<hi rend="bold">Letter from Charles Harris to Dr. Charles Harris, July 21, 1795:</hi> Electronic Edition. Harris, Charles Wilson, 1771-1804 Funding from the University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill supported the electronic publication of this title. Text transcribed by Bari Helms Images scanned by Bari Helms Text encoded by Amanda Page First Edition, 2005 ca. 11K The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina 2005

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 Charles Wilson Harris Letters (#315), Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Letter from Charles Harris to Dr. Charles Harris, July 21, 1795 Charles W. Harris 5 pages, 5 page images 1795 Call number 315 (Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

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 </bibl> </taxonomy> </classDecl> </encodingDesc> <profileDesc> <langUsage> <language id="eng">English</language> </langUsage> <textClass> <keywords scheme="unc_history"> <list> <item> Any special keywords assigned for this project </item> </list> </keywords> </textClass> </profileDesc> <revisionDesc> <change> <date>2005-08-08,</date> <respStmt> <name>Amanda Page</name> <resp/> </respStmt> <item>finished TEI/XML encoding.</item> </change> </revisionDesc> </teiHeader> <text id="unc05-04"> <body> <div1 type="letter"><pb id="unc05-04-p01" n="1"/> <head>Letter from <name type="person" key="pn0000684" reg="Harris, Charles Wilson" rend="yes">Charles Harris</name> to <name type="person" key="pn0000683" reg="Harris, Charles" rend="yes">Dr. Charles Harris</name>, July 21, 1795 </head> <opener> <dateline> <name key="name0001146" reg="University of North Carolina" type="organization" rend="yes">University</name>, <date>July 21<hi rend="sup">st</hi>, 1795</date>.</dateline> <salute>D<hi rend="sup">r.</hi> Sir, </salute></opener> <p>I have just returned from a short tour which I made through <name key="name0000178" reg="Chatham County, NC" type="place" rend="yes">Chatham</name> after our visitation on the 13<hi rend="sup">th</hi> instant. At which time I had the pleasure of seeing <name type="person" key="pn0001127" reg="McCorkle, Samuel Eusebius " rend="yes">D<hi rend="sup">r</hi> McCorkle</name> but could not get time enough to write a letter to you. This morning I heard from <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">M<hi rend="sup">rs</hi> Hogan</name> that your family was well except <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">Heriot</name> who is ill with the chin-cough. I would have been very happy in receiving a few lines by her. The number of students in the commencement of orders will amount to 54. Such numbers crowding in the trustees thought proper to make some further provision for their accommodation & instruction. They determined to proceed as soon as possible to the large building—120 feet long—56 broad, 3 stories high. They are to receive proposals at the next general assembly. But as such a work<pb id="unc05-04-p02" n="2"/>could not be in any degree of readiness in less than two years—the building commissioners are ordered to build a two story wooden house with 6 large rooms and a school room, with a purpose to accommodate the younger boys & is to be termed the Grammar school. When this house becomes no more necessary for its present purposes it is intended to be converted into a dwelling house for some future professor who may have a family. In a rough statement of the funds by the trustees they amounted to $15,460—$10,000 of this they desire to lay out in purchasing stock 6 per cent, that interest may be a permanent provision for the <name key="name0001146" reg="University of North Carolina" type="organization">University</name>. You must be certain that with our present number, our hands must be very full of business. It is a most difficult thing to procure a deserving teacher. A Grammar master is now wanted to take charge of the house which is to be built directly. <name type="person" key="pn0000898" reg="Ker, David " rend="yes">M<hi rend="sup">r</hi> Ker</name> and I have liberty to<pb n="3" id="unc05-04-p03"/>procure one at 130 Dol. per an. & board. Several have been proposed but none that could be altogether approved. With this day's post I dispatch a letter to a <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">M<hi rend="sup">r</hi> Brown</name>, an acquaintance of mine on <name key="x" reg="x" type="place">James River</name>. I have great hopes that he will accept of the offer & therefore we can do nothing until an answer arrives. We have at length determined to collect a Museum at this place, the trustees unanimously came into the idea, & have agreed to use all their influence individually to procure curiosities. A number of gentlemen on the seaboard have been engaged to procure marine productions. But it belongs to the back country gentlemen to favour us with many curiosities, with which this country, particularly the S. Western territory abounds. These scattered about in every bodies hands, soon become lost & are never of any general advantage, but when collected will become the source of amusement and instruction to thousands, & when a number<pb id="unc05-04-p04" n="4"/>is collected due care will be taken to preserve them. As you have considerable genius in this way & at the same time a warm friend to this institution, I hope you will interest yourself and your acquaintances to collect something worth while and forward them to us. They should be accompanied with labels or letters, showing where they were sent from, and giving some philosophical account of them, I intend to take upon me to write to <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Cumberland</name>this purpose. There are certain times of the year when many go from your neighbourhood. I will endeavor to have letters conveyed to my father before that time, but if I should not, and a favorable opportunity offers, you would do us a favor to write to <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">D<hi rend="sup">r</hi> Donald</name> and <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">George M<hi rend="sup">c</hi>Whirter</name> on this subject, & also mention to my father to write to some of his relations in the same place. It will be well to request the persons to whom you write that they send a letter informing me how far it will be in their power to assist us. Various petrified<pb n="5" id="unc05-04-p05"/>objects, uncommon fruits, curious stones, bones of non-descript animals, specimens of Indian clothing and their arts and manufactures will all be very acceptable. The Oil which <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Uncle Nathaniel</name> brought from <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Cumberland</name> is well worth preserving, perhaps you could send it by some early chance attended with a description of the place where it is found. We have a blank-book into which we enter all curiosities with the Donor's name & the description attending it. Write to me by post. When will you visit us. Give my kindest respects to <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">Aunt Sally</name> —</p> <closer> <signed> <name type="person" key="pn0000684" reg="Harris, Charles Wilson">Cha<hi rend="sup">s</hi> W. Harris</name>.</signed> <salute> <name type="person" reg="Harris, Charles" key="pn0000683">Uncle Harris</name></salute></closer> </div1> <div1 type="postscript"> <p> The only curiosity yet received is an Ostrich egg from <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Judge Williams</name>. Inform <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Col. Smith</name> that <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Robert </name>was very well about six days ago when he started to see <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Mark</name>. I expect him back two days hence— <name type="person" key="x" reg="x">Col. Smith</name> would do something in collecting for the Museum. </p> </div1> <pb id="unc05-04-bk" n="Back"/> </body> </text> </TEI.2>