Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-04-17

Under these circumstances [ re
u ,pectfully decline to entrust the keys
IL other property OF the University ,
E5now in my care, to you as a Trustee
= elected by the late General Assem-
bly,.
I suppose that it would be agreeable
i to you, as graduate of the University
and a member of one of the Literary
Societies, to visit the Halls and Libra
j. ries. It therefore affords me great
: pleasure to loan you the keys to the
s Philanthrophic Hall and Libraries to
& lay for that purpose. The keys to
the College Library are i'll the hands
of James B. Mason, Esq, Trustee fol
: Orange county.
/ have the honor to be,
With high regard,
Your ob't servant,
SOLOMON Pool,
President University.
The attention of the Board is es-
pecially directed to these letters, mas
much as the answer Of Mr.. Pool
- evinces determination to resist the
authority of the Board, and prevent,
if he and his sympathizers can, the In
= stitution from being governed and
= controlled by those to whom the Gen
j eraI Assembly has delegated it's alnost
omnlpotcnt power. It VIII, therefore ,,
the Committee believe. become impera
tive on the part of the Board, to take
; promptly such steps as may be deemed
Eadvisable to obtain possession of the
entire property and rights of the Uni
Diversity. to the end that the same may
used for the advancement of those
&high purposes which moved our ia
theirs when they provided for the es-
: Establishment of this once valuable butt
no fallen seat of learning.
8 It is to be hoped, therefore, that theI
aboard will speedily test the question:
of right, and if sustained in their vie We
by the judicial tribunals, proceed as
Hexpeditiously as possible, to bring into|
practica Il use all the means at their
command, to infuse life and vigor and
usefulness into the dead body of this
once honored seat of intellectual and|
moral culture.
: 1t will be seen from the letter of
EMr. Pool, that although declining to
5yield the use Of the keys Of the Phil
: anthropic Hall and Library TO your
HCommittee as Trustees of the Univer-
xsity, lie nevertheless did the Commit
atee that favor, ''as graduates of thel
HInstitUtion and members Of the Liter
Gary Societies. AS to the keys Of thel
SCollege Library, the Committee were
Uniformed that they were in possession
Sof james =. Mason, Esq, Trustee
afor Orange county" They were neverI
Ssurrendered by Mr. Mason, although
IA request of him To that effect had
2been previously made through Mr.
SFOster Utley, to whom he stated heI
Nwouid do as might be suggested hNl
SMr. Pool ina&much as he was with
s several others present at MIR. Pools
Sresidence when the messenger obi
ztaineu the keys Of the PhiIauthropic
SHalls, it is presumed shat the failure
;ato obtain them was the result OF al
Spremedltated design upon the part of
zAr. Pool and his associates. Thc
HCOmmittee are at a loss To coHlectlire
;athe reasons why one request was grant
aed and the other refused ITO a graGu !
ssNate of the Institution and member oil
Some o: the Literary Societies" unless
sthat the condition of the College Li-I
library under the charge Of James e.
SNlason, Esq, Trustee for ORANGE
sscounty," was not fitting for the inspect
stion OF persons who for several vearSs
Swere students at the University, and ii
sstill longer period its Trustees. TheI
ssCommittee were, therefore, obliged toi
sieaye without further view into thcE
Ebulldlng which once contained une oil
Sthe rarest collection Of books 10 hrs
ss;Crnd III the South. tina" sncll rs nj
9hroilen pane and unduSte,i windows
swOu'd allow. Even THIS was cOnhrcds
ssssto tine basement
g Highly gratitied. however. with the!
s5prOSnrct Of = partial discharge Of theirs
.sduties, the Committee made critical:
examination Of the Halls Of the Phil
Santhrcpic Society. which, with its coli
aleague, has shed lnStre upon the his
Story OF the State The Committee rel
sssgret 70 say that their general cond; i
stion was not equal to that OF the Dia-s
slectic Society.
There Were evidences of more mega
3 ect 10 be seen. Tie furniture anls
ScarpetinGs We're III very much thes
:isalne order. but the floors had becns
Emcre careiessly attended 20. the books I
swere III greater confusion, and norcs
sof them damaged; the portrait Of thes
alate DIR. Francis j.. Hawks had beenk
SmUtllated by the thrust OF stick org
sssome sharp instrument, and the busta
GOT the learned and lamented Judged
sGaston had been removed. Six thou-s
ssand nine hundred and one Volumes
swere found. The Committee learneds
sthat n number of others, belonging tos
both Societies, were scattered around ats
various houses in the village and elsc-5
swhere-chicfy tic property Of thea
sDiatcctic. The alcove pillars hadS
ksunk over an inch by the settling off
sthe Library floor, leaving at the tops
IAN unsightly crack. A leak in the roof
ahad caused water to fall on the oilE
Scloth near the stair landing, which wass
standing when the Committee mades
stheir visit. Such was the general viewa
which presented Itself-a view by noE
means agreeable to the feelings or thes
pride Of the Committee.
The buildings in the College campus,
sel2ht n number, consist first, of Per
son Hall' Or Gold Chapel" 36S54a
feet IN dimension and one story high
1t was converted into four recitation9
rooms many years ago. With the ex-
|ception of the brick over the door,
arches, the walls are in sound condi-S
|tion, and the roof appears unframed. IS
Some damage has been done to theg
steps and flooring, and some of theS
window panes are broken. Mr.. Utlev8
estimates the cost of needful rcpairs&
at 1925.
The ''New West" building has sizeS
of 4Ox114 feet and is three stor es inE
height. 1t contains Il dormitoriess
|l6x1o feet, recitation rooms 16x36H
and ? Society Halls (the Dialectic. M
36x54 feet. The flooring in one place b
needs attention, many of the lights areE
broken, the choked water pipes have 2
i'm several places defaced and damaged
the walls. 1t is, on the whole, in al
better State than any of the buildingss
which the Committee had the means OH
examining. Mr.. Utleys estimate forss
repairs is $3.50.
The cold West" has a size of 36x12OS5
feet and is three stories in height. It@
has % sleeping rooms 16x1S feet, with
two Halls 20x36 feet, formerly used byX
the Dialectic Society, but since it's re- IS
moval to s'New West" not, so far as =
the Committee knows, appropriated to s.
no purpose. This building is sadly in
,,aaI nf - IL.