The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-07-18
The UNIVERSITY.
AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH
COL. D. d. JOHNSON,
For Eighteen Years Regent Of the In
stitution-The School is in Very
Prosperous Condition--The Ag-
ricultnral Features and its Use-
fulness-The Progress that
Has Been Made.
Correspondence of the Register


Correspondence of the Register.
Believing that the people of the
State would be interested in what
Col. ID. ID. johnson might have to
say about the West Virginia Uni
versity. especially as he was Regent
of that institution for eighteen years,
and is o man intimately connected
with it. as Agriculturist of the Ex-
pertinent Station, the Register cor
respondent met him upon his return
from brief visit to his home at Long
Reach, and drew forth the following
answers to the inquiries propounded:
What is the present condition of
the University as compared with its
pastT'
"The University" said Col. John
son, "has just closed one of the most
prosperous and salts factory sessions
in its history. 1t has an able facul-
ty, well qualified for the discharge
of the duties devolving upon them,
each professor being animated by a
zeal and enthusiasm in the instrue-
tion of his classes which deserve the
highest commendation. Yhe recent
commencement exercises demonstra-
ted most thorough training on the
part of the professors, and very
high order of intellect on the part of
the students. The University is
steadily advancing; the course of
study and methods of teaching are
decidedly progressive Thirty years
ago the course of study in American
colleges was confined principally to
mathematics and the ancient lam
guages. Since then, and especially
in very recent years, the curriculum
has been greatly enlarged, the thor
ough study of the different branches
of science ard literature occupying
very prominent part Of the present
college course. Notwithstanding this
enlargement the regular four years.
course for graduation has been pre-
served, to accomplish which large
part of the work formerly assigned
to the Freshman and Sophomore
years is now done in the Preparatory
Department. Agricultural science
now forms a very prominent part of
the regular course of study in the
University, thus enabling the young
man who desires to engage in farm
ing to follow that pursuit in a scien
tific manner, and also fit him to oc-
cupy any civil position to which his
people might call him"
"What are the future prospects of
the University?"
Every bright, indeed. The State
has not done so much for its Univer-
sity as some other States with less
wealth and population have done for
theirs, yet the State has been quite
liberal For the current expenses
for the year 1912 the Legislature
appropriated $24,9S7. To this should
be added the sum of $6,3SS, the in
terest accruing upon the endowment
fund provided by Congress by the
act of 1862, and 800 tuition fees in
the law school and from other States,
making the aggregate sum of $780,,
075 at which figures it remains a
fixed appropriation for all succeed
ing years. By the terms of the act
of the Legislature accepting this
congressional appropriation, $4,000
per annum for five years, of that APP
preparation is set apart for the sup
port of school for the eolored |
youth of our State, and after that
period $4,000 per annum is set apart.
This will give to the University for
the year ending June 20, 1890, the
sum OF $4,000, which will be in
creased ST. 900 per annum to and in,
Guiding June 30, 1894 The amount
for June 30, 1895, will be $4,000
which will be increased in like man
ner until June 80, 1900, when it will
reach the sum of $4,000, and remain
at that sum as permanent appro-
priation. This act of Congress is
not intended to relieve the State
from the support of its present es
Establishment. The State must pro-
vide for the full and complete sup
port Of the present professorsbips;
the act of Congress specifically de
claring that the appropriation there
in made is for additional instruction
in agricultural science and the me-
chanical arts, etc. The Congression-
al appropriation has not yet been APP
piled, but it is presumed that the
Board of Regents will at once take
the necessary steps to secure the full
benefits of this liberality on the part
Of Congress. The Legislature last
winter made an appropriation of $5,
900 for the purpose of constructing
Mechanical Hall. This building will
be furnished with all the necessary
tools and material, and
in it will be established thorough
ly equipped Industrial School. each
of which will he under
the management of a competent in
structor. The Congressional appro-
priation can, and no doubt will, be
used to enlarge the course of study,
and provide more thorough instruc-
lion in all departments of the Uni
versity, except in ancient languages,
especially upon subjects relating to
Science and the Me
ehanical Arts
What proportion of the young
men and women of West Virginia
who are pursuing collegiate edu-
;ation are doing so at the West Vir-
yinia University"
81 have no exact data at my com
nand, yet l would estimate the num-
Der at about six hundred We have :
i've collegiate institutions in this
state-Broaddus College, at Clarks- .
BURG; the M. E. Seminary, at Buck
lannon; the Southern M. E. Semin-
Try, at Barboursville; Bethany Col
eye, at Bethany, and the West Vir !,
yinia Notwithstanding about
i've hundred and twenty five stu
Tents, and Storer College for colored /,
;outh, at Harper's Ferry, enrolling ,
sbout forty students Colored stu
Tents, of course, cannot be admitted !,
o the University, and the State is
low establishing an agricultural !
school especially for them in the
county of Kanawha. Omitting these
,olored colleges, we have about five !,
hundred and twenty-five students !
attending West Virginia colleges, :
md Of this number two hundred and
i've are enrolled in the West Virginia