Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-02
THE UNIVERSITY.
An INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH COL.
D. D. JOHNSON,
s'r Ssaeso Tears Regent Of the lnstituton-Ths
Sea00l "a Very Prosperous COndiiiOn-Ths
agricultural Features and Its Usefulness
Ihs Pngrsss That Has Been Made.


iobreo,DS seees1ee Ia what Col. d ID.
We We. Nnt have TO say about the
h.. ~. - S.u.@ cttgersity, especially as
% sens p That Institution for
eighteen years. andts q oasn ;nrimatelv
conhecteo Win II, "a Ayriculturist of
the Experiment Statioss tn PrcIsrrp
correspondent met him uvon IA s-, rayn mn
from brief visit 70 home a. nc
Reach, and drew forth the foll6%lnS
answers TO the inquiries propoundedS
"What is the present CONDITION of the
University as compared with lis past?"
"Tbe University" said Col. Johnson,
"has just closed one OF the most pros
porous and satisfactory sessions in its
history. 1t has an able faculty, we'll
qualified for the discharge OF theduties
devOlving upon them, each professor
being animated by zeal and enthusiasm
In the instruction of his class which de-
serves the highest commentator. The
recent commencement exercises demon
started 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 pro-
greSsive. Thirty years ago the course
Of study i'm American colleges was con-
Sned principally to mathematics and the
aAcient languages. Since then, and es
pesially In very recent years, the curric-
ulun has been greatly enlarged, the
though study Of the different branches
Of scAnce and literature occupying a
very Monument part of the present col
lege cNrse. Notwithstanding this en-
iargemNt the regular four years course
Tor grad Ntion has been preserved, to
accompiiA which large part of the
work iormNy assigned to the Fresh
man and S50omore years is now done
In tins PrepaAtory Department. Agri-
rdEtural scieHe now forms very prom
NJ part oAthe regular course of
'uaS'n the DIVERSITY. thus enabling
young man Nho desires to engage in
i'rming to fOlloAthat pursuit in sci
rhahe manner, aid also fit him to Occu-
py any civil poSitin to which his people
might call HIM"
w are she future prospects of the
University?"
Very bright, indeod. The State has
not done 50 much Tor its University as
some other states witb less wealth and
population nave done f0r theirs, yet the
State has been quite liberal. For the
current expenses for the year 1912 the
Legislature appropriated SPA, 9S7. To
this should be added the sum of S6.3Ss,
the interest accrning upon the endow-
ment fund provided by Congress by the
act Of 1862, and S7OO tuition fees in the
law school and frOmStudentS from other
States, making tho aggregate sum of
S32 ,O75 which is devoted 30 the current
expenses of the University. By the pro-
visions Of an act of Congress, passed in
the year 1890, an appropriation Of S15,-
600 was made to the University for the
year ending June 30th, 1890. By the
terms Of this law the appropriation is
increased annually by the sum Of
-. 90 .--rptil it reaches the sum
of SOS. 1000, at which figures lsNI
remaius fixed appropriation for
. all succeeding years. BY the terms Of
the act of the Legislature accepting
this congressional appropriation, $4,000
per snnum for five years, Of that apprO-
priatlon is set apart for the support OF
school for the colored youth Of our
State, and after that period S., 600 per
aunum is so set apart. This will give
TO the University for the year ending
June 20, 1890, the sum Of S12, 600, which
will be increased 81, 600 per annum ID
and including July 30, 1894. The
amount for June 80, 1895 will be $4,000
which will be increased in like manner
until June 80, 1900, when it, will reach
the sum of $50, 900, and remain at that
sum as a permanent appropriation. This
act OF Congress is not intended to re-
lieye the State from the support OF It's
present establishment. The State must
provide for the full and complete sup
1rt Of the present profeSsorShips; the
l. of Congress specifically declaring
|soaa transportation therein made
ri for additional instruction
4 agricultyaf science and
\ 4 mechanical al SsStc. The Congress
& nal appropriation S>pot yet been APP
: kied. but it is presuA (that the Board
III Regents will at onc AXE the neces-
sarv steps to secure theNN benefits of
~ mis- Iiberality on the hart Of Con-
eros The Legislature La, winter made
an concentration Of $4,000 for tho pur-
noseaf constructing MecApical Hall.
Tbis6uildiaQ will be furnisM with all
the necessary machinery, tQolsand ma
.t ~ ny asSG5 # will be estabAhad .
thoroughNs equipped industrial Shool,
each deparsment OF which will be AndN7
tho management OF Fompeten IN
structor. The Congressional apprprla-
ton car, and no doubt Will, be usd to
enlarge The course of Study, and pivide
more thorough instruction in all deart-
meRts Of the University, excep in
ancient lazeklages, especially upon 'nb-
iects relating TO Agricultural Scle CO
and the Mechanical Arts"
"What proportion ofNthe young mn
,,5 Womep.of West Virginia who ale
,,,,.-.rIs a collegiate education are d.
fng 50 at the West Virginia UniveI
sity?"
II have no exact data at my con-
mand, yet would estimate the humble,
at about six hundred. We have five
collegiate institutions in this State
Broaddus College, at Clarksbufg; the
Nj. Z. Seminary, ut Buckhannon: tn,
Southern NJ. Il. Seminary, at Barbour
Vile; Bethany College. at Bethany. anG
the West Virginia UniverSity-enrol-
ing about Eve hundred and twent-
five students, and Storer College br
colorcd youth, at Harper's Ferry, en-
rolling about forty students. ColGed
students. OF course. cannot 20 adj
MITES 10 the University, and Ito State
y 10" es.a ',,'s an agricultural
sopy W eSpSeiaiiy lOI tnein III Ae county
Oh hau0"u@' Ouiietlhs tnei colored
ON,eSeS' we nov doout uNei hundred
a. t"enty-nVe sVu0el'S S''eh ing West
"eihi@ cOiieses, snu VI 'hi1 number
% nunuTsu anu =, i've are eANolled in
X AOf the number of students Gr tho