The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1900-01-13


out of the way Of the school.
The enrolment soon reached 100.
People came from great distances
bringing their IONS and daughters In OK
wagons. A brisk little town grew up
around the school, which furnished,
directly or indirectly, nearly all the
business of the place. There were no
railroads then IN MissOuri-at least
none south OF the river-but Chapel
Hill was at the intersection Of two I'M
portant stage coach lines. One ran
from Independence to wsrrensburg
and the other from Lexington to Fort
Scott. The government established q
postofiee and a town was started in
earnest. Mr.. Rulings gave 1t The name
OF Chapel Hill in honor of the North
Carolina town Of that name-the seat
of the state university; and the school
was called Chapel Hill academy. For
a time Mr.. Rulings and his brother
Thomas boarded all the students, but
soon others were needed to help take
care Of them. The students paid a
tuition fee of $50 a year and board cost
them only 81 90 q week.
Up to ls47 Mr.. Rulings conducted
the school as a purely private enter
prise. In the fall Of that year he turn
ed it over to the synod OF Missouri Of
the Cumberland Presbyterian church.
1t wal run for a number Of years as
q dsnominationaI school, many Of the
older ministers OF that denomination
being educated there. In the winter Of
ls4s ii was chartered as q college and
the Rev. c. G. MCPHERSON OF Tennessee,
was president for one year, being sue
ceeded by the Rev. DIR. Robert ID.
Morrow, an educator and theologian
Of great ability.
Early in DIR. Morrow's administra-
ton a large stone building, quite cred
liable for those days, was erected, 1t
stood about forty yards west Of the log
building and was fifty feet wide, forty
eight feet deep and three stories high.
The third story, which was really not
much more than an attic, was used
as a Masonic lodge room. The only
picture of the building, known to
exist, Is from a faded old daguerreo-
type belonging to l.. w, Jack Of War
rensburg, who was q student in the
school.
DR.. Morrow served as president from
ls4s to 1853. Mr.. Rulings remaining
as a professor. The Rev. ". W. Sud-
oath was president from 1853 10 1858
aud was succeeded by the Rev. c. v.
Ridley, who served for the school year
Is58-5p. He died in Warrensburg IN
1899. =,
During the palmy days Of Chapel
Hill college the curriculum was
remarkably thorough for a school on
the frontier. The faculty was COM
posed of the president and nine assist
ants, and all the higher branches were
taught. Milton Stapp, In whose behalf
the school was started, taught math'
ematics here for a number OF years.
Senator Cockrell was an instructor In
Greek and Latin for a year after his
graduation. Music was taught, but
was not in the regular course, and an
additional fee was charged for it. Al
the end Of the four years course the
graduates received a diploma which
was highly priced, for a diploma meant
q great deal IN those days, For some
years there was not IN all Westerr
Missouri another school that had &C
thorough a course Of study or so large
an attendance. 1t was also one OF thu
very first schools to adopt co-educa
ton.
Among the well known men who re
ceiyed their education here we're Sena
tor Cockrell, the late Governor JohI
S. Marmaduke, and his brother Col
ouel Vincent Marmaduke, OF Salin,
county; Judge John Z. Ryland, o
Lexington; General Milton Moore o
Kansas City, the late Colonel Hiram
! Bledsoe Of Pleasant Hill, commando
/ Of the famous Bledsoe's battery In th
Confederate army; Colonel John I
Crisp, DIR. j. C. Wood, president O
the Bank OF Independence, and Colone
Joseph Mercer, of Independence, OF
. state treasurer; George Z. Simpson G
I the banking house of Donnell, Lawso
0 & Simpson, New York city; the Rev. J
II. Houx and the Rev. J. Cal Littre
, Of W~arrensburg, the Rev. G. i. Moa
. Of Belton, and many Others OF lei
prominence, but strong and iniluer
4 tial men in their respective commun
g ties. The school was conducted
such a broad spirited way that 1t DIRE
patronage from all over the We
Among those who came in the ear
e days we're a Mexican and many Il
dams.
d In 1865 Mr.. Rulings left the scho
"a and for several years was not engage
in any kind Of business. In 1862
is settled at Lexington, where be renal
k during the civil war. 10 1866 he we
d TO Wsrrensburg where he establish
the banking house which, IN 1870 b
J. came the First National Bank Of WI
Ot rensburg. Mr.. RidiDgs was preside
G. OF this institution. It did q big bu
lg mess for those days. He worked
hard for The state normal school
Of Warrensburg as IN bis younger da
Id for the college at Chapel Hill. Fol
number Of years be was a member
ly the board Of regents and their OBJ
financial advisor. Owing to loo
D. lending Of money the First Natior
r. Bank failed November II, 1873. I
de depositors were afterwards satisfied
be full, but the stockholders lost heay
be and Mr. Rulings was ruined.
II About this time Leadyllle, Col, "
I'd booming and Mr.. Rulings went The
or 10 hope Of making back some Of
money he had lost. In this be "