The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-02-22
The Industrial College.

II Ihe act OF Congress granting donation Of
lands for the establishment of Industrial Col
leges in the various States and Territories,
provides that no portion OF the fund derived
from the sale of these lands shall be applied
In any way to the erection or repair of build
ings. The Legislature OF Maine has Just ap-
propriated $4,000 to supply the needs of the
College at Orono in this respect. In the ex-
penditrre Of this fund it becomes necessary to
consider what mode of life win best subserve
the purposes Ofthe institution in forming the
character of the students. The buildings must
evidently conform to the larger purposes of
the college. The following remarks upon
this point, are taken from the report of Mr..
Fred. Law Olmstead of New York, the well
known architect and landscape gardener to
| the trustees Of the Maine Agricultural Col
lege: 'i 'a- f4nI1 u"
@I5H- -fsza u,ia l4.o glll asll n a1rEaiai
An idea of the minimum of accommodation
Tor boarding and lodging cannot be reached
until plan OF government and discipline for
the College has been formed, which involves
duty that can hardly be definitely undertake
en- with much profit except by the person up
Oh WbOAl bilC Ciilci RESPONSIBILITY IOf success
in these all important respects will eventually
devOlve.
LII the object were merely to accommodate the
students at the least possible expense, the
more they were dealt with at wholesale, THAT
is to say, the more nearly the arrangements
approached in character to those which would
be economical ii it was shelter and feed for SO
many head of live stock that was to be pro-
vided,) the BETTER In that case, unquestiona-
bly, the whole would be brought under the
roof OF one common barn or barrack-like
building But it is absolutely essential to the
success OF the institution that during the four
| years in which students shall be subject to its
direct influence, certain tastes, inclinations
and habits shall be established with them.
| These tastes, incinatiOns and habits are
| such as they can afterwards continue to
| follow, exercise and crafty under
the conditions which ordinarily surround citi-
zens who are actively and usefally and salts
factorily engaged in the pursuit of the COM
mon industrial avocations of an American
community. SO far as the College shall fail in
this respect it must fail to accomplish the sole
| end had in view in its endowment. In max
ING o plan of arrangements for the board and
| lodging of the students, therefore, we are most
| imperatively bound to consider the question
| of economy, not as with reference merely to
| the least possible cost OF keeping so much live
stock, but with reference to the probable re-
| suit upon the character, tastes, inclinations
| and habits OF young men. Eftla
The useful, influential and successful fol-
lowers OF the Industrial callings lodge neither
in barns, barracks nor monasteries. Ninety
nine times out OF hundred they lodge with
a family which occupies a detached hmse
with domestic territory of its own. IN which
each OF the inmates ofthe house has his own
special interest and enjoyment, while he also
shares with all the others in certain common
means of comfort. asp iianfs h2' i<1
% 1t is true that a close similarity in all re-
speets to the ordinary conditions of family
life cannot be expeci ed to be secured to the
| students in the arrangements tor their board
and lodging There are no necessitles 10 De
provided for similar to many which control
| the furniture and the method OF houSekeep-
ING appropriate to the home of a family. In
respect to internal arrangements therefore,
the necessity for something different must be
acknowledged, and must be met as a problem
nv itself. But in all other respects the ar
rangements for board and lodging should. it
appears to me, approximate as nearly as prac.
ticabe to those which would he considered
models of healthy, cheerful, convenient fami.
ly homes.
With regard to the internal arrangements
on the other hand, it must be considered thai
to certain extent, the government and dsci
pline OF the College is required to be of mill
tary character. Of course there must be {