The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-21
town bv boat as we'll as by rail from

! to the students of the University, said: Young gentlemen, you are standing upon a spot more favored by nature than any place upon the face of the globe"
 The federal government has already spent hundreds of thousands of dol | lars in the improvement of the river at this point. and proposes to spend million or two more. But the facilities | 1t has provided are not utilized by the people. They are practically wasted. They have little value except as a check upon the railroads. which is not needed as long as the present railway com missioners for this State are in power. The splendid locks and canals that have been built around the rapids are a | source of great pride and satisfaction. but steamers seldom pass through them. There are only two tiny stern wheelers on the river. The Alert during the season carries cargoes of cotton to Mo bile. and a little towboat called J. T. | Schuh hauls coal barges from the mines above the city. The citizens call these transportation lines." and at every ses- sion of Congress clamor for additional appropriations. which are freely made ] as the allotment of the member of Con- gress from this district Uncle Sam goes on spending his money making im- provements. but the river commerce does not increase. The boats now availing themselves of the canals could not carry cargoes worth as much as the improvements cost If they were to be continually In motion for dozen years.
 The University of Alabama has al- ways had a high reputation. It has graduated many famous men, but, like other institutions of the kind. has al- ways suffered from a lack of funds, and its faculty have devoted them selves to their work with an ardor and an ability that no legislative appropri- ation or benevolent endowment could properly compensate.
 There Is a curious historical fact connected with its foundation. In 1928 the trustees called upon James G. Birney. who was then one of the most prominent citizens of Alabama, and a resident of the neighboring city of Huntsville. to visit the Northern States in their behalf and select faculty for the new institution. In the perform ance of this duty he visited the leading American colleges and with rare judg- ment selected corps of instructors that afterward made the institution fa- nous. And they left their impress permanently upon the morals. the cul- ture and the tastes of this State. The records disclose no reason for the se- lection of MT. Birney for this delicate duty, for he never held any connection with the institution. and it appears rather strange that a board of trus- tees should have intrusted such au- | thority to citizen who had no official | responsibility. But in unanimous letter of thanks to him for his services there Is evidence that the trustees were satisfied, and time long ago demon- strated the wisdom of their judgment. Alabama was then a frontier State; l men with classical educations and com- petence to select a faculty for a college | were very rare. Mir. Birney was a distinguished graduate of Princeton, an energetic advocate of education, man | of leisure and great wealth for that | time. and enjoyed a familiar acQuaint- J ance with many of the famous scholars of Virginia and the North. But what
 gives the incident its greatest interest | Is the fact that this James G. Rirney
 was. in 1S40. the first abolitionist can
 didate for the Presidency of the Uni-
 ted States. Becoming disgusted with
 the Institution of slavevry." he eman- cipated his slaves, sold his plantation | at Huntsville and removed to the North. where he became an anti-slav- cry agitator.
 During the war the college was kept | open. It had no income, but there were | about 300 students, each of whom was
 required to bring a certain amount of
 bacon. meal flour and other commis-
 sary supplies in the place of money for
 tuition. The professors received no
 salaries. but continued to teach for the | love of teaching and from a sense of
 duty. Each had his own garden and
 chickens. the supplies which tho stu
 dents brought were apportioned among
 them also, and the looms their grand
  l the delft fingers Of their wives and
 daughters. This part of the country
 was not disturbed by fighting, and the l University was left untouched and in-
 struction uninterrupted until April, 1865, when a battalion of raiders from General James H. Wilson's corps un- der Brigadier General Croxton,
 dashed around this way and the 300
 college boys. who had guns and had been drilling. bravely went out to fight | in defense of the town. But for this heroic demonstration the university might have remained untouched, but there was a sharp skirmish, the cadets were driven back into the country,
 where they were disbanded and sent to their homes, and the raiders burned the beautiful Greek temples of learn ing to punish them for their resistance. Every building used by the university IeAcept tne oDserNdtory, d Buarunou and some of the residences of the fac ulty were destroyed.
 This was the most terrible event in
 the history of Tuscaloosa, but 1t had
 its amusing incidents. General Crox-
 ton who led the raid, was a Ken ltuckian, and 1t so happened a playmate
 of his boyhood and a classmate at col
 lege named Carpenter married Miss
 Leach, a Tuscaloosa girl, that night
 The bridal party was at supper when
 the raiders surprised the town. Car
 penter was captured and carried pris-
 oner across the Big Warrior River to