seemed delighted with the proficiency exhibited.
During the year the students’ rooms have been neatly furnished, and are now quite comfortable. The students have made gratifying progress in their studies, and we feel that a year’s advancement has been made. Twenty-six of our students are now engaged in teaching, and over eleven hundred pupils are under their care.
We have met with hindrances. We have been accused of prejudicing our students against their church, and of punishing them if they did not attend our Sunday-school; but, despite all this, our school has been unusually full, and our Sunday-school large and interesting. The students have all gone to their homes, or to some work, to make preparation for their return next fall.