The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-02-25
ICornmunicated.
The Agricultural and Mechanical
College Grant. ~ p

Having observed, with great inter-
est, the controversy that has been
going sa-ia-the Legislature and the
papers of our State for several weeks,
relative to the above mentioned sub
oject,Vand acting on the suggestion Of
yourselves and your regular Indiana
polls correspondent, that our citizens
ought to interest themselves in this
important matter, ID venture to put
down onspaperG some Of the thoughts
that have arisen in my mind on the
subject, and ask you to publish them.
" 1t appears that there are two theo-
ries connected with the form that the
Institution contemplated in the grant
shall assume-one favoring the d.
vision Of the fund and the bestoWal
Of the several portions upon the vari-
Gus collegiate institutions of our
State: the other insisting that it shall
be kept intact and devoted to the en-
dowment of one institution located at
a central point-which means Indi-
annapolis. + Htk Ef.1stf
My theory of the plan governing
the disposition Of the fund, differs
from both of these, 1t seems to me
that, inasmuch as Agriculture and
the Mechanic Arts are totally dissimi-
lar in their processes and appliances,
in their nature and aims, it would be
advisable to have too institutions
under the grant, one to be devoted to
the advancement of Agriculture, aud
the other of the Mechanic ARTS. On
this theory, while the highly culti-
waited and fertile upper portion of the
State would probably be the best To-
cation for the Agricultural Institute,
what more fitting place could be Sc
lected for the Mechanical Institute
than Evansville, the seat of the great
est manufacturing interest of the
State, and the centre of a vast region
Astounding in coal, timber, ores, to-
bacco, cotton, grain, and all the
elements that give life and prosperity
to the manufacturing and mechanic
arts. Where else in the State do the
interests of mining, and navigation.
and of agriculture requiring costly and
intricate machinery. rise to such mag
nitude as in this metropolis of the
lower Ohio, Green. Wabash, 'Cumber-
land and Tennessee valleys?
The wonderful increase of our
manufacturing and mechanical BUSH
ness. within the pastiten or twelve
years establishes the fact that Evans
vile is destined to be the chief point
in the State in these respects She
can have no rival. She has as her
patrons the people of ten States on
the banks Of. the above named rivers.
and on the Lower Mississippi and the
Gulf of Mexico As school in the
practical arts, therefore, she offers
greater inducements than can be Offer
ed by any other Indiana city, and as a I
manufacturing and mechanical point,
she il yet in her infancy. ~ l ii LII
/ mention another consideration,
that ought to have weight in deter /
mining the disposition of the fund
Locale the institution at any other
poiptin the State, and it at once be-
comes local in it's character, with no
claims to consideration beyond the
fact that it is one of a number of sim
liar institutions in the various States;
and as the size and population Of In
diana are inferior to those of several
of our sister. States, our Institution
would ,sEnbt a rise ZaboFe III nediI
ocrity in respect TO attend
ance and celebrity. Locate the me-
chanical branch here, and it would
assume an interstate character, be-
cause from its proximity and con-
venisnce6f access to Illinois, Km-
lucky, Tennessee, Southern Missouri,
Arkansas. Louisiana, Mississippi, and
Alabama, large attendance of stu
dents from those States might
reasonably be expected. Tuition
would, of course, be charged those
whogliyed out of this State, which
would serve to strengthen the institu-
ton aud increase its powers Of use
fulness. Under proper management,
and the patronage and care of our
citizens, it might be made one of the
leading institutions Of the whole
country. The State at large would
have the advantage and credit of it,
wherever located within her borders,