Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1879-12-09
ABOUT COLLEGES AND THE
DEAD LANGUAGE.
rE...y No. :. written by . school soy.l

It IL not unusual 10 hear one person
say Of another. "Mr. A. has . very Ans
sducation-hs IL . graduate Of Blank
college," The writer never hears this
intended compliment without mentally
asking: Does the mere fact tha. Mr.. A.
IL Q graduate Of Blank college prove that
"hs has Q fns eduoationf" And SEQ.
opd, what constitutes q hns. or rather q
thorough sduoation3
First, the writer holds that the mere
fact that Mr.. A. IL q graduate Of Q COL.
lsss really proves only this. that . friend
who believed, from an educational point
OF view. that something could be made
OF him was willing to try the expert.
mont. and sent him to college. The
fact that after q year Of preparation.
and . four years Of college studies
and r~eoitations Mr.. A. received
diploma from the Faculty does
not, BY any means. In . proper sense OF
the term, prove that he 10 an educated
man. There are about forty colleges 10
Ohio, and SONS others west Of New
York. from which, graduates are yearly
turned ont Who have hardly any part Of
an education which hts them for the
practical duties OF lie. and who And to
their sorrow before they q earn their
daily bread that II IL necessary to I'M.
learn much, and necessary to learn
many things that were not ven hinted
to them during their whole collegiate
course. And there are many colleges 10
the States east OF the Missouri river
from which itii less credit for . person
to graduate than It 10 to graduate from
the high schools of Storey county. "It
IL Q fiction Of the past that the college
makes the mani" and "going through
college for the name Of tho thing has
been n Of our great educational blum.
ders."
As to what constitutes Q thorough cd.
ucation the writer coniesses his inability
to answer-at least In the space accorded
to . newspaper communication. he
believes. however, that he can mann
some things that are acquired during .
course OF collegiate studies which the
possessors proudly think enitle them to
rank a. "fuely" educated men, which
In no wise do 90. but by numbering up
minds. not limitless in capacity. occupy
brain space that might have been stored
with useful knowledge. In many Of our
colleges where there are three terms per
snnum for four years, or twelve terms In
all, "in the regular classical ourss
Latin 10 taught during ten terms and
Greek through eight terms. while chem.
istry Is taught two terms, and geology
and astronomy one EACH" A greater
part Of four years time. n may be seen,
10 here given to the classical languages,
aud very little time to natural sciences.
Now, the writer would ssk, Of what use
are the studies OF Greek and Latin to
nine-tenths Ct the college graduates Of
today All Of the best literature Of the
old Greek and Latin authors has been
translated into English By much ADLER
scholars than nine tsnths OF our college
graduates can ever hope to be. The
growth OF the English language during
tho last atty years has made II now the
richest and most expressive language Of
the world. and In view Of this fact II
would seem that crowding the mind
with the dead languages 10 now worse
than useless. The oft.repeated assertion
that the study Of the Greek and Latin
languages disciplines the mind. 10 NO
doubt true. But the study Of chemistry.
OF geology and Of astronomy not only
discipline the mind, but also store Il
with useful and practical kuowlsdge.
Professor Eliot, Of Harvard, 10 . recent
address at the frst commence
msnt OF Smith college for women. 10
reported to have said In substance that
ian acquaintance with the classical Ian.
guages 10 no longer the necessary part Of
Q liberal education" This expression
OF opinion from &C popular and 30
thorough an educator ~ Professor Eliot
renders IL unnecessary for the writer to
quote other authorities In further sup
port Of the position here taken.
In conclusion OF this paper the writer
will say that while be has not answered
the question, "What constitutes
thorough eduoation1" he will say that
because . man knows - little Greek
and less Latin" II does not prove that
''he has O hne education"