Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-17
THE CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

- The Methodist I'D UOcGte (Atlanta) has
an editorial on the subject of benefits aris-
ing to a community from the location of
educational institutions, from which we
make extracts, in view of the contention for
the location of the Methodist Central Uni
Versity. DR.. Cobleigh says:
- We are not surprised that Chattanooga,
Athens, Knoxville, and other places, sare
anxious to secnre the location of our own
contemplated University in their neighbor-
p. hood. Such an institution, when located,
will bring money TO any place. A student
who spends forty weeks at such a Univer-
- sity will pay for board, clothes, light, fdel,
books, stationery and other necessaries or
Injuries, at least from $3.50 to $500. He
will do this every year. This is close,
economical estimate. Some will increase
the annual sum 10 $1,000 or more. We
knew student in college thirty years ago,
whose expenses averaged over $1,000
year, and he was not dissipated-and ex-
penses were much less then than now. But
suppose We fix the average between the
rich and the less wealthy at S. 20 year for
each student. At that rate one hundred
students will spend $50,000-tWo hundred,
100000, and five hundred, S250,000.
Either sum is quite an increment to the
trade of a town or city.
But this is only part of the estimate.
There must be professors to teach the stu
dents. They will have families. 1t will cost
ordinarily from $1,000 to $1,000 on very
economical plan to support professor and
bis family for one year. If only ten pro-
fessors should be employed, which is very
email number for University, they would
spend not less than ST, 600 to $4,000 a
year, all told. Such an institution would
draw around it many other well-to-do fam
lilies for the purpose of enjoying the Itera-
~ society and privileges or to educate their
children, and they would spend from 81 900
to 1000 each annually. Now all these
things together, when a University
is fairly established, will foot up to quite a
respectable sum to be expended in the COM
munity annually. 1t does not take much
of an institution to pour into the town or
city where located $4,000 10 100000 a
year. The citizens OF Knoxville or Chatta-
nooga can well afford to give $4,000 or
100000 to secure the location among them
of the Central University, for they would
soon get that amount Of money back again.
Athens and New Market could afford to be
equally liberal, according to their means.
This will give faint idea Of the annual
revenue to town or city from such
University, when fairly established. But
large sums would have to be expended at
the outset for fencing and fitting up the
grounds, erecting building for the UHiver-
sily, and houses for the Professors; also,
houses for boarding Students. One hundred
Thousand dollars paid out for materials and
labor in this work would hardly make be-
ginning for frst-class University. This is
only the financial side of the question, and
from this view alone we can say: FortU-
nate will be the town or city that secures
the University in its vicinity.
The Methodist then gives views of the
moral effects of such an institution, taking
position which no man would care to
gainsay in this enlightened age and closes
as follows:
We are not surprised at the competition
excited over the question of locating the
University, except in one feature of It.. We
are surprised that there is comparatively so
little zeal manifested and so little spirit and
purpose in it. 1t seems to US that, after all,
the people are looking at this without
appreciatlng hundredth part of the real
value that will flow from such = University
as 1t is the purpose Of our church to build
up at some suitable point in the South.
Commenting on the foregoing, the Knox
vile Chronicle says:
We commend these thoughts to the earn
est consideration of our people. We have
it in our power to secure the location of
this Central University in Knoxville if we
will on.y do it.