HIS LAST YEARS IN VIRGINIA 225 



phies had already been adopted in more than 5000 

 schools in the South, with an average of some forty books 

 to each school. A little afterwards he declared that the 

 series had cleared during the year 1871 upwards of 

 $30,000. Finally, on January 1, 1872, he sold all the 

 copyrights to Richardson under the following agreement: 

 ''I have sold you the copyright in this country to all the 

 books, five in number, and wall maps, eight in the series, 

 and you have paid for them in full. I am to revise and 

 by new editions keep the said five books up to the times, 

 for five years for $1000 in gold a year, counting from 

 January 15, 1870. Two of these annual instalments 

 have become due, for each of which I hold your note. 

 The eight wall maps in place of the fourth school geogra- 

 phy originally contracted for, were to be published in my 

 name, but constructed at your expense and under my 

 control so as to justify me in claiming their authorship. 

 Besides this you have generously volunteered to pay 

 me during my life ten per cent upon the copy money 

 annually coming to you upon any and all of the books 

 and wall maps aforesaid". 



In 1870, Maury was offered the presidency of St. 

 John's College at Annapolis, Maryland, at a salary of 

 $3000 and quarters for his family; but it was declined. 

 He had come to believe that the winters, even of Virginia, 

 were too severe for his health, and spent a portion of the 

 winter of 1870-1871, with one of his daughters and his 

 youngest son, at the home of a sister, Mrs. Halland, at 

 Holly Springs, Mississippi and in New Orleans, Mobile, 

 and Savannah. 



Early in 1871, he was urged to become the President of 

 the University of Alabama at a salary of $3500 and home, 

 and with the privilege of selecting his faculty. The 



