The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-03-28
Location Of Austin College.
DALLAS, March 20, ,lS7


To the Editor of the Dallas Herald;
An announcement has been made
that Dallas had succeeded In getting
Austing college located in its imme'
diate vicinity. This was true up to
three O'Clock yesterday. At Austin, IN
February, / presented the proposition
from the citizens of Dallas, and earn
estly advocated its claims, on the
ground that this was the best PROPOSE
ton that had been made to us. This
position was taken because of the fol-
lowing dispatch, which was sent me at
Austin, and signed by the committee
of six appointed at the meeting of the
citizens:
DALLAS, February II, 1874.
! Rev A. p. Smith, Austin, Texas:
! Dallas donated to Austin college, ii
located here, land valued ut tifty-fOur
thousand dollars. Additional subscrip-
tions will be had. All anxious for the
college. Bankers and merchants prom
ise to use every effort to obtain money
in New York at low rates on land hy-
pothecated to erect buildings. The pres
ent and future of Dallas warrants sue
cess if located here"
lpresented this dispatch, and guar
anteed its genuineness and available
ity. On Wednesday the committee ac-
ceptcd this proposition, and at the same
time passed Il resolution that "all that
has been or may be given by the citi-
zens of Dallas for this enterprise, shall
be used exclusively for the erection of
buildings and the improvement of the
grounds. 1t was deemed as but due to
the subscribers that not dollar of
their money should go for the liquida-
ton of debts, payment of teachers, or
for u permanent endowment; but
should all be expended in the erection
of a college building that would be the
ornament and pride of the city, and,
as we would be able, from any and
every source in the future, we would,
as our necessities demanded, enlarge
and beautify the whole. In order that
this idea might be carried out, it
was proposed that Il building
committee be appointed from among
the friends of the institution here
in Dallas. The city was not to build II
college and donate it, but she was, by
liberal subscription, to enable us at
least to start it for her.
AT this .iuncturc in the proceedings,
it was deemed advisable to commence
operations as soon as possible, so that
the college exercises could begin next
fall, and to do this, a conference was
asked with the citizens that we might |
see positively and definitely, for what
these lands could be hypothe-
Gated, so that with these available
funds we could go to work immedi-
ately. At this conference it appeared
that these lands could not be hypothe-
Gated for anything like enough, even
to start "to erect buildings" SO that in
justice to itself and in obedience to |
duty, the committee was called upon to
reconsider its definite action locating |
the college, and deferred the matter
according to the following action:
"Whereas, The proposition from the
citizens of Dallas and its vicinity, not |
to be available for the amount |
in the paper, therefore,
Resolved, That the further consider
alton be deferred until further meet
ing OF this commission, when we re-
quest that the subscribers furnish Il
statement as to the exact amount for
which the subscriptions are, or can be
made available"
(Signed) J. j. READ. Secretary.
JOHN A. SMYLIE, Chair'n.
IL will be sseen that the commission
is still decidedly impressed with the
desirableness of Dallas as II location for |
the college, and defer action until the
citizens of Dallas have an opportunity |
of finding out what they are able and
willing to do. AS the commission will,
in all probability, definitely decide this
question of location during the month
of April, there is sufficient opportunity
afforded for action.
A. p. SMITH.