The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-11-14

land, sin trust, for the support OF seminary
of learning therein" The fund, thus pro
vidcd, having been consecrated by the Leg
islature to the endowment of "thesUniyer-
sity of Mississippi" Commission was ap-
pointed, in 1910, to examine the several
sites proposed for the location of the Uni
versity, and to report thereon to the Legis-
lature. Oxford was one Of the competing
points; but there were several other towns,
in various portions Of the State, that strug-
gled earnestly for the prize of the LOCATION
and with good reason; for it was obvious
that the establishment, in any given locality,
of great literary institution, such as the
University was designed. 10 be, muslin
cidentally, perhaps, but necessarliy-be pro
d,ct;ve of almost inealculabe benefit, in a
merely pecuniary point of view, not only to
the immediate community of which it should
form part, but, also, TO the whole of the
surrounding region which might depend on
that community to furnish market for its
productions. The citizens of Oxford were
fully awake TO the importance OF the sub
iect, and they were neither backward in urg-
ing the supposed claims OF their village upon
,be attention of the Commissioners, nor
nioaardly in furnishing those material con-
tributions, which, as it was believed, might
serve to influence the final action of the
Legislature. They raised, by voluntary sub
scriptions among themselves, the sum OF
$4,000, for the purchase of the section OF
land on which the University has since been
located. and offered that land to the State as
an induccment to the location of the Uni
yersity at this point. The University was
nlaced here, and the result has proved that
our people made most judlcious invest
mcnt of the money they contributed; Tor
the University, through those advantages,
direct and indirect, which the town has ever
since derived from it, has layishly repaid the
moderate outlay of the citizens.
We can now begin to apprehend some
thing of the real value of those advantages
to which we have just adverted, when we
consider. thst, almost within single de-
cadc. they have suifced to transform Oxford
from an insignificant County site, with no
prospect, reaching beyond the next Court
week, to thriving and prosperous town.
which bids fair, at no distant day, to stand
nj the head of the list of inland towns III
Mississippi How much, indeed, the town
of Oxford depends, for many of the primer
pal elements of its material welfare, upon
the University, might be, to some extent,
apparent even to the passing stranger who
sbould contrast the life and activity which
prevail here, willie the University is in SEES
sion. with that utter stagnation which fol
lows the departure of the students to then
several homes. The stranger, however, is
supposed to know nothing of Oxford as II
used to be; and from the absence of loca
information, he must be incapable of form
ing any but most inadequate conception o
what the town would have been, in the ab
scnce of the University.
We are aware that there are those who
ascribe our present prosperous condition
chiefly to the influence of the Mississippi
Central Railroad. That the Railroad ha'
o;yen us a powerful impulse in the direction
of progress, it were idle to deny; but 1t il
also fact, which ought not to be kept on
of view, that, but for the University, thu
Railroad, instead of touching Oxford, woul'
4 have pursued the route by College Hill
some miles distant, where it was original.
located, and whence, at serious pecunlar!
sacrifice, and almost wholly for the sake
the University, it was SO changed by tn
Directors of the Road as to bring it imme
diatele by the town Of Oxford.
The mere pccuniary advantages, whicl
Oxford derives from the University, are yer.
. great. We are certainly within the limit
Of moderation when we estimate the averag
amount of money expended and put in Gil
culation here by the students, at $3.50. pc
session, each This expenditure, for 20
NJ students, amounts 10 sOO'OOO' dhhuahg'
this sum, we may add $4,000. more, cN
pended here by the Professors, and furthe
larce addition is to be made on account {
the various disbursements, for building, an
repairs, and other ordinary purposes, by tn
University itself If we include the none
spent here by the patrons of the University
and visitors, embracing those who thron
our town during The Commencement weel
we think we are far within the mark whe
xssa down the sum of 100000. as BEN
the amount of money that is yearly brougl
to Oxford by the University, and left here
and We are to remember that not dollar
that money would ever have come to o;
ford if the University had been located els
where.
Considering the subject SIMPLY in tn
pecuniary light, it is apparent that the pro
perity of Oxford depends, to a very gre
extent, upon the prosperity of the UnlVe
sity of Mississippi, and that whatever aztec