Moses A. Curtis Biographical Files Document 25

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Permission of Librarian granted by letter 2/8/85 TM

Letterhead: EDMUND BERKELEY 42 CANTERBURY ROAD, BELLAIR CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA 22901

January 29, 1985

Mrs. Arnold Mignery Archives Department Jessie Ball duPont Library The University of the South Sewanee, Tennessee 37375

Dear Mrs. Mignery,

Our sporadic correspondence with you and your predecessors has covered such an extended period of time that Louise Ware has long since retired, and perhaps you may have done the same. I retired from teaching some years ago, but Dorothy and I continue with our research and writing. I apparently last communicated with you in December 1980. At that time we had given up attempting to find a publisher for our Curtis biography and had sent our manuscript to the Southern Historical Collection at Chapel Hill. You very kindly permitted us to send our copies of your letters there also.

You may well be surprised to learn that we have just, unexpectedly, found a publisher, and perhaps you may be even more surprised to learn that you are probably responsible for it! In November 1977 you put us in touch with Dr. Ronald H. Petersen. This led to a long and fruitful correspondence between us. You probably have a copy of his The Mycological Association of M. J. Berkeley and M. A. Curtis which was published for him in 1980 by J. Cramer of West Germany. He referred to our manuscript in his Foreword. He also wrote to Cramer suggesting that he publish it, and urged us to write to Cramer, for a variety of reasons we decided not to do so. Earlier this month we decided to write to Cramer, having learned from Peterson that he did not have to subsidize his book. I wrote, asking if Cramer would care to examine our manuscript, and we were somewhat astonished to have him reply that he would publish it at no expense to us, provided that he could begin work on it in February. If he could not he would have to postpone it for a year or more. You may imagine that we made a hasty drive to Chapel Hill last chilly weekend, retrieved the manuscript, had a copy made and sent the original by Federal Express to Cramer.

We have since been checking the copy for any quotes we had made which require permission to quote. Among these are several from your letters which I shall give below:

Curtis to Fairbanks, 29 July 1867: Curtis wrote that he was spending $50, instead of attending a meeting at Sewanee. He supposed that this might be "an imprudent act, as upon such terms my absence may be deemed more valuable than my presence." In discussing possible candidates for the Rectorship of the University, he wrote that before the war he had favored Dr. Henry Bar-

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nard, "but since he basely deserted us in the late war, he had put himself out of the field of my sympathy & regard."

On the 26th of December 1867 Curtis wrote to Fairbanks, commenting on the latter's suggestions of General Kirby-Smith for the Rectorship. He had hoped for "the prestige of his military reputation which goes a great way these days in giving eclat to an Institution, as we see in the case of Gen:Lee & Washington College." Curtis suggested two possible candidates to Fairbanks, Professor Hubbard of the University of North Carolina and Dr. Bledsoe of the University of Virginia. Of the former he wrote that he had "no superior in the South as a Classical Scholar, & as an elegant writer." In the same letter he commented that he was glad to know that Bishop Quintard was in England seeking funds for the University of the South. "If he does not return with a pretty handsome amount, I do not see how we are to go on." He was not sure that he would be willing to travel to Tennessee again if he was going to be placed on an equality with Negroes on railroads and in hotels. "Only imperious necessity, or important duty, can induce me to tolerate that, or submit to it."

On January 22, 1868 Curtis wrote to Bishop William Mercer Green, expressing his regret that the university had not been able to send someone like Bishop Elliot to England rather than Bishop Quintard. He hoped that the latter would not "carry out the hugging system over there, for I question its adaption to English taste & habit."

By 1870 Curtis had become somewhat disillusioned with affairs at Sewanee. On the 1st of November 1870 he wrote to Fairbanks, if "impetuous young America is to have entire control in the Board, I can be of little use." He was opposed to having many clerical members of the faculty: "I know no class of men more utterly deficient in practical sense as the clergy." The faculty should be "men and scholars." He was glad that Fairbanks could write: "hopefully of the University & shall rejoice if the Institution become any thing like what was originally contemplated. For the past two or three years I have looked upon it was little more than Bp. Quintard's High School; & I am not alone in this feeling."

I hope that you can decipher all of the above. Dorothy and I should greatly appreciate your permission to make these quotations. If you do not feel that you can do so, we must do a bit of hasty re-writing. In either event we shall hope to hear from you as soon as possible. Please remember us to any and all of the "old guard." We had Christmas cards from V. G. and Mac Owen, Harry and Jean Yeatman, and another of Pete Ware's classics. The latter are always uniquely delightful.

Cordially yours,

Edmund

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Letterhead: THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH SEWANEE, TENNESSEE 37375

Jessie Ball DuPont Library

February 8, 1985

Mr. Edmund Berkeley 42 Canterbury Road, Bellair Charlottesville, Virginia 22901

Dear Mr. Berkeley:

Mr. Kearley, our Librarian, gladly grants you permission to quote those most interesting items from the letters mentioned in your letter of January 29.

Please forgive the delay in replying. Your letter must have arrived along with the second ice-storm we've had the misfortune to freeze through in Sewanee. Most of Sewanee fared some-what better than those of us behind Dr. Petry's house, on Running Knob Hollow Lake, which was just a hollow when you lived nearby.

It looks like a war-zone, as far as the trees are concerned. The power was off from five in the morning of the first until yesterday noon. Most of the time we had no telephone and couldn't get out of our hilly drive-way; and no water a couple of days. Have a wonderful blower on our fireplace - when there's electricity. It was so depressing I just stayed home to help Arnie pile on icy logs; so didn't get to the library, and your letter, until today.

I'm delighted your letter arrived before July 1, 1985, when I do plan to retire, so that I've had the pleasure of hearing directly of the plans for publication and the credit you so kindly gave me.

I'm sorry we didn't get a copy of Mr. Peterson's publication.

There have been so many fascinating contacts with researchers interested in people with Sewanee connections. It's such a small world. I'll miss that part; hope to be able to spend time on my own on things I don't have time now to research. I call on Louise every now and then. She's such a gracious "volunteer."

The biggest loss of the storm was Sara Ham's home, by fire, on Curlicue Rd., with so many of the Fairbanks' personal items which meant a great deal to her and her sons.

We appreciate having your son on the Board of the Friends of the Library. It's good to have friends like the Owens and Yeatmans to keep you in touch. Phoebe Bates and Ellen Webb kept the Sewanee Siren going for 18 years. Its successor is past due; will be a hard one to follow.

It's fortunate I started off with the requested information. I'm beginning to get rambly and sentimental about the old Sewanee, when I get an opportunity such as this.

Sincerely yours,

Mrs. Arnold Mignery University Archives

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