Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1881-03-19
A MINORITY .sro.r.


years 1879 and 1880. to the Legislature.
Just received. contains some very peril.
nsnt suggestions. and throws much light
upon the University question. Il sp.
pears BY II that owing to the unfortunate
location OF the University, the institu-
ton Is in the nature Of an elephant to
the State, and that Il would be 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"
I, seems that the large expenditure for
manure by the Board Of Regents in their
fruitlsss efforts to raise 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:
GoID HILL. New. Feb. 2i. 1881.
To the Honorable, the Lsgislatars cf the
State Of Nsrdia:
Tho undersigned. Q member OF the
Board OF Regents Of the State University
of Nevada, having been unwilling to sub.
scribe to the biennial report submitted to
your Honorable bodies by the majority OF
the Board Of Regents. under date OF Jsnu-
sry 10, 1881, feels IL incumbent upon him
TO state his reasons for dissent from that
report. He, therefore. respectfully sub
mits minority report upon matters reiat'
ing to the State University.
While I cheerfully indorse the state
men,s Of Regents Stone and Mayhugh with
regard to the ability OF the Principal Of
the University, W. q. D0vey; the course
Of studies as marked out; the progress OF
the students attending the schools. and
other statements made In their report. 1
am compelled to dissent from some oil 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 to DO.
come acquainted with them. know but
little about them, having attended only
three meetings Of the Board since nc.
eep,ed the Office Of Regent about one year
since. A majority Of the Board. being
residents Of Elko. have attended to the de.
tails Of management; full Information
with regard to which. also with regard to
the disbursement Of the State appropria.
tion. can be obtained from the financial
statement made near the close of their re.
port.
I believe that u 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 let the Legis'
laturo decide therefrom a. to the proper
course to pursue in future with regard to
the institutions 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 tho average attendance OF
pupils at the University two years ago.
when the present Board came into office,
was thirty. II the majority report had
placed the number ut twenty believe ~
would have still have been too high.
The majority report omits to mention
the fact that the 5000 loads Of fertiliz ng
material put on the twelve and half acres
Of ground, aud plowed In, brought forth
splendid crop Of mushrooms. hold that
n this portion of their report was intended
as 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 800 Iombardy poplars, which were set
out in the grounds. In September of that
year the Board found nearly all the trees
living, while their leaves were green, and
while to casual observer they appeared to
be in ian 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 be-
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 the evaporation Of sap, aud
that tho trees were dying from their tops;
the pores Of the wood having become filled
with q 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 1
found similar obstacles In the way OF rear.
ing trees in other parts OF the town oil
Elko. Hence / feel warranted In saying
that unless something can be found that
will neutralize the alkali In that SOIL u
will be q waste Of money to attempt 10
beautiiy the University grounds with trees
and shrubbery.
The dormitory. under the charge OF Mrs.
Wines, is no doubt In good hands. Bnt
the student boarders who, IL WAS antici.
patctl. would fill the building, are still
lacking. And am informed that . great
portion Of the time since Its erection 1t
has been without any boardsrs. The ma.
jority report fails to state the number Of
boarders there at present, but learn that
there is but one in the building who AZ
tends tho school.
The dormitory was built in 1875, at y
cost to the State Of $500. II was placed
in charge Of Mrs. Rood. motherly Chris
tian lady. who made 1t 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 IL never, to my knowledge. had more
than five boarders at any one time who
attended the school. II was urged before
the dormitory was built that u was all that
WAS needed to all the school with pupils;
that, a. 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 Rlko we're SO situated
a. to be able TO board students, dormi.
tory WAS needed.
30 far, the University has been an ex.
psuse 10 the State without commensurate
benefits.
With regard to the Recommendation OF
the majority report for = mining chair In
the preparatory department. will say that:
in nav opinion, IL will be the first duty OF
the i.eyislature 10 memoralixe Congress TO