Letter from Elisha
Mitchell to Charles Manly, December 27, 1849
University of NCa.
Dec 27th 1849
To his Excellency
Charles Manly
Sir,
Whilst the Board of Trustees of the University at their annual
meeting are filling vacant professorships, creating new ones, and arranging
the more important concerns of the institution there are certain things of
less moment which require attention. These would probably have been brought
before the Board at their late meeting but for a misapprehension on my part
of what was expected of me in regard to the preparation and transmission of
a paper in which they should be set forth. They are however from their
nature quite as appropriate to be considered and decided upon by the Executive Committee as by a large body of
Trustees who have not time or patience to deal much with
details.
1. Measures have been taken during the years 1847-8 and 9 for the improvement
of the grounds around the College buildings — during the first
named year mainly at the expense of Gov. Swain and myself (the burthen however
falling more heavily upon him than upon me) — and in the years
1848-9 there has been an appropriation of one thousand dollars annually for
the promotion of these objects. The improvements extending over a large
space do not make a great show at any particular spot, yet a good deal has
been accomplished and the heaviest part of the work done. The giving of some
grace and beauty to the approaches to the buildings and to the walks around
themis supposed to have a good influence
upon the manners of the young men and to impress strangers favorably. No
formal vote upon the subject has been taken in the Faculty but my belief is
that they would regard an appropriation of five hundred dollars annually for
the same objects at least for a year or two as wisely made.
2. The tin roof put by Reeder upon the South Building some years since does not appear to
have been made with any great degree of skill and requires present
attention. The effect of heat and cold in succession upon it has been to
draw out the nails put in to confine the sheets of tin to their places and
leave holes through which the rain enters, injures the wood work and brings
down the plastering. There are other defects and injuries at one or two
points. Unless the thing is attended to, the whole covering may be expected
to go rapidly to decay. I do not see that any thing better can be done than
to go over the whole roof, repair it where repairs are needed and then cover
it with a good coating of Smiths plumbago paint. This will make it even more sensitive to
the effect of heat and cold than now, but it seems to be the only way of
hindering it from being speedily and totally destroyed as when the
atmosphere has access through the tin to the iron that lies beneath and that
constitutes the main body of the plate it operates with great effort. The
paint would cover it all over and prevent this. I find in Count
Segur's history of the French expedition to Russia that the houses in Moscow before the city
was burnt were many of them and perhaps most of them covered with iron
without any coating of tin upon it but simply painted. It is hard to say
what the expense necessary to put this roof into good condition will be as
we cannot well get at it to see whatit wants.
Mr Waitt speaks of
doing it for several hundred dollars, but his estimates seem to me to be
extravagant.
3. The place recently left vacant by Dr Green and that occupied by the President
of the Institution both need extensive repairs. On the former there is a
multiplicity of buildings unnecessary to a small family — a large
dwelling house, two small buildings of the nature of offices, two kitchens,
Etc almost all of which are out of repair, as are also the inclosing fences.
These last in all cases where the eye would not be offended by them, should
be built of stone. We have plenty of the article here, and it neither burns
nor rots. also if faithfully put up it is found to stand well on our soil. A
part of the house occupied by the President is very old and so leaky by
decay as to be hardly tenantable. It would probably require an expenditure
of 12 hundred or 15 hundred dollars to put these two places in such a state
of repair as to be comfortable and pleasant places of residence.
4. I might mention further as requiring attention and an outlay the upper
part of the South
Building within the roof including the former halls of the two
Societies which are now hardly available at all for the benefit of the
Institution — also the small building containing the bell which
was faithfully and securely fixed under my direction some years since and
appears to be firm now; but its base is so small in proportion to its height
that I am apprehensive about it when ever there is a violent wind.
5. There is a tendency to encroachment on the property of the Trustees on the part of certain persons living in and aboutthe village which has to be constantly visited
and is carried to a considerable extent sometimes before we find it out. A
man of the name of Couch obtained leave of Mr White who owns a piece of land adjoining that of
the Trustees to erect a small cabin on his ground. Couch of whom I can hear no good
in any quarter thought it safer though warned by some who knew of his
proceedings that he was over the line and trespassing, to place his building
on the ground of the the Trustees so as to be able to plunder his wood
and also be close at hand to supply the students with whiskey, whores,
fighting-cocks, and other articles of the kind whenever any might imagine
themselves to stand in need of them. I have during the vacation taken it
upon myself to forbid him to go any farther with his work and he is wrathful
on that account. The whole matter wants some regulating.
I think the Executive Committee should as they have
opportunity consider of the different items to which their attention is here
called and if they shall see fit, give directions concerning them. The
article of the improvement of the grounds in particular requires immediate
care with reference to the employment of a gardener and the supplying him
with the necessary aid. I shall pass this paper through the hands of Gov. Swain
and Judge
Battle with a view to annotations and corrections.
I am very respectfully
Your Excellencys Obednt Servant
E. Mitchell
Bursar Etc.
For Gov.
Manly
Chairman of the
Executive
Committee