34 AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



CONTRACTOR UNABLE TO FULFIL HIS CONTRACT. 



It now became more and more apparent that the con- 

 tractors would be unable to comply with the conditions of 

 their contract, as it was evident that they had taken it at 

 a price that would do little more than meet half the ex- 

 pense involved in complying with the contract, and being 

 without means beyond those afforded by the Trustees, and 

 the latter having an empty Treasury to draw upon, the 

 prospects of the school were anything but flattering. 



At this time there is no doubt the work would have 

 been suspended, and the Pennsylvania Agricultural College 

 would soon, like a great many others in the United States, 

 have been known only by the half finished works that 

 marked the spot where it was intended to stand, had it 

 not been for the indomitable perseverance and unremit- 

 ting labor of the business committee, and more especially 

 of H. N. McAllister, the local Trustee, in looking after its 

 affairs. 



In addition to the $10,000 that the latter gentleman 

 guarantied for Centre County, in case the College were 

 located upon the farm of Gen. James Irvin, he received 

 nearly $6,000 by subscription from others in the county, to 

 which he added $500 from his own pocket. He also visited 

 a number of other counties, called meetings, and raised 

 collections himself, or secured the services of others in doing 

 so. 



During all this time the general control of the work on 

 the college buildings devolved upon him, and to meet the 

 demand of the contractor he was obliged to advance several 

 thousand dollars from his own pocket, trusting to raise it 

 by subscriptions. The time to perform all this labor for 

 the school was taken from a professional life already over- 

 crowded with professional duties. It was done gratuitously, 

 and all the expenses involved in travelling to collect money, 

 hold meetings, or do other labor for the school were paid 

 from his own pocket. It has been remarked that if for 

 no other purpose, it were sufficient to locate the college in 

 Centre County to secure the aid of a laborer so efficient and 

 self-sacrificing in its behalf as the present local trustee. 

 The thirteenth meeting of the Board of the Trustees con- 



