The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-01-05
Education for Civil Engineers.

Education for Civil Engineers.
Ifa census could be taken of all the
Young mon ofthe age of thirty who are
h charge of parties on railroad location
or construction. it would be found that
those who graduated from technical
schools were receiving the highest sala-
ries and had the best prospects for pro-
motion and further, we feel confident
that in number they would far outrank
the others. This cannot be said of men
of fifty. for thirty years ago, when they
were young, technical schools were
scarcely known. To argue that, because
these older engineers have attained re-
putatiop and success without the advant-
ages Of scientific education, the young
men of to-day can do SO likewise is
certainly fallacious, for the conditions
in the two cases are far different.
An inspection of the lists Of graduates
given in some of the catalogues OF tech
nical institutes shows that young men
who have been six years ont Of the school.
in general, hold responsible and lucrative
positions. On graduating, they began
~ ,tuo 'UOttOiu VI tuc idOucT VIII INV pdys
but they have rapidly mounted the steps,
passing and often leaving far behind
those who began the ascent when five
years younger. In fact, we know of no
profession where the graduate advances
SO rapidly as in civil engineering. "A
young doctor finds it hard to obtain pa
tients, even when he furnishes both SER
vices and medicine gratis. A young
lawyer is glad to take cases where he
receives nothing If he loses, and almost
nothing if he wins. But the young civil
engineer earns at once as rodman or
draughtsman fifty dollars month, and
usually double or triple that amount after
a very few years of practice. sid
The indications are, thst technical
education, as qualification for techni-
cal pursuits, will grow every year more
and more important, until finally it will
become, as it is now in Germany, indis-
pensable. Already some railroads hire
for their field parties and draughting
offices almost no others than technical
graduates. They do this because they
find it pays. A young man who is train
ed how to think is of more value to them
at higher wages than one who does his
work by rule of thumb ut lower wages.
He does more work in day and does it
better. ~. sci e..
And when we look at the question from
other points of view than the financial,
everybody will agree that the young
man of education has the advantage.
The locating engineer, for example,
does his work with a more cheerful
mind, if he knows something about the
rocks of the country through which he
travels. He has an interest in the pro-
gress of science in general, as well as in
that of his own specially. When the
panic comes that stops his work and his
pay, he is not SO bound to his trade that
he cannot try his hand at sOmething'else.
In such times, too, he feels at liberty to
ask the alumni of his institution to assist
in securing him employment. This may,
perhaps, seem trivial matter, but as a
rule mems lives are largely controlled by
circumstances, while those who are able
to control circumstances are few; and
many a college man will testify to en-
couragement received from his brother
alumni in times of commercial depres-
sion. encouragement without which his
life might have been very different.
There is one other point suggested by
the remarks made two weeks ago, by
Herbert Spencer, concerning overwork
and gray hairs, that should receive the
careful attention of parents who are
puzzled to know whether to give their
boys technical education or put them at
once into practical work. Much OF course
depends on the boys. but if they have
any liking for study, we say by all means
let them continue at it. In these days
of .hurrying business rush and overwork,
let us keep the young men out of the
world as long as possible. Let the days
of their youth be spent in academic halls,
where the worry of business is unknown.
Let the selection of their special branch
es of engineering labor be deferred until
they are qualified by age and experience
to select, .Overwork and gray hairs come
soon enough to men, even when life is
begun at TWENTY-FIVE, and by commence
ing Younger nothing whatever seems to
be gained, but rather much seems to be
lost. ,.er .z rfraa. .rs.Gr-sH al
To conclude: A young man who
wishes to attain success and happiness
in the occupation of a civil engineer
ought to begin by obtaining sound
technical education. Engineering Ae,cs.