OF PENNSYLVANIA. 35 



vened at the Farm School on the 16th of June, 1858. 

 There were present Messrs. McAllister, Eyre, Hiester, Miles, 

 Elwyn, and Watts, President. The President, as Chairman 

 of the Business Committee, reported that they had con- 

 tracted with General Irvin for the additional 200 acres 

 of land adjoining the 200 he had donated. The commit- 

 tee further reported upon the progress of the building, 

 stating the impossibility of the contractors being able to 

 finish it. Whereupon they were vested, by the board, 

 with power to act as the emergency might demand in order 

 to secure the erection of the building. 



H. N. McAllister, having been appointed by the Presi- 

 dent to solicit donations, reported that Centre County had 

 subscribed $5,769 64, but that a part of this was required 

 to make up the $10,000 which he, with Messrs. Curtin 

 and Hale, had paid over as the subscription of Centre 

 County in order to secure the location of the College ; he, 

 however, expressed his willingness to allow this balance 

 on the $10,000 to remain unpaid, that the entire sum just 

 collected, might be made available for securing an equal 

 amount from the state, in accordance with the act of ap- 

 propriation of 1857, provided that the amount yet due them 

 from the Centre County subscription, be paid from other 

 subscriptions, that might be obtained after all the money 

 available from the State was obtained. This proviso 

 was approved by the Board. The financial affairs of the 

 institution now presented the most serious problem for the 

 solution of the Board. 



EMBARRASSMENT OF THE BOARD. 



The funds were exhausted, the contractors were about to 

 fail, and the work of the basement walls not yet completed, 

 while the country was prostrated, under the influence of 

 the financial crisis of the preceding year. It was resolved 

 to present an address to the people of the State, setting 

 forth the financial difficulties of the Board, and to appoint 

 suitable persons to solicit donations from the people; and to 

 meet the emergencies of the present, it was resolved to raise 

 $5,000 upon the individual note of some of the members of 

 the Board. Under such circumstances many corporations 



