New-York tribune., 1877-06-16
COMMENCEMENT SEASON.
CORNELL UNIVERSITY.

| rpuox A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT oP THE TRIBUSE.l
ITHACA, N. Y, June 15.-The past year at
Cornell University has been marked more by quiet
healthy than by any largo acquisitions or
| extensive gifts The university has met with some
in the Facuty-but it has gaineu more
| than enough to counterbaianoe them.
Two new names have been added to the Fsculty-Prof
White Harvard '73, Latin and Greek. and Pref Church.
Cornell 49, Engineering; and ono has DeeH suDtraoteu
from t-Prof Bycrly, Assistant Professor OF Mathema
cs The who gained both strong men, anu Tue
ono who is lost exceptionally Prof Church Ia SAID 70
he the only graduate OF Cornell who has ever received
snecal mention from the Faculty mo merits OF his
thesis His homo Is at Newburgh Ho IL nephew or the
West Point professor OF the same name,
4 who wrote many works on higher mathematics. 1bo
subject OF his thess tbet most involved ana intricate
r-oblem of the entire range of mechanics-thc Screw
Propeller. Words perhaps would fail In attempting 10
describe universal surprise and regret among stu
dents that followed the policy OF the trustees which al
loved the departure OF Prof Byeriy IL may be sur
ncent to say among those students who had been
under his instruaoR t tho almost universal opinion
that he was one OF the abes that Cornell had
among its Faculty. The youthful ago OF the threo
named above or Prof Byery only young mani calls
to mind an objection that is sometimes made to the uni
yersity viz that 1t has only few old and experienced
men its Faculty These remarks should not be taken
without notifications President White Is what mghs
be called young man, but no younger tan some OF the
partens herethe deans-are in several cases far De-
vond middle le IL Is doubtful If fe university vould
ever have made the radical changes it has adopted
in college instruction had us Faculty been wholly
guided by men who had grown ny under the
old ways. The very young men who have been
tho source OF those remarks In many Instances SUD
ordinate 10 older minds and notably connected with
tho departments OF science and language while pioso'
pby literature and history taught by men OF long
experience and careful research ono OF the moss u-
fortunate losses which the university will experience
next year will be that Of Prot Burt g. Wilder VINO ac-
companes the Woodruff Scientific Expedition around
tho world There probably one in The Facuity-at
Los ST no young has greater success than
Prof Wilder In his department of Natural History he
has done some the best work yet accomplished here
The expedition leaves Now-Ycrk in October next, and
will be gone two years. In this connection IL may DO
mentioned that smother Cornell professor Charles f.
Hartt is still in Brazil in the employment of the Gov
crcnt OF Dom Pedro and that several graduates OF
the university ace with him. Other graduates join him
this summer In addition TO the above changes, j. II
CoustocS Cornell, II. and w. r. Dudley, Cornell, "a,
have boon promoted from instructors TO assistant pro-
fessors, the former OF entomology and the Latter OF
botany.
In the general OF study marked change has
been made in the number of optional studies allowed. In
place of the old scientific course there are now two gem
cal courses lending To the degree OF b. s. the enc called
thc course in and the other ac in science
and letters. Their charactefhsos sufficiently ap-
narcnt from their names In the former there
hours optional studies during the Junior and eleven
during senior year, aud in hc latter sX during the
Junior and five during the Senior There IS also new
course in mathematics Thrrc Seoms u I've tendency u
acknowledge that NEST students know what tGey desire
to siudy better than any one can tell them
The additions the library have been chiefly in tho
Department of Architecture. President he has pur-
chased in Europe largo collection Oi hluslatlonH
dill, rent periods. Mr. T. X, Eossiter Of NewYork. a
graduate the department in 1875, has presented it
wit gome hundred, !
The cncrsic. of the Department OF Agriculture have
becn n,anly cxpcfci in experiments the design being
o make tp blades grass grow where grew before
Tho possibilities of the university iarln are SIe't Eich
has already been accomplished and greater results are
cnuti,entl eXucctc4l IN lac future.
