The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-07
Subscriptions of Over S70,- 900 Made Last Night. Names of Donors
 Withheld
LAST PRELIMINARY
 MEETING IS HELD
 AT CIVIC CHAMBER
Great Enthusiasm Displayed by Work ers-Daily Luncheons to Be Held at Tutwiler Hotel-Ensley Ex- poets to Raise $1O0, 0,0OO-All
 Districts Represented

Forty-eight teams today will begin fund of s1.000.o00 to be used as an ihoueement to the locating commission or the Methodist Episcopal church, south, to bring the Methodist univer- sity here. The teams are divided into l2 districts and every member of each Is enthusiastic in his work and has expressed the greatest confidence that the required fund will be secured
 At the Chamber of Commerce audi torfum last night was held the last preliminary meeting of the campaign and every district had representa- tive at the meeting. Subscriptions to- taling $73.350 were made last night. the names of the donors to be made public at the luncheon of all the teams at the Tutwiler hotel today The prop erty of the Birmingham college is valued at something like s350, 900 and this gives a fund of s42S.35o as a be- sinner toward the desired S1,000000
 At last nights meeting confidence reigned supreme. Everyone present seemed certain that the fund would cas- fly be secured. There were several speakers, among them being Dr. ]. b Simpson, W. s. Stallings, Borden Burr and others.
 Dr. Simpson Speaks
 5r. Simpson addressed the commit tees and teams, asking them first to consider him as merely citizen of Birmingham and not as Methodist preacher and president of Birmingham college.
 T believe that we are on the eve of the greatest movement that Birming- nam has ever entered upon,' said Dr. Simpson. Birmingham has nearly ev- erything but a great university We have developed wonderfully. We stand tefore the world as the industrial cen ter of the south. We have been so much engaged in commercial pursuits that We have forgotten the other side of the making of the city. The time has come when we ought to turn our attention in this direction.
 Tt seems to me that it was by d special provision of providence that this opportunity should come to Bir- mingham at this particular time. Four weeks ago l felt that this university would be entirely out of our reach-- not because we could not put up as much money as any other city in the south--but when that commission met in Birmingham recently I discovered that the university was going down the big road and that this city oecu- pied very prominent place on that road feel that we have a good chance to get 1t. Every man l have talked to recently has expressed himself favor ably to the proposition and all want to contribute. There is a general senti- ment throughout the city in favor of it's coming here The people want it and will contribute money to see it located here
 From a commercial standpoint as an investment proposition, I do not be- lieve there Is anything that will ben eft Birmingham more than this uni- versity. l grant you I am not a busi- ness man, but l feel this way about 1t: The location of this university in Bir- min gham will be profitable to every branch of business here from real es- tate to groceries and clothing stores, etc. There will be something like 1000 students here every year from the very beginning and, let me assure you, gen tlemen, college boys eat lots, buy many clothes and spend much money in oth- CT ways-I have not been president of Birmingham college for nothing. It means that there will be an average of $500 per student spent in Birmingham every year. and that means an average Of upward of $500 900 a year.
 "The university to be established by the Methodist church will be a uni- versity In every sense of the word. It will carry. every course necessary to the education of a boy and will place Birmingham in the very forefront of the south as an educational center, for there will be 2,000.000 members of the Meth odist Episcopal church south, be- hind the school
 To Be Second to None
 T was a member of the general con- ference which authorized the estab- lishment of this university, when 1t discovered that it did not own any in terest in Vanderbilt university at Nash. vile. l can assure you that there will be built a university which will be second to none in the United States.
 If we want this university bad enough we can get it. We have advantages that no other city can present to that com mission. The university will not be placed in the city which secures the largest amount of money. There are many other things to be taken into con- sidera ton and Birminy nam has the other things.
 T believe I can safely say that if this university is located here that within AS hours after it's location we will have 8 subscription from outside party that will thrill every resident of Birmingham and make them glad that they subscribed to the fund to bring it to this city.
 This n ,x,il ba