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Professor Morse and his assistants had expended twenty-two thousand dollars, and all in vain. Measures were taken to reduce the expenses, and Mr. Cornell was appointed assistant superintendent, and took entire charge of the undertaking. He now altered the design, substituting poles for the pipe. This may be regarded as the commencement of air lines of telegraph. He commenced the erection of the line between Baltimore and Washington on poles, and had it in successful operation in time to report the proceedings of the conventions which nominated Henry Clay, and James K. Polk for the presidency.

Although the practicability of the telegraph had been so thoroughly tested, it did not become at once popular. A short line was erected in New York city in the spring of 1845, having its lower office at 112 Broadway, and its upper office near Niblo's. The resources of the company had been entirely exhausted, so that they were unable to pay Mr. Cornell for his services, and he was directed to charge visitors twenty-five cents for admission, so as to raise the funds requisite to defray expenses. Yet sufficient interest was not shown by the community even to support Mr. Cornell and his assistant. Even the New York press were opposed to the telegraphic project. The proprietor of the New York Herald,' when called upon by Mr. Cornell, and requested to say a good word in his favor, emphatically refused, stating distinctly, that it would be greatly to his disadvantage should the telegraph succeed. Stranger still is it, that many of those very men, who would be expected to be entirely in favor of the undertaking, viz., men of scientific pursuits, stood aloof, and declined to indorse it. In order to put up-the line in the most economical manner, Mr. Cornell desired to attach the wires to the city buildings which lined its course. Many house-owners objected, alleging that it would invalidate their insurance policies by increasing the risk of their buildings being struck by lightning. Mr. Cornell cited the theory of the lightning-rod, as demonstrated by Franklin, and showed that the telegraphic wire would add safety to their buildings. Some persons still refused, but informed him that could he procure a certificate from Professor Renwick. then connected with Columbia College, to the effect that the wires would not increase the risk of their buildings, they would allow him to attach his wires. Mr. Cornell thought the obtaining of such a certificate a very easy matter, as certainly all scientific men were agreed upon the Franklin theory. He therefore posted off to Columbia College, saw the distinguished savan, stated his errand, and requested the certificate, saying it would be doing Professor Morse a great favor. To his utter consternation, the learned professor replied, No, I can not do that,' alleging that the wires would increase the risk of the buildings being struck by lightning.' Mr. Cornell was obliged to go into an elaborate discussion of the Franklin theory of the lightning-rod, until the professor confessed himself in error, and prepared the desired certificate, for which opinion he charged him. twenty-five dollars. This certificate enabled Mr. Cornell to carry out his plans. In 1845, he superintended the construction of a line of telegraph from New York to Philadelphia. In 1846, he erected a line from New York to Albany in four months, and made five thousand dollars profit. In 1847, he erected the line from Troy to Montreal, by contract, and was thirty thousand dollars the gainer by it, which he invested in western lands. He also invested largely in telegraphic stock generally, other lines having been put up by other parties, being confident in the ultimate success of the magnetic telegraph. These investments have so increased in value as to make Mr. Cornell one of the 'solid men' of the country.

Mr. Cornell took an active interest in the efforts to improve the farming interest of the section of the State in which he resided, and in 1862 was made president of the State Agricultural Society. In the same year he was elected to the Assembly, and in 1864, to the State senate. Here he distinguished himself by his steady and intelligent support of all measures calculated to advance the educa

tional interests of the State.

29 (To be continued.)

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HARVARD COLLEGE.

(1.) Condition of Productive Property, Aug. 31, 1872.

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DOUGLAS Fellowship Fund....

IV. THEOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT.

1. Endowed Professorships.

DWIGHT Prof. of Didactic Theology.. $27,049.45

Professorship of the Pastoral Charge... 21.906.37 Professorship of Sacred Literature...

HOLMES Professorship of Hebrew..

13.819.67

25,000.00

10.000,00

.$97,775.49

LYMAN BEECHER Lectureship...

Total........

2. Scholarship Funds for aid of Students, $37.267.03

4. Fund for the increase of the Library $38,852.33 3. Library Fund..

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$500.00

$47,865.00

4. TITUS STREET Professorship Fund, income not now available... General Fund, the income for any purpose of the Department.... $126,576.55

$10,000 00
$300.00 5.

General Fund...

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V. MEDICAL DEPARTMENT.

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Total.....

Income from term bills of students.....

General fund...

Professorship funds..

9.104.12

Scholarship and gratuity funds.

11,623.58

Library fund..

2,204.68

Physics

Reading Room..

1.362 82

Gymnasium

717 57

Reading Room..

Other sources..

2.612.79

Total....

$107,427.20

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$21,332.57

$11,017.70

3,325.30

1,002.11

1,689.11

2.328.63

⚫ 1,519 66

1.137.22

995.95

4.951.85 3,035.91

11.457.25

6.010 66

3.730.03 1.994.01

12 134.62

$122,320.18

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1. The paramount importance assigned to the subject of education in all the noblest states of antiquity, and the earnestness with which their most celebrated lawgivers exerted themselves to carry out the principle of mental and moral advancement to the utmost conceivable perfection, are everywhere conspicuous at the earliest period at which Hellenic genius and culture assume their distinct historic character. The existence of a complete, and minutely organized system of educational arrangements, is from the first observable in those communities which exhibit the most strongly expressed, and consistent examples of the Greek conception of the state. The education of the youth of the country was considered as the basis of all the future influences of the state, the ground and warrant of its best anticipations from the citizen.' Far from abandoning this subject to the possible inattention, or excentric fancies of individuals, the state conceived that, as the common parent, its most sacred duty, and most vital interests, would be equally neglected, if the highest mind of the whole community were not directly, and constantly, brought to bear upon a question of such inconceivable importance to the individual, and the nation. In Sparta the workings of the whole educational machinery were placed under the supervision of an especial minister of state, the raidorópoc, and the individual appointed to this office was selected from amongst those who had previously been invested with the highest political dignities. A similar degree of attention was directed to this subject by the Pythagorean statesmen of the Greek cities in Italy, and even in Athens as we learn from Plato, parents were compelled to provide for the instruction of their children' in gymnastics, and μovou-a subject including what we

1. This sentiment is most emphatically expressed in Plato's Euthyphron, p. 2. See also Legg. VI, p. 765 etc.

2. Xenoph. de Rep. Lac. II, 2.

3. Crito, p. 50, cited by Graefenhahn, Geschichte der Class. Litterat. im Alterthum. See also passage from the Comic Poet Alexis in Meinecke, Fragm. Com. LXXXI. "Qui Athenien: es ait ideo oportere laudari, quod omnium Graecorum leges cogunt parentes ali a liberis, Atheniensium non omnes, nisi qui liberos artibus erudissent."

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