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Title: Letter from David L. Swain [to William A. Graham], January 27, 1858: Electronic Edition.
Author: Swain, David L. (David Lowry), 1801-1868
Funding from the University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill supported the electronic publication of this title.
Text transcribed by Bari Helms
Images scanned by Bari Helms
Text encoded by Brian Dietz
First Edition, 2005
Size of electronic edition: ca. 10K
Publisher: The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
2005

No Copyright in US

The electronic edition is a part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill digital library, Documenting the American South.
Languages used in the text: English
Revision history:
2005-07-22, Brian Dietz finished TEI/XML encoding.
Source(s):
Title of collection: William A. Graham Papers (#285), Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Title of document: Letter from David L. Swain [to William A. Graham], January 27, 1858
Author: D. L. Swain
Description: 4 pages, 4 page images
Note: Call number 285 (Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Editorial practices
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Originals are in the Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Original grammar, punctuation, and spelling have been preserved.
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Any hyphens occurring in line breaks have been removed, and the trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line.
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For more information about transcription and other editorial decisions, see the section Editorial Practices.
Letter from David L. Swain [to William A. Graham ], January 27, 1858
Swain, David L. (David Lowry), 1801-1868



Page 1
Chapel Hill, 27 Jan. 1858

My dear Sir,

Capt. Berry was here yesterday and from him I learned that you are at present in Raleigh. If the college were fully organized I would be strongly tempted to visit Raleigh on Saturday in order to have an interview with you and Judge Battle . Prof Martin is expected in a day or two and if he comes, I will probably be able to go down on Saturday week, if I shall learn in the mean that you will be there.
Capt. Berry will be disposed to undertake the enlargement of

Page 2
the Chapel as superintendent if he succeeds in contracting for the new edifices but not without Mr. Percival, a letter from whom I send herewith, thinks that the enlargement of the Chapel can be as well done by contract as in any other way & recommends the offering of all our work to the lowest responsible bidder.
I suppose Mr. Percival is at present in Raleigh, and if so, I wish you and Judge Battle to have an interview with him ascertain his views and when he will be ready to report plans, &c. There has not been for several years so favorable an opportunity to secure competent & responsible contractors on as good terms as at present, and I am anxious

Page 3
to have our work offered to bidders, at the earliest day practicable.
I am well satisfied that the scheme we have agreed upon is the best that can be devised. Mr. Kimberly thinks that by simply removing the lath & plaster partitions which divide the first floor under the Philanthropic Hall into dormitories, and throwing the whole space 36X36 in the clear, & opening a trap door into the basement, we can have one of the best arranged laboratories in the U.S. The Hall itself, without any change, will make an admirable lecture room, and the library is exactly what is needed for a mineralogical cabinet.
The dormitories under the Dialectic Hall may remain as they are. The Hall itself may be used as a

Page 4
Philosophical Chamber, or the President's Lecture Room, and the Library appropriated to the collections of the Historical Society of the University.
Mr. Percival thinks & the Faculty concur with him in opinion that convenience, and appearances will be improved, by placing the new edifices in a parallel range with the Library and the Chapel instead of ranging with the East and west thus

Yours very sincerely,

DLSwain