The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-11-04

made TO secure a meeting of the
Board of Directors in order to secure
Prof. Manning before he should have
accepted the proposition from Nash
vile. i asked Mr.. Hitchcock to ex.
plain these facts TO DIR. Jordan, but
for some reason it did not suit his
Or. Jordan's) convenience to call the
Board together until it was too late
to secure Prof Manning's service.
proposed to MIR. Hitchcock, that if
he would act with me, we would
elect Prof. Manning regardless of the
failure of the chairman to call meet.
ing. MIR. Hitchcock thought perhaps
it would be an affront to DR.. Jordan,
besides he said DR.. Jordan had prom,
ised to call meeting on the following
Saturday without fail. Saturday
came and DIR. Jordan said he was
too busy to have the meeting, and
promised it should he held on the fol-
lowing Tuesday. In the meantime,
or on Monday, | met Prof Manning
in Trenton and he informed me that
wearying of the delay Of our board
and pressure from Nashville to ac>
cept or reject, he had accepted the
proposition from Nashville. l urged
him to resign, informing him that on
Tuesday he would certainly be elects
ed. He replied, that he could not
well do so, Notwithstanding, he much
preferred to teach here, and that he
was satisfied two members of the
board desired his services; yet he
would be unwilling to come on any
other than the unanimous call of the
board" On Tuesday during the ses>
sion of the board, l proposed that if
we would telegraph Prof Manning
that he was unanimously elected, he
would perhaps even yet resign his
position in Nashville; but DR.. Jordan
objected TO it, and thus Prof. Mans
ning's services were not secured. Mr..
Hitchcock agreeing with me in this
matter.
About, or very soon after this time,
some of the friends of Mr.. John
Shepherd informed me he would be
an applicant for a position in the
school and asked my favorable con-
sideration of his claim. | replied,
that of Lr. Shepherds moral quail
fications | was perfectly satisfied. In
regard to his educational qualifica>
tons, | was not informed, but would
consider the matter, and referred
them to DR.. Jordan. In the mean
time, learned that Mr.. Shepherd
was thoroughly educated and a very
proper person for the position. l
was also informed that DR.. Jordan
favored Mr.. Shepherds election-in
fact, agreed to support Mr.. Shop
herd. My information of Mr.. Shep-
herds qualifications being entirely
satisfactory, | agreed to support him
for the position. When the board
met | did as ! had agreed. DIR.
Jordan objected to MIR. Shepherds
election, and suggested We have pri-
vate school this session instead of a
public school.
After the election of a fuculty, in
keeping with the idea advanced by
DIR. Jordan as above, there arose in
the community murmer of disap
prevail Of the boards action. | did
not then, neither do | now, believe it
was general. The board of taustees
of the college building did not rec
ognize the lease held by the board of
directors, and refused to allow us to
occupy it, Notwithstanding the vald>
ity of Prof, Hooker's lease had not
been questioned. Accepting, and rec
ognizing the validity of the lease,
DIR. Jordan attempted to eject Mrs.
Davis from the building last fall. /
as an officer of and one of the custo-
dams Of the public school money did
not deem it wise or prudent to spend
the school money in litigation for the
occupancy of the college building, be-
lieving that under the law the trust,
ees could have kept us out of possess
sion of it for say twelve months.
Again, l considered a litigation of
the question as harmful and detri-
mental to the educational interests of
this community. l, as an officer of
the school interest, having that in
terest at heart, desisted from a course
that to me seemed unwise and i'm.
prudent, hence, to,day we have no
public school in Milan.
The great desire of my heart has
been, and is still, to see in our midst
n eobool that ,r;ll 10 No. o .