The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1886-09-25

haOllltate the institution. Df. y
NJ. Walden alone arranged to ad.
vance, from his own fortune, means
for the education each year for
one hundred beneticiaries. The
faculty all went out and canvassed
the State. The result of II all was
a grand rally of 429 students In
1878. Here again, it is to be
observed, there was, just after the
war, an abnormal accession, caused
by the gathering in of students
who should have come during the
three or four preceding years of
alienation, and OF others who
could not have come at all but for
DIR. Valden's generosity. And
again, it was to be expected, that
as these reserved students worked
through their two, three or four
years, there would be n settling
down oil numbers TO normal con.
ditlons. And this was the ease
through four years, uutll 1872.
3. From 1881 2 to 1883 A. In
1881 2 there was a considerable
falling away; from 32G to 200 stu.
dents. This was caused, first, by
the completion of their work by
the reserved students above de.
scribed secondly, by the death of
DIR. Walden, aud the consequent
stoppuge of his beneficiary system
and thirdly, by the establishment
of the Agricultural and Mechani.
cal College, which of course took
away much ofthe patronage of The
farming class. This effect of a
competing school, set up by our
Legislature IN our own State. was
natural and invetible.
D. From 1915 to 1856.
Here there Is all apparent decline ;
but II is only apparent. 1t il al
together In what was the prepara-
tory department. Ever since it's
establishment there has been vio
lent opposition to that department
from various high.schools of the
State. In June, 1884, the Board
of Trustees being convinced that
the exigency which had ncces-
STATED its establishment had
largely passed away, and willing
to concede something to the de-
mands of those schools, abolished
the preparatory department, and
provided for the organization OF
sub freshman class, to be acces.
sible only to candidates for the A.
B. or B. s. degrees. The result
was falling away from Il6 to 7s
the first year afterward but since
that change was made until after
the catalogue for 1883 4 had been
published all over the country,
and very many students came, at
considerable outlay, the succeed
ing session who were not informed
of the change, it was determined
to let those boys who had already
been received into that depart
ment complete their studies in II
without regard TO the new rule,
Thus, the full effect of the change
was not apparent until the second
year afterward 1856 O., when the
sub.freshman class numbered on
ly "A, as against 116 preparat0r,
students in 1884. This falling
off of ~ students, therefore, was
Intentionally brought about ;beine
the very object of the abolition Of
preparatory department Finally
the true back bone of every Col
lege is its four regular classess
fresh to senior. Regarding them
we see that when we pass the rusl
of the period from 1877 3 to 1880
(already shown to be due to con
currenee of unusual and abnormal
causes), the attendance has beer
for the past five years, 10S, 122
139, 145, 144, which is steady
gradual and natural increase
These are the figures, and from
them the reader can judge for
himself whether there is a 'erea1
falling off of students at Oxford
There is no "dry.rot" in the Uni
versity. 1t is a live institution
ready for great work. | bav,
been for years attending almos
every meeting of the faculty o
arts, and l have been surprised
and delighted to see the zeal will
VIII ch each professor has pressed
tue claim of his department, ant
implored of the faculty to allot
him more time with his classes
The apportionment of the time o
each class is a perpetual subjec
of contention, each professor
wanting more of its hours.
The only danger ahead of oul
University is the misunderstood
ing of it by our people. The mos
sweeping judgments are passed
against by intelligent persons VIII,
never entered its precincts, nor
perhaps, saw one of the faculty OF
mere rumors on what would bs
insufficient to determine the mos
trivial litigation. 1t is melan
choly thing to see the indifference
and the ignorance abont so vital an
interest, shown by men who are
not often found either Indifferent
or ignorant abont anything OF
consequence. Let them support
II instead of antagonizing It, and
the University will anickly stand
In numbers where II elready
stands in merif-anoug the first
colleges Of the Ianu.
Xz*.~o <~Ur<- |-54I.-