The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-07-17
STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

This Institution is situated near Man.
haitian, one hundred and fifteen miiea
west of Leavenworth city. 1t received
the endowment provided for by act of
Congress of July, 1862, and has, by
compliance with all its provisions, come
into tu1i possession of the $4,000 acres Of
land appropriated, and carefully located.
under this, one of the wisest provisions
cation.
The agricultural chair has never
been filled until few months since,
when j. S. Houghan, A. NJ, of Indi-
ana, accepted, and has now become Its
permanent occupant. It is not often
that we meet a man whose every word
and action expresses good sound, hard
sense, as Enthusiastically as do those Of
Prof. Hougham. If he does not provo
to be the right man in the right place,
we shall be more disappointed than we
ever were in men. 1t would be q
pleasure and profit to every farmer in
the State to make his personal acquaint-
ance.
1t is generally known that the expo
rience of the late war proved most con-
clusively the necessity for a more
general education in the theory and
tactics of war, than is afforded by the
National Military Academy at West
single graduate, annually, to each mill
ion of its population. To provide for
this want, Congress authorized the dc.
tail of competent military instructor
from the Regular Army to each State.
to be employed in such institution of
learning as might be designated.
The Agricultural College was select.
ed in our State, and Brevet Mai. Gen.
Davidson was detailed by the War
Department as Military Instructor.
Gen. Davidson is n brilliant and enthu-
siastic officer, whose patriotism, courage
and skill, have stood the test of camp,
field and battle, in all of which he hon.
| ored himself and country.
Like Prof. Housham, Gen. Davidson
entered upon his duties late in the COL
| lege year, just closed. He had all the
difficulties to encounter incident to an
! undertaking experimental, and only
| semi-military in its character. No pro-
vision was made for a supply of arms
| by the General Government. nor for
| uniforms and compulsory study of the,
| military course, on the part of students.
Military, without arms, uniforms,
and ample power to enforce its rules,
is more of a failure than the play of
Hamlet with Hamlet left out. Tho
General has succeeded so far as to cut
departmental tape and get a piece OF
small arms, himself becoming response
BILE to the Ordnance Department there
| for. He has also determined upon q
uniform, and enlisted sufficient interest
to secure its adoption, several students
already appearing in it.
This uniform is both tasteful and ap.
propriate, consisting of an entire suit of
blue flannel. The pants have stripe
of silver lace upon the outer seam of
| lnO 10 tod
and buttoning close under the chin,
with rolling collar, and trimmed with
white metal college buttons. The cap
is to be substantially the army cap,
with wreath holding the appropriate
initial letters of the Institution. This
suit, with its trimmings, has decided
military effect, and when stripped of its
lace, and white buttons, and worn with
the coat open in front, is just such 9
suit as the farmer, mechanic, or busi-
ness man would desire. We have
never seen economy and effect more
happily combined, than in this suit.
With these two departments. the ag-
ricultural and military, under Prof
Hougham and Gen. Davidson, added to
the well known ones long under the
efficient management of President Jo-
seph Denison, d. D., and Professors B.
f. Nudge, Rev. j. II. Lee and j. Evarts
Plat, we have the State Agricultural
College of Kansas; an institution in
which the State has so direct and Yith
an interest that it should be looked afVeI
with Jealous care by all our people.
We were present at the closing exer.
cises on the 22d, 23d and oath ult. The
examination was creditable to instruct
ors and students, and gave evidence
that no ordinary labor had been expend-
ed in efforts to make the student COM
prehend the subjects and sciences en-
braced in their studies, in all their prac-
teal applications to the affairs of life.
1t is a fact, worthy of notice and gem
eral congratulation, that every year re-
cords substantial progress in this regard.
There is still room for great improve
ment, and it will be some time before
the scholar knoa0s what he has learned.
without being re-educdted in the school
of practical life. In our humble judg-
ment, the school will never give its full
blessings to the acorld until manual Ia
Dor forms part of the system of edu-
cation, and children are trained to do
as well as think, to apply as well al
master the rules and theories taught
them.-KdnSGS Farmer.
Il S