Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-01-29
I 70 the Citizefis Of Augusta County.

TO the Citizefs Of Augusta County. +
At recent meeting held in the Court
house Of Augusta County, the undersigned
were appointed a committee to aid id pro-
curing subscription for the establishment of
q College at Staunton. We take great
pleasure IN announcing to those interested
IN the measure. that we have already met
with very encouraging success in our eff
forts. Before making personal applications
however, to the liberal minded and public
spirited for contributions for the purpose
indicated, we have deemed it proper to adj
dress to them, through the press, some of
those considerations which have induced us
to regard the proposition to establish a Col
lege for the Education of young men in our
community, as not only feasible but emf
nently commended to the cordial approval
and favor Of the people of the county.
| It is proposed to raise by subscriptions I
the sum Of thirty thousand dollars for the
purpose of procuring the site Of college
and erecting the buildings for the accommo-
dation Of atleast two hundred students. -
Should we succeed in this enterprise we
have reason to believe that such induce
ments can be held out to the Faculty and
| proprietors of Roanoke College as to secure
the transfer Of that Institution, with its we'll
selected libraries, its admirable Chemical
and Philosophical apparatus and its we'll sto-
red Cabinets Of minerals, together with its
endowment fund and capital invested in
the property now held by it, to this place,
= 1xxc ~ IL 4 :.
provided with those to be raised by our
selves, we confidently expect to be able to
establish in our midst an Institution of high
orde for the education Of the youth of our
country We are assured that $50, 900 will
purchase the site and pay for buildings suf
| ficient to accommodate two hundred stu
dents. IF only one hundred and fifty stu
dents should attend the exercises Of the
| College and the tuition fees should be less
even than in our high schools, the income
| from this source would be at least seven
thousand dollars The income from the en-
dowment fund and the capital now invested
in interest bearing stocks or other securi-
ties, would amount to about one thousand
dollars. IF the stockholders-or proprietors
of the College should determine to connect
Boarding Department with it, this would
at least be self-sustaining and by judicious
I mana cement might be made to yield addi-
tional income. IF however this should not
be done and the boarding of the students
we're left to the competition Of private enter
prize, then the income of the Institution
might reasonably be expected to be at least
eight thousand dollars a sum sufficient to
pay President a salary of $1,000 and FIVE
professors each salary Of $1,000, and leave
! a surplus sufficient for contingent expenses.
And Ne have grounds for the confident ex-
nee s, ION thai # the enterprise be prosecu-
ted with energy and even moderate success
should At first Crown the efforts # its friends,
the institution will gradually wiz Its wy INTO
the favour Of parents and guardians 70 the
Valley and the West; and will ultimately
command for itself larger success and wi
der. patronage. We have recently with
pleasure seen it announced that by means
| Of the untiring efforts of its friends the sum
/ of 800, 900 has been raised for the fur
ther endowment Of Randolph Macon College
situated in the county Of Mecklenburg in
this State. Why may not We anticipate
similar suspicious results if We work in
good cause with like energy and faith?
Who can doubt that such an Institution
would be blessing to our community, if
its success were secured (? Some Of US re-
member the time when sturdy farmers of
Augusta looked with something like suspi-
cion upon what was called '.book learning"
that period however has passed BY, and the
survivors Of it, are now heard lamenting
the want in their youth Of those means Of
education which their sons enjoy The
idea that education disqualifes man for
usefulness in life and for labour is explo-
ded and the education of the son and ofthe
daughter is now felt BY the father to be a
social necessity; and yet there are many in
our valley who feel the necessity alluded to
| if their children are to be sent to distant
Colleges or expensive universities, to be a
serious burden and many there are, with
moderate means, who finding it impossible
to crafty their earnest parental desire for
the education of their sons, leave them to
grow up in comparative ignorance but who
if College were at hand would find the
means Of securing for them its invaluable
privileges One Of the undersigned is per-.
sonal]y acquainted with gentleman, now
one Of the professors in Virginia College,
man of rare virtues and ripe scholarship,
| who but few years ago was poor and al
most friendless boy. It was his good for
tune however to live in the ne;ghborhood Of
Emory and Henry College; and the in
| vigorating light that issues from every well
conducted Institution of learning reached
the poor boy in his obscurity and he was
1 drawn towards it until he learned to reflect
upon others the light which had blessed
him. So has il ever been; so will it ever
be, that wherever the portals Of learning
and knowledge are easily accessible to the
young, the stimulus Of a generous ambition,
the aspirations for intellectual advancement
and improvement and the elevation Of the
standard Of thinking, speaking and writing
I ORC tho hnnafinant rasnlts "a