Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1881-03-17
A MINORITY .EroRr.

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 suggestions. and throws much light
upon the University question. II sp-
pssrs BY Il that owing TO the unfortunate
location Of the University. the institu-
ton 10 in the nature Of an elephant to
the State, and that Il would bs well to
give the whole thing to the town Of
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 payable out
OF the University Fund"
II seems that the large expenditure for
manure by the Board Of Regents in their
fruitless Efforts to rAisa trees. etc., has
caused much comment. A correspond.
snt writing with reference to the minor
ity report. says: "Twill bs either
school and NO manure. or manure and
NO school in future"
Here follows the minority report:
GOLD HILL. New. Feb. Il. 1881.
To The Honorable. tie Legislature Of hs
State Of Nsvada:
The undersigned. . member OF the
Board Of Regents Of the State University
Of Nevada, having been unwilling 70 SUBJ
scribe TO the biennial report submitted to
your Honorable bodies by the majority OF
the Board Of Regents. under date Of Janu.
ary 29, 1881, feels IL incumbent upon him
10 ststs his reasons for dissent from that
report. He, therefore. respectfully sub
mits 4 minority report upon matters relat-
ing to the State University.
While I cheerfully indorse the state.
ments Of Regents Stone and Mayhugh with
regard to tho ability Of the Principal OF
the University. w. @. Dovey; the course
Of studies ~ marked out; the progress ei
the students attending the schools. and
other statements made In their report. l
am compelled TO dissent from some Of the
statements which the report contains.
With regard to the details OF manage.
ment Of the University. I may say that
having had but few opportunities 70 be.
come acquainted with them, know but
little about them, having attended only
three meetings Of the Board since ac-
eepted the ofice Of Regent about one year
since. A majority Of the Board, being
residents Of Eiko, have attended to the de.
tails Of management; full information
with regard to which, also with regard to
the disbursement OF the State sppropria.
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.
ley Of the Board Of Regents to present the
facts relating TO the University - they
exist, to the Legislature, and let the Legis.
lature decide therefrom a. 10 the proper
course to pursue In future with regard to
the institution. Believing thus. l 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 ofics.
was thirty. II the majority report had
placed the number at twenty believe 1t
would have still have been too high.
The majority report omits to mention
the fact that the 5000 loads Of fertilizing
material put on the twelve and hall acres
Of ground. and plowed in, brought forth q
splendid crop Of mushrooms. hold tnat
II this portion Of their report WAS intended
a. q treatise On agriculture. 1t should have
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 70 raise
them, but without success. In the year
1873 the Board procured from Carson
about 800 Lombardy poplars. which were set
out in the grounds. In September OF that
year the Board found nearly all the trees
diving, while their leaves were green, and
while to casual observer they appeared to
be in "an 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 DO free from
alkali. But those trees died, a. trees DO.
fore had died. During my visit to the
grounds in June lest, examined the dy-
ing trees. and found lying on the leaves .
residue from the evaporation Of sap, and
that the trees wero 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 ! may here say that l
found similar obstacles In the way OF rear.
ing trees in other parts OF the town of
Elko. Hence I feel warranted In saying
that unless something can be found that
will neutralize the alkali In that soil, 1t
will DO . 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 am informed that . great
portion Of the time since Its erection IL
has been without any boardsrs. The ma.
jority report fails to state the number Of
boardsrs there st 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 IL homo 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 1t never. to my knowledge. had more
A. .~h1ol haf