The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-06-04
A School Of Technology.

We referred, several weeks ago, to the,
proposition of Maj Koiner, in the late
Farmers Convention III favor Of steps
looking to the establishment Of School Of /
Technology in Virginia. We give below
some interesting facts presented in a. let /
ter from Judge Mack, of Indiana, to the +
Nashville Union. Judge Mack has tray /
eled extensively in this and other ,coun-
tries and is very enthusiastic on technical |
schools. His views and the facts he ad-
duces on this subject may be read with I
interest and profit. He says
Technical or polytechnic schools are I
those where many sciences are taught.
They are of recent date in America, none /
except some schools of engineering. being /
twenty years old. AS one of the board of /
managers of 1.-The Rose Polytechnic In
stitute'' at Terre Haute, Ind, have for I
some years past given much attention to
technical education and visited many
schools. And it afforded me great satisfac-
tion to find as an important branch Of |
Vanderbilt fourishing- chronological
school.
The day has passed when all the young
men who spend four years at college are to
fall into the line of the learned profess
sions.-These are already crowded and
ordinarily the young man having com
pleted his academic studies, has long
and dreary course before he can hope for
| support from a professor. Not so with
| the polytechnic student. He is in demand
before he graduates.
Three years ago visited the Stevens
Institute of Technology at Hoboken. A
| class of fifteen had graduated the week be-
fore. President Morton told me that /
fourteen had permanent engagements |
when graduated, none less than 800 a
| month and some at more. The fifteenth |
was chemist, had had a good offer, but
was holding off for a better.
1.-The Rose polytechnic Of Terre Haute |
has four years course. It has been in
operation but little over two years. Some
students, however, came from other in
stitutes, and four graduate next month
one of these during last summers vaca
ton went to work for a firm in Detroit |
They liked him so we'll they engaged him
at the end of his school term at 81 900 a |
year. Another has lucrative place in a
leading railroad offered him. Where is the I
student in the literary course that has
such a prospect? H = $3.50 t' 81 a3e
1.-The young man who gets a technical
education such as a mechanical or civil en-
glneer, or chemist, an electrical engi-
neer, not only gets employment which pays
him from the start, but gets it along side
OF capital, where he is helping to move
the world, and if he has pluck and intel
lect he soon becomes such a necessity as
to give him an interest in the business.
Many young lawyers and doctors waiting
in their offices for patrons years after theyI
have left their colleges would like to ex-
change lots with the young man whose
services are sought by great corporations
railroads, furnaces, mines and the various
manufacturing establishments. ts' b
Il visited the Technical Department of
the Vanderbilt to day and was courteously.
shown all the shops, drawing rooms,
lecture room and museum of this school by
Prof. Landreth. With the exception
of one recently started in New Orleans, /
know of no like school South. + ri, ii.
1.-The boys seem to BIZ infatuated with
their work. The woodwork shops, with
complete set of tools and benches, has
specimens of work that would pass cred
ltably in any mechanic S shop. There are
models of bridges, many feet long, as good
as any engineer could construct. A year
OF certain hours per week, under momen-
tary instruction, is spent in the wood
room. The work the second year is in the
iron-room, where are fine lathes and every
tool necessary to enable the student to +
learn their use. A beautiful, little steam
engine sets there. to show the work of the
last senior class.
''These are only the mechanical shops
The students are required to test the
strength of all woods and metals: have just
completed an analysis of all the GOALS of
the State. They study mineralogy and
geology under a most competent profess
SOr.
They study free hand drawing, until, L
should judge, almost any one can with
pencil sketch any object. The greatest
portion Of their time in this branch is
given tomechanical drawing, Of which fine
specimens are shown. @@
II asked Prof. Landreth how his grad
yates were employed. He said one was
Inspector for the State mines, He also
said they had some trouble in holding
them till they graduated, as such induce
ments were offered as caused them to take
employment and leave the school,"