OUR GREAT AMERICAN- UNIVERSITY. 545 



tions about the Faculty were continually finding their way into print. 

 Our university was to be a model to all other institutions. x\llhough 

 controlled by our denomination, it was to have no sectarian bias ; its 

 policy should be conservatively liberal ; morally, intellectually, and 

 ajsthetically, it might be regarded as the culmination of our American 

 school-system. Men of national reputation and the greatest ability 

 Avere to fill professors' chairs ; thorough instruction could be expected 

 in every department ; languages, literatures, sciences, philoso2)hy, and 

 art, would occupy the time of the students who were sure to flock in 

 from all parts of the country. We hoped to eclipse all the colleges 

 of America, and even to rival the greatest universities of the Old 

 World. Statements like these, capable as they were of great latitude 

 in interpretation, served the dou.ble purjDOse of interesting the general 

 public, and of keeping u\^ our own enthusiasm. 



At last our building was finished a splendid brick structure with 

 a French roof, a tower, and a belfry. Even a New York architect, 

 who visited our town, expressed his wonderment and surprise at it. 

 Of course we were pi'oud of our work, but that pride was lessened 

 when we discovered that the |20,000 was all expended. The build- 

 ing had absorbed it completely, and half as much again ; so here we 

 were, at the end of our tether, with a fine pile of brick-and-mortar, no 

 money, and a very handsome debt. What was to be done? Our trus- 

 tees met, and, since most of them were clergymen, this question was 

 promptly answered. We must appeal to the public. We did so 

 begged vigorously on week-days, took up a collection on Sundays, 

 and, in the course of a month, managed to raise about $3,000. This 

 went to the builder, who, for the rest of his claim, generously ac- 

 cepted a mortgage bearing eight per cent, interest. 



This unfortunate matter rather cast a damper upon our spirits, but 

 still we were determined to go along. Here was a debt upon which 

 interest must be paid, and how could we pay it except by opening the 

 university and deriving some income from students ? We expected 

 500 students at $50 per annum each, making $25,000 a year to begin 

 with, exclusive of gifts and bequests. We could allow $2,000 a year 

 for interest and sinking-fund, $8,000 for incidental expenses, and all 

 the rest might go to pay instructors. Seven professors, at $1,800 

 apiece, with a president at $2,500, would give us indeed a strong 

 Faculty. So we went bravely ahead on the strength of these calcu- 

 lations. Adversity only seemed to make our anticipations more 

 glowing than ever. Such is the power of faith. 



All this time Brother A , who had, unfortunately, become a mem- 

 ber of the board, was a thorn in our flesh, and a stumbling-block in 

 our path. Not a step was taken without opposition from him ; indeed, 

 he seemed to consider himself a monitor over all our official actions. 

 The conceit of these scholars is amazing ! He opposed the erection 

 of our building as an extravagance, urging that a university needed 

 vol,. Tin. 35 



