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Collections >> The First Century of the First State University >>
Primary document
Title:
Letter from David L. Swain to Parent, September 27, 1853 [Containing Rules Concerning the Abuse
of Liquor and Rules to Control Students' Debts]:
Electronic Edition.
Author: University of North Carolina (1793-1962). President
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
Apex Data Services, Inc.
Images scanned by
Brian Dietz
Text encoded by
Apex Data Services, Inc., and Sarah Ficke
First Edition, 2005
Size of electronic edition: ca. 12K
Publisher: The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
2005
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:
2005-11-18, Sarah Ficke finished TEI/XML encoding.
Source(s):
Title of document: Letter from David L. Swain to Parent, September 27,
1853 [Containing Rules Concerning the Abuse
of Liquor and Rules to Control Students' Debts]
Author: David L. Swain
Description: 2 pages, 2 page images
Note:
Call number VCp378 UA1 (North Carolina Collection,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Editorial practices
The text has been encoded using the recommendations for Level 5 of the TEI in Libraries Guidelines.
Originals are in the North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Original grammar, punctuation, and spelling have been preserved.
DocSouth staff created a 600 dpi uncompressed TIFF file for each image. The TIFF images were then saved as JPEG images at 100 dpi for web access.
Page images can be viewed and compared in parallel with the text.
Any hyphens occurring in line breaks have been removed, and the trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line.
All quotation marks, em dashes and ampersand have been transcribed as entity references.
All double right and left quotation marks are encoded as ".
All single right and left quotation marks are encoded as '.
All em dashes are encoded as —.
Indentation in lines has not been preserved.
For more information about transcription and other editorial decisions, see the section Editorial Practices.
The text has been encoded using the recommendations for Level 5 of the TEI in Libraries Guidelines.
Originals are in the North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Original grammar, punctuation, and spelling have been preserved.
DocSouth staff created a 600 dpi uncompressed TIFF file for each image. The TIFF images were then saved as JPEG images at 100 dpi for web access.
Page images can be viewed and compared in parallel with the text.
Any hyphens occurring in line breaks have been removed, and the trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line.
All quotation marks, em dashes and ampersand have been transcribed as entity references.
All double right and left quotation marks are encoded as ".
All single right and left quotation marks are encoded as '.
All em dashes are encoded as —.
Indentation in lines has not been preserved.
For more information about transcription and other editorial decisions, see the section Editorial Practices.
Letter from David L. Swain
to Parent, September 27, 1853 [Containing Rules Concerning the Abuse
of Liquor and Rules to Control Students' Debts]
to Parent, September 27, 1853 [Containing Rules Concerning the Abuse
of Liquor and Rules to Control Students' Debts] Page 1
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA.
CHAPEL
HILL,
September 27, 1853.
SIR,
The secluded situation of this place is not without disadvantages, but they are
believed to be more than counterbalanced by the safeguards which the Legislature
and the Trustees have been thereby enabled to throw around us. Extensive
enquiry, long experience, and personal examination, have left no doubt on the
mind of any one of us, that our location was, on the whole, happily chosen.
To maintain a tippling-house within two miles of the University, or
to sell within that distance, wine, ardent spirits, or malt liquors, to be used
by a Student, without the consent of the Faculty, is an indictable offence.
Gaming, horse-racing, and other kindred practices, within four miles, are
prohibited in like manner. To give full sanction and efficiency to the
provisions of the criminal law, the Trustees have ordained, that any Student who may
be seen publicly intoxicated, or in whose room ardent spirits may be found,
shall be forthwith suspended or dismissed, as the circumstances of the case may
seem to require. This ordinance has been and will be faithfully carried into
execution in every instance of its violation.
Extravagant habits ordinarily tend to the hindrance of all improvement,
intellectual and moral; and the deleterious effect is by no means confined to
the individual who is the subject of them. It is impossible to preserve young
men in all cases from indiscretions of this character. So carefully have these
evils been guarded against, however, that no parent can suffer from them, who is
faithful to the college, the community, his son, or himself. The Rev. ELISHA MITCHELL, D.
D.
, is Bursar of the Institution. It is his duty to receive all sums
of money that young men bring with them, to "disburse the same in
paying their board, tuition fees, college dues, and other necessary
expenses"—"to keep an account of the money thus
received and disbursed and at the close of each session to transmit a copy of
such account to the parent or guardian of each Student."
, is Bursar of the Institution. It is his duty to receive all sums
of money that young men bring with them, to "disburse the same in
paying their board, tuition fees, college dues, and other necessary
expenses"—"to keep an account of the money thus
received and disbursed and at the close of each session to transmit a copy of
such account to the parent or guardian of each Student."The Revised Statutes "concerning the University," (chap. 116,) make it "unlawful for any
merchant, shopkeeper, or other person at Chapel Hill, or within two miles thereof, to sell to
any Student of the University, goods, wares, or merchandise, without
the consent of the Faculty, or some member thereof, in writing." Any
contract for the sale of such article is "null and void, and no
recovery can be had thereon." The parent is consequently absolved from
all obligation to pay an account thus created, and it is very clear that a
guardian cannot discharge such a claim, without rendering himself liable to the
estate of his ward for the amount.
To ensure the due observance of these regulations, I have to
request that you will immediately advise the Bursar whether you are willing
that any account shall be opened here in your name, and if so, the amount of
indebtedness you are willing to authorise.
Page 2
Each Senior is required to attend Prayers thirteen times, Recitations fourteen
times, and Divine Worship once each week. All absences, whether unavoidable or
not, are recorded. A very simple calculation, therefore, will enable you to
ascertain the precise portion of duties performed and omitted.
During the half session, which closed on Friday evening last, (a period of ten
weeks,) Mr.
R. H. Battle
has been absent from Prayers [zero] times, from Recitations [zero] times, and from
attendance on Divine Worship [zero] times— [zero] of these absences, [zero] from Prayers,
[zero] from Recitation, and [zero] from Divine Worship, were unavoidable.
With respect to the necessary expenses of a Student, the Faculty concur entirely
in the opinion expressed by the Executive Committee, in the
Circular addressed to Parents and Guardians on the 15th of April, 1837, that
exclusive of the supplies of clothing ordinarily obtained from home, more than
two hundred and fifty dollars a year is not necessary either to the comfort or
reputation of any one.
Yours, very respectfully,
DAVID L.
SWAIN
, PRESIDENT.