stopped driving nails in the dining room the half hour allotted to dinner."

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Yet months before, beginning with December, 1870, the idea of a new college had become prevalent. Many were thinking of it. The chief engineer had asked his railroad (Dec 20) if he might offer "40 or 50 acres of land to secure its location, and was in correspondence with the state superintendent concerning it. Towns were multiplying. Greenwood, Crete, and DeWitt were platted and asking donations of church ground. On February 15th, six lots in Crete, three of them business lots, were offered Rev. Charles Little, of Lincoln, if he would establish a paper of given size, type and quality, to be continued regularly for two years. Before February 20th Mr. Alley had located there, entering, it is said, "upon a load of lumber," and had contracted with Mr. George W. Bridges for one hundred dollars per year for two years to start an academy. There was talk of "a combined residence, school house, and meeting room" (March 29th). Town lots were asked of the railroad-the seeming foster mother of all enterprises-and a canvass for money was made. If this was to be the beginning of the future college, there was no time to waste. Other towns were seeking it, and however true it might be, as Mr. Bross has pleasantly said, that Crete was especially designed as the location for it "when the great World Builder formed the magnificent valley of the Blue," and that the name it should bear was decided upon in the old Doane House on Cape Cod about sixty years ago, in a family council between John Doane and Polly Eldridge Doane," yet it will not do for Crete to be inactive when Milford is busy, such is the sweet simplicity of this doctrine of the divine decrees. So prompt efforts were put forth, money was contributed, and articles of incorporation adopted on May 22d, (1871).

Meanwhile another Associational year had rolled around and the delegates met at Lincoln on June 8th, with the college idea prominent. The state university had just been organized, and Rev. J. B. Chase was proposed as the choice of the association to occupy a chair in that institution, and word to that effect was sent to the board of regents. The standing committee on education made its report. It "was verbal and not unanimous," was accepted, the committee discharged, and the association entered into a committee of the whole

to discuss the entire subject of a state college and its location. Two proposals were received. Crete and the B. & M. R. R. Co. offered the academic property, eighty acres of land adjoining the town, twelve lots and three thousand dollars ($3,000) in money in four years, a total of twelve thousand dollars ($12,000), less an indebtedness of two thousand dollars ($2,000) on the academy property. To this was subsequently added the promise of fifty average town lots worth three thousand dollars ($3,000). Milford offered one hundred and five acres of choice land near town, value not stated, and three thousand dollars ($3,000) in money, with all the stone needed for building, at reasonable distance, free. It was decided not best at the present time to locate a college, but to foster as far as possible the interests of academies to be feeders for a college," and a committee consisting of Rev. O. W. Merrill, Rev. Julius A. Reed, and Mr. George F. Lee, was appointed "to supervise, until the next meeting of the association, the general educational interests of our order in the state." Fontenelle, Milford and Crete were commended for their interest in academic work, and the establishment of two or more academies in addition was recommended. The thanks of the association were extended to the people of Milford and Crete and the B. & M. R. R. Co. for their generous offers, and further time for consideration was asked. The importance of many academies and "one college for our order in the state," was emphasized in a resolution. At the close of the meeting the association took an excursion to Crete by invitation of the B. & M. R. R. Co., extended through Mr. Alley, and participated in the laying of the corner stone of the academy building (June 12th), returning a vote of thanks for the favor.

On June 30th, at the annual meeting of the academy trustees, the president and secretary were "empowered to execute a note to Thomas Doane for the amount ($2,000) borrowed of him for building purposes, May 1st, 1871, this note to be secured by mortgage." Mr. Alley was requested to act as principal of the academy the coming year," and "the erection of the academic building was left with the executive board to be carried on according to the best of their judgment." On July 5th the articles of incorporation were filed, and on the 10th the contract for the building was let to Mr. John Eaton, who was "to take the material on hand and furnish the

remainder," with certain exceptions. During the summer Mr. Doane built a home for himself in Crete and removed thither. The academy was dedicated "to religious education," on November 5th, six ministers and one hundred and fifty people being present, and upon it, it was hoped, the mantle of college dignity would soon fall.

