Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-12-13
OUR GREAT OPPORTUNITY
Now Is the Time to Secure the State
University
MEETING IN NEW wHATcoM
President Laidlaw Outlines the Plan of
the Proposed Institution ana Tells
What Is Needed

The plan and scope of the great uni
versity project was presented to the
people of New Whatcom in "a forcible
and interesting manner by President
Walter Laidlaw at Lighthouse theatre
last evening. The attendance was not
so large as it should have been, but the
audience comprised goodly number
of the cultured and progressive citizens
Of both cities. f, II. Adams, editor Of
the Revellle, acted as chairman and
presided with the grace of an expert
enced parliamentarian. The meeting
was opened with violin solo by Prof
Laffey, which was heartily enc0red
Miss Sedlak sang a solo in excellent
voice, accompanied by Miss Roberts at
the piano, and responded to pro-
longed encore. Miss Clara Stenger,
whose sweet voice always wins the
sympathetic interest of her audience,
sang with excellent effect, receiving an
enthusiastic encore. Mr.. Adams then
came forward and stated the object of
the meeting in few well chosen and
pithy remarks.
Mr.. Laidlaw was then introduced.
He laid the foundation for his discourse
by depicting the splendid future of the
State of Washington. He beheld in "A
vision the banquet of the nations aud
the Evergreen state was the banquet
board. The State of Washington
could support the entire present popu-
lation of the United States. He beheld
the new city of many hills on Belling-
ham bay replacing the old city of the
Seven Hills.
The time had now arrived when
somewhere in this growing state must
be founded the great university. The
Handed endowment of our public
school system, valued at S25, 900 600,
will he sufficient TO pay all current ex-
penses. The schools of no state in the
Union have so munificent founda-
ton. This place now has the oppor-
tunity of securing the state university.
Next year will be too late. We can now
lay the foundation for an institution
that in 1880 will be "A new Yale, new
Harvard and "A new Princeton.
He gave interesting statistics relative
to the public schools, showing the rapid
progress our state is making in educa-
tiOnal affairs. There are now 1000
pupils in the higher grades of the pub
lie schools and 900 in the next lower,
making nucleus of l5,00O for univers-
ity work within year.
There il now nothing i'm the state
that deserves the name of university.
In Spokane the university of Spokane
Falls, organized seven years ago, and
which had nine departments ond 200
pupils, Is now IA corpse. The Presby-
terians had tried to resuscitate il but
failed.
In Walla Walla the Congregational
college is having rough shedding. In
Tacoma the 6utheran institution,
founded at cost of 100000, has no
endowment. The Methodist university
in the same city has but poor prospects
The state university at Seattle is In the
same condition. There are only 200
acres of university land left and the in
stitutiOn is dependent upon grants for
the payment of salaries.
The people Of the East will not pour
their money over the Rockies to help
institutions except TO start them. They
will not contribute for their current
expenses. TO keep the sheriff out
universities must be sufficiently en-
dowed. He could see his way clear
to raise money for the building
and equipment if the citizens
would secure the endowment. The
Presbyterian board Of aid i'm contribut-
ing to the current expenses of the
institution at Sumner,
and according to a law of the church il
is not permitted to assist in the main
tenance of more than one institution I'm
a state. The speaker appealed 20 those
who believed theee was something
higher i'm life than the accumulation
of wealth; those who believed more In
man making than money-making, TO
aid the establishment Of the proposed
institution, and pointed out the vast
benefits to be derived from its location
here.
The university will comprise a school
OF liberal arts, where the door TO the
llteratures Of the ancient and modern
would be opened; school of history
and political economy; school of
technology, where civil engineering,
electric engineering, mining engineer
ing, assaying and railroad construction
would be taught; a school Of law, a
school Of medicine and a conservatory
OF music.
We cannot, he thought, afford TO
start the institution at a dying rate.
The eyes Of the world will soon be upon
us. We are not going to have any me-
diocre city here. Plans have been
drawn which, If followed, will /
place on this bay the finest university 1
on the globe. 1t would be the
greatest advertisement we could have,
and offer the highest inducement to
the cultured and educated to take up
their abode among us.
Two classes Of donations are needed,
one of lands and the other of cash sub
for term Of years. Al the
Of his address Rev. Carlo
5perati favored the audience with a
piano solo, "The Blue Bells Of Scot
land"
Chairman Adams then gave every
body an opportunity TO come forward