Thus, in the spring of the year 1855, the COLLEGE OF CALIFORNIA began its legal existence. Its first college class was then to be fitted from the beginning. This would require, as things were, at least four years. Meanwhile the Academy had come to be self-supporting, though the erection of the buildings had left a five-thousand-dollar debt upon the property. But no great additional expense seemed likely to come on the enterprise till the first classes should be ready to enter upon college studies, and need the instruction of a college faculty, and this was at least four years off.

At the time of the incorporation, and for the whole of the year 1855 afterwards, I was at the East with my family. The Board of Trustees, at their first meeting after their incorporation, sent a commission, asking me to solicit funds for the College, hoping that I might obtain at least money enough to pay its debt. It was autumn when I received it, and there was but little time to work before my return home. I was glad to give what then remained of my vacation to this business, and did so. California was at that time very little known except as a gold-producing country, and a country of reckless adventure. To prepare the way for personal application for money, I wrote a pamphlet circular, and sent it to such people as I intended to ask.

The circular gave the reasons why a college was contemplated so soon. It told what had been done by the few on the ground. It described the location of the preparatory school, and told of the heroic work and manifest success of its Principal, Henry Durant. It stated that soon classes would be fitted to enter college, and that we could not get the college ready for them without help. The fact that colleges in all the newer States had received help when they were beginning, was referred to, and that it was not expected that in their early settlement the young States would be able to build their own colleges. Much more, it was argued, must we look to the East for help, because we were the farthest west, separated from the rest of the country by a very long and expensive journey, where settlement must necessarily be slow, and

everything must be built up from the very beginning. The pamphlet stated the facts, showing that we were ready to help ourselves up to the full measure of our ability, and asked aid of our Eastern friends.

I followed the circular with personal solicitation, so far as I had time. But I soon found that money would not be given to California. California was famous as a gold-producing country, and it seemed to people absurd that California should be asking for money! There were other reasons for declining our application of more or less weight, but this one, that California was itself a gold-producing State, stood in the way of every appeal. I obtained a few thousand dollars in small sums, but my cause did not take hold as I knew it ought to have done, and it never did afterward.

It seems somewhat singular, but no educational institution of any kind in California has ever been able to get help, to any considerable amount, from the East! It is not because we have not sorely needed it, nor because we have not sent the very best men to represent the facts, and ask for it. We have done this over and over again, but nothing amounting to an endowment has ever come of it. In making my applications for a week or two in the fall of 1855, I had many pleasant interviews with most excellent gentlemen. They had not become millionaires as yet, as some of them became afterward, but they gave the subject their attention, and generally contributed something. Mr. Aspinwall did so, cheerfully, perhaps because his connection with the Pacific Mail Steamship Company made him acquainted with the real need of California. Mr. C. R. Robert, who, years afterwards, founded Robert College, in Constantinople, listened with interest to what I had to say, and so did William E. Dodge, and Anson G. Phelps, and others, and all subscribed something, but the sums were not large. I went to see Commodore Vanderbilt. I unfortunately found him in bad humor. Things had evidently been going wrong with his Nicaragua Steamship line. He was very severe that day on California, and in very emphatic words, not worth while to repeat, he

wished the country no good. It was an odd interview, and amused me very much, but it yielded no money. I went to Rochester, New York, to present my case to Aristarchus Champion, a man of well-known generosity in those days. He entertained me handsomely, and listened appreciatively to what I had to say, and made a fair subscription. But somehow he could not get over the feeling that it was rather absurd to be sending money to California, when California was shipping away millions of dollars in gold-dust every month.

But in a few weeks my vacation-time was up, and we sailed for our home in San Francisco. On January 29, 1856, I met the Board of Trustees for the first time, and found that I had been appointed Secretary. I made a report of what I had done and learned at the East, and turned over to the Treasurer what money I had brought. I was able to state that the "Society for the Promotion of Collegiate and Theological Education in the West" had put our College on the list of institutions deserving help, which meant that they endorsed any application for funds that we might see fit to make. This endorsement was important. Indeed, it was at that time essential. But of itself, it yielded no funds, nor was it sufficient to overcome the objection to giving money to found a college in California. But notwithstanding the fact that we found ourselves thus left substantially to our own resources, we determined to go forward, and do the best we could. With renewed energy we set to work to build up the Preparatory School in Oakland as fast as possible, and supply it with the best of teaching. According to the catalogue of 1855, the number of pupils in attendance was sixty. The school was popular, well conducted, and self-supporting.

CHAPTER III.

SEARCH FOR A PERMANENT SITE.

In March, 1856, there appeared a possible help from an unexpected quarter. The Rev. Dr. Horace Bushnell came to California for the benefit of his health. His lungs and throat were in such a condition that he did not wish to preach or speak in public much, but he wanted rather "to rough it," and live an out-of-door life. The query arose at once whether he could not be induced to join us, and in some ways aid in the founding of the College. He and Mr. Durant were members of the same class in Yale, and were graduated together. They were life-long friends. At once Dr. Bushnell was consulted. He took to the idea. He inquired into the facts of the situation. After reflection, he told us that he would do what he could. He said that he was a pastor of a church, and that he was here seeking health. He could not tell what the California climate would do for him. If he recovered sufficiently, he would hasten back to Hartford to his pulpit. If he did not, and found he could live and be useful only here, he might remain. Meanwhile, if, for the time being, he could serve the College plan in any way consistent with his purpose to regain his health, he would gladly do so. Acting upon these suggestions, the Trustees thought best to invite Dr. Bushnell to the Presidency of the College, in order that he might be in the best possible position to represent the institution to the community, and aid in its organization and endowment. Dr. Bushnell's reply to the notice of his election was as follows:

"July 10, 1856.

"The resolution of your Board inviting me to the Presidency of the College of California I have sufficiently considered to return the

qualified answer that appears, by the terms of it, to be expected. I am duly sensible of the honor conferred on me by their appointment, an honor which is only the greater, in the fact that the College can hardly be said to exist, and is, as yet, to be created. I will interest myself at once in the institution, and will endeavor to do what I can, privately, during two or three months to come, to excite an interest in it, and to assist you in plans regarding its endowment, and its final location, if a change in this latter respect should be deemed desirable. In this manner I shall be able to learn what friends it is likely to have, or whether it will have any whose views are sufficiently expanded to fulfill the conditions that must be fulfilled, in case I should finally assume the office. Further than this,

I can make no definite answer at present"

In the prosecution of the plan thus outlined, the first question that presented itself was that of the permanent location of the College. The tract of eight acres heretofore described, in the city of Oakland, was never considered as suitable for that purpose. It was not large enough; it was too low to have a good outlook; it could have no stream of running water, and it was likely in time to be too much in town to have the quiet desirable for a college. Where was the best place for it? That was the question. To solve it by personal examination was the first work undertaken by Dr. Bushnell.

In the "Life and Letters of Horace Bushnell," published since his death, are given extracts from letters written by him while engaged in this business:

"SAN FRANCISCO, July 18, 1856. "I set off on Friday for Martinez, a small town with whose beauty I had been struck in sailing by, some weeks ago. Here I have stayed, examining, trying climate, riding over the whole region adjacent, etc., till yesterday (Thursday). Last night I came down. in the steamer on my way back to the Mission, staying over to-day, consulting, etc. In about three weeks I shall come up again to visit Martinez with the Trustees, or with as many as can go. I have been to two or three other locations near by, and there is also another near the Mission. I have gone into this con amore, as you know I naturally would. It is an occupation, and a most pleasant and refreshing one."