Page:A History of the University of Chicago by Thomas Wakefield Goodspeed.djvu/317

 THE UNIVERSITY AND ITS BENEFACTORS 277 This means a million dollars for the University on July i, if between now and that time two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars additional money can be secured. It is not safe under existing circumstances to be very confident as to the success of the effort to accomplish this. Anyone familiar with the present condition of the financial world knows that this amount of money can be obtained only with the greatest difficulty The gift of so large a sum as half a million to be used outright for the purpose of equipment was a gift under all the circumstances not to have been expected from Mr. Rockefeller. He had plainly indicated that he would care for instruction, and he had also expressed the hope that Chicago would care for buildings and equip- ment. He realized, however, the peculiar situation in which we found our- selves the financial stringency which defied every effort to secure money. Seeing our necessities and appreciating all that we had tried to do, he has come forward in a new and unexpected way, and the University has stronger evidence than ever before of his deep interest in its work. The continuance of the financial depression with its after-effects made any effective work impossible for four months after this state- ment was made. It was not until May, 1894, that a new beginning could be made. It was finally found impossible to comply strictly with the conditions of Mr. Ryerson's subscription. The funds indeed were secured, but it was necessary to admit some contribu- tions for purposes not contemplated by Mr. Ryerson. It was at this time that Mrs. Caroline E. Haskell gave twenty thousand dollars to establish the Barrows Lectureship on Comparative Religion and a hundred thousand dollars for the erection of the Haskell Oriental Museum. In President Harper's statement at the July Convoca- tion, after referring to the fact that some of the pledges did not com- ply wholly with the terms of Mr. Ryerson's subscription, he said: When there was placed before him a list of all the gifts made to the Univer- sity after the renewal of his pledge, he generously consented to change the terms of his gift in order that all gifts might be included. Mr. Rockefeller also indicated his willingness to make the same change. Even under these circumstances the effort at times seemed almost hopeless. The financial uncertainty increased day by day. Strikes paralyzed the work of construction in the city, the coal industry of the entire country, and last of all the railroad business of the country; and as if our patience must be tried to the uttermost, the heat of the month of June, in which the work must be finished, reached a degree of intensity seldom before known. The fates seemed to be against us, but friends came forward and on Saturday last, to the satisfaction of Mr. Ryerson and Mr. Rockefeller, the subscription list was completed and the million dollars secured.