Letter, 12 June 1857, of Charles Scott Venable, St. Paul, Minnesota, to a correspondent identified only as "Brown" concerns Venable’s desire to secure a teaching position for the upcoming academic year at an unnamed institution.

He cautions Brown to be discreet when mentioning his name in conjunction with the opening as another candidate "is brother to Frank and married to Cabell’s niece and generally connected" and further instructs him to first "talk with Bledsoe and see his temper about the matter." At the time, Albert Taylor Bledsoe (1809-1877) was Professor of Mathematics and James Lawrence Cabell (1813-1889) was Professor of Anatomy, Physiology, and Surgery at the University of Virginia, where Venable studied in 1847-48.

Venable closes his letter with comments regarding his activities in and the inhabitants of St. Paul. "I am out here prospecting…every body run mad to make money…I believe that many of these people would melt the golden hinges of the gates of Paradise and coin them in eagles fives and dollars." In November 1857, Venable was elected Professor of Mathematics at South Carolina College.