Practical Generosity

The largest gift of book3 that has ever been made to the University of Michigan, is now being placed upon the shelves of the law library tlirough the generoitj of Mr. C. H. Buhl, of Detroit, and coniists of his law library of 5,000 volumes. These bookg consist quite largely of reports, in wblcb line the law libra ry s sadly deficiënt, and at once doubles the number and valne of the collection.which uumbered all told, less tliau 5,000 vol umes. In niaking this gift Mr. Buhl has sbown bis generosity in a practical way. Ue hap placed these books whereevery particle of tbeir real valué will be put to use, and where their contents will be used by hundreds of students from all over the world. The following eorrespondencc fully esplains itsclf : Detroit, February 9, 1885. Mr. James B. Angelí, President of ihi university of Michigan : Dear Sik- I learn from Mr. .lames F. ¦loy that the law library of the Unlversity is soruewhat incomplete and that additions thereto, especially in the waj of reporta, are desirable and nuceawiy. I have a law library of about 5,000 volumes, priucipally reports, whlcfa I propose to give to the l'niversitv if it will be of use. Should it be thougiit bos! to accept these books, dellvery eau be made at once. Very respectfully, C. II. Bi in president akgill's bbplt. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Micii. Feb. 10, "85, C. II. BuM, Esq., Detroit : Dear Sïr - I am iu receipt of your letter of yesterday, In which you announce your readiness to present to the University your law library of 5,000 volumes, if It will be of use to us. Allow me to thank you most heartilv for your generous offer of by far the largest gift which our law library has ever received. We accept it with the stneerest gratitude. To show you that t will be of great use to us I will say that it will lili mam sad gaps in our law library. How serious those gaps are I almost hesitate to say. But tho truth is that although vo have law students from all over the Union there are thiity states and territcii. - uhich are absolutely unrepresented by ;i single volume of reports. The Caaadlan report and the Irish reports are wanting, and our English reports and Unitei.1 States Circuit Court reports are very defectivo. More text-books are also needed. Many other serious wants iniglit be specified. We have only 4,000 volumes in all. The Harvard law library numbers 25,000 volumes. The students in the law schools In Boston, New York, Albany, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis have access to the large collections iu those cities. The only considerable donation the law library ever received was that of the late Judge Fletcher, which nunibered about 700 volumes, and it has been possible for the Regents with the funds at thelr disposal to increase the library only at n very slow rate. It Is obvlous that our collectlon has been inadequate to tlie real and pressiug needs of a law school which uuall,y lius rruiu 300 to 400 students, which is, in fact, one of the most important in the country, and which gathers its students from aíl parís of the Dntted States and from the British provinces. You may then be assured that your gift, wliich at once more than doubles the size of our law librarv and farnishea the kind of works wliich we especially need, Is most welcome to us. Your timely liberality will be fruitful of great good and will be most heartily and gratefully appreciated by our students, our facuities, the Kegents and indeed by all friends of the University. Yours, Vcrv irratefullv and resuectfullv.