The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-10
FIVE BIDDERS FOR
SYNODICAL COLLEGE
SYNOD Failed to Vote on Loca-
ton Last Night
MAY APPOINT COMMITTEE
Proposed to Investigate Claims of Five
Blds-Bessemer, Admission, Mont
eomery, Florence and Jas
per contesting.

with five very attractive propositions
for location before them and each OF
these five bidders allotted thirty minutes
In which to set forth their advantages
the synod of Alabama did not reach
vote, on the question of locating the pro-
nosed synodical college at last nights
meeting.
After a session lasting for two, and g
half hours adjournment was taken until
this morning at . o'clock, when, atter
a short devotional service, Fred s. Ban
will conclude the presentation OF Mont
gomerys claims for the college 1t would
be but a mere guess TO undertake to pre-
dict the outcome of the contest, since all
five of the bidders seem quite confident
that they have fair chance. Since each
of the bids come within the requirements
of the vote of the synod at Union Springs
meeting 1t really seems that it will prove
a difficult matter to make final selec-
ton Bessemer, Admission, Montgomery,
Florence and Jasper have strong bids
before the synod. It seems that other
than the financial view will enter into
the final selection. of course the repre-
sentatives of each of the cities bidding
are firmly convinced that their particu-
lar bid Is best.
Local Committee Suggested.
There is a probability that the location
will not be finally settled at the session
today. There was strong sentiment
last night for the appointment of locat-
ing committee of eight to visit the sew
eral places that have presented bids and
make to a future meeting of the synod
as to which place would prove most de-
sirable. This proposition will be opposed
and it may fail.
The Rev. Neal L. Anderson of Mont
gomery, moderator, called the session TO
order in the First Presbyterian church
at o'clock last night. 1t required some
time for the stated secretary, the Rev.
w. l. Sinnott, to complete the enrolment.
The attendance was very good. When
the enrolment was concluded the mod
orator announced the session ready for
business and the Rev. DR.. j. w. Stage,
chairman of the board of directors, made
the following report on the location of
the college:
DR.. Stages Report.
"In pursuance of the instructions given
us at Union Springs by the synod, the
board proceeded to advertise in the pub
lie prints of this state and In the church
papers of the southern church for bids
for the location of the proposed college,
naming that the places bidding should
offer as a minimum consideration the
sum Of $4,000 in cash or its equivalent
and suitable site for the institution;
and stating further that bids would be
| received by the board up to noon of April
s. 1904, and stating further that after
April 5, the synod Of Alabama would be
called together as soon as practicable, for
the purpose Of passing upon all bids and
settling upon the location of the pro-
posed college,
ION April 8, the board received bids
from Admission, Bessemer Florence.
Montgomery. Selma. These bids, accord
ing to the Judgment of the board, meet
the requirements that the synod instruct
ed the board to pass upon, and with the
exception of the bid of Selma, which has
been withdrawn before the board had an
opportunity to present it to the synod,
these bids are laid before this body with
out recommendation whatsoever on the
part of the board of directors
JOHN w. STAGE,
Chairman of Board of Directors"
This report was adopted and on motion
OF the Rev. w. C. C. Foster, Jasper was
permitted to submit bid to the synod
direct. The suggestion of the Rev. G..
w. Patterson of Montgomery providing
for the hearing of claims from the several
| bidders and allowing each thirty minutes
of time was adopted Others than mem
bers of the synod were permitted by this
| resolution to present their claims. The
report of the special committees named to
visit the several towns bidding was then
read by the Rev. W. e. McIlwain, show
ing that the two committees had visited
Selma. Montgomery, Admission and Bes-
semer. This report set forth In detail
the bids of the -four. cities, but made no
| recommendations.
| 1t was at once apparent when the read
Ing off the report was concluded that
| Florence and Jasper desired to have n
committee visit these points for investi-
| cation, and with this end in view the
Rev. DR.. McDougald offered a motion that
the matter of selecting a site be COM
mitted to a committee of eight, which
should visit the several cities and report
finding back to the synod. This motion
was temporarily withdrawn in order that
the claims of, the bidders might be pre-
scented at the present session.
Bessemer's Offer.
The claims of Bessemer were first pre-