Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-05-03
FducatIon In WISCONSIN

Education In Wisconsin.
In /" Studies of the Great West" by
Charles Dudley Warner in the April
number of the Harper's, speaking of
Wisconsin and its educational spirit he
says:
wisconsin is not only one of the most
progressive but one of the most en-
lightened states in the union Ply
sically it is an agreeable and beautiful
state, agriculturally it is rich, in the
southern and central portions at least
and it is overlaid with perfect net
work of railroads. All this is wellknown.
| wish to speak of certain other things
which give it distinction. | mean the
prevailing spirit in education and its
social problems. In some respects it
leads all the other states.
Co education seems TO be every where
accepted without question as lift were
already demonstrated that the min.
Cling of the sexes in the higher education
will produce the sort of men and women
most desirable in the highest ciyiliza-
ton. The success of women in the
higher schools, the capacity shown by
women in the management of political
institutions and IN reforms and charities
have something to do with the favor of
woman suffrage.
| Here he mentions that If the women
vote in the general elections as well as
in school matters on the ground that
every public office "relates to educa.
ton, prohibition will be agitated here
as in most other states. But Judge
CaSsiday's decision lately in Mrs.
Olympia Browns ease against the
Racine commissioners will probably
settle the ate mpts to vote on that
ground
He says. But at present the lager
beer interest is too strong to give pro
hibition much chance. The capitol in
vested in the manufacture of beer
makes this interest political element
of great Importance.
We can here mention Milwaukee as
the largest city in the state and being
almost completely in the hands of the
brewers. One of their buildings, the
largest in the country and said to equal
| in 70 anif ~, ,.l1 -,
one group seven enormous buildings
and is impressive by its extent and or
derby management as we'll as by the
drivers of amber fluid" it pours out.
The graded school system of the state
is vigorous, all working up to the
University" Graduates from the High
school of four years course are admit
ted to the University without an ex-
animation Graduates from the S State
Normal are admitted into the Junior
class and thus completing the cource in
two years. This is a State institution and
the state is fairly liberal to it as far as
Il practical education is concerned. 1t
has magnificent new science building
and will have excellent shops and ma
chinery for the sciences, Especially the
applied) and the mechanical arts. The
system is elective. A small per cent Of
the students take Greek, and larger
number Latin, French ana Germany,
but the university is largely devoted to
science. In all the departments lnclud
| ing law, there are about SIX hundred
students of whom about one hundred
are girls. There seems to be no doubt
about coeducation as practical charc-
ter in the conduct of this college and as
desirable thing for women. The girls
are good students aud usually take
more than half the highest honors on
the marking scale. Notwithstanding
the testimony of the marks however
the boys say that the girls dont"known
as they do about things generally, and
as the boys, have no doubt of their
ability to pass the girls either in scholar
ship or practical affairs in the struggle
of life
The idea seems, to be that the girls
are serious in education only up to a
certain point and that marriage will
practically end the rivalry. The dis
tinguishing feature about State Uniyer-
sity is its vital connection wi tn the
farmers and the agricultural in terests.
Not only taking farmer boys possess
ing a common school education over
sixteen years of age and during the
term of twelve weeks giving them lee
lures and recitations on practical and
theoretical agriculture. on elementary
and agricultural chemistry, on elemen-
tary botany with labatory practice, and
on the anatomy of our domestic animals
and the treatment of their common
diseases but the special attention to
the farmers institutes.
| know of no other state where
like system of popular instruction on
vital and universal interest of the state
directed by the highest educational au-
thority is 50 perfectly organized and
carried on with such unity of purpose.
No other in which the farmer is brought
into such direct relations to the univer-
sity." The regents Of the University
have control and have the power TO
select superintendent to control the
institutes. A committe of three of the
regents, have special charge of the IN
stitutes. The state appropriates
$4,000 to the work which pays the
Supt ,and his assistants.
ANNA f. WHITE.
Milwaukee. Apr. 20 1888.