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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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834 History University of Illinois man could not be found to give such instruction—it was extremely difficult to find one qualified both theoretically and practically. One man had been under appointment for over a year, and then finally had declined to come. The newness of the enterprise, the fact that it was made the subject of constant and bitter attack, caused men at all suitably located to hesitate before attaching themselves to it. " R u r a l " had placed at least a part of the blame for the alleged failure of the university upon the heads of the trustees, asserting that failure was foreordained when a majority of the trustees were clergymen, schoolmasters, lawyers, doctors, and politicians. To this " A Professor" retorted : " B y actual count full two-thirds of the present members of the board are engaged either in farming or horticulture." " R u r a l " spoke of the sweeping condemnation of the institution issued by the last legislature. " A Professor" replied that it was easy to endure as it amounted to $60,000. Other objections made by " R u r a l " were taken up and answered. The Bloomington convention was held as planned but it was poorly attended. A delegation of ten or twelve from the university and two towns, was made to feel decidedly unwelcome. The Champaign County Gazette of March, 1870, stated that the attendance was absurdly small for the great work undertaken —the expression of the wishes and views of the industrial classes on the questions of industrial education. A count proved that there were only twenty-eight persons present when the meeting opened, which was increased to thirty-five according to the same paper, " b y going out into by-ways and corners and hauling in convenient strangers who were willing to be hastily branded as delegates." As soon as he could, Gregory rose and invited the entire body to adjourn to the university, that they might see for themselves just what was being done there. He urged it upon them; he insisted, even offering them free transportation over the new I. B. & W. railroad. It was an invitation difficult to decline and "evidently disconcerted the convention, till Turner suggested that while it would be improper to attempt to examine into the administration at such a distance, it was quite possible for them to look into the organization." In the evening about fifty people assembled and a committee appointed for the purpose, reported the following resolutions:
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