IN the machine shop" Of the Mechanic Arts Depart
ncnt WORK been busiiy forwarded Perhaps no De
satisfactorily than tins All OF thc small oois and
with f.w unimportant exceptions ail tho large nach
cry ar r, class ~ every resr,g lne MorhS Hi .e is -
Wiitworth gargc and standard teainerS taps dies %c
only used. Ihere are now IN ueoas ot construction
two screw-cuiting Ethes. with tho best or modern im
prOYeneni., one bcihS mate 10 or'et au lI ot't lo
use IN the shop; y machine for making models of crys-
~ off''' al iocnmoiiye ink motion There has been
recently finished hrgc Horn's rotary dyDamomctcr-
pi'i me .uriace patos - b. IL inches in size The
ruth ot teEa plates S such that thoush Weighing about
foat upon film or air contained between them like
ono ,ac AZ cr placed on another Or the air being
pellet uppoT when ed will raise Sac lower one
with H. Perhaps the ichud accuracy oI rGhSsi
piece aiely prOdnccd consisting of pircc OF
hardened steel wt cylindrical hole through it, and two
hardened stc-l plugs, Cf which passes neely through
the hole While the other cannot he made TO- The differ
IN size OF tho plugs shown iy he standard meas
JrIug machtuc-aLothcr cl TIC PiOlucS oi lhc sVli7
| Cnc one ,housaudth OF au inch.
Tie - gineerin5 Department has acquired in The wa.
Of now apparatus one Prot. Thuratsns autogap!o
testing machines, al improved ~cNt3n Daso n" meas
uung apparatus, ANA soEo grodetc signal stations, or
barber poss, a' tAe students 'l '"ehl h.Sid'' some
smaller rial iusi nHnt Some oi thc "bofe inslI
meuis are for lie lao sHF9y recently de;tnh'd IN he
cOrmn, "i IA. lllhl -. hNahhtiVN1 III ti' 1t''it
ucut were head carly tins year IA order Y die the stu
dents extra time in this survey work lhetr has also
Dcrh es'ab ' Ai 'c o,i,, ~
with The UHed states signal Service, IA weather STA
| tiDn. -
Regarding the labor system. 1t 10 be admitted
| fact that II has 10; become the success which
;hat Il Is difficult matter 10 ind II labor
| ug Student OF any experience who does nos
could be made complete succcssss uirh 81 Air.
Cornell hoped 1or How to get that proper manage
very encouraging feature in connection with tho
university IS The constantly Increasing number OF post
gaduate students. The freedom OF tnc library ana tie
absence of tuiuon fees make postgraduate course
present year u. II has been WeI sai, however. tit
the pO3gruatcs like the Faculty, could be divided Into
| two cLsscs-re~,dsnt ana non-residcnt.
o course letter like this should fail tn approach
the ali-inpOrt1nt subject oi cocducaon Tac system.
| i success. Many people could hardly nave expected
better results. Pcriap. the most noticeable n about
absurbs Importance that is attached aer. Bur this
natural with The interest attached ~ tho innovation.
Tho standard OF lady students IA very mSh THIS IS
| ou,n remarked. But 1t Is IL matter OF iustca at
| The tiuIc to there few
| wlpy the young ladies' should excel here that ara
usually overlooked IN describing their high degree OF
scholarship. These o. They have less To 10 than
young men, not beng compelled 20 lake either "drP
or ITS substitute. and time student drills ne loses
whole atcgnOOn ~ tLoy are picket' 50 tO si@af.
u tar greater extent than the srhtlenon; (jj thoy
have the advantage of gIUuter sllc until this
they have never bcuu ;Iiitcd until they > years
of age while The gentlemen and always have been,
III; % IL loudly whispered thai some OF the pro
frssos are partial To tn -. class. L. is least
natural that they shOud have warm Interest ~ the
young ladies progress Life At tho Saso College IN mur
like lie everywhere eiso in the wond-aiways excepting