The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-06-19


on this entire property there as not sing4
encuna6rance True, debt still remains
but it is not debt against the property
but such as every college must needs incui
which is not endowed But this college
has no enjoyment and never had: it has
employed always an ample faculty ana
provided for its students on the most lib
eral scale. --s------
The financial condition of the college is
still far from satisfactory. There should
be no debt; there should be endowment;
there should be enlarged buildings and
many expenditures in increased facilities
and appliances for its educational work.
But considering what has been accomplished
we may well be hopeful and trustful for
the future. No management, we may well
believe, could have done better, and by the
continuance of the same good guidance we
NAV look for increased success to come
from the experience of years; and increased
benevolence on the part of friends of edu-
cation, should flow out in response to such
faithful administration of a great public
trust.
BUILDINGS.
Quite history is recorded In each OF
the three buildings owned by the college,
and the account of the efforts to build and
pay for them will be interesting here. In
the cut of the buildings, shown above, the
building on the extreme right is the West
minister Theological Seminary, adjacent to
the College but in no way connected with
it. We Shall speak of the College build
ings in the following order: l, main build
inc, which is the largest and is seen i'm
mediately in front, on the right; 2, centre
wing, which is only partially seen in the
cut but extends back from the main
building; 3, Ward Hall, seen on the left.
l. The story of the erection of the Main
Building has already been told in part.
When it came into the hands of the trus
tees it was under roof and the lower sto-
ries roughly finished, but much had to be
done before it was ready for occupancy,
and it had to be furnished throughout.
This was done, however, and the school
opened its second year in what then seemed
commodious quarters. 1t continued to oc-
cupy this alone for three years.
2 Centre Wing. The authorities were
not long in discovering that more room
must be provided or fewer students be re-
ceived. Students were unwilling to con-
tinue the old dormitory plan, which some:
times put thirty to sleep in one room and
the professors found great Inconvenience
in hearing the classes, owing to the poor
accommodations of recitation rooms. Fl
nally, on July 10Th, 1871, a new building
was begun, consisting of centre wing to
the Main Building, extending back, which
was finished that year and provided greatly
improved facilities for students and profess
sors.
3. Ward Hall. The President thus re-
lates the story of this building in letter
to the Sunday school children
"But still there was not room enough
for all the boys and girls that wished to
come to the College.
Well, this was just what led me to think
of trying to get another building erected.
1t was in the beautiful month of May, just
four years ago, when l thought of this.
1 went to my room and shut the door and
kneeled down and prayed to the good Lord
in heaven about the matter. l knew that
he understood it all without my telling him,
but was not sure whether 1t would be
right or not for me to undertake the build
ing, even if l could get the trustees to con-
sent that 1 should undertake it; because,
although the need was very plain, did not
see where the money was to come from to
pay for it.
The friends of the college had given a
great deal of money to pay for the buildings
we had, and for other things that were nee
essary to carry the college on in its work.
But while 1 prayed, the good Lord put it
into my heart to believe that if would
just ask every friend 1 could reach by let
ter, to give a small donation towards build
ing a new hall for the college, they would
respond favorably."
This plan succeeded so admirably that
enough money was raised to complete a
half section of the building, and efforts are
now being made of a similar character to
raise the money to complete the building.
The College will then be in possession of
ample buildings for accommodating stu
dents, but will still, perhaps, need other
buildings for purposes connected with its
great work, notably large assembly hall
and gymnasium.
LOCALITY OF STUDENTS.