Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-04-05
FROM oBERLIN.
CAIkins. Griffin & Co.'S Union Busi-
ness InstIfate-Its Present SsatAss
Its Prospects. DC

Ep1roRs LEADER We put an hour of
leisure to good use, to-day, in making q tour
of the Union Business Institute founded in
this far-famed vill4ge, and purpose giving
an account Of its arrangements, appoint
ments, present condition, and its prospects,
for the benefit of the large number of those
who would know where may be found the
best institution for obtaining a thorough
business education.
This Institute now rests on broad and
stable foundations. In 1862, Professors s.
S. CaIkins and P. R. Spencer established
here the "Spercerian Commercial and
~Chirographic Institute" The number of
students continued to increase, until it was
found necessary to remove to larger rooms,
which was done January l, 1854, when
Union Hall was opened and its capacity
soon fully tested.
In the fall of 1854, Chas. P. Griffin became
connected with the school, and in the fol
lowing spring became a partner, when the
recently established Telegraphic Depart
ment was transferred to Messrs. c. II. and
IN. Pond. In the fall of 1855, the Tele-
graphic Department was again united with
the other Departments, and the name of the
Institute changed to that which it now re-
tains. c. H. Pond continued at the head
of the Telegraphic Department, and became
a partner of the new firm. More recently
still, Nj. D. A. Curtiss, a gentleman of large
experience as active partner and Bookkeep-
er in a Dry Goods Store, has become a mem
Der of the firm of Calkins, Griffin & Co.,
and an active teacher in the Institute. Mr..
Spencer having retired, Prof. Calkins is now
at the head of the Institute. The proprie-
tors are men of experience and reliability +;
men who, from love of their calling, devote
themselves heartily to the duties of the
Institute which they have in charge, and
who, feeling and acknowledging the respOn-
sibility of the position they occupy, en-
desvor to meet it like men. The advanta-
ges offered by this college, we believe, are
second to none in the country.
The headquarters of the Institute are on
the second floor of Union Block. In the
plCdodub BhIlOE -LlhO OulCc We OAAu "a kCA-
tlemanly proprietors, who conducted US
throughout the various halls and rooms
occupied by their hundreds of students.
The Office is fitted upin superb fashion, and
the enterprising gentlemen have added to
its attractions by converting one portion of
it into a reading room. Upwards of one
hundred of the most prominent journals,
not only of America, but of the Old World,
are on the files.
Ascending another fight of stairs, we
reach Union Hall, a room fifty by sixty
feet, which is fitted up in fine style. On
the walls are craven admonitions and en-
c~ouragements, in the form of notices ::
"Punctuality the Hinge of Business; BE
an of-handed man; " "Be cheerful and
polite" etc. One hundred and sixty stu
dents are now in daily attendance in this
room. Here are the Primary and Secondary
Departments, under the direction of Messrs.
W.. A. and L. E. Dodge Commercial Law,
Commercial Arithmetic and ~Penmanship
receive, each, an hours attention every day
in these Departments. Blackboard exer-
cises are mingled with individual sug-
g~estions and instruction to each student.
The study Of Commercial Law is made very
thorough. Daily recitations in this branch
are heard. Judge Deans invaluable COM
pendulum on this subject is used as a text
book, and thorough preparation is required
of all. Every principle of book keeping is
clearly brought out in this Department, and
the students are made perfectly familiar
with all kinds of books used in simple mer-
chandizing. The photographic Department
is in one part of the hall. About seventy
FIVE students are in the Teachers Course"
"a feature Of the Institute with which that
of no other Commercial College, within our
knowledge, can favorably compare.
The Junior Department, a continuation Of
the Primary and Secondary, is on the sec
ond floor of Business Block. The commits
sion business is here introduced and mas
tered, and the use of auxiliary books illus
trated. There are now about sixty students
in this department. They are not only
thoroughly taught the theory of accounts,
but are required to take all the practical
steps and keep all the books, as in bona tide
business.
Over this room is the Business Depart
ment, in charge of Mr. D. A. Curtiss- The
room contains a Bank, which is fitted up as
nicely as any we ever saw, together with
telegraph and post Offices. Here students
full of the theory of business, are taught
how to DO business. Banking, Railroading,
S~tesmboating, Jobbing, Insurance, &C., are
studied here in practical fashion, the pupils
being required TO write out all kinds of
commercial paper and do all the business,
transacted in Offices, banks. stores, &c. &c.
The writing of contracts and this class of
commercial instruments receives the atten-
ton which its Importance demands. In short
this department is complete in all respects,
and the person who cannot learn how to
keep books here and do all sorts of business,
may well despair of his faculty" and
leave the business world at once.
The Telegraphic Department is very com
plete and offers admirable facilities for
those who desire to perfect themselves in
the use of Jove's weapon. The main room
is over the Lorsin County NeNs establish
ment, and there are eight or ten Offices in
the village, all connecting with the parent
room. This Department is under the charge
of Messrs. C. H. & C. N. Pond, the former
being Principal and Instructor in Practical
Telegrsphy, and the latter an assistant and
Instructor in Theoretical Telegraphy. The
Principal was for a long time chief operator
at the Head Quarters Of the Army of the
Cumberland. Mr.. C. 4. Pond is getting
out q new work on Theoretical Telegraphy,
which will be used as e text beck. There
arc about eighty-fTe students in this De-
partment. They ere al "sound" opera
tors. although they arc able to "read," as
well. Lines are so constructed and Offices
so arranged that the student has every ia
cility to acquire a practical knowledge ofthe
art. He must learn all the peculiarities of
the business. Mr.. C. H. Pond, has
invented an Electric Narrator, by
mears of which atmospheric changes are
made to produce the same effect upon the
short circuit used by pupils as in practical
telegraphing. No operators by sound have
ever graduated from this Department, for
the reason that they have always been in
vited to accept lucrative positions before
that end had been reached,-a fact which
sttests the thorouehness of the discipline