The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-07
LET'S LET THE DEBT
Durham the Place to Relieve
Baptist Female University.
How Il has Aided Durham ard the Splendid
Results Already Achieved Told by Rev.
]. N. Booth.

|
| To the Editor:-On the 10th inst, the
Baptist State Convention will convene at
considerations claiming the attention Of
| that body will be that with reference
to the Baptist Female University, at
Raleigh. Now Mr.. Editor, l do not write
much for the papers, but l do wish to in
dictate some thoughts to the people who
| will be in attendance upon that meet
| ing, and especially the Durham people
themselves.
OF all places in the State, Durham is
| the most fit place for the final struggle
| to clear the infant institution of our
convention of any debt that may remain
when the convention meets, or to hold q
jubilee if the debt is all wiped away
| Why do I say this? For these reasons:
Some thirteen years ago it was determ-
| ined by the convention to establish a col
| lege for women with equal facilities for
| training that are furnished at Wake For
| est A committee to locate the institu-
ton let it be understood that the town
in the central part of the State offering
the best inducement would secure its
establishment in it's midst. When the
| day to decide the matter came several
towns were contending for the prize Dur
ham offered double what Raleigh did in
money and site, but still Raleigh won in
the contention.
l was then living in Durham, as pas
tor of the Second Baptist church. and
we'll do 1 remember how the people in
that city felt when the result of the
decision was known. They we're not
| IN bn CT looked like 4
fatal blunder had been made, but what
has grown out of it all?
In the first place Durham has Trinity
College. Everybody knows that Trinity
had been moved from Old Trinity and
located in Raleigh On paper or in pur-
pose, but when the Baptist Female Uni
versity was located in Raleigh in spite
of Durhams more liberal offer, the Dur
ham people began to bestir themselves
and moved Trinity from Raleigh and To-
Gated it in their midst. The locating of
Trinity in Durham fastened the compile
ton of it's buildings and made its large
endowment a possibility and a realized
fact This is what Durham gained by
what seemed at first a great blunder.
What about the effect upon the Fe-
male University itself? Well, to begin
with. If it had been located in Durham.
it would have been built, equipped and
opened in a few months, or year or two
at the most, but it would have been done
largely by Durham money and its patron
age would have been more or less local.
AS it was, it became necessary for Rev.
O. L. Struggled to go over and over the
State to keep on going, and as he went.
he talked and prayed and collected mon
ey; but best of ALL he made friends for
the institution even before it had real
working existence. So popular became
this institution through the labors OF
Springfield and others that demand was
made that its doors be opened. This was
done by assuming a debit but when the
trains rolled into Raleigh bringing the
girls, to the surprise of the most san
gune, they came in such numbers there
was not room enough to contain them.
What should be done? Send some of them
home? Which ones should be sent? and
who should decide which? If any had been
sent away their parents would have been
soured they would have been matricu
lated at some other institution and in
this way their sympathies would have
been diverted from the University and the
effects would have been felt for genera
tiGns.
The wise thing to do was what the
trustees dij-assume a still greater debt
In the purchase of the Adams property
and make room for the girls. Hence, the
large debt under which the infant insti-
tuition has been struggling-a debt that
is no evidence of adversely or misman-
agement, but of unexpected popularity,
which means permanent success, for a
college lives not on its large and fine
buildings and splendid endowment, but
in the hearts of it's supporters.
Notwithstanding the debt by which the
University has been embarrassed it got
a great blessing out of what seemed a
great blunder to the Durham people. This
constant canvassing through these years
for means to build and equip the Uni
versity enabled it to open with patron
age it took Wake Forest half a century
to build up-a patronage it could not have
hoped for, had it been located in Dur
ham, and opened soon after its location,
since such canvass would not, in that
event, have been necessary.
See then what Durham got, and what
the Baptist State Convention got out of
what, at first, seemed a great blunder. Is
it not fact then that Durham is fit
place and this fit time for the conven-
ton to meet? The friends of the Univer-
Sity and the friends or Trinity can re-
joice together, if the debt on the Univer-
sity shall have been met by the time OF
the meeting but if after all the strug-
gle some of the debt may still remain
t unpaid, will it not be good for poth 10
5 see what benefits they have mutually de-
rived from the connection these lhsti-
tutions have had with each otner' anu y,
make final effort in the nome run
when the matter is up for consloera ,.Il
]. N BOOTH.