Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-24
Two Virginia Universities.
BY N. s. SHALER.

Washington and Lee University was
an unshapely, dingy old building. The
students were away, but the place Of
Tended the sight by its dirty, unkept
look. There was little chapel in the
grounds new enough to make the old
building look the more forlorn. A
boundary fence separated the grounds
from those of the Military Institute,
where the order of well kept garrison
prevailed. There were half a dozen
buildings in the grounds, well built,
though with an aspiration. after the cas-
tellate which was little excessive.
1t is not too much to say that this
school is about the most satisfactory
thing in the South, in the way of an
educational institution, A good lps
of teachers gives tuition to about two
hundred students. The appliances for
teaching are good. The chemical labo-
ratory would compare favorably with
that of some of our best Northern
schools. The library to replace that
lost by fire is already reasonably good.
There is the beginning of museum of
applied mechanics, with especial refer
ence to mining industry. The machi-
merry of the school seemed effective. How
ever much one might doubt the pro-
priety of keeping the medieval ma
chinery of military school working at
this time, one could not fail to feel a
pleasure at the sight of trim, clean,
handsome boys who kept guard. The
effect is fostering those traits which are
most apt to be wanting in the Southern
character-Order, system, and mental
alacrity-is undoubtedly good. The
students are fed in a mess-hall, with
kitchens worked on military system,
with all the best modern appliance for
cooking by steam, bake-ovens, etc.
The dinner We saw in preparation was
excellent in quality, better in material
than that of the average boarding-house
at Cambridge, and much better cooked.
The physical result of the salubrious
conditions is marked in all the young
men a more manly set of boys I never
saw.
Our last day in Virginia was spent at
the University of Charlottesville. This
pet child of Jefferson is one of the most
interesting schools in this country.
There is no school in America built on
SO grand plan as this, at least so far
as its masonry is concerned. A huge
building of classic architecture, with
pediment supported by Corinthian col
umns, with noble marble capitals and
incongruous shafts of brick and stone,
gives the offices of the school, its
library, lecture-rooms, and principal
hall. In the latter are some respect
able bits of art, among others fair copy
of the School of Athens. The front of
this building forms one end of great
quadrangle, the sides being bordered
10y long lines of brick buildings, part
one story, giving dormotories for stu
dents, part two stories, for the dwell
ings of the teachers the farther end of
the quadrangle is open, looking over
beautiful lawn with lovely vista of
rolling country and distant blue noun
tains. The system of the school is good.
1t keeps high standard for its degrees,
and deserves in every way the warmest
support of those who look to the educa-
tion of the Southern people for the re-
habitation of that lovely but unhappy
part of our country. 1t was pleasant to
bid good bye to Virginia sights in our
last look at the stately buildings of this
monument to her intelligence.-Atlan-
tic Monthly.