The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-07-01
New Hampshire State College.

hampshire COllege OF Agriculture and
the Mechanics Arts, or the State Col
lege, as it may be more briefly named
Consequently your readers may care to
have some of the facts about the insti-
tuition.
1t was chartered in 1866 and made
practically department of Dartmouth
College, although distinct in regard to
funds. A building was erected in the
following manner: General Culver had
made conditional bequest to the state
of property to be used for an agricul-
tural college. AS the conditions had
not been complied with, the money had
gone to Dartmouth College. A long
history is connected with the Culver
money, but, in brief, $685. 900 of this
money was put into a building called
Culver Hall. The state appropriated
$4,000 more, and coupled the appro-
priation with conditions that gave the
State College the control of the build
ing and the first right in regard to reci-
tations. The money had been given
to Dartmouth College to carry on work
like that being done by the College of
Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, but
there had been litigation and COM
promises which, Dartmouth College
claims, released from the obligation.
On the other side, however, it is
claimed that the Culver money in
equity belongs to the institution carry
ing out the intentions of the will.
During the past few years the building
has caused some friction, and an effort
has been made to induce the State Col
lege to accept $4,000 in place of the
rights in Culver Hall. This question
over the building has had a consider
able influence in the matter of removal.
The State College, at the very begin
ming, announced that its work was not
confined to agriculture. 1t had the i'm
mense income of $4,000 a year, and,
supposing the expense of instruction
in the mechanic arts to take half the
sum, had the munifcent sum of 50, 400
a year with which to give instruction in
agriculture, to revolutionize systems of
farming, to carry on successful lines
of experiment, to satisfy some thou
sands of people, no two of whom ex-
pected exactly the same thing: and,
finally, to make young men stick to the
farm and lay up mony while their faith
ers were saying that they could not.
Perhaps it was only the Conant fund that
kept the institution from collapsing,
although there were scattering state APP
preparations to help in the erection or
the completion of buildings. Mr.. Co
nant was one of the hard working, sue
cessful farmers of New Hampshire. In
all he gave some $50, 900 to the institu-
ton; first, for a large and valuable farm,
tryht To-, ~ oh g Al.
college buildingr next for dormitory,
and finally for more than twenty schol-
arsbips to help young men who
wished to study agriculture.
The State College graduated its first
students in 1871, just hundred years
after the time when class containing
but one more had been graduated from
Dartmouth College. The latest report
shows that 1876 have been graduated
from the institution, that 300 have been
connected with it, that 100 of the
graduates are living, that 33 of the
graduates and 81 of the non-graduates
are in work connected with agriculture
AT first the requirements for admis-
sion were very low. The course was
only three-fifths as long as that of a
regular college course, and its grade of
work was unfavorably compared with
that of the Chandler School of Science
and the Arts, which was one of the
oldest and has been one of the most
successful scientific schools of the
country. Since then the State College
has gradually advanced its standing
and shas compelled other departments
to recognize its position. Probably
the readers of the WATCHMAN are not
aware that one of the hardest classes
to be influenced are the teachers in the
academies and high schools. For the
most part graduates of classical insti-
buttons, they are generally ready "to
damn with faint praise " an institu-
ton that tries to teach agricultural
science. The College of Agriculture
and Mechanic Arts is to-day, however,
drawing as students graduates of the
high schools. For instance. one of the
best high schools of the state sent from
mouth. One is taking classical course,
one course in the Chandler School,
and the third, who ranked the highest,
course in the State College. As any
comparison with the Chandler School
will be comparison with an institution
of recognized standing, it may be not
unfair to say that the two schools now
have practically the same requirements
for admission, courses of the same
length, and studies almost identical for
the first year. After the first year the
two institutions specialize, one giving
civil engineering, where the other offers
a choice between agriculture, chem
istry, mechanical engineering and
electrical engineering.
One of your correspondents, who
probably has had very limited acquaint-
ance with affairs at Dartmouth, gives
an incorrect impression about the re-
lations of instructors in the different
departments. The present policy at
Dartmouth is to separate, and to give
each department or institution its own
faculty. Still the associated institu-
tions," as they are called in the cata-
logue of Dartmouth College, secure
some help from academcal instructors
and some from each other. Fourteen
years ago the Chandler School and the
State College together apOOinted q prO-