Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-06-19
PROF. HoGG.

LKentncky Educa,ion. /


A pamphlet of twenty-eight pages,
bearing the above title, has been laid
upon our desk. 1t is from the press OF
John Il. Morton n Co Louisville, XIV,
and is an address delivered before the
State Teachers association of Texas,
at their meeting in Galveston, by
Prof. Alex. Hogg, superintendent OF
the public schools at Fort Worth,
Texas. 1t is very interesting,
especially to scientific men,
on account of the facts and figures
given in connection with great under.
takings in civil engineering, and
should be read by every enterprising
railroad man on account of the refer
ence it has to his business, and by
every progressive teacher who wants
help to get out of the "ruts.n 1t sets
forth the practical side of education,
urging the crying need Of training
to greater accuracy in school-work,
based, however, upon broad and
liberal foundation. 1t discusses
the way in which steam,
science aud skill have contributed
:heir part rs teachers; shows that the
railroad, in its progress, has made fresh
demands upon mans inventive powers,
but that for every new demand there
has" been corresponding supply
how especially in Texas, the schools
have been fostered by the railroads,
whose lands and the school lands are
indissoluhly bound together as ''sec-
tions and alternates," all surveyed ut
the expense of the railroads; that to
the six thousand mites of rail-
road track within her Dor
ders Texas owes her proud place
among her sister states; defends the
railroad management from the impu-
tatlon of eXtortion and lack of liberal
ity, and shows that of the railroads it
may truthfully be asserted their
charity faileth never" land it specially
discusses the problem OF deep water
at Galveston. This IL the
point most particularly interesting t.
scientific men, now that q bill is before
congress to vote screen and one hal,
millions of dollars to another ietty sys-
tenn under the direction of Mr.. Eads.
The jetty system would there be a
complete failure, worse than throwing
the greentacks into the fire, because
that would be a partial canceling OF
the national debt, but at Galveston
none of the assumed requisite condi.
tions for the jetty system are found or
can be produced.
Unassailable arguments are adduced
and wonderful amount of facts and
figures presented to show that the
cheapest and only sure way to procure
deep water on the Galveston coast is to
go to it; to build double-track rail-
road embankment Ia mole) TO deep
water, and to protect all by break
water All the work is set out in clear
detail. There are other points of in
terest, but We can only give the sub
stance of the closing paragraph.
In view of all these things we may be
sure that by the aid of the railroads
the time is not far hence when shall
be- realized the conception of Column
bus, viz, passage to the East Indies
by sailing west; for it is onlya ques
ton Of when? for American railroad
builders having advanced their lines
into Alaska, to cross Behring's
strait, only twenty-siX miles wide, in
a steamer connecting with line oi
railway on the Asiatic continent, ano
finally, to reach, by shorter route
both as to time and distance, the coun-
tries of China, India and Japan.
The last page has beautiful cli
showing how near together are th,
headlauds of Alaska and Asia. anC
another cut showing the genesis of the
steam engine. There are other appro
pirate illustrations and interesting
passages. The author, Prof Hogg, has
done the public a service and himsei
much credit by the publication of hii
really valuable address.