The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-18
THE Site UNIVERSITY.
ErRoA OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

COLUMBIA, December 10.
The Executive Committee Of the Board of
Trnstecs-of the University or South Carolina have
made most dcspondlne Itpv;t to the Leg.siu-
turc. They state that when the present board
took charge OF the University late In last session
IL was under embarrassing circumstances ihc
number Of students was small, only sixty live
having matriculatcd during the year. Tic build.
ings were i'll most dcplorablc and dilapldate,l
condition; there being scarcely one room or dwell
Ing In decent repair and very many almost unteil-
able The lights In the windows OF the students
rooms were almost entirely destroyed. The faculty
was unsettled rs to whether they would remain ut
their posts or abantOn tlIcir connection with the
institution, and up 10 this time the chairs OF
chemistry, pharmacy, mincralogy ana geology,
| natural and mechanical philosophy ami astrono-
NY, law, mathematics, civil and military eugi-
n!ering and construction, modern languages and
literature, ancient languages and literature have
becn vacated. tI.caving only three OF the pr0fes.
sorS In the literary departmcnt) Under such cir.
cumstanccs large attendance OF students Mt
the opening session could not he cXpcctcd; hut
the prospects are daily improving; confidence Is
being restored, and alout forty Students have
already entered, who are reported by the faculty
us Il very temperate and stuGious set of young
men.
RErAII,s.
Tic board Of trustees have bccn greatly CHI.
baFrasscd In every a:tciapt tn improve and repair
the buildings, by the want OF funds; ncvcrihe-
less they have made great improvements, and
are continuing the rcpnirs by all engagement
with Mr.. Alien who has been Kind enough TO do
such work M was Indispensable and await your
action for payment. l1hc cost oc rcpa!rng the
buildings belonging To lie University was csi.
mated, Oh the 10th OF Eeccmber 1869, by Mr.
Aaen. 10 be scce'ity-threa thousand seren Hundred
l,;iaf".l Nothing has yet been done except such
work as was necessary to preserve the property
HOPES.
Mr. James Davis was elected hnrsar and mar.
shai. Instead Of Mr.. w. II. Orchard, removed.
The chair Of law has becn iilled by G. D. Melton,
Esq., of Columbia n gentleman OF fine legal at
.anments and ability. Great difficulty has been
experienced In finding suitable and competent
persons TO Ill other chairs. The peculiar circun,.
stances surrounding the institution requires a
special fitness which all persons with scholarly
attalilmcnts dO not possess. y very great num-
ber OF applicants for each OF the vacant chairs
have been placed before the board, many of whom
arc gentlemen Of high character and unqucsilon-
able capacity; but the board have only elected
two professors; II Is hoped that they have made
good selections, viz: for the chair OF natural
and mechanical philosophy and astronomy, and
hnothcr 10 tie ciinlr OF modern languages and
literature. Temporary arrangements have been
entered into with gentlemen to continue the
course OF instructions In the other schools until
such time AZ the board may be able to supply the
vacancies. An extra rrolessorshIp las been cs.
ta0ilshc l III the medical school, aud John Lynch,
NJ d., OF this city, elected thereto. The Exccu-
tive Committee conclude their report with two
modest .hopcs." "that enough Will DO appro.
priated by the General Assembly to put oil the
buildings In good condition." and "that by
proper management this institution may bc In
the future, as 1t has been In the past pride and
honor 10 the State"
TIiB LIBRAEY COMMITTEE
In their report, inform tho "IIonorabIc Board OF
Trustecs'' that the library OF the University OF
South Carolina, comparing favorably, In point OF
size and material, with any public library In tho
southern stLtcs, contains upwards of twenty-five
thousand volumes, many Of which arc rare and
valuable works. The selection OF books Ia very
line, most Of them being elegantly bound and
from lie best editions. There is very little trash
In this library. ''The only source OF revenue to
the University library ls derived from library fees
ten dollars per session for each paying student.
Under the present circumstances, this amounts
to nero nominal sum. Much OF tho income
derived from library feca. which, properly, should
no applied exclusively for the benent and
enlargement OF the library, has been
expended for other purposes, such as postage,
stationery, printing, advertising, repairs on The
campus" &c. The committee "are informed that