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every man in the profession or business of his life. He gave credit to his fellow townsman in the following unmistakable terms: "Professor J. B. Turner is fairly entitled to the credit of having first suggested and urged the founding of a series of great colleges or universities for the education of the agricultural, commercial, and mechanical classes of our people in their various callings. For a year or two his views made but little impression upon others; but took firm and fast hold upon his own mind and heart. Becoming thoroughly in earnest, his zeal rather than his opinions began to attract attention.

"It is to be regretted that we have no distinct and chronological account of the first two years of Professor Turner's labors in behalf of this scheme. The unwritten history of nearly all great measures is generally regarded as the most interesting if not the most important." 28 Colonel Smith continued his article by giving the leading events in this early movement after 1851. Thus by means of articles in the press and by addresses in numerous meetings the effort was made to inform the public of the importance of securing the university for Morgan county. In October of this year one article appeared in the Jacksonville Journal in opposition to the proposed $300,000 tax. The editor of the Journal said that it was the first article that had appeared in print in opposition to the measure and that he regretted it was not abler and more truthful.

The vote in the county on the question of the $300,000 tax came not long afterward and to the surprise of Turner and his friends the measure failed. There had been very little opposition and the result came as a decided shock to the friends of the cause. Their only explanation was that many did not really understand the proposition.

Following this public agitation in Morgan county and the failure of the voters to sanction the tax President J. M. Sturtevant of Illinois college wrote Turner under date of December first and proposed that the university charter be so framed that it would permit the establishment of "As many colleges in connection with it, as component parts of it, as individuals or corporations may choose to endow-said courses to be controlled in 28 Jacksonville Journal, March 1, 1866.

their courses of study, the management and use of their funds and the appointment and the removal of teachers, by such boards of trust as the Founders may severally direct." This plan was further elaborated by President Sturtevant in letters of Dec. 21 and 24, both of which seem to indicate from the language used, the coöperation of Turner in the plan. President Sturtevant admitted that he was assuming the responsibility of the offer himself without the consent of the trustees of Illinois college and indeed with the opposition of two of them. This plan, which had the fatal weakness of proposing to unite an old institution with a new one, would not be accepted in Illinois. Morgan county's prospects at the moment seemed hopeless but yet in the end she offered a bid that commanded the respect of all.

During the year 1866 an episode occurred that threatened for some months the usual harmony among agriculturists. The delegation of the Buel institute in reporting the farmers' convention held at Bloomington in December, 1865, condemned the action of that body in throwing the meeting open to all who desired to participate and also objected to leaving to the discretion of a committee the calling of another convention. It reminded the executive board of the institute, that as members of an organization that had given the first active impulse to the idea of a practicable and scientific education for the laboring classes, they claimed the right for Buel institute to issue the summons for a representative convention "to prepare, discuss, and adopt a form of Charter for legislative enactment, suited to secure the end arrived at in all your former efforts." 29

The Prairie Farmer interpreted this report to mean that the Buel institute objected to the bill of 1865 drawn up by the agriculturists. The editor defended the bill, condemned the attitude of the Buel institute, and opposed the assembling of another convention, but offered to publish the call for one if the institute should decide to send it. Already the Buel institute had formulated plans for a convention and early in August the summons went forth for a meeting of duly appointed delegates at Phoenix Hall, Bloomington, on September 11, 1866.30

1866.

"Prairie Farmer, July 14, 1866.

"Bloomington Pantagraph, August 10, 1866; Prairie Farmer, August 4, The call was signed by the committee: Smiley Shepherd, Williamson Dudley, and Joshua S. W. Mills.

