, 1877-11-10
THAT POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND Mr..
LEWIS 1EQUEST.

TO ght E1tI0t ~ Inc 1ftDNnts
CHICAGO. Nov. 81 have been an Interested
reader of all TINT has been published OF late In
THE TRIBUNE concerning the nunlacent be-
quest Of Mr.. Lewis to found Polytechnic In
stttutc In this city, aud was especially pleased
to noto that one OF your correspondents has
taken occasion to Gull attention to tho TACT that
VII nlrcaly llavc In our Illinois Industrial Uni
TeFs!ty one Of the most admirably planned In
Az that. t.this institution need. 70 enable its1o
take the high rank TO which It nspires rs
thu rcprcscntattse educational Institution
OF thc Ereat State OF II Illinois ts .
ianlt Of The educational ctiort Of tho
a9c 10 d!tfnsencss Every county and city Is
ambitious Of having great university ol lis
own, ansl tue result Is that hundreds VI thou
sands Of dollars aso wasted IT. attumuts at en-
country TINT ART but little, II any, better thau
Our ordinary village lfigl,-Schools. ---,
It will never cease to be . matter of regret
Industrial University, which IA alsca.ly doing q
grand work, ami embraces in its course tho
| wllole range of studies contemplated by Mr.
Lewis CHAMPAIGN, the scat u ths Unircrsity,
Is rear enough 10 Chicago to be rcckoncd rs
ullp OF It's suburbs, nntl is practically "a con-
vcnlc.lly loratcu with reference to the wants
OF students FROM this city rs tl!"ugl1 II Wrse
within i've miles Of our Cosirt]louse:, Wrro
Mr. Lewls' tcqucst a.lle't to tho al
rcluly good foundation Witch tlis Institution
has III the way OF endowment II would play. 1t
1t once On a nar With, Or rather ahead of, Cor
rrlt University, 50 fur as incnsuc ls eut,ccrnc1:
Cnrucll Is basci upon a plan utmost identical
Will, 0lr institution at Champaign. II il Stntc
institution coutrnllcd t,alnly BY The State, ct,.
llowe,l fn part by lattl-Krt frt,li, tho GENERAL
tioycrtmnent, but tho muuitlccacc pf the llnl..
Ezra Cornell, who gave It ut ono time s5u0,O 100,
! cuabtcti It ut oucc to taks frbnt raak u,nnsg
tho Institutions Vi learning IN Amcrica. since
then Mr., Curnc1! Inns a.ltlet about $50, 600 to
h!s original donation, aud this, with otlier do.
has paIl for tho handsome and valuable
grounds, erected tho magnificent anl
rool'nod!ous buildings, furnished every
thing TINT could bo desired Ia ths way way
lravcs net annual tptprne which lgc years ar
anlountc.l 10 the handsome sum Dl e1h,!O0, nIit
which has stncc been lnrGcly tncrcased hy sa!e4
| Of land This certain income has enabled tllt
Trustees OF that Institution to sccMrs the very
hahrst order Of talent to fill various Profess
orstIips, and stu,lcnts from III parts Of Nortl
aud souti, America md fFoH' Europe arc aocS
lluos has tho means Of doing equally we'll
Tho plan and scope u't tho two institutions ar
verv nearly idontiral, with tl,s advantage. in III.
oplnton, decidedly In favur OF our University
Il a,i9a "a e IT, s1a. Land 9fnat santox n,H n ~
given It 600 600; thb Htste has at .yarlol
Times a'llcd to this m aggreaato os n.y. Malou "
$aD,G00, md 1t now 0WNH about 11hu0
acres ot land In Mlnncsnta aiA Nebraska
Out Of the funds thus donated. extensive build
tngs have been erected. lIbrurtes, apparatus
etc., have been purchased, leavtnga prcsen
available endowment fuMl u o little over etAll
000, wlirl. Is Invested in State aud cuuut
| Mr.. lewis betlaeat, What Il grand work II
Illinois Industrial University might accomplish
lo not know tho precise conditions of 81
Lewis will, but II It's tcr1ns will admit Of 4
every consideration Of public Esmtl aud Stat
! prll1 would indicate TINT tho Tthstccs la,nc
therein should co opernto with our State Uniyc
slty, ontl thus make it Ut Institution worthy I
our great State. II the funds besIueathetl b
Str. Lewis rannot ba 81 appropriated, then II
to " hoped thatthe next pu0lic-spriteta wealth
citizen Of olr State who niakcs Will may ~
low Ilf. Co5pells example, j. II. 3.