Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1881-03-21
A MINORITY REroRr.

The minority report Of the Board Of
Regents Of the State University. for the
years 1879 and 1880. to the Legislature,
Just received, contains some very peril
nsnt sugges,ions. and throws much light
upon the University question. II sp.
pears by II that owing to the unfortunate
location OF the University. the institu'
ton 10 in the nature Of an elephant tc
the State, and that II would bs well tc
give the whole thing TO the town o'
Elko.
We learn that the Legislature. acting
in accordance with the suggestions CON
tanned in the minority report, made the
appropriations for salaries specific. and
passed the deficiency bill "psyabls ou'
Of the Univsrsity Fund"
Il seems tha, the large expenditure fo'
manure by the Board Of Regents in thsi'
fruitlsss efforts to raise trees. etc.. has
caused much comment. A correspond
snt writing with reference to the minor
ity report, says: "Tvill bs eithei
school and no manure. or manure and
NO school In future"
Here follows the minority report:
GOLD HILL, New. Feb. a. 1881.
To he Honorable, the Lsgisiaturs Of h'
State Of Nsrada'
Tho undersigned. member OF the
Board OF Regents Of the State University
of Nevada, having been unwilling to sub
scribe to the biennial report submitted te
YOUR Honorable bodies by the majority oi
the Board Of Regents. under date Of Janu'
AIRY 10, 1881, feels II incumbent upon him
TO state his reasons for dissent from thai
report. He. therefore. respectfully sub
nits q minority report upon matters relat
.ng to the State University.
While I cheerfully indorse the state
ments Of Regents Stone and Mayhugh WIZ
regard to tho ability OF the Principal ol
the University, w. O. Dovey; tho course
Of studies ~ marked out; the progress o.
the students attending the schools, AND
other statements mado In their report.
am compelled TO dissent from some of the
statements which the report contains.
With regard to the details Of manage
ment Of tho University. may say thai
having had but few opportunities to be.
come acquainted with them. know but
little about them. having attended only
three meetings Of the Board since l &C
\tsd the Office Of Regent about one year
since. A majority Of the Board. being
residents Of Elko, have attended to the do
tails OF management; full information
with regard to which, also with regard tc
the disbursement Of the State appropriA'
ton, can be obtained from the financial
statement made near the close OF their TO
port.
/ believe that II should be the true pol
lev OF the Board Of Regents to present the
facts relating to the University a. they
exist, to the Legislature. and lot the Legis
lature decide therefrom a. to the proper
course TO pursue In future with regard to
the institution. Believing thus. an
compelled to say that my information and
observation will not permit me to concur
in that part Of the majority report which
states that the average attendance OF
pupils at the University two years ago.
when the present Board came into once,
was thirty. II the majority report had
placed the number at twenty belisve II
wsuid have still have been too high.
The majority report omits to mention
the fact that the 5000 loads Of fertiiizng
material put on the twelve and hall acres
Of ground, and plowed in. brought forth .
splendid crop Of mushrooms. 1 bold ina,
N this portion Of their report was intended
As q treatise On agriculture. 1t should have
named the entire product.
With regard to raising shade trees on
the University grounds, may say thai
efforts have been mado almost every yeai
aimee the University Was founded to raise
them, but without success. In the yeai
1876 the Board procured from Carson
about 800 Lombardy poplars. which were se'
out in the grounds. In September OF thai
wear the Board found nearly all the tree,
diving, while their leaves were green, and
while to casual observer they appeared te
be In ian Apparently healthy and growing
| condition" Tho next year more treei
were set out. Before they we're planted.
large hole was dug. in which was placed
nearly load OF black soil hauled from thu
| river bottom, and the trees set In this sol
| soil that was supposed to be free IRON
alkali. But those trees died, a. trees DO
| fore had died. During my visit to th'
| grounds in Juno last, examined the dy
| ing trees, and found lying on tho leaves
| residue from the evaporation OF sap, ant
that the trees were dying from their tops
the pores Of the wood having become hllct
| with salt lett by the evaporation Of sap
which eventually killed tho trees. l an
convinced that no trees will live any Length
of time in the soil OF the Universit,
grounds. And I may here say that
| found similar obstacles in the way OF rear
| ing trees In other parts Of the town o
Elko. Hence I feel warranted In saying
that unless something can be found ina
will neutralize the alkali In that soil. !
will DO q waste Of money to attempt y
beautify the University grounds with tree
and shrubbery.
The dormitory. under the charge OF Mrs
Wines, il no doubt In good hands. Bu
the student boarders who. IL was antici
patet, would all the building. are still
lacking. Aud ! am informed that grea
portion Of the time since Its erection l
has been without any boardsrs. The ma
jority report fails to state the number
boardsrs there at present, but learn tha
there il but one In the building who at
tends the school.
The dormitory wss built In 1875, at
i cost TO the State Of S7500. II was places
| in charge Of Mrs. Rood. udotherly Chris
tian lady, who made IL homo for student
Il f-oc, shrosd ~ tha lovaat f,0aaiblo cost 10