Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-06-05
A Card.

June Sd, appeared an article entitled ''Prof.
Nicholson and the Students" in which the
editor of the Dispatch commented at
length on the late geological trip taken by
the members of the senitr class of the Uni
versity of Tennessee, under charge of Prof.
Nicholson. In this article the writer makes
numerous charges against the conduct both
of the class and our professor, which
charges are not sustained by the facts of the
case. 20 Under these circumstances, we of
the above mentioned class having taken
part in this expedition and being fully &C
quainted with the real facts, deem that we
owe it as duty not only to ourselves and to
our Professor but to the University and to
the public, to correct these mis-statements
made by the editor of the Dispatch.
The charges Ia brief are these: ~. .-..
L. He asserts that the expedition was I'M
dertaken without the permission or knowl-
edge of the faculty and solely under the au-
thority of Prof. Nicholson.
In answer to thus We have on the author
lty of the entire faculty, that the expedition
was not only undertaken with the knowledge
but with the unanimous consent and APP
proval. - .....
| ?. 1t is charged that, before starting, each
member of the class provided himself with
a pistol or firearms of some description, and
1t Is lnsinuated that they did this at the in
st9atlon and with the approval of Professor
! Nicholson.
! In regard to the first part of this charge,
we simply state that it is untrue, and as to
/ the last, Professor Nicholson not only dis
approved, but at the last meeting of our
class. before our departure from Knoxville,
| positively forbade it.
! 3. It is charged that after reaching the
field of their expedition, scenes occurred in
| the use of their firearms on the Sabbath,
which startled some of the quiet Sabbath
loving people of Blount county, SO much so
that storm of indignation was raised, and
true bills were found against the students
and the professor. ..
In regard to the scenes which the editor
says shocked the quiet people of Blount
! county, we simply say, that the assertion
that we simply conducted ourselves in sucl
manner as to give offense to any one OF
to break the Sabbath day is false from be
ginning to end, and does not deserve notice
from any reasonable or respectable person
AS to true bills being found against us TO
carrying concealed weapons, although
report of this kind has reached our ears, w
have had no sufficient proof of such pro
ceedngs, and until we have better authorit,
than the columns of the Dispatch, it is use
less for us to vindicate ourselves in tina
direction.
| In making the above statements, we. Q
the senior class, feel that it is to be regrette'
that we have been drawn into anything tina
resembles newspaper controversy but, a
haf stated hat tn on
professor the above explanation, as he seem
to be the one against whom the editor o
the Dispatch levels all of his accusations
AS to the personal charges made agains
Prof. Nicholson, we leave it to older head
than ours to Judge of their value it is no
our place to answer them. But we tax
| pleasure in stating that during the fou
, years that our class has been under hin
in our college course, no professor ha
been more highly honored nor more univer
sally respected. And the expression whic
the Dispatch uses in an ironical sense
"Our beloved Professor" is one which W
of the class of 81 have always applied t
him, who has been to us, true friend
| and an efficient instructor.
f To the question whether or not tn
chair of natural history is necessar
to the university, it is useless to reply.
The assertion that it is superiority III a
5 institution funded upon the principles tina
control the University of Tennessee is so CIV
! identity untrue that every man of informa
ton will at once see its falsity.
In making this explanation we have state
5 the facts as they are, and we desire that thi
shall be final.
We shall therefore treat any furthe
, charges with the silent contempt which the
merit.
Signed-W. F. Bailey, W. L. Bullock, ]
I w. Campbell, J. A. Cole, J. II. Cowan, "
, H. Dick, E. F. Fuller, Il. F. Gaut, l.
, Hines, J. W. Hughes, A. Killough, W.
Lockett, j. E. Mccall, J. 2. Mcdonald I
F. Shropshire, J. B. Sizer, L. S. Walden, "
B. 1Oung-Class of 81.