Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-01-31
CITY AND DISTRICT.
TIE Cses.rssBIaN tNsvERSITY.
1sOyy to Make a Noble md Satisfactory
Use Of nouey.
WASHINGTON, D. c., January 81, 1885.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., January %. 1885.
To the Fditoy Of THE EVENING STAR:
am prompted from a deep interest in educa-
tiona matters and more especially in the CO.
lumbar University Of this city. 70 acknowledge
your very kind AMI favorable notice of the be-
quest of the late Rear Admiral Powell to that
Institution. The Columbian University is wOr
thy in evere respect to receive the patronage.
sympathy and support of our citizens and those
who speEd their winter in this city, whether
coming a representatives of the people of the
several states or seekers of health and pleasure.
In the first place. its management is under a
board of trustees, of which Mr.. W W. Corcoran
Is the president. He has been one Of its most
liberal patrons and beBefactors. Manifestly he
has given 10 it, because OF his entire satiSiac-
tion with the administration of lis affairs, and
because ct his confidence in its future In the
second place. Che large and imposing structure
at the southwest corner OF 18th and III streets.
reared under the supervision OF a committee of
the trustees. would be creditablc 10 any institu-
ton in this country. however richly endowed.
This statement il not made in athonghtleSs man.
ner but after comparison with the buildings OF
the Johns Hopkins University. of Baltimore. and
the Columbia college OF New York. These two
universities may be justly regarded as the best
endowed in this country. The authorities OF
the New YORK. Institution have recently CON-
p,eted grand library buildiH" at q cost of
cInO,upo The library contains 5000 volumes
and ending 1888 s. go volumes were purchased
an average per year of 4I4 volumes. Under the
present able management OF Mcivii Dewey, A. ~,
of Amherst college chief librarian, more than
10000 volumes were added during the single
Year of 1884. or twelve times as many as the
previous annual average by gift and purchase
The pOsti0 of chief librarian ranks in dignity
with that of professor. and it is around this
department that its chief attractions center. To
fully appreciate this broad statement one needs
yI.Tr al err
and witness the great number of earnest
readers and the obliging library staff
who seem TO be the most pleased in
thus furnishing food for the varied
tastes of those who are intellectually inclined
As further instance of the large scale on
which the management of the Columbia college
is conducted, may mention that one of the
law professors receives salary OF fifteen thou
sand dollars Fer aBnum. The treasurer is paid
Seyenty-fivC hundred dollars per annum and
amount. IL takes about twenty tons of coal
per diem to furnish the heat and power for the
entire premises. The endowment fund is not
given out 70 the public. Il is estimated all the
way from ten to twenty million OF dollars. The
property is mainly i'm real estate--that is bust
hess and residence property OF the choicest
hind-the former around Trinity church. and
the latter in and about Murray hill. large
quantity OF the residence property is unlm-
proved and i leased on the ground rent pian.
Il lease lapSel last year that had been running
On one oi ttPSe lots al an annual rental of three
hnRdred dollars. 1t was promptly renewed at
IN annual rental of seventeen hundred dollars.
ana Yet 70 this richly endowed col
lege Nr. Vanderbilt recently gave the munifi-
cent sum cf i've hundred Thousand dollars for its
medical department. AID now mag there not
he some here az the capital Of the nation who
will generously aid our Columbian University !?
The University has in its buildings and land az
TIE corner of 18th and II streets property
worth 72tN.HD. The committee on the build
in-r have ECt borrowed one dollar to the present
time. and every bill has been promptly paid.
More money. however is needed to properly
equip the building and furnish other ihstru-
m"nial,teS tor arousng and stimulating intel
Iectuai activity Men OF large means are per
Ceiying and sitting the advantages OF education
a never before. The name of Peter Cooper
viii be- reytTcd as long a. New York eity shall
endure. lie contemplated gift of SenatOr-elect
Stanford VIII link his name inseparably with
those of the greatest philanthropiats of the age.
The first duty of man from a financial stand
point is Ia provide his own household. After
that can any more noble and satisfactory use be
made OF money than to devote it to the culture
aud development of the intellectual element in
man. as il ~os',s its way through all the intri-
cate mazes of knowledge and science until. i'm
its exalted aspiration, it reaches and rests in the
Author OF all wisdom, beyond whom it cannot
go K c. +.