42 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 



tration that an appeal was made to the Legisla- 

 ture of JSTorth Carolina for an annual appropria- 

 tion to the asylum. A singular incident oc- 

 curred in answer to this appeal. They asked 

 for an appropriation of $5,000.00, or fifty hun- 

 dred dollars; the committee objected to that 

 amount, and directed the clerk to write forty 

 hundred instead; the clerk neglected to make 

 the change, and when the time came, the bill 

 read ^'fifty hundred dollars," and ^'Brother 

 Shepard" always felt that this was an answer 

 to his prayer. 



The institution grew rapidly and very pros- 

 perous under his administration. He was suc- 

 ceeded by Hon. H. P. Cheatham, a former mem- 

 ber of the United States Congress; a man of 

 broad experience, of much common sense and 

 business ability ; a man whom everybody knows 

 is thoroughly equipped for the position. Dur- 

 ing all these years of change of administration. 

 Dr. Augustus Shepard held the place of presi- 

 dent of the Board of Trustees, and lived to see 

 many splendid improvements at the institution. 

 He held the place until the day of his death. 

 He never failed while he lived to lift his voice 

 in behalf of the orphan. After his demise, in 



