The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-09-22

various sources, by the college would
be as follows
From Citizens of Centre county 8 10000
" State Agricultural Society 10000
" Citizens of the State $4,000
" Legislature of the State $4,000
" Interest from Land Scrip 105, ,440
" Students 1854, ,720
Total $425, 5,O6O
The above sum total is exclusive of
the income derived from the college
farms, the figures of which we have not
been able to obtain.
Out of this amount was paid for
College buildings and equipments $4,000
Experimental farms and :" $4,000
Total s1e5,OOO
Leaving for school purposes alone the
sum of $260,060.00. With this sum
the college succeeded in graduating 66
young men, at an average cost for
each graduate, as shown by the figures,
of $3,937.27.
WORSE AND WORSE.
This showing looks bad enough, and
it is not to be wondered at, that at the
time those who knew of the facts COM
plained of the mismanagement of the
institution and the frightful amount of
money that was being used to accom-
plish such a small amount of good.
But bad as it was, it was nothing COM
pared to what was to follow.
In 1872 III. A. McAllister, esq, the
god father of the college and gentle
man who had spent time, talent and
money to establish it, died. He was
succeeded by his son-in-law, General
James A. Beaver, who has since that
date been the home trustee, and, as
such, the controlling power IN the man,
agement of the college His word has
been law and his influence omnipotent
in its management. At the time he
became connected with the college he
knew its weakness, he understood the
prejudices there were against it and the
cause of those prejudices, and was
aware of its financial failures and mis-
management. AS an honest, faithful
officer he should have set about correct
ing the abuses and reforming the man.
agement.
How did he do it ?
Not by attempting to cnt down use
less extravaganc,s at the College /;
not by trying to build it up and return
to the tax payers of the State some
equivalent for the moneys expended,
but by appealing to the Legislature for
further aid, which was granted, in the
shape of an addition to the land scrip
endowment of 500, 0,Sl3.20, thus making
the entire endowment fund of the Col
lege S5D0,000, the interest on which at
6per cent. or $4,000 per annum, the
State obligated itself and pays regular
ly to the college. 1t is but fair to Gen
eral Beaver, in this connection, to state
that at the time he succeeded to his
father in laws place as the managing
power of the college it had an indebt.
edness upon it of $4,000.
EACH GRADUrE COSTS S6,S4S26.
During the ten years he has had con-
troll of Its management the average
number of students per year, according
to its annual catalogues, has been l44.
The average income from each student
has been $50, making total income
to the college in the past ten years OF
$4,000. TO this is to be added the
interest arising from the endowment
fund $4,000 per year, making the to
tai income, exclusive of the profits
arising from four farms and individual
donations, as follows:
From Students s.........................S 72, 00(
Endowment fund, 10 years.. 300, 00(
Total. S372, 00(
In 1878 the Legislature generousl,
appropriated $4,000 to lift the indebt
edness of the college heretofore r,ferret
to. Up to that time the annual inter
est on that Indebtedness amounted t
$4,000, which from 1873 to 1878. woulC
foot up in the aggregate to 2S,00O
This sum, together with the cost 0
building water works and a house 70
one of the professors, would be as fol
lows:
For 8 years interest on debt. S2S, 90
Professors house,....................... 400
Water works .... ........................25,00 90
| lOlul''' % ,UU
| Deducting these expenditures fror
the income would leave it for education
al purposes alone the sum of $4,000
| With this fund General Beaver mar
aged to have graduated in ten year
forty-six students at an average cost fc
each graduate of S6,848.26.
Sir thousand eight hundred an
forty eight dollars and tceaty 81
cents.
These figures, startling as they ar
are taken from the college records an
given to the public, not to d,sparag
the aims, objects or intents for whic
J that institution was originally organ
J zed; not to decry the good it may do
not to cripple its usefulness nor othro
obstacles in the way of its success, bl
! to show how faitbless its chief execl
} tive has been to the trust imposed
, him in this matter. For ten years !
, has been the trusted head of its ma
, agement, and during all these ten yea
, he has been willingly receiving Il
/ States money without any effort to +
, turn an equivalent for it or any idea
} stopping the leak that has brought sue
disrepute to an Institution that othe