Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-10-14
iNOUSTRIAL EDUCATION.
Descriptive Workings of the Kansas
Agricultural and Mechanical College
Suggestions 10 cur Legislature.

| EDITOR HERALD:-Some time since a ques-
| tion was propounded in the HERALD to the
candidates for Assembly from Los Angeles
| county concerning the introduction of indus
| trial Education into our State University
somewhat after the plan of the Kansas Ag-
| ricultural College as set forth in the "Hand
| Book Of that college.
Isuppose that inquiry struck the eye OF
some friend of the college, who is unknown
to me, but who has favored me with several
| copies of the ollege paper called
THE INDUsTRIALIsT.
clip and send you an article descriptive
OF the workings OF the institution, as a proof
that there is at least one live, industrial col
lege within the spirit OF the grant made by
Congress. The article is as follows:
Every enthusiastically the uniqueness OF
this Institution strikes even our stolidity a
quick blow that makes one wonder ut the
whole performance. And this is more fire.
| quenty the case since the removal of the va
| rious industrials to the Mechanical building.
| Before, they were scattered in different build
| ings; now they are side by side and can be
| seen in five minutes. In the literary depart
ment there are only two things that would
lead the ordinary collegian to suspect that he
| was not in the usual classical college.
The first is the practical drift OF all the
| rotations. In the English rooms the class
| eS are drilled more Ill everyday English and
| less in the blue ethereal of celestial poetry,
thau is customary. In the mathematical
| rooms the problems are rather those OF the
farm shop and store than of the astronomical
| observatory or authors study. The book
| keeping and industrial drawing have de-
| cidedly more practical trend than calculus
| or water-colored "art." In the botanical and
| chronological room plants and insects are
| considered with reference to their usefulness
| rather than as pre-adamitic curiosities. In
| the chemical and physical laboratories the
| practice in the use of the apparatus prepares
pupils for such applications OF the facts of
| these sciences as may be expedient to their
| subsequent lives.
But the thing which puzzles the old colleg-
| ian the most Is found in the rooms OF Practi-
| cal Agriculture and Practical Horticulture.
| Instruction in the art of farming instead OF
| the art OF Greek poetry seems queer to him.
| Studying ShorthorHs, Devons and Jerseys;
| discussing Berkshires and Essex; debating
the merits of different kinds OF plows and the
best modes OF plowing, somehow seems SIM
| gular To him In college. And when he hears
another class going through Horticulture,
varieties, grating, marketing etc., or vegeta-
BILE gardening fo1 profit, or landscape garden
ing on common sense principles he strongly
inclnes to the suspicion that there is more
attention paid in this Institution to the
training Of farmers than OF lawyers, which
naturally raises a doubt whether it is all
proper for an industrial college to attempt to
give an industrial education without going
over exactly the same studies, in precisely
the same way, that professional colleges have
used for centuries in giving a professional ed
ucation.
An hour with class of young ladies who
are studying the best methods of making
butter, cheese, etc, is apt to convince him
that. whatever may be his doubts, the au-
thorities of this Institution are decidedly free
from similar ones, and are driving ahead
just as il they knew what they are about, be-
ing, in fact, appointed or employed with the
express understanding that they shall know
what they are about
But when the visitor.sees the pupils inter
changing industrial with the literary recita
tions, his old ideas are apt to give way n lit.
tie for the admission OF new ones.
| In the carpenter shop he finds yong mer
whom he first noticed in a recitation OF Bot
any or Chemistry, ':reciting" carpentry with
| jack plane or rip saw, just as steadily, in
| terestedly and profitably as they recitsd the
others. Each has his own bench and tools
and the recitation OF each is graded precisel
as In the literary departments. Some arr
making tables, others wheel-barrows, anoth
er is at the turning lathe, and, in the same
long room, young ladies are at the scroll-sav
making brackets.
Up stairs, In large printing office, thu
study OF printing is going on in the same
| practical way. Some are learning the boxes
others setting reprint, and still others are a
work on perhaps this manuscript, or running
the Inot,lstiidliSt through the press, or getting
out a circular for the Loan Comm mssi onel
stating that he is buying school bonds at the
highest market rates.
In the next room, what seems to be severa