The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-02-10
mo. Isl
cnrresnordence of die, Herald.

Correspondence OF theHerald,
AUSTIN, February s, 1851.
II will be recollected by the readers Of tee
HERALD that the Agricultural & Mechanical
college of Texas, like those of severa others
of the states, owes its existence TO IA act of
congress passed in 1862, by which it was
provided that such an institution whose lead
ing objects should be the teaching of agrlcul-
tural and the mechanical arts in the interest
of tie industrial Glasses, with
out excluding the other scientific
and the classical studies. aud including
military tactics, The land scrip thus donated
BY the general government hai to be located
on the public lands of the United States,
within its own limits; or the state might sell
said scrip, as did Texas. The donation being
accepted in 1866 wO received 10000 acres
of it, being $50 900 each for our two sena-
tors and four representatives in congress. AS
result Our Agricultural d Mechanical
college endowment fund now shows in bonds
S209, 90, on which the annual Interest is
Sl4 600 This fund has to DO Invested ia
United Ststes or state honda. Besides this,
it will be remembe-eI that to that fund also
belongs an interest in the LOCO COO alres Of
land granted 10 the Uniye,sty OF Texas
SO much for the history OF ibs origin. Now
let us SEQ the status Of this college rs related
by the board. | lad thst they report as a
showing for legislative appropriations $780,
900, as follows: College building, residences
for professors, amounting to $50 600; the bal
ance is for general Improvements, barracks,
stables, ieueing, etc, some $4,000; furni-
ture, library, tools and implements, etc, 70
70 make up in value the difference The
farm, situsIed about five miles south of
Bryan, and containing some 24l6 acras, was
donated by Brazos county. The college was
established by legislative not 10 1871
The amounts thus far appropriated by tho
Legislature DOT up 1871, $1,000; 1874,
0,e0O 1875 $50 600; 1876, $40 600; 1879,
$4,000 total, 1902 600.
The management Of the college is left en-
tirely 10 the state; the general government
has nothing TO do with it, and the superiu-
tendence Is under the governor, lieuten-
ant governor, speaker OF thehouse of rep
resenlatives and director from each con.
gressionsl district in the state.
The plan in instruction ranges through
the usual college curriculum for feshmen,
sophomore, junior, and senior classes, hcuoms
panied by instruction in the agri-
cultural and m chsoic arts, the clas-
sizes and languages beirg optional.
In the industrial department IRE eape Tally
embrace studies, lectures and experiments in
agriculture, horticulture, and az, on the coil,
buildings, crop cultivation, darying, vegetable
and orchard gardening, forestry, bso culture,
etc. But it IS amusing to learn that with all
this g'arn5 description, the college does not
own a single COW, or live stock of any descrip-
ton except three mules and half.dozen
hogs whereof three arc Poland China, and
the others are razOr-bicSs. Not even o
democratic rooster tells OF the break of day OF
signifies by all night growing, the approach
of Christmas holidays. Nothing therefore
whereon to practice the high sounding
studies of veterinary pathology, surgery, etc. /;
not butterfly or beetle bug to experiment
AID practically discourse on entomology.
The expense attending schooling in this
college is an annual payment of Sl60, with
cadet grey uniform, which costs some $13,
the students furnishing their own books The
institution is at present about $4,000 in debt,
but, we presume, the present Legislature will
arrange for this.
Some of these colleges in the other states
are IN moro than healthy condition, and il
is only question of time when the Texas
one will DO. New York probably is the best
provided for the largest ultimate productive
fund aud annual income, but it had the ad-
vantage, your readers will recall, of the mag.
nifceat donation made by Mr.. Ezra Cornell
OF S00J OOQ ~ an endowment. Those in
Ohio and Pennsylvania have each an annual
income OF 1000, while Iowa has one of
$4,000.
IT ! remember rightly there sre now in
the United States more than 80 of these
colleges, with STUDENT list OF something
like l5GOO This shows rapid increase
agains. 1870, when there existed not more
than dozen such schools and scarcely 1900
pupils
Col. Peeler says very truly that tho ne
cesslty of the day is for educated labor, for
educa.ed chemists, geologis.s, meLallurgists,
engineers, for the proper development OF
this, our great state, of suilicien. magnitude
to give employment TO g 00)000 of laborers
in the agricultural field aona, yieldiEg an
annual produce of SO 100000 000 And in
the m, chanic arts it could perhaps make
an equivalent exhibit. And in view
of this, who shall say how much may be &C
compllshed by farmers who understand
chemically the soils they work, and who use
the steam plows, the dtchers and grain
drills, yhe tnreshers, the mowers and the reap.
ers and binders, the separator, tho revolving
rake and the grain husker, all the products
of the educated mechanic in the interest OF
humalily, and best learned in that character
OF school that adds practice TO precept, COM
blning theory with experiment? These arc
some OF tho arguments that go TO SUPPORT
the measure contemplated in our Agricul.
ftt,a g Al II ~