St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-20
DREXEL'S MUNIFICENCE.
The Quaker Crsesus' Enlarged
Scheme for a Free School.

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 19.-The Pub
lie Ledger tomorrow will say editor
tally: ''In order to correct erroneous
impressions about the DreXel industrial
institution. which it was intended to es-
tablished at Wayne (near Philadelphia:
it is thought advisable to make Drlef
statement, giving the original purpose, as
it existed in A. j. DreXePs mind, with
review of the circumstances which nave
modified and enlarged that purpose.
His first thought was that as quite
number of institutions had
been founded for the industrial
training of boys, and but few
Gf any exclusively for girls, that he
would establish an industrial college
for girls in which they should be IN
structed and trained in such way as
to help them to employT 6pt and occu-
patioDs in which they s;c.,a earn no-
eral living. Accommodations and Ia
cilities for housing, boarding and train
ing about 200 girls were to be furnished,
and to this end land and buildings were
purchased at Wayne, and architectural
plans were prepared by competent
architects. In addition to the girls VINO
were to be thus boarded and Instructed,
it was thought that the contemplated
institution might accommodate about
four or five hundred more girls. who
could get to the school during the DAY,
get their luncheon there, and get back
to their own homes i'll the evening.
After more mature deliberation 1t was
found that this
SCHEME HAD SEVERAL DRAWBACKS,
the chief of which was the Withdrawal
Of the girls from home influence. Ihere
were other strong considerations, Dul
that was the principal one, together
with the belief that the sphere OF use
fulness of such an Institution might De
very greatly enlarged by the adoption
of another plan. abandoning the idea OF
boarding the girls, and establishing lhe
institute within the city limits. 1t Is
now the purpose OF Mr.. DreXel to pro
vide funds to purchase land and con-
struct buildings and for the mainten-
ance of full corps of instructors for an
industrial institute for young women
and Young men, that Will accommodate
for their instruction and training, as
many as LOGO girls in the day time
and 600 boys at night. The facilities
and instructions TO be provided Tor
this school are to be free of any and all
cost to its students foreyel-that Is. SO
far as the provision of ample funds ana
business foresight can assure. The
working operations Of the college VIII
probably be somewhat similar to those
of the Cooper institute in New I ork.
A lecture hall, capable of seating. al
least 1900 persons, and an extensive
reading room, provided with all the
useful, technical and other books. and
appropriate periodicals and newspapers
OF the day, will he features OF the plan.
To the Ledger (Which publishes the
foregoing by authority it appears that
this modified and greatly enlarged
scheme is much preferable to the orig,
mai design, not only because IT Will
freely open the doors of the Drexel
institute to so many more students,
but because the administration OF II
will be simpler and much more manage
able. 1t will, of course, cost much
larger amount of money. as an annual
income of from $4,000 to $4,000 may be
required for the college in addition tC
the cost of the land and the buildings
In all, Mr.. DreXel expects the founda'
ton lands and buildings and endoW'
ment of the institution may cost 81, $780,
GOO