New-York tribune., 1885-09-17
OPENING OF THE COLLEGES
THE YEAR BEGUN An BROWN.
MORE SCHOLARS, MORE INSTRUCTORS AND MoRr
BOOKS THAN LAST YEAR.

MORE SCHOLARS, MORE INSTRUCTORS AND MORE
BOOKS THAN LAST YEAR.
PROVIDENCE, Sept. Is (SpeciaD Brown Uni-
yersty opened to-day. There were cighty-four appl
cants for admission. few rejected and few
others have dropped out, that the freshman class
will number abont 75 This is q gain last year,
when the freshman class numbered GA. There are GJ
seniors 60 juniors and Ga sophomores, SO that tho
number OF in college is 26i thereaDous against
24S last year. The incoming class consists of neoo-
ing men, average age being considerably above that
OF freshmen at Yale and Harvard In greater degree
than those colleges is Brown the home OF those sturdy
country boys who work their way through college, and
1t is for this reason that sometimes half tho
freshmen are men grown. One freshman is thirty.
two years old married and has two children He
has In large dcgre, tho preachers gift, and Is thus,
late in lfe beginning TO take collegiate There
are three new instructors this term Wams Shields Lis.
comb recently instructor in Mowry & COTS school,
OF this city, becomes instructor In modern languages
Otis Everett Randall 1s41, becomes instructor in inath
ematics and civil engineering, aud signor Gulelmo
Darcas, instructor in Spanish and Italian, for which
languages there has been considerable call recently
peciay Spanish Brown is making the experiment OF
admitting students who have diplomas from AIst-cass
academies and high schools without conditions ex.
aminations but this is only done in the
case OF schools fayorably known to the
Brown faculty and upon personal recommendation
from the instructors the students. About half tha
present freshman class Is admitted that way. TIE
veteran head professor in Latin Professor Lincoln says
that the press has wrong impression about tae
adoption OF the elective system by Brown that the sys
has been in vogue here for years, with modihea-
tiOns 1t has worked well that extensions have
this made in regard 70 the junior aud senior
years. During the vacation, the buildings have been
renovated and the wellkept campus looks bright and
CHEEKY Three OF the college buildings being practically
new, and University Hall having been entirely
rebuilt inside, the students OF Brown
are decidedly well housed. The library con-
tans G3OO0 volumes 1900 having been
added this year. The chief addition has been the unique
and valuable Harris Collection OF American Poetry.
This consists OF 6000 volumes, and there Is hardly an
American poem OF any length, GOOD, bad. or ludiner
ent that Is not found I'm the collection The collecting
was begun by Judge Albert E. Greene, author OF Old
C5rimes," and continued by Caleb Fiske Harris.
Senator Anthony, Harriss cousin, obtained
the collection upon the owners death ard
at his own death bequeathed IL 10 the college
library Many of the thin volumes cost Harris fabulous
sums. One little book about two inches square, tho
only copy In existence Of the first edition OF the
" SeW-E gland Primer" is valued at $1,000 The
library rich in reference books and Is popular with
students who have free TO the acoYes ana never
abuse this privilege The income OF F36,OOO besides
gifts keeps the library In state Of steady growth.
The feeling exists between students and faculty.
The college perfectly equipped for good work In all
respects except gymnasium and there Is every reason
to expect prosperous and profitable academic year.