As this action of the Buel institute puzzled Turner he wrote to John P. Reynolds to inquire what it really meant. Reynolds replied in a humorous vein that struck close to the truth: "From expressions I have hitherto heard I conclude that Buel Institute regards itself as the father, mother, doctor, nurse, and attendant of the baby which was born in this state some years ago and was christened 'Education of the Industrial Classes' and is jealous lest history shall be distorted from the truth so far as to record that anybody else was even present at the bornin'." 31

Turner in the spirit of the peacemaker wrote a long letter to the Prairie Farmer reviewing the actions of the former conventions and showing the danger of appearing before the next legislature with two bills emanating from the farmers and mechanics. He did not question the right of the Buel institute to summon a convention but he did question the wisdom, the expediency, and the courtesy of it. This letter had the desired effect and after some correspondence and explanations the Buel institute in the interests of harmony gracefully withdrew the call for the convention.32

"Reynolds to Turner, August 7, 1866.

"Prairie Farmer, August 25, September 8, 1866.

CHAPTER X

CONTEST IN LEGISLATURE OF 1867

Much preparation had been made during 1865 and 1866 by the various parties for the concluding struggle over the question of the location of the industrial university. It seems rather strange that McLean county and Logan county, both of which finally did make important bids had made up to January 1867 no public preparation for the final contest. At the opening of the session of the legislature on January 7, 1867, a great deal of interest was manifest on the question whether the university should be located directly by the legislature or by a commission appointed by the governor. Champaign and her champions maintained that the time was past for locating by a commission because the state had already discussed the subject for two years. The agriculturists thought it was necessary to locate the university by commission in order to secure proper consideration of the merits of various locations and to insure honesty.

On the question of the date upon which the university had to be established in order to fulfill federal conditions, there seems to have been unaccountable ignorance. It was a fact that all interested parties should have known, that congress had, on July 23, 1866, passed an act extending the time five years beyond the date set in the law of July 2, 1862. Those wanting direct location by the legislature ignored this act of congress in saying that Champaign's offer was superior because it had a building ready for occupancy at once while there was no time to erect buildings before the expiration of the time allowed by congress.

Some of the leading papers of the state, such as the Chicago Republican, Journal, and Post, and the Springfield Journal and Register favored Champaign. They argued that the rest of the state owed it to the eastern portion for the reason that it had not received its share of political plums; that Champaign was admirably situated and the location was especially appropriate for an agricultural college; and that such a generous offer deserved success.1

'See Champaign Union and Gazette, January 4, 1867.

The statements in these papers in regard to the cost of the Urbana-Champaign institute building varied greatly for some reason. The Chicago Post said the building had cost $80,000 before the war and was worth, with the ten acres of land, at least $150,000. The Chicago Journal said the building had been "erected in 1861 at a cost of $175,000 when labor and material were worth not much over half their present value." The Springfield Journal estimated Champaign's offer at $500,000. These extravagant statements may have influenced the mind of the public but did not deceive the legislature. It made an investigation of its own later in which it came close to the truth in regard to the value of the various offers. What the legislature did, it did with real knowledge of the situation.

On Champaign's activity in Springfield at the opening session in 1867, there is the testimony of Mr. Griggs, the acknowledged leader, who is responsible for the substance of the following statements. The legislature opened the first Monday in January, 1867. The Champaign county committee, at Mr. Grigg's prompting, had prepared for the fight of the next three months by engaging the principal reception room of the Leland hotel, with several suites of parlors and bedrooms on the second floor. The reception room, holding two hundred people, was used for general entertainment. A buffet service was installed, and arrangements were made for serving elaborate meals. Near Mr. Griggs' quarters were placed those of the democratic and republican state chairmen. At once lobbying was begun on a lavish scale. Members, whether democrats or republicans, hostile or friendly, were invited to the Leland for drinks, for light refreshments, or for huge oyster suppers or quail dinners. They were pressed to bring with them any of their constituents who happened to be in town, and to order for such guests as freely as for themselves. They were supplied with cigars, and groups of them were taken to the theatre. During the week three or four of the Champaign county committee were always on the ground, and at week ends, when entertainment was at its height, eight or ten would come over. All bills were sent in to be paid from the $40,000 fund subscribed or appropriated for the purpose. No other community had fitted up headquarters in this way, or made

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