November 13th 1861.
Miss Sarah J. Hale,
Editor of the Godeys Book, Philadelphia.
Dear Madame
I am just in receipt of your esteemed favor of yes-
terdays date and it gives me great pleasure to notice
the deep and continued interest you take in our En-
terprise the V. F College, and more especially as its
incipient beginning has fallen amidst our great national
troubles which absorbs all other minor interest, under
these considerations your kind Co-operation to aid
my Scheme comes with peculiar satisfaction all this
time. On the 5th Current the Contractor completed
the two first sections of the Edifice (Cellar & Base-
ment) including the second tier of Beams, which is
one section or story more than we anticipated to do
this season, we hope to finish the building by the Spring
of 1864 or sooner
Our President M. P. Jewett returned home last Sat-
urday from a Professional tour of a months absence
among Eastern Colleges & Schools with reference to
the Modern improvements of Instruction &c &c dur-
ing which time he visited Dartmouth, Havard, Yale &
Amherst Colleges, Browns University, the most promi-
nent Female Seminaries in New England including
Mount Holyoke, the Boston Schools for Girls, the City
Library & Athenaeum of Boston, the Athenaeum of
Providence and the Astor Mercantile & N York
Historical Society & Libraries of New York. The
Libraries of Colleges and Literary Societies with spe-
cial reference to the Library of V. F. College. The
Trustees are also availing themselves of the advan-
tages of these War Times to purchase their Library,
Works of Art, Mineral Cabinets &c.
68
ir.'
I send you per this days mail the " Pokeepsie Tele-
graph " in which you will find in its columns under the
signature of G. T. R. criticism upon the respective
artistic merits of two Life-Size likeness on Canvass
of your humble Servant, the first executed by Charles
L. Elliott, the second by J. H. Wright both artist of
celebrity of the City of New York, the former was
ordered by our Bord of Trustees for the use of the
College & Cost $1200, the latter by myself some
year or two ago and only finished a week or two since.
This last I purpose for the Bord of Trustees of the
Rochester University of which I am a member.
I am obliged to Mr. Godey for his Kindness in send-
ing me the " Ladys Book" had I received it should
have acknowledged the favor, I heard from a friend
that you had published an article on V. F. C. I could
not procure the Number here at our Book Stores, but
sent to N. York for One. Please to say to Mr. Godey
to send me his " Book " as a regular subscriber, com-
mencing with the October Number, and for which I
herewith enclose $3 in Advancethe Article enclosed
to me in your letter I have Caused to be placed in my
scrap book with sundry other articles pertaining to the
V. F. C.
I remain &c &c
69
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