The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-11-18
The Mississippi Agricultural and
Mechanical College.

Editor Vicksburg Post:
The A. e. ". College, as the boys of
ba Agricul,ural and Mechanical College
,-itb student like fondness for abrevia-
,;.rs dub their alma mater, is situated
en branch line of the Mobile & Ohio
Da;lroaI about one mile southeast of
s,artviIe. To the traveller looking ont
tbe windows of the slow moving train,
tbe grounds and buildings of the College
present a rather rough but very sub
.tantial aud prosperous appearance.
One thing however can be said of the A.
E NJ. College buildings, and that is that
in architecture they are strictly modern,
rot beiug built like many of our public
L,iIdiugs. either on the model of the
Jry Goods box or the inevitable old
fa.bi0n creek Temple. These buildings
consist mainly of a very handsome
Iyreufa. commodious dormitory, labo
rstory and science building. besides
such other structures as mess hall, a
bo.pital. a creamery, Professors houses,
harms. eta., all in all forming quite
baDa5ome collection of buildings, OF
which all Mississippians ought to be
proud.
Being an agricultural and mechanical
college. the curriculum of course, j.
planned with reference to
THE NEEDs OF BOYS,
who expect to follow these pursuits, and
more especially i'll regard to the needs
of those intending to adopt farmer
life. This is for two reasons: first,
because Mississippi is, and must in the
nature of things always be an agricultu
raj State; and secondly, because the
legislature has heretofore been unable
To appropriate the funds necessary for
the purchasing of the machinery, tools
and apparatus, essential in the effective
education of a frst-class artisan and
bandicraftsman. While the course is
mainly agricultural one must beware of
thinking that the English part of a
bows education is neglected. By no
means. | am not quite sure but that
with the possible exception OF some
fundamental training in the Anglo
Saxon and Danish elements of the Ian
guage. that the A. & NJ. boy can secure
quite as full a training in English as
the student in the strictly literary in
stitutiOns. While on the other hand
the training in the practical sciences is
much fuller and more exact. Botany,
chemistry, physiology and physics, are
taught both in theory and practice.
When a boy has gone through the A. Il
NJ. College, if he does not know how to
analyze the soil Of his farm, the feed
stufs, marls and phosphates, and the
thousand other things, whose chemical
60 n
be able to test, it will be either because
he wasted this time, or because he was
mentally deficient. OF course no Greek
nor Latin is studied, but perhaps the
want of culture in these departments is
balanced by knowledge OF more prac-
teal things.
As far as could be judged from one
DAYS visit, / would say that the boys, |
say BOYS because though there are
FIVE GIRLS AT THE COLLEGE,
/ did not hear them recite-are doing
good, honest, faithful work, and knew
their lessons quite as well as the aver
are Young student. Besides the literary
and scientific training of the recitation
room. there are two literary societies
where the boys have the opportunity OF
acquiring the graces and beauties OF
elocution by weekly practice in decla-
nation and debate, and where they
attain to that proud object of every am.
bilious American boys desire, the art OF
making a stump speech. There are two
Of these Societies, and they number
about one hundred and thirty members
each. The members responded the night
| was there promptly to the call OF duty
and some of them acquitted themselves
quite handsomely. l could but think
however, it was pity that the College
did not have among its corps OF probes
sors. one of elocution, for such zeal a.
some of the young men showed needete
encouragement and direction. In al
dition 10 the mental training there Is th'
physical, and this is no myth as 1T IS a
So many of the colleges called agrlcul
tural and mechanical. Every day ex
cept Sunday the visitor can see TN
boys
ENGAGED IN VARIOUS TASKS,
some with line and plough in the Fields
some with hammer and saw and nail
working on buildings or fences, som
with crucible, blow pipes and rotor
analyzing soils and feed-stufis, and som
tending to the creamery where every
thing is so clean and nice that 1t woui'
make the heart of the neatest housewli
sick with envy. This work Is cnmpul
sory. and when done efficiently, is pai
for at the rate of eight cents an houi
When the student shirks, the rate
lowered TO four cents an hour. The wor
lasts three hours every day except Q
drill afternoons, which occur, tninA
twice a week for each student.
The military portion OF the Co'ies
work is Just enough to maintain goo
discipline and not enough TO MAKE
burden out of a boys life--so that
Young fellow can prance AROUND
BRAss BuTroNs AND GOLD LACE
without having to spend the best part
his time in learning fancy evolution
that can be but OF small use 70 MI
hereafter. Besides all these many e
cellencies. the College possesses tnat
cheapness. Board, including llghts an
fuel. amounts TO only about nine doiia
a month. while the College furnishes u
students who are willing, paying VIC
thus rendering it possible for the indu
trious to reduce even this small expeh
mlnimum. Hence it actually hs
pens that it is cheaper in some cases I
a boy to 90 10 the A. & NJ. College tha
to stay at home. Fifty-three boys, du
ing the last season, made very near
enough money to pay their ene're
penses. - 80,
In closing want to say that eve. ever
thing about the College seems vital "
energy and push. From the Presiae
down to the Prep. in the lowest grae
they one and all seem TO have the inteI'
of the College at heart; Wnen
A. g. NJ. College was founded, owing
the failure Of so many similar lnsll'
tions. it was predicted that the sa' ~
would happen to it; hut It's frss'ue'
Gen. S. b. Lee, has taken hold q
conquered this prejudice, and maas
s. & M. College one of the most popu.
a. we'll ii one OF the most efhciens Y
hess working colleges IN the soa .,a
ITbe above sentence was written gna .
sdly and not for effect.) Il any nIls'
s;n1;an. or any other person lnteres'
n edu cation, in passing through e 21h :.
y ma = has any time to stop over, le5 2
vi s,,'ei I'll nas means All visit the a. NJ Cole
I'D ~ he will be treated with 2 , k'nun -,
anu ,:.e.,ass - that are simply ca