Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1881-03-11
A MINORITY REroRr.

hons se8BeeeAcp eAs sAAS"S -
lpon the University question. It sp'
pears BY Il that owing to the unfortunate
location Of the University. the institu'
ton 10 in the nature Of an elephant &c
the State, and that II would bs we'll to
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 ths
appropriations for salaries specific. and
passed the deficiency bill payable ou'
Of the University Fund"
Il seems that the large expenditure fol
manure by the Board OF Regents in theil
fruitlesa efforts to raise trees. etc.. has
caused much comment. A correspond
ent writing with reference to the minor.
ity report, says: Twill be either
school and NO manure. or manure and
no school In future"
Here follows the minority report:
GoLp HILL. New. Feb. 2i. 1881.
To The Honorable. tie Legislature cf h'
State Of Nevada:
The undersigned. . member Of the
Board Of Regents Of the State University
OF Nevada, having been unwilling to sub
scribe 10 the biennial report submitted 10
your Honorable bodies by the majority Of
the Board Of Regents. under date Of Janu'
sry 20, 1881, feels II incumbent upon him
TO state his reasons for dissent from that
report. He, therefore, respectfully sub.
mits minority report upon matters relat'
lug to the State University.
While cheerfully indorse the state
menis Of Regents Stone and Mayhugh win
regard to the ability Of the Principal OF
the University. W. @. Dovey; the course
Of studies ~ marked out; the progress oi
the students attending the schools. and
other statements made 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 the University. may say that
having had but few opportunities 10 be-
come acquainted with them. I know but
little about them. having attended only
three meetings Of the Board since I ac.
eeptsd the ofice Of Regent about one year
since. A majority Of the Board. being
residents Of Elke, have attended to the de.
tails Of management; full information
with regard to which. also with regard to
the disbursement Of ths State appropriA.
ton. can be obtained from the financial
statement made near the close OF their re-
port.
I believe that IL should be the true pol.
icy Of the Board Of Regents to present the
facts relating to the University a. they
exist, to the Legislature, and let the Legis.
lsture decide therefrom as to the proper
course to pursue In future With regard to
the institution. Believing thus, ! am
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 ct twenty believe 1t
would have still have been too high.
The majority report omits to mention
the fact that the 5000 loads Of fertilizlng
material put on the twelve and . half acres
Of ground. and plowed in, broughtfort q
splendid crop Of mushrooms. hold that
II this portion Of their report was intended
a. q treatise On agriculture, IL should nave
named the entire product.
With regard to raising shade trees on
the University grounds, / may say that
efforts have been made almost every year
since the University was founded to raise
them, but without success. In the year
1876 the Board procured from Carson
about 500 Lombardy poplars, which were set
out in the grounds. In September OF that
year the Board found nearly all the trees
DYING, while their leaves were green. and
while to casual observer they appeared TO
be In can apparently healthy and growing
condition." The next year more trees
were set out. Before they were planted, .
large hole was dug. In which was placed
nearly load Of black soil hauled from the
river bottom. and the trees set In this soil
soil that was supposed to be free from
alkali. But those trees died, ~ trees DO.
fore had died. During my visit to the
grounds in June last. examined the dy.
ing trees. and found lying on the leaves
residue from tho evaporation OF sap, and
that the trees were dying from their tops;
the pores Of the wood having become hlled
with salt lett by the evaporation OF sap,
which eventually killed tho trees. am
convinced that no trees will live any length
Of time In the soil Of the University
grounds. And I may here say that !
found similar obstacles In the way OF rear.
ing trees In other parts OF the town OF
Eiko. Hence I feel warranted In saying
tina, unless something can be found that
will neutralize the alkAli In that soil, II
will be q waste Of money to attempt to
beautify the University grounds with trees
and shrubbery.
The dormitory. under the charge OF Mrs.
Wines, 10 NO doubt In good hands. But
the student boarders who, IL was antici.
pated, would all the building, are still
lacking. And 7 am informed that great
portion Of the time since Its erection II
has been without any boardsrs. The ma.
jority report fails to state the number oi
boarders there at present, but learn that
there is but one in the building who at'
tends the school.
The dormitory WAS built in 1875, at .
cost to the State Of $500. II Was placed
In charge Of Mrs. Rood. motherly Chris
tian lady. who made II home for students
from abroad at the lowest possible cost Tor
board. 1t has sufficient capacity to board
and lodge some fifteen to twenty students,
yet II never. to my knowledge. had more
than hve boarders at any enc time who
attended the school. II was urged before
the dormitory was built that II was all that
Was needed to fll the school with pupils;
that. q parents would not send their chill.
dren to school at place where they would
be Obliged to board at hotel. and ~ but
few Of the people Of Elko were 90 situated
A. to be able 10 board students. dormi,
tory WAS needed.
So far, the University has been An OK
psnse to the State without commensurate
benefits.
With regard to the recommendation o.
the majority report for . mining chair In
the preparatory department. will say that
in my opinion. 10 will be the hrst duty o.
the Legislature to msmoraliss Congress e
extend the time Of the 90. e0o-acre grant II
order to comply with the terms offered
with the grant where . school 10 main
tanned and the theory and practice Of min
ing 10 taught. The Act Of Congress
IL annrayaf