The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-04-14

Rockefeller to endow his college. With
dramatic earnestness the head of the Chi
cago university stamped the request as an
impossibility.
II would not again approach Mr..
Rockefeller" President Harper is quoted
to have said, "for any additional endow-
ment, as have already asked him for S.
600, 000."
President Harper went on to say that he
had asked the Standard Oil magnate for
this amount in order to complete his long
cherished plan for the establishment of
university in fact as well as In name. He
recited how the University of Chicago was
running behind thousands of dollars every
year and said the time had now come for
the completion of the plans he had out
lined from the first. The amount asked
for, said President Harper, would at pres
ent at least put the university on solid
basis and would DO the first step in the
direction of 500 600, 900 endowment.
President Harper's visitor offered to
affiliate his own institution with the Uni
versity of Chicago providing he could Sc
cure the $50, 200, but the former remained
firm. He explained that his university
was in need of the millions and that it
would be folly for him to go to Mr.. Rookie
Teller with further requests.
Uses to which the income of the expected
millions will he put are various. Provid-
ing Charles II. Yorkes, who built the OBJ
servatory that bears his name, does not
come forward with an endowment that
will support the mammoth institution
good slice of the income will be devoted to
put the star gazing machinery In opera
ton.
This Yerkes observatory Is not the only
department that is in need of more money.
AL of the scientific departments located
on the campus are crying for more. With
the affiliations of Rush Medical college of
Chicago the university has committed it,
self to a medical department. and the new
school will require 81, 100000 to keep it
going.
President Harper has no idea of going
back on what he has promised 1t was
only last summer that the effort to keep
up with his own plans almost ruined the
presidents health. He made heroic efforts
to devise plans by which the constant def
icit in the university treasury might be
obviated. He had the provisional promise
of Mr.. Rockefeller that endowments
amounting to $40, 900, 900 would be forth
coming If necessary, but the encouragement
did not pay the bills, although Mr. Rookie
Teller made up deficit each year amount
ing to the income from nearly 1900, 600.
Then President Harper conceived the
idea of asking the founder for 100000
outright and the trip east was the result.
The present condition of the university
was placed before Mr.. Rockefeller. He
was told that the budget for 1898 had been
put at 500, 900. This will have to come
from endowments amounting to about
IS, 000, 900. OF this amount John ID.
Rockefeller has already. given nearly &c.,
600, 900, besides $600,00 for current ex
penses.
Miss Helen Culver has donated 500. 900
for research In biology, besides putting up
the necessary building for the department.
About $500, 900 has been realized from the
William b. Ogden estate, and Mrs. Caro-
line 4. Haskell has given $4,000.
Donations for buildings and other pur-
poses have been as follows: Sidney A.
Kent, $685., 900; Marshall Field, 800, 900;
6ilas b. Cobb, $3.50, 900; Martin A. Ryer-
son, &325, 900; George c. Walker, $780,
600; Mrs. N. S. Foster, $50, 900; II. A.
Rust, $50, 900; Mrs. Henrietta Smell, $780,
600; Mrs. Mary Beecher, 100000; Mrs.
Elizabeth Kelly, $4,000; Mrs. Caroline
K. Haskell, 100000; Charles T.. Yerkes,
$500, 600; Miss Helen Culver, 100000.
An additional $1,000, 900 would add to
the university's income at least $3.50, 900
and make its total resources $750,000.
President Harper has frequently made the
statement In public that he had never yet
asked favor from Mr.. Rockefeller with |
out receiving It, and 1t Is confidently pre-
dicted in the university that before another
scholastic year opens the staggering re-
quest will have teen granted. York |
Herald.