438 AS UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT-IX 



need, sickness, or trouble. Those who knew him best loved 

 him most; and, in the hard, early days of the university, 

 he especially made good his title to the gratitude of every 

 Cornellian, not only by his university work, but by his un- 

 ostentatious devotion to every deserving student. 



As to my professorial work, I found in due time effec- 

 tive aid in various young men who had been members of 

 my classes. Of these were Charles Kendall Adams, who 

 afterward became my successor in the presidency of Cor- 

 nell, and George Lincoln Burr, who is now one of my suc- 

 cessors in the professorship of history. 



Thus it was that from time to time I could be absent 

 with a feeling that all at the university was moving on 

 steadily and securely; with a feeling, indeed, that it was 

 something to have aided in creating an institution which 

 could move on steadily and securely, even when the hands 

 of those who had set it in motion had been removed. 



There was, however, one temporary exception to the rule. 

 During my absence as minister at Berlin trouble arose in 

 the governing board so serious that I resigned my diplo- 

 matic post before my term of service was ended, and has- 

 tened back to my university duties. But no permanent 

 injury had been done ; in fact, this experience, by reveal- 

 ing weaknesses in sundry parts of our system, resulted 

 in permanent good. 



Returning thus from Berlin, I threw myself into uni- 

 versity work more heartily than ever. It was still difficult, 

 for our lands had not as yet been sold to any extent, and 

 our income was sadly insufficient. The lands were steadily 

 increasing in value, and it was felt that it would be a great 

 error to dispose of them prematurely. The work of pro- 

 viding ways and means to meet the constantly increasing 

 demands of the institution was therefore severe, and the 

 loss of the great library bequest to the university also 

 tried me sorely; but I labored on, and at last, thanks to 

 the admirable service of Mr. Sage in the management of 

 the lands, the university was enabled to realize, for the 

 first time, a large capital from them. Up to the year 1885 



