The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-30
EASTERN COLLEGE LIFE.
Montana's Popular Botanist Preacher
Writes to His Friends From
Harvard.
People on the Atlantic Coast
Eager to Learn About the
West.
A Sample of n Cheap and Good Broak-
fast At tho G Cooperative Foxcr0n
Club.

Rev. +. D. Kelsey, formerly pastor OF the
Congregational church, who Is now taking
II special course in botany at Harvard,
writes an interesting letter to The
PENDENT He says: Montana ia regarded
in the east az tho home of tie cold waves;
but for eight years past no more trying
weather has been experienced in Montana
than your correspondent has felt in Chi
cage. Oberlin. Cleveland. Ithaca. N. u, and
Boston, Fo. years Boston has not been so
ice bound a. at present, resulting in a conl
famine somewhat alarming. and very dis
tressiug TO the poor who buy only in small
quantities. Oberlin college shows great
changes the last few years; the old campus
still contains the chapel Of years ago. Fin.
ney's church remains as formerly, but
scarce anything else looks familiar. The
last ten years has been a period of remark
able prosperity for the college. Last term
1,4OO pupils were enrolled, and as your cor
respondent was leaving the pupils were just
returning to the new term. Cornell uni
versity was next visited. Letters of intro
duction were furnished the writer by a
Cornell graduate. Mr.. Il. Russell, OF Hell
sna. and right cordial We come was ex:
tended. No university of the world has a
grander situation; it's work is simply SUI
perb. Ithaca. the thriving city whore Cor
nell 10 to be found, is about $4,000 in size,
Your correspondent had the pleasure Of
addressing in the First Congregational
church of this city a large audience on tho
theme. "Experiences in the West.' A
marked feature of his trip east 10 the act
ual eagerness OF the people mere TO learn
about the west.
Harvard university may we'll be pond
OF its POSSESSIONS and attainment. A
student who wishes to specialize in any de-
partment has here his opportunity. Some
5000 students are now upon the ground,
and a busy sight it makes. The buildings
are many of them crowded together upon
tho campus thick az sardines in a box.
Some of the departments are separated a
great distance from each other. The be-
tanical gardens nre at least a mile from the
herbariums and Laboratories and lecture
rooms. The grand Memorial hall is used
BY one Of the student boarding clubs M nm
eating hall, and 1t is q sight to behold
when several hundred are seated at the
tables at once. To gain Abundance to this
club application must be made several
months in advance. Expense of living
here varies according to ones means. At
the Foxcroft club, a very popular club on CO.
operative principles, one can live very cheap
ly. Here one has to order every article that 10
to be brought him: should he order bread, he
m0St also OTOeT DutteE OF Luo Drcau "ioAo
will be brought him. Hero is q sample of a
cheap breakfast: Plate of beans. four
cents; oatmeal and milk, three cents: bread.
two cents; butter, one cent; total 10 conts.
OF course one can make from the bill OF
fare a meal costing any price, but
the above ia a sample of what
many students order. The average student
reduces his living to about $3.50. Board il
private boarding houses ianges from $3.50
TO IS. Room rent varies exceedingly ae-
cordinR to accommodations.
Tin science teachings the laboratory re-
search and the lecture systems are adopted;
no text books are used. The student is
given material and a microscope and he il
expected to search for himself.
When he has made the proper
disco seriss and recorded them by careful
and accurate drawings, he is allowed to so
On to the next stop, but not sooner. Al my
own table sit two rofessors like myself
taking special courses, ,,one OF whom has been
at the head for several years of R state nor
NAL school and the other a professor of
natural science in Dennison university.
Two graduates of Oberlin college are here
pursuing postgraduate cou SEES, preparing
for Professional work.
Boston has been visited by two very &C.
we're fires within a week past, costing great
loss Of property and even life. The water
fgcze upon the walls left standing and such
q spectacle has seldom been eeen. Tbou-
sands made special trips to the burnt u.s.
triot to see this singula sight. Cold? Yes,
Boston cold is equal to ten Montana win
ters condensed into ONE!