Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-09-06
Ripon College.
BY A STUDENT.

an essential qualification for success.
The man who fails to prepare himself for
the practical duties of life, by getting a
good education, generally, pays dearly for
his neglect; and now that education is
becoming SO general, and the facilities for
obtaining it so great, he who fails to i'm
prove the opportunities offered deserves
only failure. The world is progressing.
The time has almost past, when common
school education was considered sufficient
for all persons, except those who were
preparing themselves for the learned pro-
LESSONS. The time has come when edu-
cation is demanded by all classes. This
is shown by the large number of colleges
which have sprung up all over the land
Our own State supports over a dozen co.,
| leges, beside large number of high
schoole and academies. Our common
schools have done, and are still doing, a
glorious work; but something higher than
these is now demanded. The common
schools will be in the future as necessary
as they have been In the past, but colleges
will be necessary to complete the work
which they commence.
There is considerable opposition to these
colleges from some sources; but the sup
port which they receive shows that they
are appreciated by very large class.
There are, no doubt, some errors in the
collegiate system of education, as there
are in all other systems, but time will re-
move many of these, and the colleges will
gov more and more worthy Of support
as they grow older.
The history of Ripon College is quite
interesting; early in 1851 Capt. Mapes,
A b. Bovay, E. L. Northrop and several
others, under the inspiring tones Ct the
Captain were enlisted in the undertak-
ing of erecting the building now known
as the East College" The ground was
given by Capt. Mapes, atid subscriptions
to the amount of $500 were raised, paya-..
BILE in lumber. labor, lime, grain, and such
| other commodities as were then current.
There was very little money Under
these circumstances the building was
erected. Some of the older settlers were
SO checred by the progress made that they
volunteered to give some of their means
to help the work forward. After some
time another building was added. But
there were so few encouragements and so
great difficulties to be met that the faith
of many grew weak. There however,
have been some who have always been
true friends of the college, and they have
been rewarded by witnessing the success
OF their enterprise. Though the college
IS still much in need of funds, yet 1t is
making progress, and many are assisting
those who are making efforts to increase
the endowm mt fund. In the past the
trustees have had to depend largely upon
the money received for tuition to defray
expenses. The college has now made a
fair start and will doubtless make rapid
progress in the future. There are three
good stone buildings, which afford ample
room for instruction at present.
The corps of instructors Is complete.
There are six professorships, viz: Men
tai and Moral Philosophy, Greek Language
and Literature, Latin Language and Liter
ature, Rhetoric and English Literature,
Chemistry and Natural Science, Mathe-
mates and Natural Philosophy, and MI.
sic. There are besides the regular pro-
fessors, five assistant teachers.
The professors are men Of experience
and ability, and they are rapidly raising
the standard of scholarship, and bringing
the college into favor. They have had
great difficulty i'll the past, owing to the
J lack of sufficient means; but this difficult
ty is, to some extent, removed. Their re.
ward is the success which they have at
tainej, and to bring college from infan-
cy to a state of security, under difficulties
such as have been mot here, is no small
triumph.
The aim of the institution is to furnish
young persons of both sexes a thorough
mental and moral training, such as to fiji
them for practical life The aim Of the
instructors is to have the instructions per
vaded with healthy religious influence.
Weekly prayer meetings are held in the
college chapel, at which all are invited to
attend. There are also instructions given
weekly in Bible classes. The institution
!, though under the control of the COngre
gational church, is free from sectarianism
and students of all the evangelical
churches are found within its walls
There are two liberal courses of study
the Classical and Scientiic-each extend
ing over four years. There is also Nor
NAL course, designed for those who intenC
to teach, and for those whose time an(
] means do not allow them to pursue one 0
q the liberal courses. The preparatory
studies may be pursued here too, as Their
is regular preparatory course. Thos
who do not wish to prepare for the celleg