Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-08-01
THAT COLLEGE AGAIN.

To the Editor of the Eagle.
The first front presented to the
people of Winfield by the board of
trustees was appalling. The board
demanded the $4,000 in cash instead
of twenty acres of land as it was made
optional in Winfield's offer. The To-
eating committee saw a chance to
add feather to their already bright
plume. Accordingly as their last act,
they accepted the land instead of the
money, thereby virtually taking $lO.-
600 of the college funds and investing
them in twenty acres of land one and
one-half miles from town.
They then no doubt thought that
"this much made safe we will have to
trust the trustees with the balance"
But other complications arose. In
stead of twenty thousand city SUBJ
scription the board was presented with
subscription list amounting to six
teen thousand dollars, which Mr..
Robson said he would get into notes
and even more if desired, but would
not guarantee their collection. Mr..
Robson and others, called the College
Hill company, were willing to deed
the twenty-acre college cite, with the
provision that il went back to Rob-
ison & Co. or their heirs if in any
event the conference failed TO MAIN
tain the institution.
But there was another source from
which ten thousand dollars and the
other twenty acres (now made worth
ten thonsand was to come
viz. the Highland Park association, as
nice a lot of fair-dealing men as you
would wish to meet, offered their mon
ey ard land without any reservation,
save that II Gibson & Co. actually give
their land, so that in case the college
should fail to be maintained their
money and land must not fall into the
lap of Robson & Co, and here ended
the second session of the trustee
board.
should have said that at the first
session there was elected as officers of
the trustee board: A.. l.. Redden,
president: j. ID. Botkin, secretary; ID.
j. Chatfield, treasurer. The first and
latter of these three made themselves
Objectionable by insisting on all of
the guarantees, and that each exhibit
should be guaranteed, assuming that
they had no right to take money that
belonged more properly to the Meth
odists of the southwest Kansas con-
ference, and buy land; or that they
had any right to begin 10 build with
out every dollar of the money secur-
ed. The first of these two gentlemen.
Mr.. Redden, is man OF fine sensibili-
ties and was forced to offer his re-
signation at the second session, hay
ing been snubed as disorganiZer,
rather than builder. Then in his
absence the job of disposing of the
treasurer, ID. j. Chatfeld, came up
at the third session, July 2Sth,
Winfield declaring that she would not
pay a dollar over to go to Wichita.
Accordingly a set of bylaws were
framed that show the business faculty
of its trainers. The first clause reads
as follows: "The officers of this board
shall be president secretary and
a treasurer" Another clause SAYS
that the treasurer shall be layman
and not member of the board. Up
OH the adoption of said bylaws the
following day the treasurer at once
offered his resignation which, after de-
bate was acceped and he took his hat
and the first train home. AS business
like as their bylaws they now claim
that the treasurer resigned his office
verbally. We will see.
ID. j. CHATFIELD.