The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-27
INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY.


portant as this that is so little known. But
if, like William and Mary College, it should
die out people would find that it had an in
teresting history. Instead of being put down
as one of those primitive Western colleges
facetously said to consist Of president, an
Indian squaw, and buffalo calf it would
then be recognized as having stood far above
most of the forty universities of Ohio" and
as having only two or three peers in the
West.
1t has had an honorable existence of half
century, including among its graduates
! General John w. Foster, Minister to Russia
and Spain; Postmaster-general Gresham,
Judge Wylie lately prominent in the star
route trial, several members OF Congress-
among them Wright of Iowa, and Springer,
of Illinois; some of the blue blood OF Viz
GINA, as the Hon. John D. Wise and William
II. B. GUSTS.
The students are, however, for the most
part from Indiana poor enough to be glad
| OF the free instruction, and to make bust
ness OF study. For the number of teachers
that the institution sends out graduate and
Undergrad aate, ii deserves the name OF the
Dartmouth of the West. Many take five or
even six years to complete their course, on
account of teaching so much along with
their studies Two winters ago Dr. W. L.
Harris conducted Rotations in padagogics
with the senior and junior classes for six
weeks.
The president, DR.. Lemuel Moss has sue
| ceeded in holding together, often in the face
of strong inducement to go elsewhere a fac
ulty OF great strength, The bare mention of
the names of two of its members will be
enough to show that this is not hattering.
| They are Professor Kirk wood, the astrono-
mer, to whom Richard Proctor publicly re-
ferred as ''the Kepler of America" and
| Professor Jordan, whose shoulders his fellow
| n broad oD
the mantle of Agassiz
The main reason why this institution is so
little known is to be found in its location.
Bloomington is in the heart of Southern In
diana, region which may emphatically be
called a corner, and things that are
done there are 'done in a corner"
1t is not part of the great West, but
detached portion of the South. 1t was
settled early in this century from Kentucky,
and when the State University was located
| at Bloomington, it was thought to have been
pushed TO the Ultima Thule of civilization.
Since that time the great tide OF immigration
from the East has flowed past it, always to
the NORTH creating indianapolis, Fort
Wayne, Lafayette and Terre Haute. When
one leaves the Vaudalia line at Greencastle
and enters this region on the Louisville,
New Albany & Chicago railroad, one feels a
much greater change than when cross
ing the border of France and Ger
many. There is an absence of what we
call Northern enterprise. These farmers
| farm Just as their fathers and grand
:. fathers did in Kentucky and the Caro-
linas. Hay is seen in ricks instead
of barns; the pigs run loose in streets of
the towns The colored population is prom
inent. This is where the large Democratic
majorities are rolled up that make Indiana
| a Democratic State if left to itself. 1t taxed
all the energy of the great War Governor of
Indiana to save this region from the knights
of the Golden Circle. As it was it sent many
sturdy fighters into the confederate ranks,
and in case of the successful establishments
OF the Confederacy, would ultimately have.
| gone over to it by principle of attachment
stronger than that which inclined West Vir-
ginia and East Tennessee to the Union.
/ Under these circumstances it is not strange
that letters often reach Bloomington marked
"mssent to Bloomington, H." and leetur-
ers telegraph to waiting audiences: Cant
keep my engagement Came by mistake to
/ Bloomington, Ill"
In some respects the State of Indiana has
! treated this university daughter like a found
| ling. Not that it has been exactly niegardly
| toward it, but its policy for some time previ-
| Gus to last year has been I'm certain. AT every
| assembling of the biennial Legislature, it be-
came question what amount OF money, if
any, was to be set apart for the university.
| Rumors were always rife OF a cutting off of
all support except the proceeds of very
small permanent endowment of land. Then
4
| indianapolis, use influence" secure an ap-
| preparation of from 500, 600 TO $50 900 u year,
| and the faculty and friends breathed freely
| for about two years more. During the past
| year, however, the Legislature voted tax of
one-half cent on 500 of the property of the
| State, as the basis of permanent endowment
| and the institution seemed entering on a
| career of assured prosperity.
| Through its time OF trial it has been under
| the supervision of so good board of trustees
| that hardly hitch in the machinery was
| felt There was never rebate or running
behind of the salaries. The library of 10, GOO
volumes was constantly growing under care
| full supervision the recitatiOn-rooms were
| we'll enough furnished with illustrative ap-
| paratus to excite the envy of professor in
one of the poorer-equipped Eastern colleges,
The museum contained not merely things
that every college can have, like Wards
| university Series" of casts, but
things that cannot be replaced.
The 'Owen Cabinet secured for
the university by Richard Owen, formerly
professor in the Institution, collected
mostly by his brother, David Dale Owen.
contained $4,000 specimens of fossils and
minerals, some of them very noted. Prof.
Jordan's private collection of fishes, the
largest private collection in the world, was
on deposit in the museum as we'll as large
collections of fishes from Yale. Cornell and
the United States National Museum, which
were awaiting classification by Professors
Jordan and Gilbert
These are some of the items in great loss
to science. In short, nearly everything of
value belonging to the institution was de-
posted in the so-called new building"
built about ten years ago, and disappeared in
the fire. Library, museum, ply steal and
chemical apparatus, all are gone. 1t is ut
terly inadequate to say that the loss was
1900, 900 and the insurance $26, 600 for the
loss is largely beyond repair, and figures
would lie in trying to express it,
OF the State OF Indiana it is doubtful how
she will meet this emergency. To be sure,
the institution had about as many students
: | ns (0QAl before the nrncn ri NJ Of tLn