
          Recd. [Received] May 17.

State Agricultural College
Lansing, Michigan May 12, 1860.

My dear Doctor Torrey,

I suppose that you
think I have been rather remiss
about writing you. My silence has
not been because I have not
thought of it, but because I saw
that things were approaching a 
crisis here & I hoped soon to be able
to write you a more favorable account
of my situation than I could
at any former time or can even
now. My position here has its pleasant
and its serene sides. Its unpleasant 
side has been & is now the great
uncertainty about money matters.
The state treasury is absolutely bankrupt.
The present administration in
order to stand well with the people
acted upon the very unsafe principle
of large appropriations and small taxes.
The result, which might have been
fortold [foretold] is that there is no money.
As the means for carrying on the
College come from specified sources
& those taxes not coming all due till 
next spring we have no money. The
treasurer refuses to advance from 
        