A school was now begun-or re-begun; it had been under way. before,"-called "a good school," though a heavy debt burdened it. Mr. Alley was "its president, professor, agent, and nearly proprietor." The winter of 1871-2 wore slowly away without leaving much record of what was done. But preparations for the next meeting of the general association were being made. Crete, disappointed at not having been selected already as the site for the future college, was still determined to secure it if possible. Milford, Weeping Water, and other towns were active. It was understood that Mr. Merrill, the chairman of the educational committee, was favorable to Crete, and that Mr. Reed preferred some point in the Platte valley. That Mr. Lee, the third member of the committee might agree with the chairman, he was invited by Mr. Alley to visit Crete before going to the association meeting at Omaha. He found that a tornado had preceded him and the academy building was eight feet off its foundation to the north-east and considerably damaged. On his way to Omaha, crossing with Mr. Merrill an island of the Platte river, he heard for the first time what was afterwards known as "the argumentative report," which presented favorably the offer of Crete, viz.: six hun dred (600) acres of land, fifty (50) town lots, the academic property, subject to its indebtedness ($6,506) and cash subscriptions of May 5th, 1872, to the amount of eight thousand dollars ($8,000), a total net offer of twenty-nine thousand five hundred and nineteen dollars ($29,519), but made no recommendation. It was said that Mr. Reed would not sign it. While they were "deliberating aside in the timber," Mr. Lee urged that he "was ready to sign a recommendation that the offer be accepted" and the college located at Crete, and then and there such recommendation was added to the report.

The presentation of this by Mr. Merrill to the association of 1872, aroused a vigorous debate. So "spirited" did the discussion become that "speakers were limited by vote to five minutes and two speeches," and "it was established as a rule of the association that -when the vote was taken-no one be allowed to vote by proxy or

to cast more than one vote." A recess was taken over night and the question made the order of the day for nine o'clock. "Eleven o'clock was, on motion, fixed upon as the time when the debate should cease and the vote be taken upon the adoption of the report, thereby accepting or rejecting the proposition to locate the college at Crete." The question was really two-fold:

1st, Has the time come to locate a college?

2d, If it has, is Crete the place?

Of these the second drew the hotter fire because of individual preferences and interests involved, "each man standing up manfully for the town in which he lived." Mild personalities even were not wanting. One brother, regarded with esteem for his classical abilities, could not resist a rather liberal quotation from Virgil, "I am afraid of those Cretans, even when bringing their gifts." Many shared his solicitude. At eleven o'clock (June 8th) a motion to postpone the whole matter to a special meeting of the association in October was lost by a vote of 26 to 20, when the main question became the order of the hour, "Shall we adopt the recommendation of the committee and thereby locate the college at Crete?" The ayes and noes were called, resulting in an affirmative answer by a vote of 31 to 14, and a committee was appointed to nominate trustees. So ended the great struggle connected with the founding of this institution at this place.

The development of the college has done honor in part to those who had most to do with its establishment. Its name, Doane, proposed by Mr. Alley, recognizes one of its earliest and most ardent supporters, but should be extended to include his lady, to whom much of its success quietly belongs. The fur robe in the Brooks House at Plattsmouth deserves a place in the memory as well as the two easy chairs. Its first permanent building, Merrill Hall, perpetuates the remembrance of the "argumentative report," and serves as a memorial of the chairman of the committee under whose wise leadership these things were done. But of one other, whose name has not yet been set to any permanent monument, should mention be made, the occupant of that other easy chair at Plattsmouth, to whom belongs a large share of the credit. Indeed it is quite probable that without Frederick Alley, there would not have been a Doane college. And back of these, though he never interested himself in this partic

ular work because he was devoted to the success of the earlier school at Fontenelle, which he did not believe it wise to supersede, to Reuben Gaylord should some recognition be given at this time as a foremost laborer in the same things which here have their expression, and who, we believe, wished more that the cause of Christian education should succeed, than that any particular institution should be continued.

I speak only of the more prominent names. Others nobly aided, and others have been as prominent more recently, of whom it would be pleasant to speak if our review were more extended. But under the leadership of these the beginnings were made which we now

commemorate.

The succeeding year and one-half, to the time named in the introduction of this paper, was a period of intense struggle. It required only a vote to locate the college, but vastly more to develop it. It needed money, land, students, and the recognition and aid of the Society for the Promotion of Collegiate and Theological Education; and all seemed equally hard to reach. But articles of incorporation were filed on July 11th, and the work undertaken. On the same day Mr. D. B. Perry was ordained in the academy building, Rev. O. W. Merrill preaching the sermon, and was informed that the trustees were thinking of asking him to take charge of the infant college. He received the formal invitation on the 25th, and accepted it on the 30th. On September 3d the preparatory department was opened with four classes and eleven students, six of whom were girls. Mr. Perry was the only teacher. On December 14th the president and secretary of the academy were "authorized to convey, by quit-claim deed, all the property of the academic board to the trustees of Doane College" under certain reversionary conditions, and it was voted that when it was so conveyed the Academic Association should cease to exist, and its books and papers "be placed in the hands of the treasurer of Doane College for preservation." At the close of the first year (June, 1873), Mr. Perry was made professor of Latin and Greek, and Miss Mary W. Merrill was engaged as assistant. On July 2d five young men were admitted upon examination to the first Freshman class, and on the 4th application was made to the Collegiate and Theological Society for recognition. The summer was spent in an endeavor to realize an offer of Mr. Doane, of March 5th,