Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1881-03-24
a MINORITY sEroRr.

yssrs 1879 and 1880. to the Legislature,
Just received. contains some very peril
nsnt suggestions. and throws much Light
upon the University question. II sp'
pears BY II that owing 10 the unfortunate
location Of the Univsrsity. the institu'
ton 10 in the nature Of an elephant tc
the State, and that Il would Be well "a
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 payable ou'
Of the University Fund"
Il seems that the large expenditure for
manure by the Board Of Regents in their
fruitlsss efforts to raise trees, etc., has
caused much comment. 4 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. a. 1881.
To The Honorable. the Lssisiaturs Of tie
Ssats cf Nssada:
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 %. 1881, feels 10 incumbent upon him
10 state his reasons for dissent from that
report. He. therefore. respectfully sub
mits minority report upon matters relat'
iAg to the State University.
While I cheerfully indorse the state
ments Of Regents Stone and M.yhugh with
regard to the ability Of the Principal OF
the University. W. @. Dovey; the course
Of studies as marked out; the progress Of
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 tho University. may say that
having had but few opportunities 10 be-
come acquainted with them. know but
little about them, having attended only
three meetings Of the Board since l &C.
eeptsd 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 to
the disbursement Of the State appropria.
ton, can be obtained from the financial
statement made near the close Of their re-
port.
I believe that II should be the true pol
lev Of the Board Of Regents to present the
fact. relating 10 the University a. they
exist, to the Legislature, and let tho Legis'
Iaturs decide therefrom a. to the proper
course TO pursue In future with regard 70
tho 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 tho number at twenty believe IL
would have still have been too high.
The majority report omtts to mention
the fact that tho 5000 loads Of fertiiiz'ng
material put on tho twelve and hall acres
of ground, and plowed In. brought forth
splendid crop Of mushrooms. bold that
N this portion Of their report was intended
a q treatise On agriculture, II should have
named the entire product.
With regard 10 raising shade trees on
tho 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
diving, while their leaves were green, and
while to q casual observer they appeared 70
be in ian apparently healthy and growing
condition" Tho next year moro trees
were set out. Before they we're planted. .
largo 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 FREQ from
alkali. But those trees died, ~ trees BE-
fore had died. During my visit to the
grounds In June last. examined the dy.
ing trees, and found lying on tho leaves :
residue from the evaporation OF sap, and
that the trees were dying from their tops;
the pores Of tho wood having become filed
with q salt lett by the evaporation Of sap,
which eventually killed the trees. am
convinced that no trees will live any iength
Of time In tho soil OF the University
grounds. And may here say that 1
found similar obstacles In the way OF rear.
ing trees In other parts OF the town oi
Eiko. Hence I feel warranted In saying
that unless something can DO found that
will neutralize the alkali In that soil, 1t
will be q waste Of money to sttempt to
beautify the University grounds with trees
and shrubbery.
The dormitory. under the charge OF Mrs.
Wines, is no doubt In good hands. But
tho student boarders who. IL was antici.
psted, 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.
iority report fails 70 state the number OF
bosrdsrs there at present, but learn that
there Is but one In tho building who A.
tends the school.
The dormitory was built ID 1875, st .
coat TO the State Of $500. Il was placed
In charge Of Mrs. Rood. motherly Chris
tian lady. Who made II homo for students
from abroad at the lowest possible cost for
board. II has sufficient capacity to board
and lodge some fifteen TO twenty students,
yet IL never. to my knowledge. had more
than ave boarders at any one time who
attended the school. It was urged before
the dormitory Was built that II wafall that
was needed 70 all the school with pupils;
that. - 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
~ 10 be able 70 board students, dormi'
tory was needed.
So far, the University has been an c1'
ponse 10 the State without commensurat<
henafih.