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From: DC0111s Chambers, Pinckney Brown, 1821-1905 (1840) Letter, 1837 (Finding Aid)
Greensboro
9 Decem 1837
Mr. John M. Sample
Dear Sir.
I now take the liberty (as we have been old friends at Davidson College) to inform you that I am well at present and am very well pleased with Greensboro general. I am going to school here. There is a very fine school here under the name of Caldwell Institute. It was so called in remembrance of Old Doctor Caldwell formerly of this place. It is under the control of Mr. Wilson, who is our President. Mr. Gunther professor of mathematics and Mr. Lindslaw professor of language. There is no labor attached to it. (which is one of God’s blessings) All you have to do is to pay your money and go to school. But boarding is very high from $8 to 10. We have to pay $8 and find our wood and candles or $20 and they find all. It is I think a much better school than Davidson College. For several reasons but I will give you but two at present as I am in a great hurry, they are very particular reasons with me, the first is we do not have to work, and the second is we get plenty to eat and that, that is good. I should be very glad to see you here for this is the place to get an education. They have no Stewarts hall. The students have to their boarding wherever they can, which is I think much better than if they had a Stewarts hall. They are building a very fine chapel which will be done in a few weeks except the plastering which they will not do until next spring. The also intend to build
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rooms for the students as soon as they can but I expect they wiull not commence building them before spring. There are about 55 students and they are still coming in very week or two. I understood a week or two back that someofthe students at Davidson had taken a general feast with Lemley’s Negroes and the faculty somehow or other got to hear of it and had them up and talked to them about it and in a day or two afterwards they put off. I did not hear who they were or whether they had come back or not. I hope it is all false, for I know that a great many false tails got out when we were there and perhaps this one is falts. The boys here is generaly very good, there has not been any devilment going on among them worth relating except on last Saturday night some of the students went to the female academy and took down the window curtains and made flags fo them and stuck them upon the well posts in the streets and also took a carryall that was in the street and carryed it to the academy and turned it over at the gate, that is about the amount. We have to societies the names of which, is Adelphian and Hermien. The Adelphians are the strongest both in number and has in it generaly the smartest young men in the Institution. (You might nkow that I am among that number). I forogt to tellyou that I am boarding with a man by the name of Thomas Sparrow but is not any kin to that old fellow at Davidson namely
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P. J. Sparrow. I have commenced reading Viri Romae and if I have good luck I think by the end of the Session (which will be the last of March next) I wil be reading Ceasor. I want you to write to me as soon as you receive this nothg more at present but remain your affectionate friend
Pinckney B. Chambers
PS Pleas speak a good work to all the Hopewell girls for me and if they do not know me pleas tell them who I am and all about me,. but take care and do not say any thing bad about me and by doing so oblige me. PBC
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Cite as:
Chambers, Pickney. Letter to John M. Sample. 9 December 1837. DC0111s. Pinckney Chambers Letter. Davidson College Archives, Davidson College, NC. Available: https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/digital-collections/pinckney-b-chambers-letter-dec-transcript.
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