surprised if they should next think of estab- 

 lishing a college. To curry out the idea, 

 another sportively added that they had build- 

 ings to dispose of which might be had for 

 <p5,oco, provided they would establish a class- 

 ical school of high order on the premises. 

 This trifling conversation was the immediate 

 cause of the establishing of the Wesleyan 

 University ; It was reported to the Rev. La- 

 ban Clark, who was then in the vigor of his 

 ministry and the Presiding Elder of a district 

 which reached over half of Connecticut. 



In common with the other leading men of 

 the Methodist Episcopal Church, he had long 

 been impressed with the importance of a 

 grand denominational school, and was noth- 

 ing disheartened by the sad history of the 

 previous attempt at Abringdon, Md., which 

 had been finally abandoned in 1795. ^ e ur[ - 

 mediatelv sent word to the stockholders that 

 he would be one of ten to purchase the prop- 

 erty, and would secure the other nine, seven 

 of which he did secure before he had gone 

 once around his district. This led to a seri- 

 ous consideration of the subject, the result of 

 which was that the stockholders determined 

 to give the property to the M. E Church, if 

 they could be assured that the college would 

 be permanently established. Mr. Clark, 

 having been entrusted with this offer in due 

 form, presented it to the New York Annual 

 Conference at its session at Troy, N. Y., in 

 1829, and used to tell a good story concern- 

 ing the introduction of the business. He 

 had informed Bishop Roberts of his inten- 

 tion to present the subject to the Conference, 

 and when the body had been in session seve- 

 ral days the said, *' Now, Brother Clark, you 

 may speak to the Conference about the school 

 at Middletown, although I am sorry that so 

 many of the preachers are out of doors." 



