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long & 40 broad two stories high containing 16 rooms an elegant & large house for the President, with out= houses Stewards house_ kitchen & the buildings which are to be erected are a large house 115 feet long 56 broad & three stories, a wing exactly similar to the one above mentioned & placed fronting it_ a chapel 50 feet long & 40 broad_ I have annexed a small paper which will show you in what order these houses are to be arranged_ The Chapel is already accounted for, & will cost near 3,000 Dollars the foundation will be laid within two weeks_ The trustees can at pleasure realize 15,000 Dollars more with which they have determined to commence the large building as soon as they can procure an undertaker_ It would be dif= ficult to give any correct statement of the funds_ I re= quested the Treasurer to make out a small account of them, /strikethrough amount/ which I purposed to inclose for your satisfaction_ This I have not yet received but he assured me that they could not be stated at less than 80,000 Dollars that some of the property was such as could not be immediately productive.
you may calculate withour diffidence on all the aspects which I can give you_ Your letter I /strikethrough gave/ ^handed^ to the trustees gave me liberty to inform you that you might be [illegible] of the appointment should you think proper to accept [of?] Gen. Davie of Hallifax; a leading member of the board promised to write to you_ We expect from London a small apparatus which will probably arrive before [Ohio?] Our education at Princeton was shamefully & [increasingly?] defficient in experimental Philosophy a circumastance which I have often reflected upon with concern_ If you have never attended particularly to that subject [word missing] your commencement, you would undoubtedly find it of great advantage to see the apparatus in Philadelphia & to learn the manner of using different kinds of electri= cal machines_ Air-pump_ Telescope_ microscope_ Camera ob= scura_ Magic Lantern_ Quadrants, Sextants_ & whatever else you may suppose useful or entertaining_ I [should?] have appeared often very rediculous in my own eyes had I not gotten a smattering of experimental Philosophy by visiting Williamsburgh College in Virginia
in an unsettled state_ but from present appearances I expect a situation here will within a short time become as agreeable & profitable as any of a like kind in the Union_ You might here reasonably enquire why Mr. Ker has relinquished his business and why I in= tend to follow his example when prospects are so flatter= ing_ As to Mr. Ker he went away much against his own will_ And as to myself I never could think of spending my life in teaching or I should not alter my situation_ The law is my aim- and it is now high time /strikethrough that/ to make some effectual preparation in that way I gave the Trustees warning of my intentions six months ago_ After all I hope you will not rely too much on what I have said_ I could not easily forgive myself should I be, even the innocent cause of persuad= ing you to a situation which might on trial prove less agreeable than ^ that which ^ you at present ^ hold^. Consult with your friends in that county & if they should approve of the prospects which open to you from this state accept of them_
I would thank you to make my respects acceptable to Dr. Smith_ Dr. Minto & Mr. Hobart- if it be not inconsistant with the subject of out correspondence_ I would willing= ly recieve the degree of A.M. if I should be thought wor= thy of it & it could be procured in my absence_ I sup= pose there is some expence attending it, which if you defray I will remit by some opportunity at any rate when our members return to congress If when the whole you think of accepting our proposal you ought to arrive here between the end of October /page torn/ the middle of November about which time [the?] /page torn/ and will again meet & you might at once [illegible] /page torn/ [upon?] your professorship I am sir with all possible respect yo'ur servant Charles W. Harris
Mr. Joseph Caldwell Be kind enough to oblige me with a letter by Post as soon as possible after the reception of this- it would be highly pleasing to know something particular respecting the present situation of my Alma Mater: direct to Chapel-hill
Chapel-hill } 26th July 96 } Double 50
Mr. Joseph Caldwell Tutor at Princeton New Jersey