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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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Illinois Considers Disposition of Donation 191 where in the interior of the state. The committee from Chicago urged this proposition by many arguments, the leading one being that students attending such a school in Chicago would have better opportunities to learn the practical part of a mechanical education by observing the process of building and the manipulations in the various shops and factories of the city. Among those from Chicago who spoke for the committee were P. W. Gates and the chairman, A. D. Titsworth. Arguments for the unity of the fund in endowing one institution were presented by J. B. Turner, B. G. Roots, J. P. Reynolds, K. H. Fell, J. W. Pell, and N. M. McCurdy. The discussions were lengthy and earnest but carried on with much good feeling. Neither side was won over by the arguments presented and it was understood that the decision should be left to the legislature and the Chicago committee cordially tendered its support should the legislature decide not to divide the fund. Perhaps the friendly attitude of the Chicago committee deceived Turner into thinking that the mechanics were really after all going to change their attitude, for in a letter to the Chicago Tribune dated December 27, 1864, he stated that many of the committee after " t h e friendly conference'9 had themselves concluded "that the policy of unity is far better than that of division."25 The Prairie Farmer pointed out, after publishing the report of the Chicago committee made at home, that there was no use in those who favored a single institution shutting their eyes to this movement for it was really a formidable affair.26 Besides the question of the division of the fund the committees in session at Springfield listened to several propositions on the question of location: B. G. Roots on behalf of the Southern Illinois agricultural college at Irvington, offered a building already erected, a cash fund of $60,000, and considerable land if a state institution should be located there; Dr. Scroggs representing a company at Champaign, stated that it would tender to the state at the proper time a large building erected for college purposes, with ten acres of land, the whole valued at $100,000. The committees, not deeming it in their province even to recom^In Turner manuscripts, Springfield. ^ o r report of the Chicago Committee see below p, 477 and also Prairie Farmer, December 17, 1864.
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