The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-12-13
DoNAIDsoNv1LiE La SATURDAY DECEMBER 1s 1918
SOUTHERN ljN|VER-
6ITY SITE.
THE STATES SCHOOL FOR NE
GROES STILL WITHOUT A
HOME.
Neither Iberia Nor East Baton Rouge
Wants the Institutfon-Ascen
son's Generous Offer Reviewed.

:
In ahe New Orleans Times-Demo-
crat Of the 10th instant the follow
ing interesting article was published
| under tho display headings: ..Bo-
| cage Property, as Suitable Site for
the Negro School-E. P. Brady Does
| Not Understand Why His Donation is
Not ccepted-Objectio Made is
Danger of FIood-PrCperty Donated
is Worth $4,000. with Additional
Land at Half Price
E. P. Brady, president Of the AlIu-
vial Land Purchase Company, upon
! his return from ST. Elmo, expressed
astonishment that the committee for
che selection Of a site for the South
ern University has been obliged to
reject the site selected in Baton
Rouge parish because Of the protest
from citizens, and that the commit
tee is now in despair of finding d
place in Louisiana for this negro in
stitution.
In the early part Of August, when
it became known that the Southern
University was to be removed from
New Orleans, Mr.. Brady, owner of
the ST. Elmo property, offered to do
nate a site for the university there.
This offer comprised the Bocage
mansion, a beautiful colonial home,
which is valued at $4,000, together
with fifty acres of land adjacent to
it. And in addition to this, he Of
fered an option on $50 acres of land
f,o fn oft 10 Io
ed at $50 per acre upon easy terms
The Bocage mansion and the acre
aga offered could have been avail
able at once, and had the offer been
accepted the school could have been
opened there Oct. l. The proposal to
sell $50 acres, or such amount as
deemed necessary by the trustees,
at qhe figure Of $50, is a reduction
from Slo0 and $125, which is being re-
ceived for the land. The proposi-
tson made by Mr.. Brady, it is esti-
proximately SIS, 900 or $4,000.
A committee composed of Messrs
Harris, Caldwell and Singletary Wis
tied ttlle site, but later decided to ac-
eept an offer from citizens in New
Iberia. Owing to opposition this was
abandoned, and then the proposition
in Baton Rouge parish was accepted,
but abandoned for the sam Nreasosi
In commenting upon the situation
with regard to the establishment OF
THO institution and the report that
the committee is now without a place
to locate it, Mr.. Brady said:
II, !
tee should now be in despair about
location.
There could be no more liberal of
fer and terms than I submitted to
the committee. This proposition has
been indorseG by the leading citizens
Of Ascension parish, including such
men as Hon. Henry Clay Braud, Wal
ter Lemann, R.N. Sims, L.W. Armi-
tage, Alex. BloomenstieI, Drs. Sims
and Smith, A. I. Picard and Sidney
Marohand of the state legislature;
Sheriff Hanson. Judge Pugh and a
host of others. The proposition was
indorsed by the police jury Of Ascen-.
sion, by the Chamber Of Commerce
and city government Of Donaldson
VILE
teThe proposition I offered to no
nate free of cost was valued by DR..
Caldwell, chairman of the committee,
as a $4,000 free gift. I might en-
phasize this fact-a free donation Of
SIS, 900, Acknowledged and recognized
by the committee.
<sThis proposition was turned down
late in August, because they claim
ed 10 have better one in New
Iberia. The New iberia proposition
met with opposition, and was aban-
doned. The next report is that the
committee has selected a site in Ba-
ton Rouge, where there are absolute
" no donations. Again, We learn
from the New Orleans Times-Demo-
crat that a committee Of citizens
have protested and that this site
cannot be selected.
I cannot understand why this COM
mittee has not selected this splen-
did donation, indorsed by every polit-
ical party, faction Or division of gov
ernment II Ascension
1T is reported that one of the mem
bers OF the committee objects to es-
tablishing the university behind a le-
wee in tao state Of Louisiana.
should regret to believe this state
ment is true; l should regret to be-
lieve any public official was afraid to
put a public building behind q levee
of the Mississippi river
: In the meantime, with the free
donation of an old colonial home, in
splendid repair, and fifty acres Of
land, valued at $4,000, and an option
to purchase as many more acres as
desired at the price OF $50 per acre,
on any terms, it seems strange to
read the statement that the South
ern University cannot secure a site
in Louisiana"
Radford to be National Lecturer.