The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1882-02-23

oil our school houses, and who are entitled
10 all the benefits and advantages OF our
common school system.
The advantages to Wichita by establishing
and successfully maintaining an institution
OF learning Of 4 high grade are almost meal
e'ilab!e, only Il lew OF which will be mem
toned here.
FIRST there would be an increase in popu-
lation. This would be of two kinds: Tenn
porary students, consisting of young persons
oil bota sexes, who would resort 10 The
school to obtain the education they desired
then 20 away to other fields OF labor; and
permanent residents, who, when looking
over southern Kansas with aview of settle
ment, would be attracted to this city on ae-
count OF the superior educational facilities
offered here. The attendance of two hun
dred students in such 4 school ought to in
sure Us an additional population of five hun
| drcd people, for some stradenrs would bring
Their f1inilies with them, more would re-
quire the presence of large boarding houses,
aud not a iew when through with their ed.
ecation would settle here ia various kinds
OF business. The teachers aud their fami-
lies, the boarding house keepers and the
students and many Of their families, would
all be customers of the business houses OF
| Wichita. The permanent residents, drawn
here by such an institution would be of two
kinds: First, gentlemen ofmeans, who pro-
pose locating somewhere in this part Of Kan
Sa>, and who would AZ once decide in favor
Of Wichita because Of it, high educational
facilities, and second, successful farmers
| and sioekmel whose families are now with
them on farms and ranches, whose children
are growing up and viii soon need the ed
uca,iCn which Wichita would then be pre-
pared to offer. So impalpable however
and 80 various are the influences which
cause an unsettled family to locate in some
particular spot. that we cannot ven guess at
the number Of such permanent residents
VINO might be attracted here, but none the
less is the influence of college or academy
recognized by all careful observers As po-
tent factor in the growth of a city.
Second. eur own citizens viii not be com.
PEELED 10 send their children away from
home, a. a great expense, to secure CON-
plete education. Ii Only ten OF our youth
go away from Wichita each year for purposes
Of education, at an average expense of three
hundred dollars year--a sum sufficient 10
pay SIX per cent. interest on an investment
OF fifty thousand dollars. Besides the great
expense OF sending children away from
home, they lose The home Influence, the
eounsels OF 4 father, the winning love OF a
mother, and rather than have them deprived
OF these, many parents prefer that their Of
spring should lose the advantages of the
higher education. Such would not he the
ease if such IN institution as is proposed ex-
isted in Wichita.
Third may be mentioned the higher cul-
ture and better mental equipment for the
battle OF life which could be given 10 the
children of our own CITIZENS, who cannot
afford 80 send their sous and daughter. away
from home for educational! purposes. The
expense attending the latter is 50 great that
but few can afford it, aai probably only one
goes away, where ten would 20 ii they
could. Besides. where nearly all are con-
tent with moderate attachments, the inpor-
tance OF Il more complete course is not real
lied. and few care TO take it now, whereas
il there was an acadeIDical institution or.a
normal school here, 4 would lie Il constant
reminder to all our young folks that these
heights ia science and literature yet unsca- |
Ell. but really attainab!e by them, and thus
it would be continual stimulus to greater
intellectual activity.
Fourth and last, we may cali attention to
IL. Ia, ~,
leciual center. People of culture are to be
found there, and otheis of like tastes desire
to live in such a city. The direct influence
Ola college on the inhabitants is to cultivate
and refine their tastes and sentiments. Gle
waite their aims aad reader al their surround
ings pleasauter. II furnishes them some
thing TO think about besides the worry of
business and something to talk about besides
the ueishborhood gossip. The most of us
are here ia wichita 10 stay. We owe it TO
ourselves and TO our children to render our
surroundings as attractive, and the intel
lectual aud social influences as heal;hfnl.
both ment lily and morally as possible.
Now if our population can be increased by
two hundred students, with an average out
lay on their part of only two hundred and
fifty dollars each. their direct trade with
the city would be fifty thousand dollars
year. To this must be added The trade of
their friends, and that of the new residents
brought here by such an institution as we
have suggested. Couple with these profits
the saving Of from two 10 three thousand
dollars year now going abroad because we
can only furnish common school facilities at
present, and the argument in dollars and
cents becomes Overwhelming. Aud if our
children are furnished with better advantage
es at a nominal cost, aud our homes render
ed pieasaater al life in our city more en-
joyabie we should hail with g'ajness The
day when an educational Institution of
high grade should be established in Wichita
whose influence for good should be felt for
all coming time
To sam up, your committee submit the
following propositions:
/. That there is now a pressing demand
for higher educational institution in the
Great Arkansas Valley.
,. That the scheme is a practicable one.
aud that the city of Wichita presents
promising field for such an institution.
8. That competent parties are ready 10
take Large OF and conduct such an instittl-
ton so soon as suitable buildings are pro-
vided.
!. That such an institution could be of
great material as well as intellectual benefit
TO our city.
In view Of these facts your committee
would recommend that the city be asked to
vote for The issue of bonds to the amount of
$4,000 pa. able in ten years. and bearing
such interest as viii insure their sale at par.
OF which amount SO, coo shall be applied TO
tho erection of a building, and $4,000 for
the purchase OF ground aud furnishing said
building for school purposes, said building
10 be erected so as to form a wing to which
Others may be ad led, thus forming nucleus
around which shall arise an institution that
in time will be the pride of our city aud of
the surrounding country, and viii be the
alma mater of nearly all the youth of the